The Journey

Summary: David Xanatos' sister, Danielle (OC), moves into the castle after a run of "bad luck" and quickly becomes part of the clan. Friendship, Drama, and Romance and more await her as she travels a journey to discovering what truly matters… Rated M for content in later chapters… Gargoyles is owned by Disney! Please R&R, input is appreciated!

"Decided to run for it, huh?" Turning around in surprise caused Brooklyn's gaze to land upon the very reason he'd been on the battlements. Danielle Maria Xanatos stood against the now closed door and was staring at him intensely. The way her long, dark hair blew out from behind her shoulders did little to slow his racing heart. "Surely, I'm not that scary?"

Brooklyn could feel his breath catch as a confident smile spread across her face. Trying to exude his own confidence, he chuckled. "Of course not. Why would you think that?"

"Well…" She straightened, their eyes still locked as she moved just a step closer to him. "…you are the only member of the clan that hasn't spent the last two hours drilling me with questions."

It was true, since Xanatos had entered with her, everyone had been learning all that they could from the past seven months Danni had been away. Aside from the last twenty minutes, he had been inside, but news of her heart break over her partner's cheating had driven him out.

Danielle at thirty-two years old had master's in communications and accounting from Yale. She had spent the last fourteen years working for one banking firm or another from New York to North Carolina and had weaved her way through the ranks to a highly ranked account specialist position. Like her brother, business came naturally, and her personable attitude had granted her opportunities to travel alongside several of her CEOs. She'd even been to Scotland and within a few miles of where the castle had originally stood.

In the two years since Alex's birth that the clan had known her, the only thing Danielle had struggled with was her relationship with long time partner Travis Baker. Danielle had shared with him during late nights by the fire that Travis was quite insistent about beginning a family, while Danni was still career focused. Their time together already limited by their positions and commitments; she did not feel ready for a baby.

Tonight, when the questions had turned more personal, Danielle shared that her long-term relationship recently come to an ugly end. After more than ten years together, Danielle had found Travis and his intern in her bed. His actions had led her to taking a leave in the firm, and at Xanatos' insistence, she would be moving in.

Brooklyn realized that Danni had been waiting on his response for far longer than necessary and a nervous smile formed. "Just thought I would get some air and allow you some breathing room. Afterall, you've had quite the week; but I'm glad to have you home."

Danielle smile softened, noticing the way his checks seemed to darken as he declared the castle her home. 'Did he just blush? How cute.' She moved a few steps closer, batting her eyes at him involuntarily. "Home? Hm, I hadn't really considered making this a permanent move just yet. Would that make you happy, Brook?"

Brooklyn glopped, all too aware that Danielle had taken each step forward, closing the distance between them to only a few inches. He shallowed nervously, "Well yeah, Xanatos, and Fox, and Alex; you'll make the entire clan happy."

Studying him, Danielle couldn't help but feel her own bodily reactions, her heart racing. "Afraid I don't' bring much to a family's table, Brooklyn. Who's to say I'll fit in?"

"Are you kidding?!" Brooklyn's taloned hands gripped her shoulders gently. "You're kind, generous, brilliant, and funny…" A sudden shyness overtook him, and his eyes dropped to the ground. "…andyou'rebeautiful."

He could hardly believe the words had left his beak, but she was beautiful. Her dark skin and long hair were enough, but her honey-colored eyes had been nearly the first thing he'd noticed about her two years ago even through the heat of battle with Oberon.

Danielle giggled. 'He's so sweet. I'd nearly forgotten how much I adore him.' "What was that last one, cat got your tongue?"

Bringing his gaze back to her own Brooklyn realized that Danielle appeared amused by his jumbled answer. 'Great! Open beak, insert foot.' Fighting back his nerves, he cleared his throat. "Sorry, I know that's not what you were expecting...but you are, beautiful."

For a moment nothing more was said by either of them, he found his eyes closing in what could only be described as humiliation. His self-loathing ended with the contact of her right hand against his check, causing his eyes to snap open and lock with her own again. A soft smile greeted him, and her fingers shifted slightly, to almost caressed his face. "Thank you, I haven't heard that from anyone, aside from my father in a really long time."

Brooklyn found that slightly hard to believe but decided he won't argue with her tonight. He smiled, taking position of her hand and fought the urge to place a kiss in the palm that still held his check. 'Angela's been suckering me into too many rom-coms lately.' "Well, it's the truth, m'lady." Danielle's smile widened, and he could help but to feel blessed to be in her presence as his heart fluttered.

As noise from inside drew their attention her hand fell from his, and Danielle immediately felt the loss of their contact. 'He's funny, and charming in his own way, but it's crazy to feel this way; isn't it?'

Needing something to distract from the thought, she moved beside him against the battlement wall and looked down upon the city. The cloud cover was minimal and from that height you could see clear across the skyline. "It's amazing up here."

Brooklyn had turned with her and tried to claim his own himself. 'I need to get a grip! I shouldn't be having these feeling towards Danni, but I am!' "It's different from the view we had before the curse, but we've gotten used to the noise and lights of this time."

Danielle's eyes were still on the city below them. "I envy your life. Being able to take flight, go wherever the wind takes you."

He chuckled. "I suppose, though we've never traveled far from home. Even when Xanatos drove us from the castle, we never looked further than the police station." He suddenly remembered something she'd told the clan inside. "I can't imagine all the places you've seen."

She sighed and shook her head. Turning towards him again as a gust of wind coming up the castle walls caused her hair to plume behind her. "I honestly wonder if my traveling is what drove Travis to cheat." Their eyes met again. "He always swore it wouldn't drive us apart. Wasn't I the dumb one?"

Anger burned in his soul at the broken look her eyes now held. He hadn't been so enraged in years, not since he'd gotten over his anger and resentment towards Demona. "He's a fool, and any man that can commit such a betrayal didn't deserve you."

Looking at him now, Danielle could see the emotions brewing as his eyes glowed bright, though it didn't frighten her. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she smiled. "Easy tiger! It's okay, what's done is done."

Brooklyn frowned, though his eyes returned to normal as his right hand cupped the one she'd placed on his shoulder. He noticed how different their sizes truly were, and something inside hurt a little from that. "No, it's not Danni. A woman like you, whose beautiful, smart, and talented deserves better."

The sincerity in his eyes caught her off guard. 'My gosh, if you were human…' "How is it no female gargoyle has scooped you up yet?"

Felling confident in front of her again, he shrugged. "You're just lucky I'm still on the market."

Her heart fluttered as a sly smile spread across his beak. 'This shouldn't be so natural.' Despite her doubts, Danielle couldn't help but to press on. "So, you find human women attractive, then?"

'Jalapena, okay, don't screw this up.' Brooklyn glopped. "I've already admitted that I think you're beaut…" As the words felt his beak, motion above them, drew her attention skyward. Goliath had jumped from his tower, Elisa held securely against him, her arms around his neck.

Eyes locked on Dannielle, he chuckled, drawing her attention back. "They look so in love."

Nodding, Brooklyn stepped back from the hand still on his shoulder, hooping the battlement wall, stretching his own wings. Glancing over his right shoulder, he didn't bother to deny the thrill Danni's wide gaze granted him. She had clearly been watching and now a little blush crossed her checks as their eyes met. He smiled. "It took them awhile to admit it, we even thought was Elisa dead at one point, but they're happy now."

Nodding, her gaze moving again to the city below them. 'To be that in love…' "The thrill she's experiencing, I can't even imagine."

Brooklyn turned and crouched in front of her on the wall. "If you wanted to go for a glide, all you had to do was ask, Princess."

Danielle stepped back, staring him down form use of a nickname he knew she hated. They'd been over that dozens of times over two years, and yet tonight, she couldn't help the way it deepened her blush, though she recovered quickly with a smirk. "Are you sure, my dashing gargoyle? I would hate to impose."

Brooklyn held out his right hand to her, though his heart was racing. As she took it, electricity seemed to flow though his entire body. 'What in Merlin's name was I thinking?' "M'lady, nothing would give me greater pleasure." Smiling, he kissed the back of her hand. "We have about two hours before dawn."

Caught up in the moment, Danielle didn't hesitate to nod, holding her breath as Brooklyn released her hand, scooped her into his arms and straightened. 'What are we doing to each other?'

As he turned back towards the city, Brooklyn felt Dannielle's arms wrap around his neck and move benight as much of his mane as she could manage to rearrange. For the first time, her fingers grazed his neck, causing him to shiver against her. 'Ooh, that was…' Though it was too late to go back now, his mind internally raced against his last actions. '…can't believe I just scooped her up, what was I thinking?! She's so beautiful, that's what I was thinking! But she's probably scared to death now!'

Meeting his gaze, Danni frowned and began to retrack her arms. "Sorry, I…"

Brooklyn's arms slightly tightened around her. "It's ok Danni *sigh* you just caught me off guard." He smiled shyly. "Your hands are the first to be in my mane. For a gargoyle, it's…a special person who gets to touch you like that."

Danni nodded, taking in his words. "Like your mate?"

'Jalapena.' Shallowing his nerves, he managed to smile, his hand cupping her arm moving slightly. "Or in our case, a special friendship." He nodded towards the city. "We can still go, if you want to?"

Dannielle was stunned, she'd never had expected their conversation to be so forward but could deny the excitement now rushing through her. "Okay..." She glanced back at the city, before meeting his gaze again and wrapping an arm around his shoulders again, this time being more mindful of his mane. "…just don't drop me."

His expression softened into one she couldn't quite read. 'When have I ever?' Just before he leapt from the wall, he tightened his hold on her, and leaned down. "I won't dream of it, Princess."

Not waiting for Danni to respond, Brooklyn allowed the night sky to carry them away.