All characters from the Gargoyles belong to Buena Vista/ Disney.
There, I said it, now don't you sue!
Oh, yeah, Brooklyn's wife, kids, and slobbery doggly thing belong to the people at TGS. But they're cool people, and they probably won't really care if I use their characters. They made them up anyway...
Now ***cracks her knuckles*** let's get on with this story.
* * * * * *
* * * * * *
"Back to the rat-races," huffed Xanatos, smacking his buzzing alarm before it woke up his snoozing wife. He rolled out of bed and grabbed his navy robe, tying it tightly about his waist. He looked at his face in a dimly lit mirror. He seemed barely rested, not quite ready to take on another day as a billionaire super-power. He opened the door to his bedroom and found Owen, already impeccably dressed and well-groomed there to prepare him for the day's new schedule.
"Here," Owen handed him the newspaper in a tight bundle. "If you will follow me to the dining room sir; your breakfast is there, and I also have your schedule filled out that you may want to review."
David Xanatos rubbed his chin, making a sibilance as his thumb made contact with twenty- nine hours worth of stubble. "Of course. Then can I get my shower?"
Owen looked over his spectacles. "Yes, sir. Come along, please."
Xanatos trudged down the hall after his majordomo and seated himself at the table, feeling the urge to sleep again. He began to gulp down his coffee in an attempt to chemically enhance his awareness until his metabolism and natural endorphins kicked in. He waited for Owen to brief him, but his normally calm, wooden servant seemed to be jittery and distracted.
Xanatos cleared his throat. "So, what's my schedule like, Owen?"
Owen seemed to snap awake. "Sorry, Mr. Xanatos. Your schedule is very full today. You have a meeting with Ms. Destine at 9 o'clock, a new proposal for budget at 10:30; you promised Mrs. Xanatos that you would have lunch with her at noon, the men from GenUtech have a report for you at one-fifteen, and at two you and I have to fill out your taxes; That may take hours. Microsoft called about your microchip, and I told them a good day for a meeting would be Thursday. Your important attachment this evening is that dinner with the senators of New York at six. That includes Mrs. Clinton."
Xanatos chuckled. "Is her husband coming?"
"No."
"Darn. I have a new intern straight out of the University that I'd like him to meet."
"Mr. Xanatos...."
"What?!"
"You have to realize that with a schedule like this, I will be required to be in your service for several hours today."
"So?"
"Mrs. Xanatos will have her hands full as well. That means that Master Alexander will have to have someone else look after him other than me."
"You seem to have someone in mind."
"As a matter of fact, I do."
* * * * * *
"Name please."
"Shanndel Xanatos."
"Name, PLEASE."
"That is my name. Here's my ID. I hope you find it satisfactory."
The security guard shot a skeptical look at her under the bridge of his XanaCorp cap. He looked at the ID. The picture of the pretty girl matched its owner's face, and it was initialed by O. B., Owen Burnett.
"Hold on a minute, Miss Xanatos," He turned to the phone at his right and dialed.
*BRRRINNNNGG*
Xanatos' Secretarial Offices; how may I help you?
"Yes'm. Lobby Security here. There's a girl out here, says her name is Shanndel Xanatos. D'ya know if she's expected?"
Yes sir, she is, check her pass and send her up to the 12th floor.
"Thank you kindly, ma'am."
He hung up.
"All right, Miss. You're cleared for the 12th floor. Elevator on the left."
Shanndel grinned what was more like a Xanatos' smirk. "Well, it's about time. Won't cousin Davie be surprised..."
* * * * * *
"Fox!" David called. "It's time to leave."
"Coming, Dave!"
"Women," he muttered. "Always late." He looked at his watch. 11:50. He could leave right now to get to the café and back in time for the GenUtech Robotics Report.
Fox dashed out to meet her husband, but discovered that she forgot her purse. She started back to her room when she ran into Owen, who handed her the purse.
"Thanks, 'cousin' Puck,"she teased, "What a magic trick; making things appear and disappear is on command is hard to do."
Owen looked around cautiously, then whispered, "Milady Fox....please do not reveal my identity so loudly." He straightened up, then turned to his employer. "Mr.Xanatos, the babysitter is here. I will brief her while you are gone."
Fox looked frightened. Her eyes grew wide and swam in her tatoo, "Babysitter? Owen, what's going to happen when Alex starts levitating off the floor?! We can't let that secret out!"
"I know, Mrs. Xanatos, but this secret will stay 'in the family', if you know what I mean."
"My MOM??! YOU FREAK! No way is Titania watching my kid!"
Xanatos cut in, pulling his wife's arm. "C'mon honey, time to go. Don't worry. Owen knows what to do. You'll meet the sitter later. Now is the time to leave. I mean NOW."
Fox sighed and followed her hurried husband out of the large double doors at the end of the main hall. "Take care of my kid, Owen."
"Of course, Mrs. Xanatos."
The doors closed and Owen sighed. Today was going to be rough. He left for the Elevators in the East Wing, and found a girl around fourteen dressed in jeans and a baby tee who shared a more feminine resemblance to the man Owen had been serving for years.
"Ah, Miss Xanatos," he bowed lightly in his wooden manner, "My name is Owen Burnett, and I--"
"Where's cousin David?"
"He'll be back from lunch shortly. I'm sure he'll be delighted to see you. If you would follow me, ma'am; you must meet young Alexander. I can't leave him unattended for long."
The two walked down the hall in relative silence. The only noise made was that of the young woman's sneakers on the flagstones. They stopped at a rather large door that had been painted grey. Owen opened the door and a youngster squealed with delight inside.
"Unca Puck? Who's that?"squeaked the toddler, staring excitedly at this new friend who was smiling at him.
"This is Shanndel. She's your daddy's little cousin," said Owen.
Shanndel was surprised at the stiff majordomo's new personality that he seemed to exhibit exclusively when with this boy. He was playful and kind, and it made her smile a bit to herself.
"Mr. Burnett, you mentioned something that was 'different' about this boy. As far as I can see, he's just a curious toddler."
"Well, you see, Miss Xanatos," Owen seemed a little nervous, but went on, "His mother, Fox, has a unique lineage. She is half-fairy, and her son often uses his magical abilities that were handed down to him."
"Woah, so Fox is a fairy. Kewlio. So, what am I supposed to do if he like, turns me into a rabbit or something?"
"He'll get bored with you as a rabbit and turn you back. It's happened before."
"This is really weird. I really don't see any elfish ears on him, and he seems really normal. Smart for a four-year-old, but otherwise normal," she giggled as the boy made a goofy face. "Hey, he looks just like cousin Davie."
"Yes, well, 'cousin Davie' will be able to come back here by four or five to see Alexander, and you, of course. Then he'll have to go to a rather important dinner tonight. I will be in and out, and if you should need anything, my pager number is by the phone on the wall. Here is a map of the east wing," he handed her a packet of paper with two printed floors on it and some highlighted areas of interest. "The kitchen is on the other side of the hall, four doors down. There is a restroom at the back of the nursery. Your pass restricts you to this area only, I'm afraid, so you won't be able to go past the main hall without someone from security stopping you."
"Okay. Security past main hall. Got it. Alexander will probably want a snack at about four, right?"
"Yes, dinner is in the fridge in a green tupperware for 5:30."
"Lemme guess, one minute in the microwave on high? Stir halfway? This is cake."
"Good, now both of you, stay out of trouble."
* * * * * *
The hours passed rather quickly, and Alex never really showed any powers except for the fact that he never seemed to have to reach very far for his crayons. He was rather talkative, and the one thing that Shanndel found odd about his conversation was that it usually revolved around four people: Mommy, Daddy, 'Unca Puck', and the mysterious 'Unca Lex'.
"So, kiddo, what's up with calling Owen 'Unca Puck'?"
Alex shrugged his shoulders, "Owen is Puck. Mamma and Daddy sumtimes call 'im Puck. He can be funny. He teaches me how to play 'magic'."
"Oh, I see," Shanndel paused to watch Alex draw with an olive green crayon. It was an oddly shaped blob, and it looked kind of like a bird or a bug or something. "Whatcha drawin' there, Alex?"
"Unca Lex."
"Unca Lex? I don't know an Uncle Lex."
"Unca Lex 's a gargle."
"What's a 'gargle'?"
"You ask lotsa questions," Alex observed.
"That's how I learn things," Shanndel explained, then watched him draw some more of 'Unca Lex'. "Can you show me what a 'gargle' is?"
Alex sighed. Then motioned for her to come closer. "Not you," he said. "That." He pointed to a videotape that was levitating closer to him as he motioned.
Shanndel gasped, but grabbed the tape obediently from the air. Alex got up and hunkered into a toddler-sized chair in front of the TV in the nursery. "Put it in the VeeCeeR,"he said. She did, then turned on the TV and hit play.
"Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!" said the voice of whoever was tape recording the Christmas tree. The electronic date on the bottom of the screen said "12/25/00." The camera whirled around to a giant fireplace where Alex was playing a game with a creature Shanndel had never even imagined. "Oh my gawd. Alex? What's that??" Shanndel was close to fainting.
"That's Graeme. He's a gargle," he said matter-of-factly, and very calmly. "He's my fwiend."
Shanndel watched the screen with rapt attention. The camera was zooming in on the game Alex and Graeme where playing. "Chutes and Ladders? That's not a Christmas game, but have fun anyway," said the voice. The camera zoomed out and turned again, this time on a couple of the creatures sitting on a love seat drinking hot cocoa. One was purple and female, the other was large, bluish, and male. "Hey Broadway and Angela. Wave at the camera." The blue male waved, but the female, Angela, covered her pretty face with a four-fingered hand. "Oh, turn it off, Lex."she said, "I look awful!" Lex, the camera person turned it off, and then turned it back on again in a kitchen where Fox and David Xanatos were leaning against a warm oven and talking to a huge purplish 'gargle'. "Ave Maria" could be heard in the background and the 'gargle' and the couple were laughing about something one of them said when suddenly, a coppery human hand covered the camera from behind. A female voice chided. "Lex, I don't want to have to be on camera. It adds ten pounds!" The hand removed itself, and the camera whirled around to see the hand's owner, a beautiful chocolate-eyed woman with dark hair who was laughing. "Hello! Merry Christmas! ----What else do you say to a camera?" she joked. A low rumble came form the side of the camera and the large purple 'gargle' appeared again and walked up to the woman and hugged her. "Elisa! I didn't think you could make it!" the large creature rumbled happily. Elisa hugged him back and kissed him on the cheek. "You really think the captain could keep me there?? I don't think so!"
Shanndel paused the tape, and the image of the couple on the screen flickered back and forth. "Alex," she asked calmly, "Who are they?" She pointed to the couple in each other's arms.
"That's Goliath and 'Leesa,"he said. "Keep watchin' the tape. I wan' see Unca Lex."
Shanndel was about to hit play when the door opened a few inches and the voice of her cousin called questioningly, "Shanndel? Alex?"
Shanndel quickly turned off the TV and went to the door to hug her cousin.
Xanatos admired his cousin for the first time in nearly eight years. "Wow. The last time I saw you, little cous', you where about as tall as my waist and wearing pink bows in your hair," He said. Then he turned to Alex who was hugging his knees. "Hey kiddo, great to see you, too." David disentangled himself from his cousin and son and stepped out of the doorway where Fox entered.
"Hey, Alex!" she exclaimed, then picked up the little boy and swung him into her arms. She turned to Shanndel. "Was he a good boy?"
"Yes. We only had one little argument about the snacks. He wanted to eat gummi bears, but I told him no. So he got graham crackers instead."
"Actually, I was wondering if he turned you into anything," said Fox, eyeing her carefully for tails, wings or feathers.
"No. He only used magic when we colored. He made the crayons move."
"Good," she put Alex down. "David and I have a dinner with the senators of New York tonight, so that may carry over till about nine, do you think you could handle that? Owen will be on call if you need anything."
"Mrs. Xanatos, about Owen...... what's up with this 'Puck' thing?"
Fox didn't know how much her husband wanted his cousin to know about Owen, so she decided to play dumb. "'Puck thing?' I don't know what you're talking about."
"Never mind. It must be one of those things kids do, making up names."
Fox turned to David, and he was looking at his watch. David saw her look and said, "Shanndel, Fox and I have a meeting to go to. I'll talk to you later about Summer Break arrangements."
Shanndel nodded, and he and Fox left.
In the hall, they turned to each other with wry smiles.
"Well, David... Is she as much of a Xanatos as I think she is?"
"Absolutely, Fox my dear. She just saw our Christmas tape."
"Then everything is going to plan."
* * * * * *
"Can we go get supper now?"
"Yeah. Can you show me where the kitchen is?"
Alexander and Shanndel tottered off to the kitchen. All the while, Shanndel was thinking of the 'gargles' and where they were.
As Alex fretted over his peas, Shanndel chewed a candy bar thoughtfully. "Alex, where are the 'gargles'?"
"In da castle."
"We are in the castle. How come I haven't seen them?"
"They wake up at night."
Shanndel thought about where her cousin could hide those huge creatures in the castle. She looked down at her pass around her neck. East Wing-Affirmative, Main Hall-Affirmative. West Wing-Negative. The West Wing....
"Alex, are the 'gargles' in the West Wing?"
"Across the big hall? Yeah. They sumtimes go in da liberry, too."
"Can you get me to them?"
"No. Owen said you couldn't go there 'cause of the guard."
Shanndel chewed her lip. "Can't you like, use your magic pixie dust to turn me into, uh what was her name.... Elisa?"
Alex looked up. "If I do, do I have to eat my peas?"
"Nope, and you can have those gummi bears if you want."
Alex closed his blue eyes and thought hard. He concentrated his energies, and mumbled a little spell under his breath. There was a blue flash of light meshing around Shanndel that gradually faded.
"Did you do it? I look the same to me."
"Yup. You look like 'Leesa."
"Excellent."
* * * * * *
Shanndel in the guise of Elisa Maza walked into the great hall with Alex in her arms. As was predicted, there was a guard on the other side of the hall by the door to the West wing. He tipped his hat to her, and said, "Detective Maza, Master Alex. Nice ta see ya. You're early tonight, I didn't even see ya come in."
Shanndel thought quickly. "The captain let me off early,"she lied, trying to imitate the voice of the woman she saw on the videotape.
The guard stepped aside from the door. "Good for you. About time that woman gave ya some time off. I'll be seein' ya."
Shanndel/Elisa opened the door and the guard closed it automatically behind her. Alex wriggled in her arms, so she put him down on the stone floor. "Where to next?" she asked, looking down the darkened hallway.
"Follow me," said Alex, as he darted down the hall and up a flight of stairs. He opened a heavy door, and Shanndel followed him through it to a balcony outside with stone, gothic looking gargoyles on it. Shanndel shot a questioning look to Alex.
"They'll wake up. Don' worry." He said.
Alex's eyes raised to the horizon where the sun was sinking lazily behind the Hudson, casting an orange reflection in the dark waters. "You'll wanna to stay back."
"Why? Are they cranky when they get up?"
"Just Goliath, he's cranky like Mommy till she gets her coffee. You'll know why to back up."
Shanndel moved back against the wall, and watched as Alex took a few steps backward. The sun continued it's descent, and Shanndel watched the gargoyles as intently as Alex did. The sky was purpling like a bruise, and it only got darker. The night lighting down in the courtyard kicked on, and Shanndel watched as the stone on the gargoyles cracked like an egg. The gargoyles began moving, then stretching, throwing off the remaining shells in a noisy chorus of roars. Shanndel pressed herself nervously against the stone wall as the gargoyles hopped off their perches. Alex was clapping his hands excitedly, like an enthusiast after a wonderful performance.
Alex giggled, and ran towards a small olive green gargoyle. Uncle Lex, thought Shanndel, woah. Uncle Lex scooped him up off the ground.
"Hey, Elisa," greeted Lex. His voice was soft and light, like the voice on the tape.
The purple female said a quiet 'hello' and took the arm of the large, bluish gargoyle who led her blushing down the steps to some corner in the castle.
"Elisa, are you all right?"rumbled Goliath, landing in front of her, causing the ground to shudder a bit."You seem.....frightened."
Shanndel/ Elisa gulped at the sight of the huge, purple gargoyle, then pretended she had a cough to disguise her voice. "Kaff-kaff. Fine," she croaked, waving a hand dismissively, "I'm alright. My throat's just sore. I don't want you to get sick."
The gargoyles where going their separate ways now that 'Elisa' had been greeted, and Goliath took a surprised Shanndel/ Elisa in his arms. "You know," he whispered, "I can not get your illness, and if I do, it's nothing the sun can not cure." He kissed her cheek tenderly. Ooookay, thought Shanndel, time to change the topic. Please, let there be another topic. Shanndel began to push away from the giant gargoyle to change to a less intimate topic when she heard a voice coming up the stairs. It was strangely familiar, and feminine.
* * * * * *
Dinner at the Gertionee Hotel was going well. Owen was busy serving the wine to his employer's table exclusively. Several hundred people were at this dinner, but the Xanatoses were sitting at the table of honor with about eight other people, including Mrs. Clinton. Hillary was chatting it up to those closest to her, and Fox was definitely bored because she was at the opposite end of the table. Xanatos sipped his wine and smirked as Fox fidgeted in her seat, and attempted to crack an oyster. She looked very awkward when she fidgeted, like a wild teenager trapped in a cocktail dress. David knew that she hated these boring parties, and longed to be out doing anything but sitting in a cushy chair in a restricting silk dress. But she looks so pretty. David's train of thought was interrupted by a cough.
"What is it, Owen?"
"Your cousin has discovered the gargoyles, sir."
"Excellent."
* * * * * *
"Guys! Be on the lookout, cause someone's........." Elisa saw a flawless copy of herself in Goliath's arms, staring at her. "IMPERSONATING ME!" Goliath's jaw dropped as he let go of the woman who looked like Elisa and backed up, slowly.
Elisa stalked up to the impostor, eyes blazing. "Just who are you?!"
Shanndel was close to fainting, she panted, "I'm--I'm --------leaving. Gotta go. Bye!" Shanndel broke into a sprint down the stairs and through the hall. Elisa turned her still smoldering eyes to a purpling Goliath, and they both took off after her.
"Alex! Where are you?? Come here and change me back! Help!!!! There's a murderous woman and giant purple thing chasing me! AAAAAALLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEXXXXXx!!!!!!!!!"
Alex wriggled out of a surprised green gargoyle's arms, and said, "I'm in trouble! Got's ta go!" He took off down the cobblestones, yelling, "I'm comin'!"
Alex careened down the hall, right into a frantic person who looked like Elisa. She looked down on him in an annoyed manner as he closed his eyes and a surreal blue light enclosed her.
"What the--?" exclaimed a surprised Elisa, as the light faded.
Just then, another Elisa ran blindly down the hall. "Alex! I'm so glad I----" she saw a version of herself, Shanndel in front of her. "Woah, uh. Alex-- I'm Shanndel, not her."
"Oopsie. Lemme fix the real 'Leesa first," He closed his eyes, and the light came back. Elisa was herself again, and still mad, but she watched as Alex then turned his glowing eyes to her double. The light engulfed her, and her form shrank and refracted into a teenager no older than fifteen.
Shanndel recovered herself, putting her hand to her head and stepping cautiously towards the angry woman. "Sorry about that, I just wanted to see the gar-"
"The gargoyles?" Elisa huffed and switched to cop mode, she reached for her badge instinctively before reconsidering. "My name is Elisa Maza, and I'm a detective. Who are you, and why are you even here?!"
"I'm Shanndel-Shanndel Xanatos, and I'm just here to watch Alex."
Glowing platinum eyes appeared out of the darkness before the massive form of Goliath appeared and growled sarcastically, "Wonderful. Another Xanatos."
* * * * * *
Xanatos was chuckling as he came down the hall. "Fox, now honestly, Hillary Clinton's butt isn't that big."
Fox was giggling like a maniac. "Teeheehee. She and Jennifer Lopez should do a movie together."
Xanatos hushed her and pointed to the clock. It was ten. They both nodded and snuck down the hall and peeked in the door. There was Alex, sound asleep after a busy day and night of magic, oblivious to the little noises coming from the back of the nursery. Shanndel was playing a videogame on the TV with Lex on mute, the human and gargoyle crouched on the carpet.
"Awww......Isn't that cute?" whispered Fox.
"Gee, you don't think I should still offer her that job for the summer do you?" chided David, cracking a smile. "Besides, how on earth can we keep anything a secret from her?"
"Now, David,"said Fox, "she is family, after all."
* * * * * *