New Life, New Beginnings

Chapter 15: Be Careful What You Wish For

Part 2

"Hold on. Do you hear that?"

Brooklyn and Crystal had been spending their second day wandering the city in hopes in running into at least one of the people that was on the clan's radar. It was highly unlikely they would find the man with the hovercraft; he always wore a mask and no one in their right mind would draw attention to themselves by flying around the city during the day. Finding the man with the hammer wasn't going to be much easier. They knew what to look for, but trying to find him was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. What were the odds of simply running into him?

Crystal stopped behind Brooklyn's outstretched arm. "Hear what?"

They had been walking down the street of an older neighbourhood; old townhomes lined the streets, which most, if not all had been turned into multiple apartment dwellings within. It would have been a pretty area to admire, what with the fall colours in the trees and being able to see it all during the day, but Brooklyn couldn't bring himself to focus on any of it. They had chosen this area due to the stone statues that guarded some of the buildings. It was the middle of the day, so most of the homes were empty, which in Brooklyn's mind, was the perfect scenario for the lunatic who had attacked Crystal and Lex.

"It sounds like someone's chipping away at stone." He strained to make out where the sound was coming from over the sounds of the city. He walked further down the block, hoping to be able to determine where exactly the sound was originating. He reached the corner house on the left side of the street and peeked around the wall. This is so much easier from above. No one ever looks up. He couldn't be one hundred percent sure on the person, but there was no denying the hammer that was being used. Brooklyn was transfixed on watching the person repeatedly raising the hammer above their head and bringing it down on the lump of stone that was once a gargoyle.

Crystal crouched behind Brooklyn and peeked around the corner. "It's the same outfit, and I don't think anyone else is pulling this stunt. So what do we do?"

"We put an end to this. Now."

"Are you crazy?!" She stood up and pulled him back behind the corner. "We can't attack him."

Brooklyn smiled at her assumption. "I never said we were going to attack him. We're at a physical disadvantage and, unlike him, we're not armed."

"Oh." Crystal felt the heat in her cheeks rise in embarrassment. She ducked her head slightly and used her hair to cover it up.

"And it would also be going against Goliath's orders." Brooklyn shook his head and continued, "Because there is nothing more that I would rather do than to make this guy pay right now for what he did to you and Lex."

"So we're just going to sit here and watch?"

"And follow him. We need to know where this guy spends his time when he isn't destroying property and attacking gargoyles."

Crystal sighed heavily and leaned against the wall. Patience was not one of her strong suits. Although she had to admit, she had gotten better at it since she began patrolling with the clan. But this time it was different. This was the closest they had ever gotten to her attacker, and she really wanted to make him pay right this second. But even with her improved fighting skills, she knew she didn't have much of a chance in her current form. We could be successful at tag teaming him. She looked at Brooklyn, who was keeping all his attention on their target. But he doesn't have any practice fighting as a human. I could easily adjust, but he could get hurt adjusting to fighting as a human. Can't just throw people over our heads anymore. Her mind wandered from their target as she kept her eyes on Brooklyn. She almost hated to admit it, considering this form was only temporary, but she did find him much more attractive as a human. Who am I trying to kid? She thought. I may live my life as a gargoyle, but I was born and raised human. I think like a human. I shouldn't get mad at myself for finding his human self more physically attractive. Up until they found me back home, all I ever saw were humans! Crystal was quickly brought back to reality at the sound of nearing sirens.

"Crap. Someone must be home and called the cops." Brooklyn looked around the corner and watched as their target looked every which way to determine from which direction the police were approaching. The white-haired human ducked back behind the corner as the man ran towards and past them, heading for a more busy part of the city. "Quick, before we lose him."

Crystal looked back to make sure the cops weren't in view to mistakenly think they were the perpetrators running from the scene, and quickly chased after the two men.

Brooklyn did his best to keep the distance between him and the man short, but not so short as to alert him to being followed. He mentally cursed as the busier streets were getting close, and fast. No doubt he would lose him in the crowd. He watched as the man holstered the hammer onto his back, and removed the black hood that covered his face. Now's my chance to get a look at this guy! He slowed down as the man turned the corner and ran into the crowd. He had been too far away and too fast for Brooklyn to get a decent look at his face. He sighed in defeat and stopped running. "Well so much for that."

"No, no, no, no, no!" Crystal ran past Brooklyn and into the crowd. "Dammit." Try as she might, she couldn't see him amongst all the people. She punched the closest wall in frustration and instantly regretted it. "Ow!" She held her hand and walked back to Brooklyn.

He smirked, knowing exactly why she was holding her hand, even though he hadn't seen it happen. "Forgot you couldn't punch brick?"

Crystal nodded. "Yeah."

"Why did you keep going after him? There was no way for us to follow with so many people in the way."

"I don't know. I saw him remove his hood and," she shook her hand from the pain, "he just looked familiar. I had to know for sure."

Brooklyn nodded in understanding, even though he knew that with her being further behind, anyone could have looked familiar. "How's your hand?"

"It might bruise, but otherwise the pain is already down to a dull throb."

"Great." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Now how about we enjoy the rest of the day before we have to report back?"

Crystal nearly shivered in pleasure from the touch. It wasn't as if he hadn't done this before, but after having seen him in this new light, every smile, every touch just sent shivers throughout her body. "Sounds like a plan."

"But can we keep wall punching off the agenda?"

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Crystal marked another spot on the map and took a step back to view the whole thing in its entirety. "It looks like Manhattan has the measles."

Christian looked up from the reports he had received from Elisa. "I don't have that one listed here."

She didn't take her eyes off the map. "I guess the sirens we heard weren't for him." She leaned back against the table and sighed. "We got so close."

"Why didn't you go after him before he bolted?"

"Goliath's orders."

"...what?"

Crystal looked over her shoulder and saw the confused look on her brother's face. "Yeah, we had orders not to attack."

He shook his head. "You're an adult. Why didn't you just go after him?"

There's the 19-year-old rebellious nature showing. She turned around to face him. "Because this wasn't an issue of not following mommy and daddy's rules. We've only had a glimpse of what this guy is capable of. There's no telling what he would do if taken by surprise. And," she turned to the side, "notice the lack of wings and tail?" Christian slowly nodded as he began to understand her reasoning. "Considering how badly I was injured when I was stronger than him, he could probably kill me as a human."

"But that's also assuming he would attack one of his own."

He did have a point there. "True, but we couldn't take that chance. He had his hammer and we had nothing."

Christian stood up from the table and began marking the map with the new reported locations. "So anything else exciting happen today?"

Crystal took a seat, leaned her chair back and propped her feet up on the table. "Nothing you'd be interested in."

He looked at his sister and raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Crystal shook her head and chuckled. "Really. It's girlie stuff."

"Oh, so it has to do with Brooklyn."

"What?!" The comment caught her off-guard and caused her to fall out of her seat in surprise.

Christian let his head drop forward and chuckle-sighed. "Are you okay?"

Crystal righted the chair and got back on her feet. "How did you know?" she asked, ignoring his question.

"Because I'm not blind," he responded, making another mark on the map. "Everyone knows you two have a thing for each other. We've been taking bets on how long it'll take for you two to hook up." He watched as Crystal collapsed back into the chair. "Why haven't you, anyway?"

Crystal placed her hands on the table and began fiddling with her fingers. "Because of the species thing," she whispered.

"What did you say?" Crystal looked up and glared at her brother. When he got no response, he looked over his shoulder to see the glare he was being given. "Oh." He placed the papers on the table and sat next to his sister. "What did you say?" he whispered.

"I said," she whispered back, "because of the species thing."

"But you're both gargoyles."

She couldn't believe her ears. "Are you being intentionally dense?" she asked, being careful to keep her voice down.

Christian shook his head quickly in realization. "Right. So what changed?"

"This happy little accident," she replied as she gestured to herself. "I like him for who and what he is, but seeing him as a human has really started cementing it for me."

"So when are you going to make the move?"

"Nice try." She patted him on the shoulder. "I'm not helping you win the bet."

Christian shrugged. "Can't blame a guy for trying."

"Well I'm gonna start getting breakfast ready for the clan before sunset." She stood up from the table. "Why don't you finish up here and then help me out?"

"Sure." He grabbed his papers and stood up. "We still on for tomorrow?"

"As long as you're not as dense by then."

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"Come on, Brooklyn! Christian and I kept our ears to the ground all day. Nothing noteworthy happened. We're allowed to have a little fun on our last day!"

"I'm not saying we can't have fun..." Brooklyn looked at the people surrounding him. "I just don't know why you had to pick something indoors and with so many people." It was one thing to see these events from the rafters, but now that he was actually amongst the crowd...

Crystal stopped walking. "Are you actually nervous being in a crowd?"

"Of course I'm not!" Brooklyn puffed out his chest to hide his nervousness.

She smirked. "Liar."

"Okay, fine," his chest deflated. "But it's not for the reasons you think." He led her over to a wall and lowered his voice. "I've always wanted to be able to blend in and walk the streets without someone screaming in fear. And to be able to do it for the past two days has been great." He looked around the hall. "But there are more people here in a more confined space, and when you've spent your entire life being hated and attacked -" He couldn't finish his sentence as Crystal suddenly hugged him.

"It'll be okay." She stepped back and smiled. "And you know how I know?" She grabbed his hand and showed him the five pink digits that were on it. "Because no one can see who you really are. We'll be out of here long before the spell wears off. And if you don't take advantage of this, you're going to regret it. Believe me."

Brooklyn wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the ground. "You're right." He set her back down and inwardly smiled at the blush she was desperately trying to hide. "So where are our seats?"

...

He had to admit, Crystal was right; watching hockey in person was a lot more exciting than it was on TV, although he did kind of miss having the play-by-play announcer calling out everything. He looked around the arena and took notice of all the fans from both teams; something that was never really shown on television. It was usually quite one-sided for the home team. He couldn't help but cringe as a player from the home team checked his opponent so hard against the boards that it caused the Plexiglas to shatter. The referee blew his whistle to stop the play, and the broadcasters used the opportunity for a commercial break.

Brooklyn really enjoyed the things they showed on the big screen. It was certainly a lot better than some of the commercials they showed during sporting events. I have got to stop paying attention to the TV when Christian hogs the remote. A song began to play, and Brooklyn watched as the cameras turned to the crowd and began picking couples throughout the arena. Do they make people kiss like this at every game?

And before he knew it, it happened; the big screen was now showing him and Crystal. While keeping his eyes on the screen, Brooklyn turned his head towards her. "Do you think they're going to keep the camera on us until -"

He was abruptly cut off as Crystal pressed her lips against his. He barely responded to the kiss due to shock, but he definitely didn't pull away. The crowd hooted and hollered at the display, and continued to do so for a few seconds more, even though the camera had already moved onto the next couple.

Brooklyn couldn't explain everything he was feeling. The mental reaction to being kissed was one thing, but the physical reactions were mind-blowing. Having a beak meant there were certain things he would never be able to do, like pucker. So now to be able to do something that Broadway and Angela took for granted... he was the happiest gargoyle in the world.

When Crystal finally ended the kiss, all she did was smile, wrap her arm around his, and lean her head against his shoulder; leaving Brooklyn to figure out what had just happened on his own.

Crystal could feel a wave of relief rush over her. She had finally made her move. It was a little sudden, and not at all planned, but now it was done, and there was no taking it back. Not that she'd want to, anyway. Now the ball was in Brooklyn's court, and Crystal only hoped he'd respond in a similar fashion. And soon.

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"Leafs RULE!" Crystal was having fun jabbing the New York fans as they left the arena. Of course she was careful not to overdo it. She had seen how ugly drunk hockey fans could get, especially after a loss.

"And here I thought you got excited while watching it on TV."

Crystal linked her arm with Brooklyn's as they walked down the street. "This was nothing. Just wait until the playoffs."

Brooklyn chuckled. "I'm looking forward to it." He looked down at her and smiled. She sure had personality, and he had lost track of the number of the times something she did caught him by surprise. The latest: her kissing him. On the lips. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he hadn't realized they weren't walking towards the Eyrie Building. "Uh Crys, where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

"Crystal..." She led him to a building that he recognized, but he couldn't quite remember why.

"Just close your eyes."

He gave her a look that said she better not try anything, and did as he was told. He heard a door open and felt himself being led through a couple of hallways. He found it a little odd that it was colder in here than it was outside.

"Open your eyes."

He did as he was told, and raised an eyebrow. "An ice rink? Did you not get enough hockey tonight?"

Crystal laughed. "We're not here for more hockey. Although some of the equipment is the same."

Brooklyn watched as she reached behind one of the benches and pulled out two pairs of hockey skates. "You can't be serious."

"Oh but I am."

"You do realize gargoyles don't skate, right?"

She shook her head. "But tonight you're human. Come on, it'll be fun!"

Brooklyn sat on the bench. "How did you pull this off?"

Crystal sat next to him and placed the skates on the floor. "I asked Xanatos for a favour. In return I've gotta do some sordid things for him."

Brooklyn was already thinking the worst. "What kind of sordid things?"

"The absolute worst kind. I've gotta babysit Alex the next few times they want to go out."

Brooklyn chuckled as he removed his shoes and put on the skates. "So essentially you made a deal with him so that you could watch me make a fool of myself."

Crystal put on her skates and laced them up. "Now what makes you think that?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that I don't know how to lace up skates?"

She paused as she thought about what he just said. "You know, that never crossed my mind." Crystal kneeled in front of him and laced up his skates.

Brooklyn couldn't help but take the opportunity to get a better look down her shirt. "Thanks for that."

Crystal looked up and smiled. "Not a problem." She stood up, tossed the blade guards off to the side, and stepped onto the ice. After a few years of not skating, the first few seconds were a little uneasy. But after a lap around the rink, everything came back to her like she hadn't lost any time at all. She skated back to the gate and gestured to the ice. "Ready?"

Brooklyn removed the skate guards and slowly stood up. He was a little shaky, but surprised he was able to keep his balance. He remained cautious as he stepped over to the gate. He looked down at the ice, and then up at Crystal. "Probably too late to make a deal that would get me out of this?"

"Way too late. Now c'mon, hold onto the boards and step onto the ice. But I have to warn you," she smirked, "it gets a little slippery out here."

He did so, and although he was careful, he did what most people stepping onto the ice with skates for the first time did; he slipped and fell. But he ended up doing a near-split on the landing. Speaking a few choice words in Gaelic, he tried changing position so that he wouldn't be in so much pain.

Crystal rushed down to his side to help him up. "Guess I should have helped you out a little there. But at least you got your first fall out of the way."

Brooklyn tried to smile at her attempt to make him feel better about his fall, but the cringe won out. "Try telling that to the sergeant and his privates."

Crystal snorted. "I know you're second-in-command, but seriously?"

Brooklyn smiled through the cringe and got on his knees. "No, it was just the first thing I thought of."

She helped him get back on his feet and held his hands to help steady him. "I'm sure it was. Now bend your knees a little, you'll have an easier time with your balance." Once he did, she skated backwards and pulled him along.

Brooklyn nearly lost his balance again once he started moving, but they were going slow enough that he could quickly right himself. "And you do this for fun?"

"It's fun when you're not falling over every few seconds!"

It took quite a bit of time, and countless more times falling down, but eventually Brooklyn was able to skate under his own power. "Definitely easier to ride a horse."

Crystal clasped her hands together. "Oh we should so do that next!" She laughed at his expression of disbelief. "I'm kidding!" She skated backwards in front of him, getting a little bored of facing forward. "It just needs to be something good. I want to take full advantage – whoa!" Crystal had managed to get her skate caught in a large groove near the boards, which caused her to start losing her balance.

Brooklyn reached out for her and managed to pull her back up before she fell. "I gotcha!"

The two fell silent as they became aware of just how close they were. Crystal blushed hard and said softly, "Thanks for the save."

The two skaters slowly came to a stop. He didn't dare think about it. He knew he'd chicken out if he did. He tilted his head forward and kissed her. His brain exploded again at the new experience, but this time it was because of whom he was kissing, and not the act itself. He reluctantly pulled away from the kiss. "Any time."

"Oh no you don't." Crystal pulled him back down for another kiss. They were only going to be human for a few more hours, and she refused to let an opportunity like this pass her by.

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Crystal and Brooklyn had curled up together on the couch in the library. This being the last night of their transformation, they just wanted to be alone. Especially since their relationship had finally started, thanks to Crystal's final admission of her liking him, and making the first move.

So there they were, curled up on the couch, reading the book which Crystal had been reading before their three-day long adventure. They had each taken the part of a character, and were reading it aloud.

"I want to be engaged to Gwendolen, that is all. I love her." Crystal had decided to take the part of Jack, and had even tried to put on an English accent for it.

"Well, I simply wanted to be engaged to Cecily. I adore her." Brooklyn had also decided to pick up the English accent, and put some effort in getting into character.

"There is certainly no chance of your marrying Miss Cardew."

"I don't think there is much likelihood, Jack, of you and Miss Fairfax being united."

"Well, that is no business of yours."

"If it was my business I wouldn't talk about it. It is very vulgar to talk about one's business. Only people and stock-brokers do that, and then merely at dinner parties."

"How you can sit there, calmly eating muffins, when we are in this horrible trouble, I can't make out. You seem to me to be perfectly heartless." Crystal was extremely happy that she had gotten so far in the book before this night. This was her favourite part in the play, and one of the funniest.

"Well, I can't eat muffins in an agitated manner. The butter would probably get on my cuffs. One should always eat muffins quite calmly. It is the only way to eat them."

"I say it's perfectly heartless your eating muffins at all, under the circumstances."

"When I am in trouble, eating is the only thing that consoles me. Indeed, when I am in really great trouble, as anyone who knows me intimately will tell you, I refuse everything except food and drink. At the present moment I am eating muffins because I am unhappy. Besides, I am particularly fond of muffins."

"Well, that is no reason why you should eat them all in that greedy way."

"I wish you would have tea-cake instead. I don't like tea-cake."

"Good heavens! I suppose a man may eat his own muffins in his own garden."

"But you have just said it was perfectly heartless to eat muffins."

"I said it was perfectly heartless of you, under the circumstances. That is a very different thing."

Brooklyn couldn't help but chuckle during his lines. This had turned out to be funnier than he thought. "That may be. But the muffins are the same."

"Algy, I wish to goodness you would go." They had to pause for a moment, as Brooklyn had to turn the page. But when Crystal saw his hand, she quickly placed her hand over it. They had been so engrossed into the play, that neither one had noticed that the clock had run out on the spell.

Crystal's hand began to shake. "Oh my gods." While her skin colour wasn't supposed to change, and Brooklyn's had gone back to crimson, her hand still had five fingers. She brought her hand up to her head, and gasped when she didn't feel her brow ridge or horns. "This can't be happening."

Yet another reason to hate magic. Brooklyn put the book down and wrapped an arm around her waist. He needed to stay calm, because he knew Crystal wouldn't. "It'll be okay. We'll just -."

"No!" She interrupted and abruptly stood up and looked down at him. "Can't you see that this has something to do with that spell Demona cast on my father? And, if we can't change me back..." Her vision blurred as her eyes began to water.

"Hey," he got up and stood close to her. "Don't worry yourself so much about it. Even if you don't get transformed back -"

"But I have to!" she interrupted. "Otherwise, how could this..."

"This what?"

"Us," she whispered. "How could our relationship work, if I'm not a gargoyle?"

He held her close and lightly rested his beak on her head. "What does it matter if we aren't the same species?"

She sniffled and wiped the tears off her cheeks. "But I thought you wanted to be mated to a gargoyle."

"I did," he admitted. "But then I fell for you. Even though you were physically a gargoyle, you were still a human on the inside. I want to be with you for who you are, not what you are. You being a gargoyle was just a bonus."

Crystal shook her head. She knew what he was saying was true, and she knew the clan would still accept her if she remained human. But that wasn't her life anymore. Then again, would her family accept her back now that she didn't have wings and a tail? Did she even want to be part of that family again? She sure as hell knew she didn't want her brother to go through the same pain she had when she had been disowned. No, even if she remained human, she wouldn't go back to them. She looked up at Brooklyn and saw the worry in his eyes. "I know you don't care if I'm human or gargoyle. But I need to be changed back. This isn't who I am." She broke out of his embrace and walked over to the nearest window.

"Maybe it's just delayed." Crystal looked back at him, confused. "You weren't hatched a gargoyle, you were born a human. Maybe the spell is just taking its time because of your initial transformation." Brooklyn took a few steps towards her. "Maybe give it a day? See what happens?"

Crystal nodded before turning her gaze back out the window. "I guess one day wouldn't hurt."

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Crystal sat on her bed in her room and watched the sky gradually brighten as the sun rose over the horizon. Her cat was sleeping near the pillow, happy to have her owner with her during the daylight hours. To think, she had wished for this a few days ago, and now she wished she could take it all back. A few days of being able to blend in with the crowd was not worth this heartache. It was only an extra day, but the fear of being stuck like this weighed heavily on her.

The clan had obviously had questions when they saw her, but she had left Brooklyn to answer them. She just couldn't bring herself to explain what was transpiring and the temporary plan.

She lay down and curled up on her side. She knew Brooklyn would accept her no matter what her form, and even though it had taken her some time, she had finally gotten to that point with him as well. But dating someone of a different species was only going to be a problem when one wanted to build a family. Kids. Now there was something she had never considered before. Whether it was because she was older or because she had finally met the right guy, it didn't really matter. Adoption could always be a possibility, but those could be some very awkward visits by the agency if they happened in the winter when the sun set much earlier in the day.

She propped her head up and pet the sleeping cat, who stretched in response to the touch. Okay, so it wasn't the end of the world being human again. She could go back to school; pick up where she left off in her studies. She could get her dream job and get the car she'd had her eye on since she was 17. She could do the simple things she had always taken for granted; like getting a haircut.

Crystal glanced out the window and felt her chest tighten. She could tell herself over and over again how it would be okay if she spent the rest of her life as a human. But knowing she would never again be able to soar through the skies, to feel the wind under her wings... she may have been born a human, but she was a gargoyle at heart.

All Crystal could do now was wait. Wait and see which path fate would lead her down.

She only hoped it would lead her down the correct one.

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Brooklyn awoke that night to find Crystal standing behind him, still human. He stepped off his perch, only to be knocked back against it when she rushed to embrace him.

"It's not going to happen on its own," she choked out, struggling to fight back tears.

He gestured with his head at the others to go inside. "So what do you want to do?"

She waited until the others had left before pulling back to look up at him. "I know this is asking a lot, but can you take me to Demona's?"

Brooklyn simply nodded. He could only imagine the turmoil she was going through in her head, and if visiting the she witch was going to help her, then by the Dragon, he was going to help her. He picked Crystal up and cradled her in his arms, and waited until she had wrapped her arms around his neck before leaping off the castle wall.

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Brooklyn landed softly on the balcony and placed Crystal back on her feet. He found it strange that no alarms had gone off at their arrival. This was Demona after all, and no one besides Angela was really welcome here.

Crystal opened the sliding glass door and peeked inside. "Odd. She was right here waiting last time." She stepped inside and looked around. Having my night vision back would really be helpful right about now,she thought.

Brooklyn didn't want to go in, but he didn't want Crystal to be in there on her own, either. He slowly stepped through the threshold, keeping his senses on high alert. "Maybe she isn't home." Even if she was, he doubted he'd be able to sense her out by smell. The whole place held her scent.

"Don't. Move."

Brooklyn stiffened as he felt the barrel of a very large weapon pushing against his back. "I should have known you'd be hiding somewhere," he growled.

"How dare you enter my home, and to have the nerve to bring that filthy human here..."

"No! Demona, don't!" Crystal rushed back and tried to place herself between the weapon and Brooklyn. "It's me!" She panicked; Demona didn't recognize her. Or she was too focused on there being intruders in her home. "It's me, Crystal!"

Demona looked at the human who was struggling – and failing – to push the weapon away from Brooklyn. She had originally thought it was that cursed human detective, and she was more than ready to throw her through the window. Oh how that would have been delightful. Unfortunately this human before her wasn't the detective; instead she was claiming to be the gargoyle that had befriended her daughter. "What kind of fool do you take me for?"

"Really, it's me! I was here not that long ago with Angela!" Damn this human form!

"Don't be an idiot, Demona." Brooklyn hadn't dared move, knowing all too well how itchy a trigger finger the female had. "Scent doesn't lie."

She looked back and forth between the gargoyle and human. He was right; the scent was familiar. But she didn't lower her weapon. "That doesn't explain why you're here."

"Because I need your help." Crystal stopped trying to move the weapon away. She just wasn't strong enough. "I need you to change me back."

Demona's eye ridges furrowed. "You've returned to your true form. Why do you require my help?"

"This isn't my true form!" she yelled. Both Brooklyn and Demona looked at her in surprise at her outburst. "I didn't realize it at first, but becoming a gargoyle was the best thing to happen to me, and it's what I'm truly meant to be."

Demona's gaze travelled down and up the human. "How did this happen?"

"Alex overheard us talking and cast a spell to turn us human for a few days," replied Crystal.

Blasted, meddling Fay, she thought. "Us? Who else was affected?"

"Me," Brooklyn responded. "And could you lower that? I'm not here to cause trouble." Demona hesitated, but lowered the weapon as asked. He turned around to finally face the female.

Demona once again looked back and forth between the two. "Magics were mixed," she said, more to herself than to them.

Crystal nodded. "Yeah."

The blue gargoyle looked over the young human. The same young human who stood in this room not that long ago, but as a gargoyle. Normally she wouldn't care to help anyone from Goliath's clan. Their human-loving beliefs disgusted her. But this one... this one had befriended her daughter and still had a dislike for humanity. She placed the weapon on the nearby table. "Come with me."

Crystal and Brooklyn shared a look before following the immortal out of the room and down into the basement. Crystal stared wide-eyed at the room; two of the walls were lined with weapons from throughout history, although most were from the current era. The back wall had rows upon rows of books; spell books, she guessed. In the middle of the room was a large table, and every inch was covered with scrolls, loose pages, and even more books. "Wow."

Brooklyn hated to admit it, but the room was impressive. He did find it cool to see weapons that looked like they could have been used during their last battle with the Vikings. "Why are you holding onto such ancient weapons?" he asked, momentarily forgetting to whom he was talking.

Demona looked at the crimson gargoyle out of the corner of her eye as she reached the table. "No matter how advanced technology becomes, it still has a tendency to fail. The old weapons cannot jam or run out of ammunition."

"Well isn't that a delightful thought," he muttered under his breath.

Demona ignored the comment as she opened one of the books and flipped through its pages. "I went looking for the spell I used on your father after your visit with Angela."

Crystal ran up beside the gargoyle. "And?"

The gargoyle stopped flipping and removed a loose page. "I managed to find the spell," she raised the torn sheet, "but have been unable to find the missing portion of the page." Although, Demona had to admit, it's not something I would have kept if I had ever indeed found it. If there had been no spell written on that portion, I would have found no use for it.

Crystal was so happy she nearly hugged the immortal gargoyle. "Does it really matter?"

Demona looked at the human. "Have you looked in a mirror?" Crystal looked down at herself and then back up at the gargoyle. "You've already learned the hard way about the dangers of mixing magics. Now you're asking me to recast a spell that wasn't originally placed on you, but still somehow affected you." She placed the sheet of parchment on the table and inhaled deeply. "I need you to understand that there may be repercussions, and there's no way to tell if they'll happen immediately, or fifty years from now, or any time in between, if at all."

Crystal squared her shoulders and nodded. "I understand." She glanced up at Brooklyn as he stood behind her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She smiled at him and placed her hand on his before looking back at the sorceress. "And I'm prepared to take on any risk that may come my way."

She most certainly sounds like she's her father's daughter, she mused. Although it seems there may be more than just biology behind it. "Very well." Demona motioned for Crystal to take a few steps back. "Brooklyn, I need you to stand by me." She rolled her eyes at his hesitation. "It's to prevent the spell from inadvertently affecting you." She shook her head as he cautiously walked over and stood behind her. She grasped the spell in her left hand and raised her right hand.

"Wait."

Demona let her arm drop and looked back at the male. "What is it?"

"I want to have a look at it before you do anything." He kept his face neutral as she narrowed her eyes at him. "Please."

She sighed and handed him the parchment. "Is it what I deem it to be?"

Brooklyn read it over twice before handing it back. "My Latin's a little rusty, but it looks to be what you say it is." He paused a moment before saying, "Thank you."

Demona was surprised by his gratitude, but didn't let it show. "May I continue?" She turned back to face the human only after Brooklyn nodded. "Ready?"

"Ready."

Once again, Demona raised her right hand and read from the page,

"Vos, perierat et solus,

Exsista mea forma."

The magic rose from the page, swirling in the air as it slowly traveled to Demona's hand. It twisted and turned around itself and her hand until it shot out and hit Crystal squarely in the chest.

The human closed her eyes as she felt the magic both enter and encapsulate her body. She didn't know if she was supposed to feel the transformation or not, but she didn't open her eyes until she could no longer feel the magic. She looked at the two gargoyles, and neither was smiling. She looked down at her hands, and blinked back the tears that were now threatening to spill. "No..." She looked back up at Demona. "What happened?"

"I was afraid this would be the outcome." She watched as Brooklyn pushed past her and embraced Crystal. "Magics were mixed. The original spell has been rendered moot."

Crystal barely registered the crimson gargoyle's presence. "Isn't it possible it's just delayed?" She knew she was grasping at straws. The previous night had proven to her that spells didn't take their time in showing their effects.

Demona shook her head. "Without the rest of the page, one cannot be entirely sure. But in my centuries of using magic, I have yet to see a spell of this nature take so long to take effect."

Brooklyn looked over at the gargoyle he had once considered a friend. Was that pity he saw written across her features? Maybe Angela wasn't completely wrong about her? "So what do we do now?"

She studied the page for a moment. "I doubt it will work but -"

"But?" Crystal interrupted. "But what?"

She looked at the human. "The counter spell is on this page. The same one I used on your father after he was grown. It's possible that I may need to activate it before the original spell can work."

Crystal looked up at the beaked gargoyle. "I have to try."

He nodded. "I know." He pushed a lock of hair behind her ear before once again taking his place behind Demona.

The blue gargoyle raised her hand once again and read,

"Nunc omittere sicut huc forma,

Et velut tu erant iterum."

Magic once again rose from the page and towards her hand before shooting out and hitting the human in the chest. However this time, Crystal doubled over and screamed in pain. This felt nothing like her first transformation; this was much, much worse. She could barely hear Brooklyn screaming something over the sound of her own voice. What lasted only a few moments felt like an eternity. Once the magical glow faded and the pain finally stopped, Crystal fell to her knees before completely collapsing and losing consciousness.

"Crystal! Crystal, are you okay?"

She struggled to open her eyes. She squinted as she looked up to see Brooklyn and Demona looking down at her. "What happened?"

"The spell did not perform as I had expected," said Demona.

"What do you mean?" She looked back and forth between the two gargoyles. "What happened? What did the spell do?" Brooklyn took her hand and lifted it into her field of vision. Her eyes widened in shock. "Talons?!" She pushed herself onto her knees and looked herself over. Wings, tail, spurs. "But... but how?"

Demona stared at the page as though she were studying it. "The terms of the spell were to become as you were. Due to the Fay's spell, it undid what he had done," she said absently.

Crystal looked at Brooklyn to see him smiling. "You couldn't just tell me?"

"And miss out on your expression when you saw it for yourself?"

"Jerk." She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.

Brooklyn wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the floor in a tight hug.

Demona rolled her eyes at the display taking place before her. She stiffened as Crystal suddenly wrapped her arms around her. "Thank you."

"Yes, well..." Demona didn't know how to handle what was happening. "You got what you came for. Now leave. You've wasted enough of my time." Crystal smiled at her before leading Brooklyn towards the staircase. Demona watched the two of them head for the stairs. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she was actually happy that she was able to help the child. She was still surprised the spell had worked as it did, due to all the magic mixing that had taken place. Demona was caught by surprise when Brooklyn stopped at the bottom of the stairs and gave her a curt nod before following Crystal. She shrugged it off. She didn't get swayed by gestures of gratitude, especially not by anyone from Goliath's clan.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Crystal leaped into Brooklyn's arms once they arrived back at the castle. She had been so excited that things had worked out that she had practically run out of the immortal's house and glided back as fast as she could before letting herself properly enjoy it.

"Told you everything would be okay," he said as he petted her hair.

"Gloating now, are we?" She allowed herself to enjoy what he was doing before running her talons through his mane. "So this is how gargoyles kiss."

He nodded. "It's just one of the ways."

"Can't say it's as much fun as actual kissing," she replied, smirking.

"Maybe not, but," he took her hands and led her to the castle wall, "we can share the sky together."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

One of the lenses in the binoculars shattered as they were thrown to the ground. The night vision goggles nearly suffered the same fate, but a mere moment of clarity saved them. He decided instead to satisfy his need to break something once he got back. He stared at the two tiny figures flying around the castle. So you have shape-shifting capabilities. He punched the rooftop wall multiple times, nearly breaking the bones in his hand in the process. My only consolation is that I know you no matter what your form.

He packed up his things – including the broken binoculars – and revved up the hovercraft. He needed to prepare, and for that he needed time. He glanced over his shoulder at the castle and scoffed before flying away. At least she wasn't going anywhere.