Gargoyles belongs to Disney/Buena Vista. There, I said it, now don't you sue, you pansies !!!
TGS, the really cool website where lots of people write, created Brooklyn's family and the slobbery puppy dog thing. They're cool, so I don't think they'll care enough to sue.
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Ohhhhh Dadddddddddy!
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"OWw."
"What?!" Fox jumped.
"I said 'Ow' because you hurt me."
"That would normally make sense, except that I didn't touch you."
"You mean you didn't just poke me in the back really hard?"
"No," Fox shook her head, "David, go see a chiropractor. I've been after you for weeks to call that office."
"I don't need a chiropractor."
"Fine, then try to pick me up without making more noise than your father does when he sits down."
David stood up from the couch and shrugged, then tried to lift Fox up off the sofa. "OooOUCH!! Fine, I'll call your doctor, Fox."
"My doctor? Why don't you call yours?"
"Because I'm not the one who needs to lose weight."
"DAVID!!!!!!!!!" Fox squirmed out of his arms and smacked him with a throw pillow.
Shanndel knocked on the door. Her muffled voice came through the heavy wooden panel, " Fox? I heard you yelling at my cousin. Is he being bad?"
Fox opened the door. She let Shanndel slip in and then closed it with a shake of her head. "He's not being bad, he's just getting old--And he refuses to go to a chiropractor."
"Bad back?" Shanndel grinned. "Aww. Poor Dave-y. What am I gonna tell Alex when he wants daddy to play horsey?"
Xanatos moaned, "Tell him that 'Ol Silver' is fine. I don't need a doctor. I'm perfectly healthy."
"Really?" Shanndel tested. "Then it won't hurt you if I...." She jumped on his back and wrapped her arms around his neck taking him completely by surprise. He yelped out of surprise and pain. She jumped down. "Geeeeeeeeeeez, Davey. You used to be able to take that from my brother when he was almost my age. Huh. You must really be past your prime."
"Past my prime?" Xanatos shook his head as he rubbed the small of his back. "Xanatoses have X-straordinary health. Unspeakable."
Shanndel looked at Fox and giggled riotously. Fox looked at her oddly for a moment, and then her lips curled slowly into a broad grin. "All right, David I'll take you at your word, but I don't think your mother-in-law will......She worries about you constantly, dear. 'Poor little mortal,' she says....."
"Fox, do you mean that she intends to drop by?" Xanatos cocked an eyebrow.
"Well, Shanndel saw something of her this morning."
"Really? Do tell."
* * * * * *
Alex's nursery door was cracked open slightly that morning; light from his window poured through the door in a slant that grew steadily as a girl wearing bunny slippers slowly pushed the door open and poked her head inside.
"Alex?" Shanndel whispered. She pushed the door fully open and went up to his barred bed; he wasn't there.
She did see that light was coming from the bathroom in the rear of the nursery where it was shadowed from the sun. That strange blue light that she remembered well from only a week ago was slipping through the crack under the door. She snuck up to the aperture, unsure if it was safe to go in. She slowly turned the handle: a slow grating sound and then an audible click. She peered inside.
Alex was leaning over the sink, peering intently into the illuminated water he had let run into the bottom.
"I wanna see you, Gramma," he said. The water sent luminous blue ripples of light refracting across the ceiling in response. "I don' care 'bout what Unca Puck will think. I wanna play with you."
Shanndel was watching him in awestruck wonder. The kid never ceases to amaze me. She opened the door a little wider, then asked the slightly startled boy, "Alex, who are you talking to?"
Alex looked into the sink where the water sent reflected ripples dancing across the ceiling as the blue tone began to fade. "Wait, Gramma. When will I see you?" The water rippled again, then died away as light left the bathroom. Shanndel flicked on the light.
"Well, at least you're not wracking up long-distance phone bills," she sighed as her cousin's son jumped down off his stool in front of the sink and started heading for bed. Shanndel realized he was smiling.
"Gramma's gonna come see me," he announced as he pulled the covers back over his head and yawned. "She's gonna bring me a present."
"Oh, boy. If this is the grandma I think you're talking about, then I think that you should warn your mommy."
"Nu-uh. Its' a surprise."
* * * * * *
"And then........?"
"And then she just tucked Alex into bed and told me about it when I got up."
"And why does Titania want to stop by?" David asked.
"I dunno........Tomorrow is Father's Day after all. Maybe she just wants to celebrate it with us."
* * * * * *
Xantos Enterprises, Presentation Room C.
Fox reclined in her leather chair, bored out of her gourd. The Percentage of Sales people had been showing her numbers for hours......She really didn't care, either. There was nothing she could do with her company until the stock market came back up. She watched her husband in the chair opposite hers. He had the funny crease he got in his brow when he was pretending to listen, and he was resting his whiskery chin on his fist.
Oh, he's bored, too, thought Fox. She looked at the other red-haired woman in the room. Dominique Destine sat next to Xanatos and tapped her fountain pen obsessively on her crossed legs. Her black pantsuit made an impatient fwip-whip every time the pen made contact with her leg. Golly, she's bored, too. Bored, bored, bored. I'm so bored that my eyes are glazing over. She looked at her husband again for a moment. Her eyes fell on his tie: it had a grey castle on it. But, oh, isn't David so cute in that tie Alex gave him?
The meeting was so boring, that she kept getting distracted.
Fox stared at her husband for a minute, looking intently at the gentle contours of his face, his jaw muscle, and that impatient smile, and then a wicked grin crossed her face. Maybe this could be an interesting meeting after all! Fox uncrossed her legs and shifted in her seat. She carefully slipped off the high-heeled pump on her right foot under the table. She looked around. The Boring People were still talking in that same, monotonous tone. David was still watching them with a lazy, barely conscious eye. She patted her stockinged foot across the carpet under the table until she came to a shoe. She snaked her foot up even farther onto David's sock and up his pant leg. Fox shot a sultry look at her husband across the table...but he wasn't looking at her. Fox made frustrated face, and tried again, caressing the ankle even harder. Then, David quickly came to life, but it was only because Dominique Destine shifted next to him and growled, sticking a sharp, painted fingernail in his ribs.
Fox looked under the table. Her foot was touching the ankle of Dominique Destine. "Oops," she whispered. She put her foot diligently back in her shoe.
* * * * * *
Xanatos could relax now that the meeting was over, and Demona had stopped growling menacingly. She had left, stomping out of the board room, her gargoyle temper flaring. Fox had explained the mistake to her, but Demona only hissed and turned on her heel. Xanatos trudged into the elevator. His wife came in after him, glancing apologetically at her husband. Xanatos sighed and took her in his arms.
"Fox, the next time you want to do something cute during a boring meeting, make sure you don't do it to Demona. She might try something even cuter..........like bite me."
Fox snickered and unwrapped herself from her husband as they stepped off the elevator and into a crowd of gargoyles preparing a barbecue.
"Hey Fox, hey Xanatos," greeted Broadway. "You guys seen Elisa?"
" No. I don't think she's coming until later. She's having a Father's Day dinner with her dad right now, " said Fox, glancing at her watch. "Hmm. Alex should be waking up from his nap now, David. Let's go get him."
Fox and David Xanatos left the room, heading towards their son's nursery. David stopped his wife before they opened Alex's door, "Honey, do you hear something?"
Fox strained to listen. She pressed her ear up to Alex's door; she could hear a definitely feminine voice coming through the panel that was not Shanndel's. She turned the handle slowly, raising a finger to her lips to keep her husband quiet.
"My, you are getting sooo big!"
"I'm four now, Gramma. I can start school soon."
Fox opened the door enough to shove her head in. Titania was crouched to her grandson's level, talking to him in a normal grand-motherly fashion.
"Mother? Well, I can't say I'm entirely surprised," Fox said as she opened the door fully and walked into the room with her husband at her heels.
"I'm not here to cause trouble, Geneanne," said Titania as she stood up and raised her arms over her head, becoming Anastasia by losing her red hair and fay-colored skin. Her revealing outfit changed into a conservative black suit. Her eyes then flicked to her son-in-law. "David, how nice to see you again," She turned to him, "I have a proposition for you, and Goliath as well."
* * * * *
Nudnik and Bronx were in the way, as usual. Broadway was busy setting out food on the table, and once or twice he would almost trip over the bear-sized beasts. They would bellow and turn out of the way, but only for a second, then they would make a second attempt.
"GAHHHHHHHhh!" Broadway yelped. "Brooklyn, Get these mutts outta here!"
Brooklyn grabbed Nudnik by his scruff and led him away from the picnic area, then he closed him in the mudroom. Bronx, realizing that he was next to be put away, ran under the shade of a sycamore tree and laid down, trying to look innocent. Brooklyn saw him lay his ears back as he approached the doggoyle, "That's a good boy. You stay right there. STAY. Staaaaaaaayyy."
"Has anyone seen Fox?" Xanatos asked the crowd of gargoyles from where he stood behind Brooklyn.
"Uhhh..........no. She said that she wanted to get some 'cutsie' pictures of Alex down from storage to show to her mom......" Lex trailed off, a little bit preoccupied with an enticing-looking layered sandwich spread on the long wooden table.
"Her MOM? You mean, Titania?" Angela squeaked, still a little wary of the fairy who had waged war on her clan in Avalon.
"Uh-oh," Broadway muttered, "This could be trouble."
"What could be trouble, Broadway?" The voice sent a tremor through the flagstones.
"Uh, Fox, she umm......said her mom was here, sort of, kind of."
Goliath's great brow ridges knotted together. "I see. I hope we do not have a repeat of the situation from the last time she was here."
"Yeah, heh. We could have a giant blue Fairy King attacking the castle again. That would be loads of fun," said Brooklyn, busy tossing a salad.
"Hhrrrrm," agreed Goliath.
Just then, a gaggle of women walked up the staircase to the courtyard from within the castle. Fox carried a thick album of baby pictures. "AWWWww. Look at his little tushie,"cooed Elisa.
Alex ran up from behind them, yelling, "Mommy! No! Not my baby pictures!"
"Cut it out Alex, you're cute as a button and you know you like to show it," groaned Shanndel.
"No, I don't."
"Yes, you do."
"Nu-uh."
"Yes-huh."
"Quit it, Cousin Shandy."
"Cut it out, 'lexy."
"Both of you now, come on. Mom, look at this picture of Alex playing with his daddy's cell phone. Oh, he's going to be such the little business man," sighed Fox.
"Oh, Geneanne, he looks just like you in the eyes. He's got your face shape, too," decided Anastasia after looking at sickeningly adorable picture after picture. Some of the pictures border-lined on innocent kiddy-porn; Alex was wearing nothing but a tie in one of them, lots of shots of baby Alex's rear, a picture of him reading The Cat in the Hat while sitting nude on the potty. It was pretty much the standard "oh-isn't-he-adorable-Grab-the-camera-Honey" collection of pictures.
Elisa peered over the pictures, and again she was reminded of her long-time dream: to have a child of her own. But it was best not to think of that now. She turned away from the pictures, a bit red-faced at her ridiculous thoughts, and made a beeline for Goliath.
He set down his iced tea, and he rumbled a greeting. "Elisa."
"Hey Big Guy. Having a good Father's Day?"
"I am, actually, considering that it is a human custom. Angela made a cake for me last night...and we have all been especially nice to Hudson."
"I suppose he is a father figure for several generations."
"Yes..." Goliath's eyes flicked to Anastasia, and he frowned. "Elisa, do you know why she is here?"
"Not to cause trouble, or at least, I don't think so. Other than making Alex's face turn especially red, she hasn't been a problem."
"Xanatos said she had some business with us, and I do not know what he means by that."
"I know what he means by that," replied a voice.
"Anastasia, er, um, Titania........hello."
"Goliath, my 'business' that I have with you is really just an extension of my gratitude; for saving Alex's life on numerous occasions, of course. I am offering a boon to you, to be used at any time you wish to call upon me. The gift is up to you, and it will be of course, a temporary gift, lasting no longer than your flesh form at night."
"My lady, I am indebted to you then. Your gift is accepted, and it will be used wisely."
"I'm glad to hear that....Now, where is my son-in-law? I've got a 'Father's Day' present for him." Anastasia looked around. Spying David, she left Goliath and Elisa alone.
"How are you planning on using your gift, Goliath?" asked Elisa.
"I do not know.........yet."
"Well you know, all the girls at the 23rd have questions about my romantic life. It would be awfully nice if they could meet you.......Of course, they'd be awfully jealous of me....."
Goliath chuckled and kissed her.
* * * * *
"David," called Anastasia, "I have a present for you, that is, if you want it."
"I like presents,"assured Xanatos.
"Good. Now, I know you've wanted to become immortal for quite some time now, but you know I can't do that. I'd be breaking the rules. But I am willing to bend them, of course. Here's my proposition to you: Because the Puck must serve you for your lifetime, I want him to be able to serve you well into when my grandson is grown so that he can be protected and learn all of his magic. To insure that, I am willing to give you perfect health until you are a grandfather. That means no cancer, no viruses, colds, or bad backs."
"How did you know about my back?"
Anastasia smiled enigmatically. "Do you accept my offer, or not?"
"If there aren't any strings, then I'm all for it."
"Then the spirit is willing...." Anastasia trailed off and began to mumble, in a language long dead. David tried to listen, but he was distracted by the unmistakable blue light of magic enveloping his body like a glove.
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~*~That's all folks, for now, I mean. I put this out on Father's Day, so it'll be just a little late. Oh well..........HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!! XOXO- Abbadon_13@yahoo.com