Remember Me This Way

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.
No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.
All original characters are the property of Bonnie_S. (a.k.a. Shona of Wyvern).

          Elisa couldn't believe all that had happened in the matter of a few hours. She had become a legal member of the Manhattan Clan, had gotten engaged to Goliath, and was busily getting ready for the ceremony.

The others had moved the furniture around to make more room in the library, Alexander magically made all of the refreshments (with slight coaching from his grandfather), while both of the remaining ladies had herded the bride to a bedroom – claiming that it would be bad luck for her groom to see her anymore before the ritual.

When the men joked about throwing a last minute bachelor party, Tatiana casually mentioned that then the ladies would have to treat Elisa to her missed last go around party. Nonetheless, all talks of sneaking in a pre-ritual party ended – and very quickly. All the men knew that Tatiana wasn't teasing, and did not want Goliath or Elisa going crazy wondering who the other was with.

Tatiana convinced Elisa to take a quick bath to get rid of the frustrations that Demona's trial had brought out earlier that evening – especially after the fact that the Queen of Avalon herself had created it. That was enough to guilt Elisa into it. In a matter of moments, the young bride-to-be slid into the room and shut the door behind her.

Fox's mom had really gone all out on it. The room had changed from the exuberantly decorated bathroom to a private meadow that Elisa seemed to recognize. Looking down, she wasn't in her holiday sweater and jean skirt. Now she was in a white floor (really ground as under her feet was a smooth river rock path) length shift. It was sleeveless and thin, as if it was made of some kind of gauze.

Her hair had been curled beautifully and pulled up high on her head, with a few tendrils flowing down either side of her face. On her left wrist was a beautiful bronze cuff with a strange inscription carved into it. Elisa knew it was a secret code only she and another group knew. It read:

Blessed high child of the sun Joined with high child of the moon

May they be one ~ now and forever

As if pulled along by instinct, Elisa continued down the path. Time no longer had any meaning to her – not in this place. Elisa was happy as she quickly forgot all of the aggravation that she had suffered through earlier that evening. For the first time in a very long time she was completely at ease, even given that she was in a strange place.

Soon she was walking down through a secluded wooded area. There was a beautiful stream that was giving off steam in the cool moon lit night. Elisa giggled as she ran down the last of the path to the water's edge. She could not remember a single time in her life where she had felt so safe and free – as if she could at last be herself and daydream about her sweetest wish coming true, the same wish she had held for longer than she could remember.

Once she was there, she saw another figure land near the water – a female gargoyle. But not even this frightened the young bride-to-be. The female was familiar, and Elisa knew that she was a beloved and trusted gargoyle friend.

She was a dark blue, with black hair that had specs of white and silver shimmering through it like stars in a night sky. Her eyes were equally dark, yet twinkled with happiness. She had no brow ridges, and her dark wings were very large.

"I remember you. But I know that we have never met." Elisa muttered as she walked up to the female. Soon the pair was in one another's embrace as if they had known each other for years.

The female chuckled as she wrapped her wings around Elisa's body. "We have only just met in this lifetime. However, we have met again and again in your other lives. Each time that you and my son were to become one again, I have brought back your memories as well as his own. Reminding you both of each name both of you have lived under, and your shared pasts."

"Goliath has always held a name?"

Again the female chuckled. "It never ceases to amaze me when you ask that same question when we first meet again, yet each time it is a different name that you mention. Yes, Goliath has always carried a name in the lives where he was destined to cross paths with you. Last time I think was Cadogan."

"Yeah, and I was Galena. He was just a warrior in the Clan then, not second or leader. I died in childbirth to our only egg. The hatchling?" Elisa looked hopefully up at the female.

"No, little one. You and the child were both poisoned. But that is the past, and now you two shall once again become one. You remember the wrist cuff he gave you as a mating token in that first lifetime, just as the human males did so with their mates? I know you remember the words. This is where our kind learned the vow of 'now and forever'."

Elisa again gazed at the piece of metal – this time in awe and love. They both had remained the same in each life that they were to meet again. "That's why he trusted me and I trusted him from the start. Our hearts remembered what our minds did not. Inside you know that I have missed you so much, Zenda."

"Yes, my daughter. And now I have returned that daughter which died in her egg within you before it was birthed." Zenda pressed their foreheads together before kissing Elisa on the same place. It was just as Elisa had …

"You mean Angela! Angela is my child from so long ago reborn?" Elisa gasped with her eyes opened wide in shock.

Zenda smiled as she nodded. "That is why you have grown so dear to her as she has to you. You were mother and daughter long before Demona was born. Demona will soon learn this and once she accepts that the girl is never truly was her child – then she will begin her path to returning to the Clan. Puck knows what gift he is going to give Angela … that is once your ritual is over. And that will make her the same as she was so long ago."

Elisa smiled as she brushed a hand across her belly. The elder female sensed the thought running in the soon to be bride's mind. "Yes child, you will be able to bear his children. But, this time the evil that has plagued your couplings with my son will show his face. Before you can have a child, he will come to take you – yet he cannot take you even one fold. You will know what to do when the time comes. Don't be afraid for I have readied everything that will happen, and soon you will have your fondest wish for lifetimes now come true. Trust me still my daughter?"

Elisa nodded with a smile. She wouldn't question Zenda any further; Elisa only believed that it was the truth. Then there was a knock from somewhere.

"Time to return little one. Remember all of this, for this is where our people go when they pass through the veil of twilight. This is where you will come. Soon you will have all of my power and knowledge, so we will not meet again until it is time for us to meet here. Be happy at last, my daughter."

And then it was over. Elisa opened her eyes and wasn't in the forest by a warm river, she was in the lavish bathroom soaking in a tub of warm water that was scented with roses and heather (her favorite flowers). All around were candles and flowers, and flower petals floated on the surface of the water. Fox stuck her head around the doorway with a sly smile on her face.

"How are things going in here? Is that tub keeping your feet from getting cold?"

"Ha, ha Fox. I'm not going to change my mind on this. But this is nice. I have to thank your mom for this one. I should be out of here soon." Elisa purred in happiness. All was finally coming full circle.

Fox chuckled, "don't worry about it. Angela and your mom are here, and we're just finishing up your wedding dress. You are going to love it!"

Before Elisa could say a word in protest, Fox shut the door.

Elisa knew that she couldn't tell anyone what had just happened – well, she could tell Goliath. She smiled as she thought about all he had done that night. He named her his chosen mate, as he had lifetime after lifetime. This time however was a little different; Goliath already had a chosen mate before they had met up again. However he had let go of Demona for the female he loved without question from the second they first met – Elisa.

Elisa relaxed and remembered all of the lives she had lived. The last time was the hardest, because it was the only time she had been able to bear an egg for her beloved. Who would have poisoned her?

No this was a time for happiness, not wondering over past pains. Soon she and Goliath would be one again. Elisa couldn't hide a smirk at how their vows of now and forever had come true time and again. The past began to reemerge in her mind. But, Elisa only focused hard on a few of the one hundred thousand seven hundred and fifty lives she had lived.

She remembered dressing in a raggy dress in a filthy hut of a house. Her name had been Kismet. She was the only daughter of a poor couple who's son, Roshan, was a proud military warrior. All was happy. Until the day the shadow creatures came to the village.

She had been taken as a bride for their leader. Kismet cried out for her father, but there was nothing the old man could do. Soon the shaken girl was in a dark cavern with no idea of how to escape. Behind her there was a dark chuckle deeper within the cave. It made her blood run cold with fear.

"My beloved is before me at last, as it should have been generations ago. What are you called now? … ANSWER ME!!!"

She caught a sob deep in her throat, but spoke with the bravery she had heard many time in her dear brother's voice. "I am Kismet! Let me go before our army comes forth to smite you to the ground where you belong!"

"You still have the nerve you had long ago little one. Soon we will become one, and you will bear the dark child for me!" Again the darkness laughed, making Kismet want to cry.

A new voice silenced the shadow's laughter and brought a growl from the shadow leader's throat. This new male made Kismet smile in spite of the grave situation, and his words made her heart beat faster. Only the rush was in hope and joy, not fear and dread.

"That will only come about when she gives you permission to take her in mind, body, heart, and spirit Mordecai! You know that is the binding of the ancient magick! You cannot even hold her here against her free will."

"So you have been reborn as well! What name didst you get this go around brother?" Mordecai growled in challenge.

The new male came forward into what little light was in the cavern – a large lavender gargoyle! Kismet couldn't help but adore him; he was so strong and powerful (both physically and in his presence). She felt as if he had always been a part of her life. And in his eyes she could see a kind of recognition as he smiled on her. Yes, they were still one.

"You Mordecai have never been a brother to me, and never shall. I am Daen, and I have come to escort Kismet to her home and family."

"Ha! That is only if it is what she wishes. If I get angry … who can say what will happen to her village." Mordecai threatened. Kismet could see yellow eyes glowing deep within the cave, and when it growled she slowly scooted close to her gargoyle knight.

Daen kneeled to her and held her close to his broad chest. She wept as he wrapped her in his wings. "I do not know what to do. They're my friends and family!"

"See she wishes to stay! Now leave me and my bride to create your destruction."

Daen's eyes glowed white hot as he growled in hate. "You are only a shadow until she or one filled with hate gives you the four fold consent. You are not allowed to bargain or threaten her into it!" Softer and with eyes back to the dark jewels he normally showed Daen asked, "Kismet, do you wish to be his bride?"

"No, I hate him. Please take me away from here. I want to go home! Please kind sir." Even in her fear, Kismet remembered her manners. She even gave the privilege of calling her guardian 'sir', which most humans never gave gargoyles.

"You have heard her decision, Mordecai. Now leave Kismet alone!" Daen quickly gathered the startled human female into his arms.

"She will be mine, Daen! I care not how many generations come – I will have her as my mate!" Mordecai roared in his frustrated rage.

Quickly Daen walked away and then glided into the night air with Kismet in his arms. She wasn't very frightened of being so far off of the ground. Kismet felt Daen's body warming her against the cool night winds, and it made her feel safer than she had in so very long.

Once they reached her village she explained how to get to her home on foot from the edge of the village, and Daen landed right before her home. He held her for a few moments before reluctantly releasing her. It took her another several moments to pull herself away from his arms.

When Daen made a move to leave, she took a hold of his arm gently.  "Please stay Daen. You were the one who saved me."

"But your kind hate mine. It would be better to leave now and not cause trouble for you."

"Daen, I don't want you to go. You make me feel so safe. Please if only until I go inside." Kismet fell back into his arms.

She didn't know how desperately he wanted to stay with her. "My love, I'll always be there for you. Tell me that you believe that."

At his words Kismet looked up into his dark eyes with tears falling from her brown ones. "I love you too, my Daen. And I do believe you."

"If you are ever in trouble, that night climb upon your home roof. I will know that you have need of me dearest, but that is only when you are in trouble."

"I know my love. Will you wait?" Once she had his nod, Kismet tried the door – finding it to be bared. "Mother … Father? It's Kismet. I was freed from the shadow leader."

"My baby!" It was her mother shrieking in joy. Moments later the door tore open, and the woman gasped in fear.

The look on her father's face told Kismet that Daen had been right. She had to change it. "No, father. Mother he saved me from the shadow leader! This is Daen."

"You saved her. Why?" The couple could see that her father was very suspicious.

Daen took a breath before answering. "We gargoyles protect all that live within our chosen grounds. I saw the shadow demons carry your daughter off and followed them."

That night changed her father's view of gargoyles – though only slightly. The man still refused to trust the "ugly" creatures. Kismet's mother on the other hand saw past what her eyes first saw to the gentle male that had taken it upon himself to personally protect their small village since that first night.

Daen often landed before that same door to say hello and make sure the family was well. Some nights he brought food for the family, but he always had beautiful flowers for Kismet. Now and again her father tolerated the male coming in to share dinner with the family or to visit with Kismet. And a precious few nights Kismet was allowed to visit the Clan.

All of Daen's Clan at first wasn't happy about his growing relationship with the young human female – that is until they first met her. She was warm, open, friendly, and seemed to be at home with the gargoyles. Kismet showed them no prejudice, and by that first meeting's end she had become welcome amongst them all. She was especially welcomed by one of Daen's rookery sisters – the one with a soft blue colored skin and fiery red hair.

Eventually, Kismet was forced into choosing her family or her love for Daen. Her father announced that he would go into town that day to find her a husband. He disliked how close Kismet was of the gargoyle beast, and was going to make sure she'd be put in a proper house that would not tolerate the monsters.

Kismet wept and begged for her father to change his mind. Told him of how kind the Clan was. She even begged him to visit them to see for himself. All her father did was throw her hard against the wall, curse her heart, and accused her of loving Daen. In that moment, Kismet could not deny it, for that was the truth. Her father called her a whore and stormed from the house that very moment, no longer caring what kind of life the girl got – just as long as she was out of his house!

It was the saddest and loneliest day Kismet ever toiled through in her life. To know that soon she would never be able to see her friends … or her true love! She knew when her father returned she would never even see her mother again.

Her mother had seen the love growing between the pair and had accepted it long before her husband forced the truth from Kismet's silent lips. She gave her daughter food for several days, a necklace that was to be hers on her wedding day, and all of her love. It was all that the mother could do to guard her child.

Kismet then fled the village while her father was seeing to her being sold into marriage to a cruel but wealthy land baron's son. She didn't stop fleeing until just after sundown. Her feet hurt, and she was too tired to walk any further. She collapsed to a large low stone and curled up in the cold night. Looking at her feet, Kismet could see that they were bruised, bloody, and filthy. She wasn't certain how she would be able to walk come dawn.

Before she could slip into sleep, a thud nearby jarred her fully awake. Had her father found her? Was she caught?  Thankfully, the answer was no. Near her was Daen.

The moment he gathered his love into his arms, Kismet lost consciousness. It was hours later when she finally opened her eyes to find herself cared for by her gargoyle friends. Daen and his red haired sister were seated next to Kismet – the relief of her regaining consciousness evident on their faces.

That night she was accepted into the Clan without argument, and became Daen's only mate. She gave herself freely to him, and both wondered as they mated how soon she might get with egg and what their first hatchling would look like. Though they were truly in love and their Clan accepted their coupling, their plans for the future would never be.

Just after the Clan went into stone sleep, Kismet settled down to rest. Daen, the red haired sister, and several others had enclosed her safely within a wall created by their stone bodies. The young woman had never felt so love or so happy.

She had just closed her eyes, when she heard the sound of horses coming fast. After several minutes, Kismet's father showed up with the land baron and his son. The Clan too had closed of the entrance to the cave that was their home. But it did not stop the scoundrels.

They smashed through them all – her father taking great pleasure in intently shattering Daen, despite her screams. Only then did the baron's son notice how Kismet's bedding was bloodied. She defiantly boasted how her father had just shattered her love and mate, how she had given herself to him that very night, and how she hoped that she was carrying his egg … his child.

In a burst of anger, the boy slammed her hard against the stony wall of the cave. That was all that Elisa remembered of that life. Then she cursed herself for remembering the bad again.

Shortly, Elisa could almost remember her every life with Goliath and their past names … except for the first. But, why?

A light rapping broke Elisa's thoughts once again. This time it was her little girl. Both mother and child smiled at one another.

Elisa remembered Zenda once telling her 'all that is lost returns to each of us in the movement of time'. Now, Elisa finally had back the child she had lost so long before. Looking at the lovely teen, Elisa couldn't help but smile.

"Hey baby girl. Am I finally allowed to get out of the tub now?"

Angela laughed with her wonderful and cheerful laugh. "Yeah. 'Grandma' says that you're dragging your feet as much as father did in asking you to become his mate!"

"Well your grandma should be told that I tried to get out earlier, but was informed that I was to take my time! Oh well, I don't want to be wrinkly tonight – do I?" Elisa chuckled as Angela shook her head (barely holding back the chuckle that echoed loud and clear in her eyes).

Angela quickly grabbed the thick, warm towel and held it unfolded before her. "Better hurry mother. Don't want to make father worry, right?"

"Right. Let's get going."

*********************************************

It took another few minutes, but soon the ladies emerged ready for a night of celebrating. Elisa looked like an ancient princess in her pale light rose gown. All of the edges were trimmed with silver ribbons, and it was more than familiar to the detective – she knew it was the same gown she had once wore eons before, when she was mated to Goliath that first time. Though that was all she could remember of that first life they shared together.

She knew that he was going to be in shock when he saw her. But, Elisa didn't stop smiling the whole walk to the library. Here they were going at it again. At least this time they knew that their life together was not going to be ended too soon. This time they would have children and Elisa would have the one wish she had held to since she first met and knew Goliath eons before.

The looks on the other's faces were priceless, but Goliath's was the best of all. His pleasure was in no way hidden. Elisa wondered if their minds were still connected. He quickly answered her, "did you really have to concern yourself with that? Mother reminded me of our destiny, as she did for you, my Elisa – my love."

"You haven't changed a bit over the centuries Goliath. Are you ready to set Mordecai straight again handsome?" Elisa smiled.

Goliath nodded as Elisa took her place beside him. Hudson and the Maza's pastor were before the couple, while the Clans and humans stood behind them.

"We gargoyles don't usually take mates with a lot of ceremony. However this time is different. Now it seems that old stories the clans have passed down from generation to generation is coming full circle before us tonight. What once began eons ago with Eily and Garan is taking shape within Elisa and Goliath. All of us pray that the ancestors will protect ya both lad and lass, that Mordecai's evil will not come forward in this life as he's come time and again in gargoyle history."

Then did Elisa and Goliath remember their very first names, but not much of the life that was connected to them. For the Clan leader it was still only a story he was told as a young hatchling. For Elisa, it was vague images and foggy memories that didn't make much sense. Neither one was completely connected to it … not yet.

The Manhattan Clan alone fully understood Hudson's words. Even Angela had heard of Mordecai and his evil through the stories that Hudson had once told Princess Katherine, who in turn told the same stories to the Avalon Clan. The young female squeezed her mate's claw and looked up at him frightened of the images that horrid name brought to her mind. Broadway softly smiled as he squeezed back, trying to tell his love that things would be all right.

Michael had been the Maza's pastor since they moved to New York from Arizona when Elisa was a child. Because she trusted the man, the Clan gave him a chance. Three years later, he was witnessing an event many had only been waiting for. "All things we send out return to us in time. Elisa and Goliath gave one another their trust, loyalty, faith, and eventually their love. Now all of those feelings and more have returned this presently double historic night. Despite what many closed minded humans would say and think, the two of you were meant for this time and each other. May the creator and those who have passed on that have moved us to this place and time bless and guard you both in all that now face you and yours."

Elisa smiled. She could just imagine Michael using most of the previous three years to come up with that wonderful blessing. If he only knew the truths he had hit with his words that rang deep in her soul.

Hudson took the spotlight once again. "All the wee ones of our Clan know that the our chief elder, which is now my role, holds onto a mysterious item that has only been described as a piece of the history of all gargoyles. None but the elder sees it or knows for certain its identity. Tonight will change that, as I showed it to our leader Goliath who agreed with me that, along with the rings, this was meant for this night."

Hudson took out a pouch, and smiled as he explained things for the humans and mutates. "Long ago all gargoyles belonged to just one Clan. Its numbers were in the hundred thousands. Then, as now, we listened and followed our leader's orders without question. Unlike today, leadership then was given to the eldest of the leader's offspring. One of the great leaders died, but his only son was not fit to lead.

"Still we did as tradition held, and in retaliation against an army of humans who had only attacked that Clan with words – the young leader sent all of the warriors to battle. That leader, along with nearly all of the warriors that followed him, perished. The survivors returned and chaos reign for hours as to who was now the leader, as the young male had neither offspring nor mate.

"A powerful female who held strong magickal abilities came forward to remind all that there were wounded who lay alone on the battlefield dying far from the to the cave that they had called home. She sent parties to recover all the wounded and ordered the Clan into the cave. In that time, we never went into stone sleep. Yet there were many on the verge of death – too many for her to help one by one.

"She cast a spell to send the whole of the race into stone so long as the sun ruled the sky. That night the Clan shed their stone encasements for the first time to find that the dying were well or healed enough to survive. The female made the spell permanent until the time she would be reborn by the way she prescribed – as she was a seer, and saw what lay before her.

"Her magic and knowledge would be encased into a special egg that would wait for ages to pass so that another in need of it would become the child within the egg. That her son's mate that was to be born time and time again would be granted her dearest wish, and in turn also become the powerful sorceress the female herself was.

"A decade later she, her son, and his mate were all dead, the trinket the male had given his female stolen and cut into a strange pendent by those peoples who would become the Vikings, and the magical egg which was alive yet never hatched was lost.

"I don't know about the egg itself, but the necklace that trinket was turned into is our Clan's treasure. That female was Zenda the wise. Her son was Garan, who engraved upon a cuff of a strange metal a secret message whose meaning was long ago forgotten. His mate was Eily – but that is all that is remembered."

Elisa now knew her special past, and a few of her oldest memories made sense. Still she had not connected with it completely, and she could easily see that Goliath too had not. Then Hudson's voice broke her out of her thoughts.

"Elisa, with the blessings of our leader and Clan, I give you this necklace as the symbol of your being the first human in this new world accepted as one of our Clan." Hudson grinned as he slipped the necklace over his adopted daughter's head.

It was very beautiful. Even in its different state, this was indeed the metal cuff that was on her wrist in her vision. Elisa had never felt so loved in any of her lives. This was her home and her family – now and forever.

It was the couple's turn now. Goliath took her hands, just as he had time and again. His words were different this time though. "Elisa, we know that we were meant for one another from the beginning. It only took us some time to accept it as so. You healed my hurting heart, made me see what is important in this new world, kept me and my Clan safe when you barely knew us, guarded me with no justifiable reason to trust me, and you convinced me that sometimes we must change to survive. That brought my daughter closer to me than I ever dreamed.

"Now we are becoming one, Angela is our daughter, and you are one of this Clan. Elisa you have made all that our Clan and I have lived through worth the tears and heartaches these centuries have brought us. Tonight we are going to change this ceremony," Goliath smiled over at their daughter and her mate both of who came forward, each holding a small ring box.

Angela opened hers to reveal a beautiful wedding ring! A heart cutout on all four sides, with a large diamond heart in its center, and the entire band was made out of pure gold. Broadway opened his box to show a platinum ring with yellow gold ornamentation and a three-carat diamond! Elisa had to nip her trembling bottom lip to keep from breaking into tears of happiness.

Goliath slid the heart ring onto Elisa's hand, "this is the symbol of my love for you. Wear it to remember always that you are my love and life. That we are one, now and forever."

Elisa had to take a breath before continuing through the ceremony just to keep her voice steady. "Goliath, I doubt that you will ever know how big of an impact on my life you and the Clan have made. I was closing off everyone I loved because I lost one of my best friends in a shooting two months before we met. Just a day before that friend, named Andrea, told me that I was about to really fall for a guy who had waited a long time for me.

"She was always so very good at seeing what was to happen. She told Beth about her death an hour ahead of time, but Andrea knew I would have done whatever I could to change it. She knew that she had to die – because she stopped the bullet from killing a little girl who in turn saved my dad three days later.

"I never thought that I could trust anyone as much as I trusted Andrea. And then you caught me; I knew that her prophecy had come true as well as another – that you were someone I would be with for a very long time.

"When you kept on guarding me, even we barely knew one another, I knew that you would be there for me for the rest of our lives. And then tonight you and the others brought me into the Clan, and all of you told me what I did to mean so much to each of you. All of you mean something to me.

"I don't want to go back to the way I used to be." Elisa slid the ring on Goliath's finger with a smile and tear in her eyes. "Let this remind you that no one else can have my heart, because it belongs to you alone. And because we will be one, now and forever."

Everyone was quiet during this exchange, but one could sense in the air that the group was just itching to cheer. This was a night they had all been waiting for. Anyone who had ever seen this pair together could see that they were certainly in love.

Hudson grinned as he closed a ceremony he had seen played in his minds eye for years – though never quite like this. "Ya two that the ancestors have made one never be broken again."

Before Elisa and Goliath even closed the distance between them in their binding kiss the room exploded in joy.

*********************************************

Angela looked at herself in a mirror while the others sang and laughed in the common room. She so wished that she looked like her new mother rather than the cruel creature that brought the night's mating celebration about.

Elisa slipped in and wrapped her arms around her little girl. "What are you thinking about, baby?"

"I wish that I looked more like you than … well … her." Angela's bottom lip trembled.

"I love you no matter what you look like. In my heart, you are my baby."

Angela smiled and relaxed in her mother's arms. "I love you too mother. I am so happy that you and father are one at last."

Puck appeared just behind and above the ladies. "You know what? I just realized that I forgot to give everyone Yule presents … along with the happy couple a mating gift."

Elisa raised an eyebrow at that. "What have you got planned, Puck?"

Puck grinned and winked. "Wait and see."

Mother and daughter together at last

To make it true this spell I cast

Angela's father within her we see

Now let Elisa let Angela resemble thee

Just as Goliath and Broadway came into the room Angela was enveloped in a ball of green light. In moments all that was Demona within Goliath's daughter faded and was replaced by Elisa's features. Both men were amazed by how different it made Angela's appearance.

Face, hair, and body … daughter was obviously mother made over. Both ladies had tears in their eyes. This is what Zenda had been talking about.

"Thank you Puck! Now I am my mother's daughter, and I can be proud of that!" Angela chuckled through her tears.

Elisa smiled softly. "I have always been proud of you, my baby girl."

Angela was still worried though. "Father … Broadway?"

"Now, no one can question who the mother of my eldest daughter is." Goliath embraced his Daughter.

Broadway stood there staring at her in shock. When he and Angela first became mates the guy knew that there was no other female that could compare to her. Now she was beyond any words … no words could describe her in his eyes. "Oh Angela! You're more beautiful now than ever."

Angela giggled as she rushed into her mate's arms. Goliath pulled his mate closer as he draped a wing around Elisa's shoulders. "Are you happy about this my mate?"

Elisa loved having Goliath finally call her by that title. "Yes. And I think that our little girl is as well. How about you, my mate?"

"You and our daughter are happy, and that is all I could ask for." Goliath grinned.

Puck smiled. It was nice that some good was finally coming to this Clan. Especially with the evil he saw coming. "I'm not quiet through yet."

Elisa knew of Angela's gift, but what else was that trickster up to?

Clan who is stone by day

A gift I give for helping we fae

When you wish to be other than norm

Say and be granted a human form

To be true such do say

And will be your true selves right away

That stunned them all. Talon was the first to speak. "Puck, does this mean the Clan can go from gargoyle to human and back again at will?"

"Yep. That should make for some fun."

"But for how long?" Goliath remembered how it felt to hold his mate as a human, and how painful it had been to give up his wishes to be with her as mates. He was grateful to at last call her his own.

"Put it to ya this way, Big Guy. Um, did you hear me set a time limit on it?" Puck twisted his body in the air so that he was upside down looking Goliath in the eye.

"Oh cool!" Lexington called out as the rest of the group found the family.

Brooklyn shook his head. "This is turning into one interesting New Year."

"Aye lad, and the old one ain't over with yet." Hudson added in.

Angela then thought about it a moment. "What about mother?"

"Well …" Puck thought about it a moment. "She's still Clan, so I suppose that it should work."

Elisa smiled up at her love. "Looks like I'll go first. After all, it has been a while since I glided on my own wings."

"You were gargoyle mother?" Angela gasped in shock.

Broadway looked down at his mate. "Oh yeah, long before the three of you came back from Avalon. It was when we first met Puck."

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" Angela asked.

Elisa looked over at her grown daughter. "Because we didn't know how to bring it up. And we doubted that it would ever happen again. Time to see if this works. I wish to be my gargoyle form."

Just as when Puck had cast the spell that first turned Elisa's human body gargoyle, she was enveloped with a green light and lifted into the air. In minutes, Elisa Wyvern was no different from the rest of her new Clan.

The younger males high-fived one another, Hudson grinned on his new daughter, Angela was staring at her mother in shock, the humans who were standing there looking on too were stunned by Elisa's change, while Goliath grinned in joy at the beauty that was now and forever his mate – just as she had been time and again. Elisa enjoyed how different her body felt as the last of the magic faded and her new form felt the surrounding air.

She flexed out her wings once before allowing them to cape around her shoulders. Then she saw how her new mate was gazing at her and easily spotted the same look he had given her in each life after their mating ceremony. Her tail waved slowly a couple of times in her happiness. None of those gathered could remember their friend's face ever shimmering with a pleasure that came close to equaling what was on her face at that moment.

"Looks like the spell counts me in too. What do you think, baby girl?" Elisa chuckled as Angela finally shook off the shock and beamed a smile that rivaled Elisa's.

"You look beautiful, mother! Oh, I'm glad I am here to see this!"

Hudson chuckled. "Aye, just like I remember ya looking the last time Puck turned ya, my daughter."

"Just as beautiful as you have always been to me, my mate." Goliath grinned as Elisa curled into his arms – their wings wrapping around one another.

Fox finally found her voice. "All I have to say is wow!"

"I can say more. Looks like someone won't be carrying his lady around on glides anymore." Xanatos gave a sly smirk at the sarcastic look the newlyweds both gave him.

But Goliath had something to say about that. "That matters nothing to me. But, if you ever miss the old way, Elisa-mine, I would not argue about it."

This time Elisa smirked at her mate. "I'll hold you to that, my mate."

Lexington looked over at the clock and grinned. "Hey, one minute to go everyone!"

The group all cheered. Out of a rough year for the company, this had been the best night of all. Fifty-nine seconds later everyone who had a love were in a deep kiss to welcoming in hopefully a better year compared to the one they were leaving behind.