"Hope
-- Part One"
by Lisette: Lisette_1@lycos.com
Created on: 08/22/99
Revised on: 11/17/01
Legalese: Nothing here is of my own creation. Goliath and his crew belong to Buena Vista and Disney. The characters of Talika, Lisette, and Caleb on the other hand, are of the author's creation and should not be used without her express permission. In no way will a profit be made from this.
Author's Note: This story is the first part of the ninth installment of the Talika series.
Brief summary: Hope is the one thing that everyone needs -- something that most can't live without and the one thing that someone will sell their soul for.
Rating: PG-13 due to language and content
Hope -- Part One
"Please," Caleb pleaded as he fell to his knees before
his savior... his master. "I know that you have the power to
bring her back to me! Please, help me to do this," he begged to
the only being that he would ever beg to. "I'm not complete
without her," he murmured as his bright blue eyes filled with unshed
tears.
Sighing, the being slowly reclined into the shadows and pondered the protector's request. The man was very powerful, and while Caleb owed a favor, it wanted more... it wanted to control the power that the protector possessed. "I do have the power to return her to you... but what will you give me in return?"
Sighing quietly Caleb hunched lower. He knew what his savior asked of him. Though his soul begged him for Light, he had embraced the Darkness for too long now. Without his savior, the Dark Matter that the witch had buried into his chest would have killed him for eternity. And this was his final step in the descent. "I swear my loyalty to you for eternity if you will bring her back to me."
At the man's words, a wicked smile formed on its lips. "For your eternal loyalty, I shall restore Hope to your life."
Castle Wyvern
Stifling his yawn, Goliath slowly stretched his massive wings as he greeted the new night. Smiling, he looked down and watched as his daughter joined Broadway and Brooklyn on the parapet, their voices lost on the wind as Lisette in gargoyle form joined them a moment later. As one, the group then dove off into the dark night sky, obviously eager to get their patrol started. Shaking his head, he idly wondered if the patrol team had anything to do with their enthusiasm. He believed so, which was why he had assigned the four to patrol together before sunrise that morning.
"What? Aren't you even going to kiss me good evening?" a playful voice called out from behind him.
His smile only grew as Goliath turned and hopped down from the parapet, his dark eyes brightened with love. "There will always be a kiss waiting for you," Goliath murmured as he took Elisa into his arms and kissed her lightly.
"Hmmm," Elisa sighed as she snuggled into his warm embrace. "Now that's more like it."
Smiling softly, Goliath relished in the feeling of her small body wrapped in his arms for a moment more before brushing a soft kiss against her raven locks. "I was not expecting you this evening... I thought you were working," he murmured as she smiled impishly at him, her eyes twinkling.
"I am -- Matt's waiting down in the car," she said, laughing slightly at Goliath's bemused expression. "I wanted to catch you before you went patrolling with Lex to make sure that we're still on for dinner tomorrow night at my place," she explained quickly.
"I wouldn't miss it," was Goliath's immediate rumbled reply as he gently caressed her soft cheek with his hand. "Angela and Lisette are planning on doing something just the two of them while the trio goes out on patrol..."
"So you're all mine?" Elisa interrupted with a wicked grin.
"All yours," Goliath confirmed with twinkling eyes. He liked it when Elisa got that look in her eyes, for it always meant that it would be a night to remember.
As the cool night wind carried the gargoyles high over the bustling city, the conversation was lively and animated. From movies, to memories, to gossip of the clan, the talking was incessant as their eyes constantly roamed the streets below, scanning for trouble. And then, the group slowly became aware of a strange pounding as the conversation died away.
"What is that?" Angela asked with wide eyes as she followed the sound down to a squat building nestled among others. Curious, she glided down until she was settled on the roof of a building across the street. With wide eyes, she watched as dozens of humans her own age milled outside of the building before being admitted by a large and intimidating man that stood before the sole door. Each time the heavy wood swung open to admit more men and women the booming became louder as strange flashing and colored lights could be seen from within.
"It's music from the nightclub," Brooklyn replied as he, Broadway, and Lisette landed behind the gargess. Only Lisette's pale blue face mirrored Angela's wide-eyed amazement.
"What is a... night... club?" Lisette asked, her eyes trained on all of the people, so obviously filled with happiness and excitement.
"It's a place where younger humans go to dance and have fun," Broadway explained slowly, not understanding what so fascinated the girls.
"Dancing?" Angela whispered softly, her eyes bright. "Why, Princess Katherine and the Magus taught my rookery brothers, sisters, and I how to dance!"
"For some reason, I doubt that it's the same kind of dancing!" Brooklyn laughed, punching Broadway lightly as they burst out laughing.
Nodding his head, Broadway quickly wiped away his tears of laughter. "Can you just imagine these two at one of these?" he added. "They would stick out like a sore talon!" he cried, laughing and completely missing the miffed look that flashed across the girls' faces.
"And why is that?" Lisette asked indignantly as she straightened her shoulders and stood tall beside her friend, sensing that the dark-haired gargess shared her growing anger.
Noticing this, Broadway quickly tried to signal his unobservant rookery brother to stop before he unknowingly made matters worse -- all to no avail. Cringing, he watched as the anger burned in their eyes as Brooklyn pounded in the final nail into their shared coffin.
"Well, if you ignore the whole being a gargoyle aspect," Brooklyn answered with a grin, missing Broadway's frantic signals, "there's still the fact that you two are the most innocent and naive people I know! You'd just get... into... trouble..." Brooklyn trailed off as he finally noticed his love's anger. "Uh oh," he mumbled, instantly contrite and wishing he could take back his thoughtless words.
"Well, I think that I have heard just about enough!" Angela fumed, her large eyes glowing red in fury.
"Come Angela," Lisette added, her own eyes glowing green, "let us finish the patrol on our own."
"Yes," Angela agreed as she turned her back to her love and followed her friend to the edge of the roof, "we would not want to cause these worldly gargoyles any trouble with our naiveté!" she called out as the two gargesses launched themselves into the night sky, their bodies rigid with anger.
"Whoops... we really blew that one," Brooklyn groaned as his love disappeared from sight into the dark night.
Sighing, Broadway slowly shook his head. "You could say that again," he muttered as he turned to his brother. "Well, do we go after them?"
Pausing, Brooklyn slowly shook his head. "Nah, let's let them cool off for awhile first," he suggested as he turned and walked to the other end of the roof and launched himself into the night air in the opposite direction Angela and Lisette had gone.
"Good idea," Broadway muttered as he quickly followed. An angry gargess was the last thing he ever wanted to face if given the choice. Doing such a thing just wasn't beneficial to a gargoyle's health.
Stretching his stiff back, he slowly looked out over the bustling city, Manhattan at its best. Smiling, he took in a large lungful of air... and quickly coughed it back out as the smog caused his chest to constrict painfully. Smiling wryly, he realized that no matter how grimy New York City got, the Alps would always be a good place for healing and recuperating but it would never beat home. It was good to be home.
Castle Wyvern
Sighing, Lisette slowly laid back on her large bed and glared up at the dark canopy. The night had been a long one of constant patrolling, both too stubborn and angry to go back and face their loves. Now, with sunrise only a few minutes away, Lisette found herself regretting some of her anger. "We are not naive," she grumbled as she propped herself on her elbows and glanced across the room at Angela who stood quietly on her balcony, the morning breeze ruffling her long brown braid.
"What do you suppose that nightclub is like?" Angela asked as she turned her wistful brown eyes to her friend. Smiling softly, she watched as the look of anger and sadness on her friend's kind face was instantly replaced by a look of wonder.
"Oh, it must be amazing!" Lisette whispered as Angela crossed the room and lay beside her friend on the large bed. "If the humans go there willingly then it must be wonderful!"
Sighing, Angela couldn't help but agree with her friend as her eyes traced the pattern on the canopy above. Something fun... it just seemed so unfair that she could never try or enjoy something that was so enjoyable for others. "I wish that we could go to this nightclub -- just once to see what it is like," Angela whispered, her expression saddened by the thought that she'd never be able to make her wish come true.
Lisette, on the other hand, brightened considerably upon hearing her friend's quiet words as she quickly sat up and turned to her friend, her face flushed with excitement. "Why do we not both go to this nightclub tonight?" she asked eagerly as Angela slowly sat up as well.
Smiling a small smile that she didn't quite feel, the gargess slowly shook her head, her brown braid slapping against her shoulders. "The boys, oddly enough, did have one good point: I am a gargoyle. I could not enter into a human establishment..."
"But I could turn you into a human!" Lisette interrupted quickly, her eyes shining as she jumped off of her bed and pulled Angela to her feet. "Puck was bragging about how he turned all of the humans in Manhattan into gargoyles and vice versa for the clan and then he taught Alex and I the spell!!"
"Really?" Angela gasped in amazement. The idea of being human, even if only for a night, was so mind boggling that it was beyond her. Yet, at the same time, the idea was strangely alluring.
"Yes, I think so," Lisette gasped as she glanced at the rising sun. "But if you want to do this then we must hurry! I should cast the spell just as you are encased in stone so that you will still get your stone sleep."
Turning, Angela regarded the rising sun and felt a brief moment of indecision. "Do it," she finally decided as she got down on one knee and draped her wings over her shoulders in preparation for stone sleep.
Nodding, Lisette didn't waste time on words as she quickly focused on the powerful energies swirling within her. "Um... thy sight myself doth offend?... so.... Lisette will hasten to amend," Lisette murmured, stumbling over the words as she realized just how inappropriate they were for the time. Ignoring Angela's bemused expression, she quickly continued. "Angela, gargoyle born, be no more as you were formed!" As the final words were cast, the magic quickly coalesced into a powerful shield of green that encircled the surprised gargess just as she was sealed in her stone sleep, showing no change.
And then, with the spell complete, Lisette felt the drain of the powerful magic as she stumbled to her large bed. "Oh là là," she moaned, fully realizing for the first time how powerful and draining the innocent spell had been as the world dimmed around her and as she fell into a deep sleep.
As the sun peeked over the horizon, Brooklyn and Broadway spread their wings and took on ferocious poses. "They're really mad," Brooklyn muttered between bared fangs.
"Yeah, let's hope they're over it by..." Broadway broke off as the bright sun finally made an appearance, sealing them both in stone for the day.
Elisa's apartment
Humming softly to herself, Elisa turned away from the pan of sizzling chicken on the stove before her to regard the setting sun. Smiling, she quickly turned away and hurried over to the large pot of boiling fettuccine noodles. Suddenly, a cold feeling slithered up her spine, stopping her in her tracks -- something was not right about the coming evening. But then, just as quickly as the feeling had appeared it was gone again. Puzzled, Elisa quickly shook the thought from her mind as she went to check on the bubbling alfredo sauce, its garlicky smell tempting her taste buds even as thoughts of Goliath warmed her heart.
"I warn you now, Protector," the being murmured as it glared at Caleb's eager form. "Bringing Hope back into your life will not be easy and it will take some time."
"I understand," Caleb murmured as he tried to contain his impatience. Sighing, he turned away from his savior as it began the process. For Hope, he would do anything -- even sell his eternal soul into darkness.
Castle Wyvern
Sensing that sunset was drawing close, Lisette slowly opened her heavy eyes as the last traces of her deep sleep drifted away. Yawning, she then crawled off of her large bed and glanced down distastefully at her rumpled dress. Shrugging her shoulders, she then turned and rested her eyes on Angela's stone form. Even as a statue, the young gargess radiated a feeling of excitement; excitement that soon became contagious as Lisette eagerly watched the sun set.
And then the moment was upon her as Angela's stone skin began to crack. Grinning widely, Lisette watched in wide-eyed amazement as the layer of stone suddenly burst out in a flash of bright light, laughing gaily as the sharp stone particles clattered against her and to the floor, revealing the young woman within. "Angela, we did it!" Lisette cried out happily as she clapped her hands together excitedly and admired her handiwork. "You're beautiful," she murmured as the young woman standing before her indeed was. With soft, creamy skin and a clear complexion, long and soft brown hair secured in a loose braid that haloed her face, and sparking brown eyes over rosy lips, Angela was indeed an enchanting figure. Plus, with a curvy and vivacious figure that the American culture seemed to worship, Lisette knew that she would be a hit.
"I'm a human?" Angela gasped in amazement as she stared down at her pinkish-beige five-fingered hands. Shaking her head, Angela quickly stumbled into her friend's large bathroom and admired her new body. Despite all of the changes that had been made, her same brown eyes stared back at her. Suddenly, a large smile curved her lips as she turned back to her friend. "Now what?" she asked, her eyes twinkling mischievously.
"Now we get ready!" Lisette cried out with a matching smile as she pulled her friend to her large armoire which was overflowing with clothing. The two were about the same size, Angela being a little more curvaceous, meaning that the bundles of clothing Fox had bought for her would work for Angela as well.
"I think that I am going to enjoy this!" was Angela's immediate reply.
Parapets
Yawning, Brooklyn shook the dusty stone particles from his long white hair as he hopped down from his perch. Instantly memories of the events of the previous night flooded his mind. Groaning, the brick-red gargoyle realized that his love wasn't waiting for him to awaken, which meant that...
"They must still be mad at us," Broadway groaned as he stepped beside his rookery brother, trying his best to ignore Lexington's snickering at their plight.
Shaking his head, Brooklyn winced at his friend's words -- he had been thinking the same thing. "But Lisette can usually never stay mad for that long," Brooklyn mumbled as Hudson shook his head with a smile and headed into the castle.
"Angela either," Broadway mumbled morosely.
Laughing, Lexington quickly shook his head. "Well, don't you think that now would be a good time to apologize and beg for their forgiveness?" he asked, his dark eyes twinkling, having heard about the couples' falling out the night before.
Sighing, Brooklyn slowly nodded his head in agreement. "Come on Broadway," he muttered as he began trudging for the castle, "let's go humble ourselves before them and get this over with..."
Groaning, Broadway was about to agree when Goliath thudded to the stones behind him. "And where are you two going?" he rumbled, one eye ridge raising as he awaited an answer.
"To talk to..." Brooklyn trailed off as Goliath curtly shook his head.
"Later," he interrupted. "I want you three to get moving on your patrol."
"But..." Broadway began before Goliath cut him off as well.
"Now," Goliath ordered as he turned and stepped onto the parapet. "I will be at Elisa's if you need me," he added before diving off into the cool night.
Sighing, Brooklyn slowly met Broadway's eyes as they turned away from the castle and stepped slowly onto the parapets. "Apologize after patrol?" he asked as they both dove off into the sky, Lexington's laughter ringing out around them.
Stretching his wings, his dark eyes slowly roved lovingly over his city, like a soft lover's caress. "Tonight, I shall see what changes the humans have made to my city in the few years I have been away," he murmured as he dove off of the roof of his new home and into the cool night sky. It truly was great to be home.
Castle Wyvern
Smiling, Lisette and Angela admired their handiwork in the tall, full length mirror in her bathroom. "How do we look?" Angela asked critically as she nervously smoothed the new clothing. After a lengthy debate, the gargess-turned-human had finally decided on a pair of black leather pants that fit her like a glove, easily showing off her curves and long legs. On top she wore a soft white cotton halter top that ended above her bare stomach with thin spaghetti straps. With her long brown hair fastened back in her traditional braid, a few small wisps framing her face, a simple silver chain with a moon pendant around her neck, a dainty silver bracelet on her wrist, and black ankle boots her outfit was complete.
"According to those magazines, we look perfect," Lisette answered as she admired her own lean form. After much debate the young mage had finally decided on a simple black dress with thin straps that hugged her slim curves and ended mid-thigh with two slits up each side allowing room for movement. Over the top she wore a gauzy, white long sleeve shirt that she left undone. To complete the outfit she wore a black choker, her pale blond hair hanging loose over her shoulders and down her back and small, strappy sandals. Since both girls had great complexions, the only make-up that they wore was a small bit of lip gloss, only adding to their natural beauty.
Grinning, Angela quickly met Lisette's bright blue eyes that sparkled with excitement in the mirror. "Shall we go then?" she asked as she played absently with the end of her long braid, her nervous smile growing.
"Let's!" Lisette agreed as she quickly raised her arms above her head. A second later they disappeared in a bright flash of green light.
Elisa's apartment
Shaking his head, Goliath couldn't help the small smile that lifted his lips as he landed gently on the balcony area outside of Elisa's large bank of windows. Before him sat a patio table covered in a heavy white table cloth with gleaming white dishes set for two. As the soft violin strains of Pachelbel's Canon in D drifted around him, Goliath stepped closer to the table and saw that a steaming pot and covered basket that wafted delicious scents sat amidst two candles whose flames danced upon two crystal glasses filled with sparkling champagne. Smiling, he gently lifted one of the delicate glasses by the stem and sniffed the contents.
"You've never had alcohol before, let alone champagne, have you?" a soft, yet achingly familiar voice asked from behind him.
Turning, Goliath felt his reply freeze in his mouth as he drank in the sight before him. Elisa looked like some sort of exotic goddess with her silky black hair trailing down her back, her eyes sparkling... and wearing a floor-length slinky red dress with simple spaghetti straps in a material that clung to her body and showed off her every curve. He was positive that he had never seen the dress -- it was simply one that couldn't be forgotten. Actually, Goliath was convinced that the dress was probably on the police's most wanted list in some states as being a lethal weapon. Elisa not only looked beautiful and gorgeous, for the words were no longer quite right, but instead stunning and ravishing. With that thought, Goliath finally managed to close his gaping mouth, which no doubt had been hanging open for the last few minutes as Elisa relished in his feverish stare. "Uh, no," Goliath finally murmured, wondering briefly at his higher than usual voice. "No," he repeated, getting his voice down to normal levels, "I do not believe so."
Laughing, Elisa finished off the distance between them in three long strides, revealing a long slit up one leg in the process. "Good," she murmured as she reached up and kissed him lightly, his hands playing with her glossy hair. "That means that it'll take even less time to get you drunk so that I can take advantage of you," she murmured in a low and husky voice as her eyes sparkled with laughter as she pulled away and slipped into the soft chair opposite of his.
Smiling wryly, Goliath took his seat and watched in amused silence as Elisa began uncovering the feast that she had prepared. Instantly, his nose was assaulted with a multitude of tantalizing scents that caused his mouth to water and his stomach to rumble quietly.
"I hope that you like chicken fettuccine alfredo," Elisa said with a smile, her musical voice dancing over the Italian words and blending with their favorite classical song.
"It certainly smells as though I will," Goliath replied as he accepted a steaming breadstick that was smothered in a rich and creamy garlic butter. Smiling, Goliath knew that the night would be as good as the food promised to be.
Over Manhattan
Brooklyn could easily feel the difference between the patrol this night and the one from the night before. At first Lexington had tried to involve he and Broadway in conversation, but as the wind whistled in between the tall buildings, it quickly became apparent that conversation was a lost cause. But Brooklyn couldn't help it -- his thoughts were too focused on Lisette and his thoughtless words from the night before. Inherently he knew that if either of the even-tempered girls had been angered alone then the results would have been less drastic. But together, Angela and Lisette only fueled each other's anger, adding to he and Broadway's predicament.
Suddenly, a bright flash of green light from an alley below broke the young second from his thoughts. Surprised, he noted that they were right over the night club from the night before as he turned to his rookery brothers. Seeing that they had seen the flash as well, Brooklyn quickly led the way down to a roof that overlooked the alley to investigate.
What he saw below surprised him to the point that he almost fell off of the roof. "Lisette?!" he gasped, trying to close his mouth at her short skirt and the two slits that showed off her shapely legs. And then his eyes moved on to the girl that was sauntering towards the nightclub with Lisette.. and felt his eyes bug out even further. "ANGELA?!?" he cried out at the same time as Broadway and Lex.
"She.. she's human!" Broadway gasped, taking in his love's new appearance. Gulping, he realized that even as a human with no wings and tail, his love was stunning with a figure that made his heart pound and his mouth go dry.
"We gotta stop them," Brooklyn croaked as he grabbed Broadway's blue arm.
Nodding quickly, he was about to agree when Lexington burst out laughing. "What's so funny?" Broadway growled, his eyes flaring as he turned to glare at the small green gargoyle.
Unimpressed, Lexington quickly shook his head. "You should've seen the looks on your faces!" he laughed.
"This isn't funny!" Broadway quickly snapped. "Angela and Lisette are too naïve and trusting to be doing something like this! They could get hurt!"
"And you don't think that we were just like them when we got here?" Lex quickly bit back, his mind wandering back to his own experience with the Pack. "We had to figure it out for ourselves!"
"Yeah, and look at all the trouble that we got into..." Broadway trailed off.
"And got out of..."
"This time it's different," Brooklyn finally interrupted. "We were gargoyles and scared off most of the humans and those we didn't we could handle. They both look human and no one would be afraid of them."
Sighing, Lexington could see their point and frowned when he turned back to the girls. "Well, it's too late now," he muttered as he pointed at the two who were busy mingling with the humans. "It would be bad for the PR for a gargoyle to be seen kidnapping two humans."
Groaning, Brooklyn slowly hunched down and watched his love through slitted eyes. "Then we stay here and make sure that they get back to the castle alright."
Laughing, Angela and Lisette made their way through the thick crowd towards the burly man that guarded the front door. Already the excitement was high as the music pulsed around them, the young humans chattering aimlessly. Occasionally a word was exchanged and the two young women noticed more than a few appreciative looks from the guys. And then they were standing before the massive guard, his large muscles bulging beneath his tight tee-shirt. Gulping, Lisette realized that she had never seen such a large human in her life! He even managed to make the mighty Romans look like saplings!
"Ten bucks a piece," the man said, nodding at the girls with his arms crossed over his chest in a no-nonsense manner.
"Ten... bucks?" Lisette asked blankly before catching sight of the wad of five and ten dollar bills that the man clutched in one large fist. "Oh, ten DOLLARS!" Lisette cried with a large smile. Turning, she quickly glanced into Angela's worried eyes. "Do you have twenty... bucks?" she asked, winking at her friend.
"Uh... yes I do?" Angela asked, confusion briefly marring her features as Lisette quickly reached out and gripped her hand tightly. A second later, Angela felt her hand begin to tickle as a bright green light seeped between their clasped hands. Understanding, she watched as her mage friend withdrew a crisp twenty dollar bill.
"Thank you mon amie!" Lisette cried with a bright smile, turning back to the man. Grinning broadly she handed the bill to him. "For the both of us, monsieur," she stated as she grabbed Angela's hand and pulled her through the door... and then stopped in her tracks. "Qu'est-ce que c'est..."
Angela had much the same reaction as the music became so loud that she could feel the lively beat moving within her. To her left she saw a long counter that stretched along the wall with numerous men and women working behind it, mixing and passing out drinks to customers. Before them stretched a cluster of tables, all hidden under the cover of darkness. But beyond that... that was what truly caught her attention.
Taking up the majority of the rather small building was a dance floor that was packed with humans, all hidden under the cover of darkness save for a strange flickering white light that made all of the dancers look as though they were moving in a strange and disjointed fashion. Being too loud to speak, Angela caught her friend's excited eyes and nodded to the dance floor.
Instead of replying, though, Lisette quickly grabbed Angela's hand and began pulling her through the cluster of humans till they were both standing on the crowded dance floor. And then they lost themselves to the pulsing music as the powerful beat consumed them.
Sighing softly, the Being, Caleb's savior, leaned weakly back into its throne as it regarded the protector through steeped fingers. "It's done," it murmured, its eyes glittering in the dark light. "Your Hope has been restored to where she belongs."
"But," Caleb gasped in confusion as he glanced at his desolate surroundings, "I don't see my daughter anywhere!" he cried, his blue eyes flashing in anger. "You promised to resurrect my daughter to me!" Caleb roared, his anger building rapidly.
"No. I said that I would restore her to where she belongs," his savior answered calmly.
"But..." Caleb trailed off. "Hope is with Talika?..." he sputtered as cold realization dawned on him. Suddenly, his face hardened as he clenched his fist angrily. "Well, not for long!"
Elisa's apartment
Smiling, Elisa rose gracefully from her chair and crossed around the table before depositing herself in Goliath's lap. "Hmm," she whispered as she nestled her head against her love's smooth chest, careful not to bump the table that sat so close beside her, "did you enjoy dinner?"
"The food was delicious," Goliath admitted as he wrapped his strong arms around her dainty form, "but the company was even better..."
Giggling softly, Elisa quickly turned her neck away from Goliath's teasing kisses as a soft piano tinkled and swelled around them. "Ah, I love this song," Elisa murmured. "Oceans apart, day after day," she sang softly as Goliath held her closer, "and I slowly go insane. I hear your voice on the line, but it doesn't stop the pain."
Surprised, Goliath sat back in his chair and found himself surprised at how beautiful Elisa's voice was. He had never before heard his love sing and the sultry low voice surprised him to no end. She was indeed beautiful in every way as her beautiful voice mingled with the cascading piano.
"If I see you next to never how can we say forever?" Elisa continued, a small smile playing on her lips. "Wherever you go, whatever you do, I will be right here waiting for you. Whatever it takes or how my heart breaks I will be right here waiting for you," she half whispered, half sang the chorus as she looked into his dark eyes. "I took for granted all the times that I thought would last somehow. I hear the laughter. I taste the tears. But I can't get near you now. Oh can't you see it baby?" she crooned as she laughed and snuggled closer. "You've got me going crazy! Wherever you go, whatever you do, I will be right here waiting for you. Whatever it takes or how my heart breaks I will be right here waiting for you. I wonder how we can survive this romance, but in the end if I'm with you I'll take the chance," Elisa vowed, meaning every word that she spoke. "Oh can't you see it baby? You've got me going crazy! Wherever you go, whatever you do, I will be right here waiting for you. Whatever it takes or how my...."
Suddenly Elisa's soft voice was cut off as Goliath pressed his lips to hers. Surprised, it took her but a moment to react to his passion and his soft caresses against her bare back, but then she was returning the kiss full force as her small fingers played in his thick hair. Idly, she relished in the sweet mix of garlic and wine that she tasted on his lips.
Suddenly, the soft tinkling of a small child's laughter caused Elisa to draw back quickly as though burned, her brown eyes wide and her face pale.
"What was that?" Goliath asked in confusion as Elisa bolted from his lap, her breath leaving her in huge gasps. Concern instantly tightened his heart as it looked as though his love was about to hyperventilate. "Elisa..." he trailed off as the quiet laughter rang out over the music once again, this time distinctly coming from Elisa's shadowed apartment. Before Goliath could get out a warning though, Elisa was off like a shot.
As a mixture between disbelief and wild hope filled her pounding heart, Elisa tore into her apartment from the balcony and flipped on the first light switch she came to, flooding the apartment with light. But what she saw was enough to stop her in her tracks and cause her to fall weakly to her knees. "Hope!" she gasped in a strangled voice as the little four year old's curly blond head snapped up and away from the cat she had been playing with to regard her with sparkling blue eyes.
"Mommy!" the little girl cried out as she jumped to her feet, her white sundress swishing around her, and hurled herself into her mother's arms.
Gasping, Elisa felt the tears pour down her cheeks as she clutched the little angel to her that she hadn't held since near the beginning of time. Turning, she met Goliath's shocked eyes. "My baby's back..."
Roof opposite nightclub
Sighing, Brooklyn watched as Lexington slowly began juggling several small pebbles that he had found, doing anything to staunch his growing boredom. Groaning, the red gargoyle turned his attention back to the hopping nightclub. "I wonder what they're doing right now..."
Nightclub
As the pounding beat thrummed in their bodies, Angela and Lisette found themselves moving instinctively to the music. Soon, two attractive human males found their way to the girls' sides and began moving in sync with them.
Suddenly, one of the guys leaned forward and yelled to be heard over the music. Unable to hear a word he said, Lisette laughed and shrugged her dainty shoulders. Both of the guys looked to be around her and Angela's ages, one with short and curly brown hair while the one she was dancing with had midnight black hair that was short and spiked softly. Both were lean and fit, cute, and seemed really nice... yet Lisette found herself wishing that her red-beaked boyfriend was the one dancing with her right now.
Suddenly, the guy cupped his hand and brought it to his lips as though he were drinking from a glass. Quickly, Lisette understood his question in a flash and nodded her head as she grabbed Angela and followed the two guys over to a shadowed table.
"Are you thirsty?!" the guy asked again, including Angela in the question.
Instantly both girls nodded their heads as the guys produced two glasses filled with a dark liquid. "Thank you!" Lisette called out as she accepted one of the full glasses, her face flushed.
"What is it?" Angela called out as she accepted her glass.
Turning, the two guys exchanged subtle looks before the brunette answered. "You'll like it! Trust me!"
Shrugging her shoulders, Lisette smiled her thanks before bringing the cup to her lips and downing the contents of the cup, soothing her parched throat. Sighing, she decided that their new friends were right and that the tangy drink WAS good as she placed her empty cup on the table. Glancing up, she saw that Angela had finished her drink as well and was eagerly nodding at the dance floor. Laughing, Lisette quickly grabbed her friend's hand as they rushed back to the floor, their new friends right behind them.
Elisa's apartment
Wiping the tears from her eyes, Elisa pulled back slightly and stared into her daughter's bright blue eyes that were clouded with confusion. "How in the name of the Creator can you BE here?!" Elisa gasped as she quickly pulled her daughter close in another hug, almost afraid that the little girl would disappear from before her, some cosmically cruel joke.
Laughing her small laugh that sounded like bells on a clear morning, Hope quickly shook her small head. "You're silly, Mommy!" she giggled as her small hands played with her mommy's pretty hair.
Smiling, Elisa could only reach forward and kiss her daughter gently on her small forehead. Shaking her head, she turned her daughter so that she could see her love for the first time who stood off to the side. Smiling, she saw that her daughter merely blinked at the large gargoyle in child-like wonder. "Sweetie, I would like you to meet Goliath. He's a... special friend of Mommy's," Elisa explained with an apologetic smile at her love.
"Hi!" Hope cried out with a bright smile before turning back to her mother. "Mommy, where's Daddy?"
"Uh... Daddy is..." Elisa trailed off as she threw Goliath a panicked look. In reply, he could only shrug his shoulders. "Um... Hope, what is the last thing you do remember before you came here?" she finally asked.
At this, Hope's expression brightened even further. "I died an' went to Heaven!" she said in the most matter-of-fact voice a child could muster. "I really missed you an' Daddy," she babbled, her blue eyes shining, "but it was so nice up there that it was okay. An' then Daddy had someone bring me back an' the... the..." she faltered as she searched for the word that she wanted.
"The Creator?" Elisa supplied, knowing only as a mother could what that illusive word was.
"Yep, the Creator told me to tell my mommy..." she trailed off as her eyes sparkled with laughter, "to take good care of me an' to... watch out for Daddy!" Hope finished proudly, happy that she remembered the LONG message. Smiling and without giving her mommy a chance to respond, Hope continued breathlessly. "So, where's Daddy?"
Biting her lip, Elisa pushed all thoughts away and focused on her daughter's single question. "Hope, honey... after you went away Daddy and I... well, Daddy changed..."
"Changed?" Hope asked, scrunching her brow in confusion as Cagney, the gray cat from before curled up in her lap. Giggling in delight, the little girl quickly forgot her mommy's strange words as she began petting the cat. "He's just like Artemis was!" she laughed as she picked up the large cat in her small hands and stumbled away from her mommy.
Sighing, Elisa watched her daughter with loving eyes as Goliath held his hand out to her. "Artemis?" he asked as he pulled Elisa to her feet, her satiny dress smoothing out around her.
Smiling wryly, Elise flashed back into her normal outfit of blue jeans, a black tee-shirt, and her favorite red bomber jacket almost without thought. "I guess you could say that I've always been a cat lover," Elisa replied with a small smile. "Artemis was our first cat..." she trailed off as she noticed Goliath's concerned gaze. "What is it, Big Guy?" she asked, reverting back to her favorite nickname for her love.
"Are... are you positive that.. she is.." he murmured, wary of upsetting his love with what could be considered a thoughtless question.
"Hope?" Elisa asked with a small smile, instantly dispelling Goliath's fears. "Yes, I'm sure that somehow she is my daughter."
"Then Caleb was not destroyed," Goliath murmured, his eyes growing dim as a frown tugged at his lips.
"Apparently not... but there is NO WAY that he has the kind of power to pull this off!" Elisa whispered fiercely, trying to keep her voice down and failing miserably. "We now both have equal power, the power level that we started at, meaning that if I couldn't do it before when I had both of our powers combined, then he definitely can't do it now with half the power that I had!"
"So whoever saved Caleb before and supplied him with the dark matter and the white stone had the power to bring Hope back to life as well?" Goliath asked slowly, fear tightening his heart. Shaking his head, Goliath quickly focused on something else. "And even if this person did have the power to resurrect Hope for Caleb, why is she here?"
"Whatever the reason, it had to be an accident," Elisa murmured as she watched her daughter play, worry evident in her eyes.
"Which means that he'll be coming," Goliath finished grimly, remembering all to well what had been the aftermath of Caleb's last visit. Elisa, Matt, Brooklyn, and Lisette had all almost been destroyed -- and now it could happen again.
As if reading his mind, Elisa quickly stepped forward and lifted Goliath's hand to her cheek, her dark eyes boring into his. "There will be trouble for the clan if we stay.. Hope and I should leave now before he comes," she murmured.
"No," Goliath said quickly as he drew Elisa into a hug. "You are clan and a clan never deserts its brethren. We will stand beside you," he murmured, his eyes caressing her and proudly showing his love for her.
Suddenly Hope's infectious laughter rang out around them. Smiling, Elisa quickly stepped away and met her daughter's sparkling blue eyes. Surprised, she realized that the girl's laughter was directed at herself.
"Why you wearing pants like Daddy?" she giggled as she brought her hands up to cover her little mouth. "You look silly!" she laughed as she eyed her mommy's form fitting blue jeans.
Shaking her head, Elisa couldn't help but laugh as well as she snapped her fingers and was engulfed in bright green light. A second later Elisa was daintily brushing away invisible particles from her royal garb that signified her royal personae. Smiling, she patted her royal blue halter and veily skirt and looked up to meet her daughter's sparkling eyes. "Is this better?" she asked with a small grin.
"Mommy!" was Hope's delighted cry as she launched herself into the arms of the mommy that she remembered so well.
Laughing, Elisa quickly scooped the small girl into her arms, remembering all to well how long it had been since she had last experienced this simple pleasure. Smiling, she turned and watched Goliath's smile grow at her own obvious happiness. For when she lost her child, there was forever a part of her heart that had died and was empty -- for the first time since her love had known her, her heart was finally whole -- SHE was whole once more.
Smiling, Goliath began turning off lights as he headed for the balcony, Elisa trailing behind with Hope in her arms. "We better go back to the castle," Goliath suggested as they stepped into the cool night air. "Perhaps Xanatos has some device up his sleeve to protect against..." Goliath trailed off as he noticed the little girl scrutinizing him with narrowed eyes. Beginning to grow uncomfortable under the little four year old's intense gaze, Goliath found himself beginning to fidget nervously.
"You have wings," Hope finally announced, her eyes growing wide as she pulled out of her mommy's arms and gently poked the large wings that mommy's friend had draped around him. "Does that mean you can fly like the birdies?" she asked, her voice filled with excitement.
Smiling gently down at the little angel that held no fear of him or his differences, Goliath allowed one of her little hands to clasp around one of his fingers, careful of his sharp talon. "Not quite like a bird," he admitted with a small smile, knowing that the little girl wouldn't quite understand that they glided on currents of air.
"Can we fly with you?" Hope asked quickly, her eyes shining with her namesake.
Instantly Goliath knew that his heart belonged to the little angel standing before him. With her shining blue eyes, curly blond hair, and bright smile, the girl could melt even the coldest of hearts. Smiling, he quickly turned to his love who nodded her consent. "Yes, we can all glide to the castle," Goliath replied as the girl quickly ran and jumped into her mommy's arms.
"Yeah!" she cried out as the large... friend, walked forward and lifted her mommy into his arms, her cradled within. And then, Goliath... she was pretty sure that was his name, stepped onto the ledge and dove off into the dark sky. Instantly, a terrified and delighted scream escaped Hope's tiny lips, echoing back and forth across the bustling city.
Nightclub
As the music pounded around her, Lisette slowly felt herself lose control as she jumped and moved to the powerful beat. Before she even knew what was happening, the guy with the midnight black hair was pressing himself against her as they moved to the music, his hands on her bare thighs as Lisette ran her hands up the course of her body, over the black material of her dress, and twisted in her blond hair. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that things weren't right and that she shouldn't be dancing this way -- he shouldn't have his hands loosely clasped around the small of her back, his hips moving closely in sync with hers as their bodies grinded against each other. But that wasn't all that was wrong, she was wrong! Her mind felt fuzzy and it was hard for her to think straight. And then the feelings intensified as her dancing slowed to a stop. Groaning quietly, Lisette lifted one hand slowly to her forehead, the gauzy white material that sheathed her arm fluttering loosely. She felt so dizzy, and with the brilliant strobe lights, the world began to swim.
Disoriented, her dancing partner's face swam before her as he grabbed her elbow and began leading her from the dance floor. Briefly panicked, Lisette tried shrugging him away to find Angela when she saw that her friend was in the same predicament as she stumbled away from the dance floor as well, the brunette's arm around her waist. Shaking her head, Lisette tried to explain that something was wrong, that she felt very weak and confused, so dizzy and disoriented.
But, as though he understood her problem, the young man nodded quickly. Not to worry, his smile seemed to say, he would take good care of her. Despite her own fear as to what was happening to her, Lisette managed a small smile before the world finally went dark.
Castle Wyvern
Laughing, Fox watched as Alex pushed his toy car as fast as he could until it smashed into the tall tower of blocks that composed David's 'skyscraper,' sending the blocks crashing to the plushly carpeted floor below.
Surprised, David's head jerked up and away from his next work of art as he stared in horror at the remains of a half hour's worth of diligent work. "Alex!" he cried out, his unbelieving eyes snapping to his giggling three year old son. "You destroyed my headquarters!" he gasped in disbelief.
Laughing gleefully, Alex quickly clapped his small hands together. "Daddy's tower went BOOM!" he squealed, laughing joyously. Turning, the little boy quickly made his car of destruction gain speed before he sent it crashing into another of his father's block fortresses.
"Fox!" David groaned as he turned to his wife who was busy snickering behind her hand, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "He's destroying all of my buildings!"
"Well, they ARE his toys, David," Fox replied as her son used a magical earthquake to systematically level the rest of the block buildings.
Sighing, David looked around at the devastation that now littered the nursery floor. "Those doctors are idiots," he grumbled as he began picking up the mess, shaking his head as little Alex began dancing around the room chanting "I will rule da world! I will rule da world!" Smiling at his son's words, David quickly shook his head. "Two year olds are angels, but three year olds... definitely the terrible threes."
Hearing her husband's words, Fox couldn't hold back her laughter any longer. Ignoring her husband's pointed glare, she quickly pulled her son into her arms, his red hair so much like her own. "I will rule the world! I will rule the world!" she called out, joining in her son's chant as they clapped their hands together.
"You would encourage him, wouldn't you?" David griped, trying not to smile. It was a losing battle. Soon, David couldn't take it any longer and quickly scooted forward till he was sitting across from his wife and child. Together, as a family, the three richest people in the world began clapping their hands and continued the chant. "I will rule da world! I will rule da world! I will rule da world!"
Soon, the family became aware of someone clearing their throat behind David. Turning, David Xanatos quickly flushed red as he saw Owen with Goliath and Elisa standing behind him in the doorway, looks of amusement on their faces.
"Sir, I do believe that we should have a talk about what you do in your spare time," Owen said quietly, a small frown on his face.
Laughing, Elisa quickly shook her head, her black hair swirling around her. "Really, Xanatos," she laughed, unable to resist, "I've heard of family projects before, but don't you think that's taking it a bit far? World domination and all?"
Sighing, Xanatos climbed to his feet and adjusted his suit jacket. "Goliath, Talika," he called out, his calm and collected expression returning as he used the name that went with the clothes, "what are you..." Stopping, Xanatos stared in confusion as a beautiful little girl, about Alex's age, stepped out from behind the detective where she had been hiding behind the wispy royal blue skirt. "Who's she?" he asked, pointing at the shy child.
Standing up slowly, Fox stared at the little girl and then turned questioning eyes to Elisa. "She looks like she could be your..." she trailed off as the little girl slowly left the protector's side and moved across the room till she was standing before Alex.
"Hi!" she said brightly, her smile large as she took in the shorter boy, his eyes bright and his red hair sticking up in places. "My name's Hope," she declared with a friendly smile, "daughter to Lord Caleb an' Queen Talika," she continued her introduction in the way that was custom for her.
At her words, Elisa felt a smile tug at her lips as Alex looked at his mommy in confusion and as Fox and Xanatos paled visibly as they stared at the girl in shock.
"Oh," Alex mumbled as his small brow scrunched up in a mix of confusion and concentration. "My name's Alex... um... son to... my mommy and daddy!" Alex finished proudly as he smiled at Hope.
"You're funny!" Hope giggled.
"I'm gonna rule da world when I grow up!" Alex cried out, his eyes bright.
Laughing, Hope quickly brought her hands to her mouth, her blue eyes twinkling. "I'm gonna be a protector like my mommy and daddy!" she giggled.
"Wanna play?" Alex asked, deciding that even though she was a GIRL, she could be fun.
Nodding her head, Hope quickly scurried after her new friend as Fox and Xanatos turned their attention back to Goliath and Elisa. "Your daughter?" Fox asked, arching her eyebrow as she finished her earlier sentence.
Sighing, Elisa felt Goliath put a comforting arm around her as she nodded her head, her eyes locked on Hope and Alex. "Yes, Hope is Caleb and my daughter," she confirmed.
"But, correct me if I'm wrong," Xanatos said as he thoughtfully began to stroke his neatly trimmed goatee, "didn't you say before that she had been killed a LONG time ago?"
"She was," Elisa said, wincing at the memory, "but it seems as though Caleb had someone help to bring her back."
"He's still alive and can do that?!" Fox gasped, her eyes involuntarily drifting back to her son. What she saw was enough to temporarily drive the new threat from her mind as she nudged her husband and nodded in Alex and Hope's direction.
Seeing her movements, the group of adults quickly turned and felt smiles light up their faces. Alex and Hope sat side by side in the plush carpeting with their eyes narrowed and faces scrunched up in concentration. Above them floated five or six stuffed animals. As giggles escaped their lips the two children quickly turned back to the group of adults. "That's Unca Puck!" Alex giggled.
Almost simultaneously both tots pointed chubby little fingers at the stiff majordomo, sending the poor man into the air and floating with the toys. "Children, put me down this instant!" Owen called out, trying to maintain his dignity while floating about five feet in the air, the children rolling around on the floor beneath him in laughter.
Snickering, Elisa turned away from the stranded man and smiled at her love, noticing the smile he was trying to hide. "Goliath, do you know where Lisette is? We may need her later when and if Caleb shows up," she explained.
"I'm not sure," was Goliath's thoughtful reply. "Angela and Lisette were planning on doing something together, just the two of them, tonight."
"Hmm... and the trio?" Elisa asked.
"They're on patrol tonight, but we can just call them, for Lexington always carries a cell phone..." Goliath answered as a wicked gleam entered his eyes. "Can we use your phone, Owen?" Goliath asked suddenly, turning to stare at the floating man who was busy glaring in return.
Roof opposite nightclub
Sighing, Brooklyn quickly realized that while juggling the stones was amusing for Lexington, the constant clattering of the stones as he missed them and fell noisily to the roof was grating on his nerves. Clenching his beak, Brooklyn risked a glance away from the entrance to the nightclub to see that Broadway obviously shared his annoyance. Then, as a few more pebbles rained down, Brooklyn finally lost all patience as he spun around... to find Lexington putting his cell phone to his ear.
"Hello?" he asked as Broadway and Brooklyn gathered eagerly nearby.
"Who is it?" Broadway asked, earnest for a distraction.
"What's up?" Brooklyn asked at the same time.
"Hold on a sec..." Lexington said into the phone as he shot his brothers a look of annoyance. "Goliath, I'm going to put you on speaker phone," he said before pulling the phone away, pushing a button, and holding the small device between them.
"Goliath?" Brooklyn asked quickly, just as happy for the distraction, never noticing as the door that had so captured their attention earlier swung open, releasing two human males who were busy supporting two unconscious human females between them.
"Brooklyn," Goliath's voice rang out in the clear night, "I need you and the others back at the castle immediately."
"Uh... we can't," Broadway stuttered, watching his rookery brothers warily and completely missing the sight of the two human males depositing the two young women, one with silky blond hair and the other with a single brown braid, into the backseat of a white four-door car.
"What do you mean you can't?" Goliath asked, his voice sounding perplexed. After all, it wasn't everyday that his clan outright denied one of his orders. "Do you know where Angela and Lisette are?"
Gulping, Brooklyn quickly looked at Broadway and Lexington, both mirroring his defeated expression. None of them wanted to get the girls into trouble, but lying to Goliath was out of the question. A gargoyle just simply did not lie to his leader. "Uh... Lisette and Angela are at a nightclub," Brooklyn admitted slowly.
"What?" Goliath responded, the confusion evident in his voice.
"We saw Angela and Lisette walk into a human nightclub earlier and are watching it to make sure they get out okay," Lexington explained as the little white car started up and drove unnoticed out of sight.
"WHAT?!?" Goliath's voice rang out, causing the young gargoyles to wince.
"They were human," Broadway quickly explained, not wanting to be in his love's shoes when her father got a hold of her.
A soft growl that issued through the phone's small speakers was Goliath's only response. "What were they thinking?" he hissed, the quiet tone of his voice sounding only more ominous than had he been yelling. "They do not know enough about the dangers and the humans of this time to do such a thing..." he trailed off as a muffled conversation took place.
"He's probably telling Elisa what's going on," Lex guessed as the muffled sound died away.
"Elisa will be right..." Goliath stated as a sudden flash of green light caught their attention. Surprised, the trio turned quickly and watched as Elisa appeared before them, a tight frown on her face as the soft wind tussled her wispy skirt. With the full moon haloing her black hair she looked like a figure straight out of 'Arabian Nights.'
Without a word, Elisa stalked to the edge of the roof and regarded the club through narrowed eyes. Quickly, she snapped her fingers and disappeared in a flash, only to reappear a second later in her bomber jacket and jeans on the street below. More worried than angry, she quickly stalked forward and flashed her badge at the bouncer, allowing her admittance. Sighing angrily, she then began doing a magical scan for any trace of magic, Lisette's magical aura, while scanning visually as well for the pair. She knew all to well what went on in these places -- the alcohol consumption, the intentional use of drugs like ecstasy and cocaine, as well as the more stealthy variety of date rape drugs that were slipped into victims' drinks. They could be fun places to hang out -- if you knew what to watch out for, something that obviously wasn't going to be true for Lisette and Angela.
Sighing, Elisa quickly realized that Lisette's magical energy wasn't present, which meant that somehow the girls had alluded the trio's careful observation. Shaking her head, Elisa quickly disappeared in a flash and reappeared beside the guys as Talika a moment later.
"Did you find them?" Broadway asked eagerly as Elisa stepped forward, her frown more pronounced.
"They're not here," she muttered as she drew her magic to her, preparing to teleport them all back to the castle.
Sensing her intent, Brooklyn quickly stepped forward and placed his hand on her arm, his dark eyes flashing. "What are you doing? If they're not here then we have to find them; they could be in trouble!" he ground out, his voice tight.
Sighing, Elisa quickly closed her eyes before leveling her somber eyes at her friends. "Caleb is back and we need all of the help that we can get."
At this, Brooklyn felt his eyes darken with remembered pain. His last encounter with the evil protector had almost cost him his life. Shaking his head, Brooklyn quickly focused on the matter at hand. "Even more reason that we should find them then!"
"How?" Elisa asked, her voice soft. "Brooklyn, I'm not all-seeing or all-powerful! In a city this large it will take more time and man power than we have... we gotta get back to the castle."
Slowly, Lexington walked forward and placed his small green hand on Brooklyn's red shoulder. "She's right. We're needed more back at the castle." At his rookery brother's pained expression, Lex quickly continued. "Besides, those two can take care of themselves."
Shaking his head, Broadway sympathized with his brother, for he liked the idea of leaving Angela alone in the city about as much as Brooklyn. Then again, he knew that Angela was a strong warrior and that Lisette had powerful magic under her control. Together, they would be able to handle almost anything that New York City had to throw at them -- he hoped. "Let's go," he mumbled, speaking for the group.
Nodding her head, Elisa quickly raised her hands above her head and formed a circle of green energy around them. A moment later they disappeared.
To be Continued...
