Redemption
Part Two
Written by Donald E. Fleming II
Story concept by Donald E. Fleming II
Disclaimer: All Gargoyles characters are the property of Disney and Buena Vista Studios and are being used without their consent or permission. Other original characters are the property of Donald E. Fleming II. I am receiving no reward for this story other than the satisfaction of being able to share it with others as it is intended solely for my own entertainment and the entertainment of Gargoyle fandom everywhere.
Note: This story takes place immediately following the season finale of 'Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles' (Angels In The Night).
Ryker's Island PenitentiaryJon Canmore sat in his cell, staring out the tiny barred window towards the city. And smiling. As if they can stop the message by confining me to a cell, he thought. This is only a minor setback.
It had been over a month since his capture and arrest at the hands of the gargoyles and that traitorous witch Detective Maza. I still can't believe that my own brother fell in love with that gargoyle-loving harlot. And to think that I was the one that tried to convince him that Goliath and his clan weren't the enemy. I was a fool to think...
He stopped, pausing to take a deep cleansing breath through his nostrils, and let it out slowly. That was another lifetime ago, he thought. Best not to dwell on the past and focus on the future. A future without them. His eyes drifted to the pictures on the wall. Pictures of Goliath and his clan. Detective Maza. Matt Bluestone. Xanatos...I should have expected some interference from him, Jon thought. He's been harboring those monsters ever since the night of the Hunter's Moon. Well, he'll pay dearly for throwing his lot in with them.
"Sir," he heard a voice say. He turned and saw a guard standing outside the cell.
"Yes, what is it?" he asked.
The guard looked up and down the cellblock, then reached into his pocket. "A message, sir," he said quietly. "From Brother Banquo."
Jon smiled, then crossed the cell, quickly taking the proffered slip of paper from the guard. He quickly read over the message, then looked up at the guard, his only means of getting a message to his followers. "Is this correct?" he asked calmly, even though he was practically seething inside.
"I'm afraid so," the guard said. He looked down the block again, then unbuttoned his shirt and pulled out a manila envelope. "These are the details." He quickly buttoned his shirt back up, then turned to head down the corridor. "I shall be back in two hours," he said. "Will you have a message to send to the others?"
"I will," Jon said. He waited until the guard was walking down the cellblock before heading to his bunk and opening the envelope.
So another has decided to turn his back on humanity, he thought as he looked at the picture of Mitch Kreager, which he then set aside before reading the rather detailed report on him. I should have expected it from any who would associate with that traitorous whore. He went over the report, pausing once when he read the section on Demona's nighttime rendezvous with Mitch at his apartment. He was practically shaking with anger by the time he finished.
When the guard came back, Jon had a message ready for him. One word.
Exodus.
Central ParkA week later...
Demona lay on her belly, watching as Mitch dipped the strawberry into the melted chocolate and then held it out to her. She smiled as she reached forward and snagged the berry with her teeth, biting down and leaving him holding the stem.
"Mmm," she murmured as she swallowed the morsel. "You are spoiling me, my human," she said.
"Nothing but the best for you, my dear," he said. He picked another berry out of the bowl and dipped it in the chocolate.
I could get used to this, she thought, smiling. It had been over a month since Mitch saved her from the Quarrymen, and in that time, he had become the most important thing in her life. Mitch reached over and dangled the morsel in front of her, teasing her. She saw a drop of chocolate form on the underside and stuck out her tongue to catch it before snatching the berry out of his fingers with her teeth. He looked at his hand and counted the fingers.
"All accounted for," he joked.
"This time," Demona said. "You know better than to tease me like that."
"Couldn't resist," he said. "Besides, it's not easy with you lying on your stomach like that."
"Oh?" she said. "Then perhaps it would be better if I were like this." Demona rolled over onto her back and looked up at him as she put her hands behind her head. "Is this better?"
Mitch smiled as he looked down at her. "Much," he said as he lowered another berry towards her mouth. She lifted her head slightly to snag it with her teeth, but then he pulled it away and broke off the stem, then placed the strawberry in his own mouth. He held it between his own teeth as he lowered himself to her.
"Oh, you are rotten," she said. As he got nearer, Demona reached up and wrapped her arm around his neck, pulling him down so she could take the exposed portion of the berry between her teeth. Their lips met as Demona bit the strawberry in half and pulled him back down with her.
They were like that for several minutes, Demona enjoying the mingled taste of strawberry, chocolate and him and she was totally oblivious to the sounds of wings on the air and then someone approaching them. It wasn't until she heard Angela gasp that she broke the kiss in surprise.
"Demona!" Angela said.
Startled, Demona and Mitch jumped away from each other, the gargoyle blushing brightly as she realized her halter was askew and she quickly pulled it back into place.
"Angela!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
Angela looked at the picnic basket and the small feast that was laid out on the blanket. "I might ask you the same thing, Demona," she said. "What's going on? And who is this?"
Demona turned and looked at Mitch, as if seeing him for the first time. "This is...um, uh..."
"Mitch," he said, extending his hand. "Mitch Kreager."
Angela took his hand hesitantly.
"I take it you're Angela," he said.
"Yes," she said, looking at her mother. "What's going on, Demona?" she asked. "I thought..."
"Mitch saved my life several weeks ago," Demona said. "He's been helping me recover."
Angela arched her eyebrow in disbelief, sensing that her mother was lying, especially given what they were doing when she found them. And she hated humans, she thought. What was going on?
"What are you up to, Demona?" she asked.
"I'm not up to anything, Angela," she said. "I just..." She paused, then threaded her arm around Mitch's. "I've...fallen in love."
Angela almost snorted at that, but the way Demona rested her head against Mitch's shoulder caused her to pause. Is it possible? she thought. "Demona..."
Mitch turned to Demona, looking at her tenderly. "I think that you and your daughter have a few things to discuss," he said. He then looked at Angela. "And I really think you should listen to her, give her a chance. She might just surprise you."
Angela waited until Demona stepped out of Mitch's arms and approached her daughter cautiously. "Angela, I know what you're going to say..."
"Do you?" Angela said harshly. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you try to..."
"Angela," she said quickly, interrupting her before Angela had a chance to finish. I can't let him find out about that, she said. "Will you...walk with me for a moment?" she asked.
Angela was suspicious, but she could see the anxiousness in her mother's eyes. "Okay," she said flatly. "But only for a moment."
Demona led Angela some distance away, making certain that Mitch was out of earshot before turning to Angela. "My daughter," she started. "I want you to know that I am sorry for what has happened between us."
"Are you?" Angela said. "You used me to get to Father and tricked me into luring the rest of the clan into a trap!"
"I know, Angela," Demona said. "And I wish that I could go back and change what happened. But I can't. I can only say that I'm sorry and try to win back your trust."
"I seriously doubt that's possible, Demona," Angela said, causing Demona to wince. "You haven't done anything to make me believe that you want to change. You didn't even try to help when I thought the rest of the clan had been destroyed."
"I tried to," Demona said. "Believe me, if I had known that you and Bronx were being taken out of the city that night, I would have faced Castaway and the Quarrymen on my own just to try to rescue you."
"But you didn't," Angela said. "You didn't even try to..."
"Then Detective Maza didn't tell you, did she?" Demona said.
"Tell me what?"
"She didn't tell you that I called her," Demona said. "I wanted to offer my sympathies for what I thought happened. I was even on my way to the castle to force Xanatos to tell me what happened when I was ambushed by the Quarrymen."
"Somehow, I doubt your sincerity," Angela said.
"It is true," Demona said. "You can even ask Mitch how we met. He'll tell you what happened that night."
"And I will," Angela said. "And I'll ask Elisa if you did try to call her. But that still doesn't change things between us, Demona. You lied to me, so I seriously doubt if you'll ever earn my trust again."
Demona stepped up to her and took Angela's hands in her own. Angela was about to pull away when she saw the hurt in her mother's eyes. "All I'm asking for is the chance to try, Angela," she said. "Please. You tried once to get me to change my ways. Can you honestly say that there's no small bit of hope for me left in your heart?"
"I...I can't," Angela said. "But, mother. You have to understand..." She stopped when she saw the edges of Demona's mouth quiver. "What is it?" she asked.
"You...called me 'mother'," she said as the first hint of tears appeared in her eyes. "You...haven't called me that in months," she said. "Not since that night..." She reached up and touched her daughter's cheek. "Angela..." she started.
Angela could see the warmth in her mother's eyes, something she had seen in Demona's eyes only once before. Before she knew what was happening, Demona had wrapped her arms around her daughter and Angela found herself returning the embrace.
23rd PrecinctThe following night...
Elisa pulled up in front of the station, pausing for a moment as she looked up at the rebuilt clock tower. Nice to see the place back to normal, she thought, even though deep down, she knew that it would never be the same. The guys weren't going to be roosting there anymore. And she wasn't going to be able to go up into the tower itself to visit them. The interior and the exterior of the tower had been completely redone, and the maintenance crews were the only ones who had the keys to the tower door now.
"I guess it doesn't really matter, does it," she found herself saying. The clan had a new home now, back at the castle, and she had to admit that it was about time. Still, she felt a little nostalgic whenever she looked up at the tower, remembering the good times she had spent with the clan up there...
Waiting for the guys to wake up...
Reading detective novels with Broadway...
Trying desperately to beat Lex at some new video game she had bought for him...
The occasional dance with Brooklyn when he scored a new heavy metal CD, music which she never had the heart to tell him that she simply couldn't stand...
Listening to Hudson talk about the old days at Wyvern...
Scratching Bronx behind his ears, causing the great gar-beast unending pleasure...
The occasional woman-to-woman talk with Angela when the Trio got under her skin...
Quiet moments with Goliath...
Of all the memories, it was those that she treasured the most. She loved Goliath with all her heart, and she simply couldn't imagine her life without him now. He was a friend, companion, confidante, lover... She shook her head, shaking off the momentary spell her thoughts had put her under. "I need to get to work," she said, heading up the stairs. She smiled at Morgan and his partner as she saw them heading out and made her way to her desk. She barely had time to sit down before she heard Captain Chavez's voice.
"Maza, I need to see you in my office," she said.
Elisa left her desk, then headed for the captain's office. She entered and noted the drawn look on Maria's face. "What is it, captain?" she asked.
Maria Chavez closed the door to her office, then sat down at her desk. She sighed heavily. "I wanted you to hear about this from me first, before anyone else had a chance to break the news." She paused for a second. "Jon Canmore escaped from Ryker's a few hours ago."
"What?" Elisa gasped. "How?"
"We're still trying to sort that out," Maria said. "Apparently, he had a guy on the inside, a guard that was ferrying messages back and forth for him to the rest of the Quarrymen. The guard's in custody, but he won't tell us where Canmore went."
"Great," Elisa said.
"There's something else," Maria said. She pulled out a manila folder and handed it to Elisa. Elisa opened it, and her eyes narrowed.
"Do you have any idea why he would be wanting to keep tabs on you, detective?" Maria asked.
Elisa looked through the pictures in the folder. There were pictures of her, the clan, Matt, Xanatos... "Where did these come from?" she asked.
"They were taped to the wall of Canmore's cell," Maria said. "I can understand why he'd have pictures of the gargoyles. He's tried to destroy them enough times as John Castaway." She waited until Elisa closed the folder. "And I can pretty much guess why Xanatos' picture is in there too, since he's rumored to be hiding them at the castle. But I'm still trying to figure out why he'd have pictures of you and Bluestone, detective."
"Well, Matt is part of the Gargoyle Task Force," Elisa said. "Maybe he wasn't satisfied with the way they handled things."
"Somehow, I doubt that," Maria said. "But it really doesn't matter, since there really hasn't been a need for the task force to become involved in any gargoyle-related incidents after Canmore's arrest. And it still doesn't answer why he'd be keeping an eye on you."
"Maybe he's holding a grudge," Elisa said, even though she knew it probably sounded weak. I'm in love with Goliath, she thought to herself. To Jon, that's got to be the worst sin imaginable. "I mean, I did bust him when he brought those anti-aircraft guns into the city and started shooting at the gargoyles. And I was on the train he tried to wreck. He's got to be pretty upset at that."
"I get the feeling there's more to it than that," Maria said. "But somehow, I doubt you'd tell me if there was." She sat back in her chair, watching her. "Detective, I want you to be careful tonight. Until he's located and returned to custody, Jon Canmore is a danger. He broke out of Ryker's for a reason. And I'd hate to have to be the one to tell Diane and Peter..."
"I understand, captain," Elisa said. "I'll keep an eye out for him. Have you told Matt about this?"
"A little while ago," Maria said. "I sent him over to Ryker's a little while ago, to see if Jon's brother Jason or his sister Robyn could give us any idea where he might have gone. I told him I'd send you to meet him after you got in."
"I'll head over there right now," Elisa said. She left the office, then grabbed her jacket off her chair as she headed out of the station house.
But first, a little side trip, she thought as she turned her car towards the Eyrie Building.
Castle Wyvern"Are you nuts?" Brooklyn snapped. "You can't possibly believe that Demona would ever..."
"I know it's hard to believe," Angela said. "But you didn't see her. She seemed really happy. I think that maybe..."
"This is Demona we're talking about," he said. "For all we know, she's cooked up another scheme..."
"That will be enough, Brooklyn," Goliath said. Brooklyn openly glared at him, but he wasn't about to press the issue just yet. Goliath turned his attention back to Angela. "Are you certain about what you saw?" he asked.
"Yes, father," she said. "At first I couldn't believe it and I thought the same thing Brooklyn did. But then I saw how Demona looked at him. I think that she really loves him."
"That'd be a new twist," Brooklyn snorted.
Angela ignored Brooklyn's comment. She turned her attention back to Goliath. "Mother said she tried to call Elisa on the morning Castaway tried to destroy the clan. Has she said anything to you about it?"
"Elisa did mention that Demona left a message on her answering machine," Goliath said. "But she did not tell me what the message was. We knew you did not wish to hear from her."
"But she did call," Angela said. "Maybe she is telling the truth after all."
"About what?" Elisa asked as she came out onto the castle wall.
"Elisa," Angela said. "Did my mother call you?"
"About a month ago," she said. "That night we arrested Castaway. Why? Has something else happened?"
"Something else?" Goliath asked. He could see the troubled look in her eyes. "What is wrong, Elisa?"
Elisa looked at him. "I'll tell you in a minute. What's this about Demona trying to get in touch with me?"
"I...saw Demona last night," she said. "We...talked, and she said she tried to reach you the night the Quarrymen attacked the train. That she left a message on your answering machine."
"She did," Elisa admitted. "But I erased it as soon as I found out it was from her. I knew you didn't want to talk to her."
"But she did call," Angela said. "She was telling the truth."
"I know you want to believe that, Angela," Elisa said. "But you can't trust anything that Demona says or does."
"Even if she says she's in love with a human?" Angela asked.
"Even if..." Elisa started, but then she stopped, stunned, as she realized exactly what Angela had said. "Wait a minute. Demona's...in love?"
"Apparently," Goliath said. "And if Angela is correct, with a human."
Elisa shook her head in disbelief. "It's gotta be a trick," she said. "You didn't happen to catch the guy's name, did you? Maybe I can talk some sense into him..."
"I think he said his name was Mitch," Angela said.
"Mitch?" Elisa gasped. "Not Mitch Kreager!"
"Yes, that's it," Angela said. "Why? Do you know him?"
"Yes, I do," Elisa said. She grabbed Goliath's arm and started to drag him towards the wall. "Come on, Goliath. I need a lift."
"Why?" Goliath asked. "Is there a problem?"
"Yes, there is," Elisa said. "I'm not going to let Demona take advantage of one of my friends like this. Mitch has gone through enough pain in his life already without that witch adding to it!"
"But, Elisa..." Angela called out, trying to stop her, but Goliath and Elisa were already heading away from the castle.
Mitch's apartmentDemona landed carefully on the roof, looking around furtively to make sure no one had seen her. For the past few days, she'd had the feeling that someone was watching her, keeping track of her movements. Probably just nerves, she thought, but she didn't want to take any chances, not where Mitch was concerned. She didn't want to risk losing him, not after everything that had happened in the last few weeks. Somehow, someway, she had found redemption. After her aborted attempt to kill Goliath, she was afraid she had lost Angela forever, but now she and her daughter were at least on speaking terms again, thanks to Mitch's gentle coaxing. She wondered what would happen if she were to tell Goliath about her human lover. Given his relationship with Detective Maza, would he even care? She started across the roof, heading for the fire escape. It didn't matter, she thought. If he can have a relationship with a human, then why shouldn't I?
The sound of wings above her drew her attention, and she looked up as Goliath descended towards her, Elisa cradled in his arms. Goliath landed on the roof and set her down, and Elisa quickly stalked over to Demona, glaring at her.
"What are you up to, Demona?" she demanded.
"It's none of your concern, detective," Demona responded.
"It is when it concerns my ex-partner," Elisa shot back.
Ex-partner? Demona thought. Then it dawned on her. She's the partner Mitch was talking about. "I'm not up to anything, detective," she said, mastering her shock. "Mitch and I have become lovers." She looked at Goliath, who had a very shocked look on his face. "I'd think you'd be relieved," she continued.
Elisa gave her a hard look. "Suspicious is more like it, Demona," she said. "Goliath told me what happened the last time you pretended to play nice. I won't have you toying with one of my friends like that!"
"I am not 'toying' with him, detective," Demona said flatly. "The truth is I've fallen in love with him. I find it hard to believe myself, but it is true. I love him, and I resent the notion that you think I'm using him to get to the rest of you."
"It would not be the first time, Demona," Goliath said.
"Perhaps," she said. "But I swear to you that the last time was indeed 'the last time'. I have no ulterior motives in this. I truly do care for him. Why can't you just accept that?"
"Because we know your history, Demona," Elisa snapped. "We know that..."
"What's going on?" they heard someone say. Demona turned and saw Mitch walking towards them from the fire escape. He paused when he caught sight of Elisa. "Hey, partner," he said. "Long time, no see."
"Hi, Mitch," Elisa said.
"What's going on, Demona?" he asked again. "Decided to invite some friends?"
"Demona and I aren't friends, Mitch," Elisa said. "In fact, she's hated me from the moment we met."
"I don't understand," Mitch said, looking at Demona. "Why..."
"There was a...misunderstanding," Demona said shyly.
"Misunderstanding?" Elisa gasped angrily. "You tried to kill Goliath! And me!"
Mitch looked at Demona. "Is that...true?" he asked.
Demona hung her head, afraid to look at him. "It...is," she said. "Mitch, I've told you that I've done some terrible things in my life..."
"That's putting it mildly," Elisa said coldly, crossing her arms across her chest as she waited for Demona's retort.
Demona surprised her by not lashing out at her. "Detective, I am truly sorry for what I did to you in the past. It was wrong, and I know that nothing I say to you can ever make up for the misery I put you through." She turned her attention to Goliath. "Goliath..." she started.
"I am forced to wonder if you are being earnest, Demona," he said. "After all that you have done, not only to myself and Elisa, but also the clan itself, you will understand if I look on this 'reform' of yours with a note of skepticism."
"I wouldn't blame you," Demona said. "What I did was unforgivable. All I'm asking for is a chance to make amends."
"You can't possibly expect us to forget the past, Demona," Elisa snapped.
"Detective..." Demona started, but then Mitch put his hand on her shoulder.
"Elisa," he said. "I don't know what Demona's done in the past, but you know as well as I do that we all make mistakes."
"Mitch..." Elisa started, but he continued before she had a chance to speak.
"Now I admit that finding out she tried to kill you is a bit of a shock," he said. "But she's admitted that it was a mistake, and she's said she was sorry. Can't you just leave it at that?"
"Mitch, you don't know her like we do," Elisa said. "What she's done..."
"Whatever it is, she's trying to make up for it," Mitch said. "We've all done things we regret doing later, Elisa. Remember?"
"This is different, Mitch," Elisa said.
"Is it?" he asked. "Can you honestly tell me that whatever she's done, it's no different than what I did?"
"Mitch, you don't understand..." Elisa started, but then Goliath placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Perhaps he does," he said.
Elisa looked up at Goliath, the shock clear in her eyes. "Goliath..." she started.
"Elisa," he said. "You and I both know the power of love. How it transcends all barriers and heals all wounds." He looked over at Demona. "It is possible that by falling in love with Mitch, Demona has begun her own healing process."
"You can't possibly think..." Elisa started, even as Demona began speaking.
"I have," she said. "Detective, I know that for what I did in the past, I should be locked away for the rest of eternity, and if necessary, I'll submit myself to your justice system in order to make amends. All I'm asking for is a chance to at least try."
Elisa gave Demona a hard look. But as much as she wanted to, she couldn't arrest Demona, at least not yet. She had to meet Matt at Ryker's. And she was beginning to think that Mitch might just be right.
"All right," she said. "Maybe I'm crazy for doing this, but I'll give you that chance, Demona." She paused as she closed the distance between herself and the gargess. "But if you hurt him, Demona, I swear to God that nothing's going to keep me from beating you to a bloody pulp. You got that?"
"Elisa!" Mitch said, shocked.
"No," Demona said to him. "I deserve that. Detective," she said, turning her attention to Elisa. "I swear to you that I won't hurt him. If I do, I will gladly accept whatever punishment you deem fit."
"You're damned right you will," Elisa said. She stepped away from Demona and looked at her one-time partner. "Mitch..." she started.
"Don't," he said quickly. "Whatever she's done, Elisa, I want to hear it from her, not you. You owe me that much at least." He set his hands on Demona's shoulders. "And I think it'd be a good idea if you left us alone for a while, until we have a chance to sort this all out." He paused for a second as he began leading Demona towards the fire escape. "It was...good to see you again," he said, looking over his shoulder at her. "Partner."
Elisa allowed herself a slight smile, even as she fought the urge to go over and beat the living daylights out of Demona. "Same here, partner," she said. "Just watch yourself, Mitch," she added. "I'd hate to lose another friend."
"Likewise," he said as he and Demona left the roof.
Elisa let out a long sigh, then turned towards Goliath. "I'm still not too sure about this, Goliath. What if Brooklyn's right, and she..."
"I know that you are concerned for your friend's well-being, Elisa," Goliath said. "But it is his decision, and we must abide by it. It is entirely possible that Demona truly is trying to put the past behind her and start anew. Is it not a part of your justice system the possibility of reforming those who have committed crimes in the past?"
"Yes, but..." Elisa started, but she already knew that it would be a losing argument. Reform was part of the system, even though she felt that there were those who simply did not deserve it, but she had felt that way about Xanatos and Fox once, and now they were on friendly terms with the clan. And if Demona truly did want to change... "Okay," she said. "Maybe she does deserve a chance, but that'll never change the way I feel about her. I don't trust her, and I doubt that anything's ever going to change that." She turned and looked out across the city in the direction of the Eyrie Building. "C'mon, Goliath. I need a lift back to the castle. There's something I need to tell you guys."
"Very well, Elisa," he said. He lifted her in his arms and leapt from the rooftop, leaving Mitch and Demona to watch their departure from the fire escape landing outside his apartment...
...And three others from the rooftop of the building across the street.
Jon Canmore lowered his binoculars as he watched Goliath and Elisa head off across the night sky.
"Do you want us to follow those two?" Banquo asked, fingering the trigger of his blaster. His partner Fleance was already sighting her rifle on Goliath.
"No," Jon said. "Our first priority is the Demon herself, and her treasonous consort. We will deal with Goliath and that wretched Detective Maza later." He pulled out the Hunter's mask, donning it. "For now, I need the two of you to remain here, in case they should happen to return."
"Right," Fleance said.
Jon smiled behind the mask and activated his jetpack, heading for Mitch's apartment.
Demona stepped into Mitch's apartment, wrapping her arms around herself as she waited for Mitch to close the window. She was nervous; she had hoped to put off telling him about her past for some time, years perhaps, but now the issue had been brought up sooner than she had expected.
"So," she heard him say. "I guess you have a lot to tell me."
"Yes, I do," she said quietly, unable to turn around and face him. After what I tell him, will he still love me? she wondered. Will I even deserve his love? She took a deep breath and turned to face him. "I guess...I should start," she said. "But I'm not sure where to begin."
"How about at the beginning?" Mitch said. "Maybe if you told me what really happened between you and Goliath, we can at least begin to see why you did...what you did."
Demona did note that Mitch was keeping his distance from her, staying by the window. Was it because he wants to give me some space? she wondered. Or is it because he's unsure of me now? That thought upset her. She didn't want Mitch to be afraid of her, but she knew that it probably couldn't be helped. She'd been hiding a lot from him, and now that Elisa had brought out some of it, she knew that she couldn't hide her past from him any longer. She crossed over to the couch and sat down, looking at Mitch as he took a few hesitant steps towards her.
"I guess we should start with..." she started, but she never got a chance to finish, because at that moment, the wall of the apartment exploded, sending them both sprawling to the floor.
Demona looked up as the Hunter Jon Canmore stepped through the gaping hole in the wall. "Now I have you, Demon," he said. "And I'm going to make you pay for what you've done!"
Goliath looked at the drawn expression on Elisa's face. He could tell that something else was bothering her, and had been since she arrived at the castle. "Elisa, what is wrong?" he asked.
Elisa sighed, then looked up at his concerned face. "I guess I should have told you before I asked you to take me over to Mitch's," she said. "I got a little bad news earlier. Jon...escaped from Ryker's a few hours ago."
"What?" Goliath gasped. "Elisa, are you certain?"
"Yeah," she said. "That's probably the reason why I was so on edge about Demona. Jon's tried to kill you guys so many times, and part of the reason why is all her fault..."
"You should not place the blame solely on Demona's shoulders," Goliath said. "The Canmore family has continuously hunted her throughout the millenium in order to destroy her, yet she was not the one who began the feud with them."
"According to her," Elisa said. "And it's possible she wasn't telling you the truth about that."
"It is possible," Goliath said. "But from what Macbeth has told us about his own experience with the Canmores, I am inclined to believe her version of events."
Elisa sighed heavily. "She's right about one thing, Goliath. You are naive."
This drew a startled look from him, which was followed by a rather annoyed grumble. "I might remind you that at present we are several hundred feet in the air," he said to her.
"I'm sorry," Elisa said. "I shouldn't have said that. It's just...I've got this big chip on my shoulder when it comes to Demona."
"Which seems to be equally balanced by the chip on your other shoulder in regards to Xanatos," he said.
That drew a slight smile from Elisa. "I guess what you're saying is that if Xanatos can change, so can Demona."
"Stranger things have been known to happen, my Elisa," he said.
"I guess," she said. "I only hope that...
An explosion split the quiet night sky.
"Goliath!" Elisa called out as he turned in mid-air, trying to locate the source of the explosion. He saw a plume of smoke rising and realized where it was coming from.
"That came from Mitch's apartment!" he heard her say.
Holding Elisa tight, Goliath headed back the way he came, hoping he wasn't too late.
Demona got up and charged the Hunter, but Jon brought up a gun and shot her. The bullet tore through her shoulder and threw her back. She crashed through the glass coffee table, shattering it.
"You killed my father," he said, advancing on her. "Your leader crippled my brother. And you tried to wipe out humanity with that virus. And now you think that just because you have fallen in love with one of us that you can be forgiven? That it makes up for your centuries of evil? I don't think so." He put his foot on her chest and pressed down, driving the shards of glass under her into her back. She cried out in pain. "Tonight it finally ends, Demon," he said. Smiling, he pointed the gun at her face.
"No!" Mitch cried out. He tackled Jon, knocking him away from Demona and causing him to drop the gun.
"Traitor!" Jon yelled, throwing a punch. Mitch ducked under it and connected with a punch of his own to the kidneys.
Jon staggered back, but didn't go down. "You side with one of them over your own race? They're beasts! They're animals!"
"You're the only animal here!" Mitch shot back. "And if you think I'm going to let you hurt her, you're nuts!"
"You're the one who's insane," Jon snapped. "Don't you know who she is, what she's done? Has she told you about all the lives she's taken and destroyed?"
"You think I'd listen to some psychopath whose only goal in life is wrecking peoples lives in the name of some sick crusade?" Mitch fired back. "If anyone's taken any lives around here, it's you!" He charged the younger Canmore.
Jon ducked out of the way, moving to recover his fallen gun. He picked it up just as Mitch turned and tackled him.
Goliath caught sight of movement on the roof.
"Elisa..." he said.
"I see 'em," she said, pulling out her gun.
Goliath swept back his wings and dived for the roof, hoping to startle the two figures he had spotted. He barreled into them, using his shoulder to knock them off their feet while protecting Elisa at the same time with his body. The two mercenaries were knocked aside, but quickly began to regain their feet.
"I shall deal with these two," he said quickly. "You go check on your friend."
"Right," Elisa said. She quickly bolted across the roof, heading for the fire escape as Goliath turned his attention to both Banquo and Fleance. They both looked at each other before charging the lavender giant, hoping that they could take him down as a team.
They were unconscious even before they hit the ground.
Demona tried to rise as she saw the two rolling on the floor, each one trying to get the upper hand. She wanted desperately to help her lover; Mitch was no match for Canmore, not when the Hunter was as insane as he was now. She rolled onto her stomach, wincing in pain as she felt more glass from the shattered coffee table dig into her flesh. She paused as she reach around to pull a large shard out of her side, gasping as she pulled it free.
Mitch looked in her direction when he heard her gasp and saw her press her hand to her side, fresh blood oozing from between her fingers. Jon used the distraction to shift the struggle in his favor and, before Mitch could stop him, Jon had the gun between them and squeezed the trigger.
A blossom of red exploded from Mitch's back, and he sagged heavily against the Hunter.
"No!" Demona cried out as she saw her lover go limp in Canmore's arms. He pushed the dead weight away from him and turned his attention back to Demona.
"One more death on your hands, Demon," he snarled at her. "One more life lost because of you and your kind. And I promise you, it will not be the last." He slowly raised the gun and pointed it at Demona's head.
"Canmore!" a voice called out. He turned to see Elisa leaping into the apartment through the hole in the wall.
"You!" he cursed.
"Drop the weapon, Jon," she said. "Don't make me have to put you down."
"You're just as much to blame as she is," he said. "It's your fault my brother is crippled, and my sister is in prison!" He started to turn his weapon on her. "You're all to blame!"
"Don't do it, Jon!" she warned. "Don't make me..."
Jon brought the gun around and aimed it directly at her. Elisa didn't have a choice. Her finger automatically tightened on the trigger.
Jon Canmore went down, a hole in his chest directly over his heart.
Elisa ran to Demona's side as she pulled Mitch's limp body into her arms.
"Mitch?" Demona said, tears streaming from her eyes, both from the pain and the fear that she was going to lose him. "Mitch, talk to me. Say something."
Elisa put her hand to his throat, searching for a pulse. She found it, but it was very weak. She turned as she heard someone enter the apartment.
"Call an ambulance," she barked. "Quick!"
The old woman who came in hesitated for a moment as she saw the female gargoyle cradling Mitch in her arms, sobbing hysterically. But Elisa's words were enough to send her into action. She rushed across the hall to call for an ambulance while Goliath entered through the hole in the wall and stepped over to the body of Jon Canmore to check on his condition.
"Mitch, please," Demona continued to cry. "You can't leave me."
"De…Demona," he gasped, finally opening his eyes.
Her eyes opened at the sound of his voice and she smiled, encouraged by it. "I'm here," she said and kissed him on the forehead. "Lie still. Help is on the way." She looked up at Elisa, who nodded in ascension.
"Doesn't...matter," he gasped. "Just...wanna know...one thing, 'fore I go."
"What?" she asked.
"What he said, and Elisa," he asked. "Was it...true?"
Demona felt herself going cold. She couldn't tell him the truth now. The last thing she wanted was for him to die hating her. But she also didn't want to lie to him, not anymore. "Mitch, I'm sorry, but it..." She hesitated as she looked at Elisa, who was trying desperately to staunch the flow of blood. "It's true," she said finally. "It's all true. Mitch, I've done so many terrible things in my life..."
Mitch brought his hand up and rested it against her cheek. "Doesn't...matter," he said. "Just...knowing that you...told me the truth is enough."
"I just didn't want you to hate me," she said, crying as she covered his hand with her own.
"Could...never hate you," Mitch said. "Not...now, not ev..."
"Mitch? Mitch!" Demona cried out urgently as she felt him shudder in her arms, then go limp. She began to cry uncontrollably, then tossed her head back and let out a soul-splitting scream that Goliath and Elisa understood all too well. It was the sound of someone's heart being torn apart.
Castle WyvernElisa entered the media room and Goliath could tell by her expression that she didn't have good news.
"Is he…" he asked.
Elisa looked over at Demona, who was seated next to Angela. Goliath had brought the grieving gargess to the castle when police began to converge on the apartment, and Elisa had asked him to get Demona out of there for her own sake. When they got to the castle, the rest of the clan was dead set against giving her comfort, apart from Angela, who knew how much her mother loved Mitch. The younger gargoyle put her arm around her mother's shoulders, waiting for the news.
"I'm sorry, Demona," Elisa said. "The doctors did everything they could, but there was just too much damage."
"Nooo," Demona moaned, her shoulders shaking as she began crying again. Angela quickly wrapped her arms around her mother and pulled her close, letting Demona cry on her shoulder.
"If it's any consolation," Elisa said, hoping to spare Demona some of her grief. "John Castaway or Canmore or whatever he was calling himself, he was pronounced dead at the scene. He won't be bothering us ever again."
Demona looked at Elisa. The news of Canmore's death was of little consolation, but at least she was satisfied that Mitch's killer had paid for what he had done. It still didn't change the fact that someone who loved her had been taken from her.
"Demona," Goliath said, walking over to the grieving gargess. She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "I am deeply sorry for your loss," he said as he knelt down and took her hands in his. "If you wish, you may remain here..."
"Are you out of your mind?" Brooklyn said.
Goliath stood up quickly, glowering at his second-in-command. "Brooklyn, that will be quite enough."
"C'mon," Brooklyn said. "You can't possibly believe for one second that Demona actually fell in love..."
"I said ENOUGH!" Goliath shouted. Leaving Demona, he stalked over to the brick-red gargoyle. "As long as I am clan leader, I will make the decisions. And it is our responsibility to give aid and support to those in need." He paused as he looked back at Demona. "No matter who it may be."
"You can't be serious," Brooklyn protested. "I can see it if it were Macbeth or Xanatos. But this is Demona we're talking about. Remember what she did a few months ago?"
"I have not forgotten," Goliath said. "And that is why it is important that we be here for her now." He paused as he saw Angela with her arm around her mother's shoulders, holding her as Demona cried openly. "If we drive her away now, in her time of need, then we lose all hope of ever redeeming her."
"She doesn't need redemption," Brooklyn said bitterly. "What she needs is a good swift kick in the..."
"Brooklyn!" Angela gasped. "Please!"
"No," Demona said. "He is right." She pulled herself out of Angela's arms and stood up. "I have no right to be here. Each of you has good reason to hate me..."
"Mother, please," Angela said. "You shouldn't be alone. Not now..."
"I've been alone for a great many years, Angela," she said. "What's one more day, more or less?"
"No," Goliath said. He went over to her and placed his hands on her arms. "Angela is right, Demona. You should not be alone. You have suffered the loss of a loved one, and you need the support of your clan in your time of grief."
"Are...are you serious?" Demona asked, looking up at him. "You said that I would never be allowed back into the clan..."
"We cannot turn our back on you, Demona," Goliath said. "Not when you are in need of comfort after suffering so great a loss..."
"Humph," Brooklyn snorted, still not willing to trust her. When Goliath cast a disapproving eye towards him, the brick-red gargoyle glared at Demona. "I think there's something you're forgetting, Goliath," he said. "The sun's going to be up soon. Who's going to 'comfort' her after we turn to stone?"
"I'll watch her," Elisa said. She walked over to Goliath and Demona and gently placed her hand on the azure gargess' shoulder. "Mitch may have been her lover, but he was my friend, too." She paused as she looked at Demona. "It'll probably lessen the pain knowing that someone else is going to be grieving for him alongside her."
Demona was surprised by this. "You...you would do that?" she asked. "For me?"
"Like I said, Demona," Elisa said. "Mitch was my friend. And in a way, I think he'd want us to be there for each other." She looked over at Brooklyn. "If it'll make you feel any better, Brooklyn, I can have Xanatos lock her up in one of the old castle dungeons."
"That won't be necessary," Demona said. "I swear to you that I won't try to smash you during the day."
"You'll excuse me if I don't jump for joy at hearing that," Brooklyn said. "Just be sure to keep her away from me," he added as he left the room.
23rd Precinct
Two days later...
Captain Chavez looked up as Elisa walked into her office."Can I talk to you for a minute, Captain?" she asked.
"Sure, detective," she said. "What do you need?"
"I heard you were making arrangements for Mitch's funeral," she said. "I was wondering if I could ask you a favor."
"Name it," Maria said.
"I was wondering if you could arrange it so that the service is held at night," Elisa said.
"Why?" she asked.
"I guess by now you know about the gargoyles," Elisa said. "Mitch was close to one of them. Her name is Demona."
"How close?" Maria asked, wondering.
Elisa sighed, realizing that she had to tell her. "They were..." She paused, looking at the captain. "They were real close."
Maria's eyes went wide when she made the connection. "They were lovers?" she gasped.
"Yeah," Elisa said. "I know it sounds weird, captain. But it's true. Demona and Mitch were lovers, and she's been devastated by his loss. He died in her arms, and I really think that this'll help her work through the pain."
Maria sat back, considering the detective's request. It was unusual, but she could see the need for it. She remembered Caroline's funeral, and how the entire precinct had turned out to lay Mitch's wife to rest and to give him the support he needed to get through her loss.
"I'll see what I can do, detective," she said.
Mourning Hills Cemetery One week laterElisa stood by Demona's side as the minister concluded the service. Captain Chavez had arranged an evening service so that the gargoyles could attend, and they had come, but they stood off to the side, out of respect for Demona, who watched as her lover was laid to rest.
"And so we say farewell to Mitchell Kreager," the minister said. "Friend, partner, husband." He paused as he looked at Demona. "And lover. He will be sorely missed by one and all."
"He will," Demona said quietly, feeling fresh tears run down her cheeks.
Elisa looked over her shoulder towards the rest of the clan. She knew that Goliath was uncomfortable about her proximity to Demona, but she had assured him that it was necessary. Demona needed a friend right now, even if it was someone she had tried to kill on more than one occasion.
As the service ended, Elisa stepped over to Demona as the assembled police officers began to move off and gently placed her hand on the gargess' shoulder. She noted the sketchpad Demona held tightly against her chest, as if she were afraid of losing it. She knew what it represented. It was all Demona had left of him.
Goliath took a step towards the pair, but paused as Captain Chavez walked up to him.
"You're Goliath, aren't you?" she asked him.
"I am," he said.
"Elisa told me about you guys," she said. She paused as she turned to look at the detective and Demona. "Finally."
Goliath grimaced slightly at that. "Do not blame Elisa for keeping this from you, Captain Chavez," he said. "In light of what has happened since we first awoke in this new land..."
"Don't worry, I understand perfectly," she said. "And please, call me Maria." She looked up at the lavender male. "It's just that I wish she had told me about you guys a lot sooner. Especially after what happened to the clock tower." She paused for a moment. "Why were you there anyway?"
"We needed a place to sleep during the day after we were forced out of our home by Xanatos," he said. "And somehow, it seemed fitting."
"I guess," Maria said. She looked back at Demona. "Is there anything more we can do for her?" she asked. "I know that in some cultures, they hold a special service for the bereaved..."
"We have a tradition," Goliath said. "A Remembrance ceremony, where we honor the memory of the deceased." He paused as he looked at Maria. "We would be honored if you would attend."
"Me?" Maria gasped. "Why..."
"Mitch was...a part of your clan," Goliath said. "A police officer, and from what Elisa has told me, he was well liked by those who worked with him."
"He was," Maria said. "He was one of the best cops I ever knew." She looked up at Goliath. "But he was forced to turn in his badge after...what happened..."
"Elisa has explained to us what happened," Hudson said. "The lad may have made a mistake, but it doesna' change the fact that in his heart, he was still one of ye. A protector, and he gave his life protecting the life of someone he cared for."
Maria smiled slightly at that, knowing that Hudson had touched on that one part that defined a good cop, and Mitch in particular. He cared. "I think..." she started. "I will attend. I owe it to Mitch's memory." She looked over to where Elisa and Demona stood by Mitch's casket. "And I think he would've been touched by the gesture." Together, they waited for Elisa and Demona to say their final farewells to Mitch.
Demona knelt by the casket, using her talon to scratch a small symbol into the wood. "You gave me so much," she said as a tear rolled down her cheek. "I only wish we'd had more time together. I only wish I'd been able to tell you sooner what I was before we met, so you could see how much you've changed my life."
"I think he knew, Demona," Elisa said. "I think he knew that he changed your life the day the two of you met."
Demona looked up at her. "How can you be so sure?" she asked.
"Mitch understood better than anyone that every action causes change," Elisa said. "If he and I hadn't been partners, then everything that happened in our lives would have been different. Caroline might still be alive, I might never have become a detective and you might never have met Angela. Everything we do has its consequences, Demona. It's only a matter of making sure the decisions we make are the right ones."
"And I seem to have a habit of making the wrong ones," Demona said.
"From where I'm standing," Elisa said. "Maybe you've actually started making the right ones for a change."
"I hope so," Demona said. She looked down at the sketchpad in her hands. "I only wish..." she started, then paused. "I understand how he must have felt, when he lost his wife."
"What do you mean?" Elisa asked.
"He told me about Caroline," Demona said. "He showed me a picture of her once. He said it was all he had left of her." She looked down at the pad. "This is all I have left of him now. I only wish I had something more. Something more tangible than just these few pieces of paper. One small piece of him that I can show to the world and say that this is a product of our love."
"I know," Elisa said. She bent down and put her hands on Demona's shoulders. "Come on," she said. "It's time we were going." She helped Demona to her feet and led her to where the clan stood waiting for them.
Several yards away, a lone woman stood in the shadow of a tree, taking in the scene before her. She smiled as Demona's words sounded in her ears.
"Perhaps that is something that can be arranged," Titania said as she raised her hand towards them.
Six months later...
Demona squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the pain. She bore down as the doctor said, "Push!"
It had come as a surprise to everyone that she was pregnant, even more that she had managed to carry the child to term. She was afraid that her daily changes from gargoyle-to-human-to-gargoyle would cause her to miscarry, but incredibly that hadn't happened.
"And breathe," the doctor said.
Demona panted as her muscles relaxed. Giving birth to Angela wasn't nearly this difficult, she thought.
"Just a little more, Demona," she heard Elisa say. She looked up and gave the detective's hand a squeeze. It was hard to believe that once upon a time we were enemies, she thought. And now she's here at my side, helping me.
"And push," the doctor said.
Demona bore down again.
"I see the head," he said. "And breathe."
Demona collapsed and began panting again. That was to be expected, she thought. Mitch had been human, but when the ultrasound had revealed the lack of a shell forming around her child, it had initially taken her by surprise. In a way, it made her even happier. At least, I won't have to wait ten years to hold him.
"We're almost there," the doctor said. "And...push!"
Demona bore down again.
"You can do it, Demona," Elisa said.
"I've got the head," the doctor said. "Another push."
Demona felt his hand slip inside her as he felt around for the wings. He found them and slowly eased the tips out of the birth canal.
"Come on, Demona," Elisa said urgently. "One more big push and it's over."
Demona bore down one final time and felt her child slip out of her. She collapsed back on the table in exhaustion.
For a moment, there was no sound and that worried her. "Why isn't..." she started, but then her words were cut off by the plaintive wail of the infant.
"It's a boy," the doctor said.
"A boy?" she asked, tears of joy streaming from her eyes.
"Yep," he said. "And from the sound of him, he's got a healthy set of lungs." He clamped and cut the umbilical cord and then handed the infant to Elisa, who took the child to a warm bassinet to clean him off. "Oh, Demona," Elisa said. "He's gorgeous."
"Let me see him," she said.
Elisa swaddled the child up and brought him over.
Demona marveled at the tiny bundle as Elisa carefully placed him in her arms. He had her azure-blue coloring, but his hair was dark, which promised to turn almost coal-black when it filled out. She could feel the nub of his tail through the swaddling clothes and she was tempted to expose the feet to see how many toes he had.
"Six toes," Elisa said, sensing her thoughts. "Three on each foot." Demona looked up at her former adversary and smiled. Then she extended her talon towards the child and the little gargoyle infant grasped it with five chubby little fingers.
"He has his father's hands," she said.
Elisa looked up as the door to the delivery room opened and Angela and Goliath entered. "May we come in?" Angela asked.
Demona looked over at her and smiled. "Come in, Angela," she said. "Come and say hello to your new brother."
Angela carefully walked over and looked at the child. Tears formed in her eyes as she gazed at him. "Oh, mother," she said. "He's perfect." She turned and looked at Goliath. "Come and see, father."
Goliath hesitated, not sure if Demona even would allow him to look at her son. Despite Demona's apparent reform following Mitch's death, he was still unsure about her intentions. But the smiles from both Demona and Elisa changed his mind. He walked over and looked at the child.
"You are right, Elisa," he said. "The child is beautiful." I wonder if our own children would look like this, he wondered. He carefully laid his hand on the child's head and stroked it softly. "Welcome to the world, young one," he said.
"Goliath," Demona said. "I would ask a favor of you."
"What is it?" he asked.
"I...I want him to be raised as part of the clan," she said. "Mitch would have wanted that."
Goliath considered her request. "You wish to give up this child?"
"No," Demona said. "I'm asking..." She hesitated, afraid of what his response would be. "I'm asking to be allowed back into the clan."
"Demona..." Goliath started.
"Goliath, I know I've made some terrible mistakes in my life," Demona said. "The pain I've caused, the betrayals." She looked at Angela and quickly cast her eyes down, feeling fresh tears starting to well up. "I know you have every reason not to trust me. And I'm not asking you to forget what I've done. Just to forgive. Please." She looked down at her newborn son. "For his sake."
Goliath looked to Elisa, who was standing closer to Demona than he thought would have been possible without Demona trying to kill her. If Demona was willing to put aside her hatred of Elisa, then perhaps there was hope for her after all. He looked down at the child.
"What are you going to name him?" he asked.
Demona thought it over for a minute. "Mitchell Kreager Destine," she said. "After his father."
Goliath gently laid his hand on the infant's head again. "Welcome, Mitchell Kreager," he said. "To your new clan."
A new day dawned for the gargoyles.
The End