Old Surprises New Friends v1

by scottmercure

Time draws near as the Professor and Venus prepare to travel to Scotland, in search of questions Venus wishes answered. Old memories haunt Venus, but can she seek comfort with the professor, Goliath and the rest of the clan?

- Old Surprises New Friends –

THE ORIGINAL VERSION

The sequel to Full Moon Rising

A Gargoyles Adventure by:

Scott S. Mercure & Ryan Stout

Written on April 28, 1996

*** PG-13 ***

All Gargoyles and characters are copy written 1996 by Disney and Buena Vista Television. Any characters that appear in this story that have not been seen in Gargoyles is the sole creation of the author (myself). In addition they are in no way related to any person in the Gargoyles history or past characters. Any resemblance is purely a coincidence.

I'm not out to infringe on Disney or BVTV copyrights in any way, shape or form. I write Gargoyles fan fiction solely because it's a wonderful series, full of promise and adventure. Fan fiction writers, like myself, enjoy creating their own episodes to see their favorite characters do things THEY want.

Anybody who wants to use my characters is welcome too, as long as they contact me first. Tell me what you plan to do with them and chances are I won't mind.

** CREDITS **

I would like to personally thanks all those people at Disney who brought us the Gargoyles. The writers have done an excellent job in bringing these characters to life.

To my loving fiance Isabelle Saucier, without her I would still be alone, with only my writing to keep me company.

Another big thanks goes out to Ryan Stout, another great writer who's also done some great Gargoyles fan fiction. I look forward to perhaps working on a Gargoyles story with him in the future.

Thanks to Elizabeth Sanborn and Zack Macfarlane for their confidence in my work. I will never forget your kind words, they help me to keep writing.

And to all those others who are too numerous to name, thank you all for your wonderful phone calls and e-mail.

[Insert]

Hola, all you fanfic readers out there. This is Ryan Stout ("Athena" etc). Just wanted to put in here that I'm really honored to be the co-author/editor of this wonderful story. However, I can take very little credit for this one. Scott and I started talking awhile ago and eventually we began working together on our joint project "Demona's Love Reborn." But before we could release that, this one had to come out. I must admit that I had very little to do with this particular story, as I found almost nothing that (IMHO) needed improvement. My main contribution is writing the final scene, the epilogue, but other than that this is Scott's brainchild. Starting with references in the following text and in my own "Gemini," we're pretty much merging our fanfic worlds of the _Gargoyles_ universe into one.

Thanks a lot, Scott. I hope all the gargoyle fans out there enjoy reading this as much as I did editing it.

Anyway, I now return you to your regularly scheduled fanfic author. Buckle your safety belts, boys and girls, it's a bumpy ride. And look for "Demona's Love Reborn" real soon.

Oh, and for the record, the time frame for this story is somewhere before "The Price," so none of my stuff has happened yet. [End Insert]

Now, with all that done, on with the story:

* * *

Hudson and Lex could not help but laugh when Goliath and Elisa told them of how they had fooled Brooklyn and Broadway. Lex looked at them and said over and over that he told them so. The unlucky pair could only stand there and feel stupid.

"Enough already!" Brooklyn said, not wanting to hear any more of it. "We learned our lesson, you don't have to rub it in."

"No television or games," Lex giggled. "Man, I can't think of a worse punishment."

Broadway smiled and didn't seem interested. "At least I can catch up on my reading."

Goliath nodded and thought that was good idea, but right now he was thinking of something else. Elisa had told him that Scott wanted to meet with him about the statue.

"It's time we get going, Elisa," he said, unfolding his leathery wings. "I am anxious to see my. . . sister."

She could understand how he felt since she had already seen the statue and told him about it. He was relieved to hear that she was unharmed, or at least from what Elisa could see.

They walked outside the clock tower and stood on the concrete platform for a second. Elisa let Goliath pick her up in his arms and jumped onto the railing.

The others appeared from behind and looked at Goliath with hopeful eyes.

"All our hopes go with you, lad," Hudson said softly. "Now be off with ye, you're keepin' us in suspense."

Goliath smiled happily and leapt into the night sky. He would have preferred that the others go too, but he was taking no chances. He hoped that this Scott person was an understanding human who would hear reason. But he found it all too likely that they might find him to be another enemy. The Captain of the Guard, Xanatos... Too many had betrayed him and his kind.

The city was like it was normally was after sundown. Traffic and milling people covered every corner of the metropolis. Goliath was always intrigued by the many lights and sounds of the city. By now he had gotten used to it, but deep within he longed for the silence of the Tenth Century.

But that century was dead, along with everybody else he had know in that time. But through his sadness he could hang onto one pleasing thought: The fact that his blood sister might still be alive seemed like a ray of hope.

"Please," he said to himself. "Please let her be alive, that is all I ask, just one more of our kind."

He sighed softly and began to focus on the fact that Elisa had been trying to get his attention. Apologizing for his actions he listened to what she had to say.

Elisa directed him to head for the East River and to follow it towards Manhattan State Hospital. He nodded and flew off in the direction she had indicated. Minutes passed before the river appeared below them, its flat surface reflected the full moon high overhead.

Goliath turned and followed the river, passed Welfare Island and onward over Hell Gate. Not too far ahead of them lay Wards Island, and the home of Scott Mercure.

The large spread of property with a two story manor rising in the center of it caught their eyes. Elisa found it looking very picturesque from the air. When she first met the collector she had driven there shortly before sunset.

"Is that the place, Elisa?" Goliath asked.

She nodded, and a second later they were in a steep dive. The wind rushed through her hair and sent a chill down her back. No matter how many times she had flown with him she could not get used to the way he enjoyed landing.

When they were standing before the front door Elisa instructed him to wait by the plush bushes next to the house. He nodded and stepped off into the shadows to wait, something he didn't like right now.

She rang the bell and waited a short time before Scott's butler, Jacob, answered the door.

"Welcome back, Detective," Jacob greeted warmly. "Professor Mercure has been expecting you." The old man looked around for a moment and seemed confused. "He also said there would be another. Was he unable to make it?"

"He's here," she replied, sounding nervous. "Just doesn't like to be seen by people he doesn't know is all."

"It's not polite to leave someone waiting in secrecy," Jacob commented. "If you tell your companion to show himself I can permit you inside. My employer does not like people hiding in the bushes in his front yard."

With that he gazed in the direction where Goliath was waiting by the bushes. Elisa looked at Goliath and shrugged her shoulders in amazement. The butler might be old, but his senses seemed to be quite acute.

Goliath emerged and stood next to Elisa. His wings were folded around his shoulders in an attempt to make himself look less menacing. Jacob looked up at the large gargoyle and seemed surprised for a moment. The strangest thing was that he didn't seem afraid. Goliath and Elisa didn't know if this was good or bad.

"Oh, my..." Jacob said softly. "I don't think my employer was expecting this, but please come in."

The old butler stepped aside and watched as the pair stepped through the door into the entryway. Jacob closed the door behind them and told them to follow.

Elisa was somewhat familiar with the places the old butler was taking them. Goliath, on the other hand, seemed to think he was visiting Xanatos' brother.

"He has done well, this Scott," Goliath commented. "I just hope he doesn't turn out to be another of Xanatos' hirelings."

"Professor Mercure no longer requires the funding assistance of Mister Xanatos," Jacob said as he led them towards the sun room. "He's long since repaid Mister Xanatos back."

"I meant no disrespect to your employer," Goliath replied. "But you do not know of my past encounters with Xanatos."

Elisa moved closer to Goliath and frowned as she began whispering. "We're not off to a good start here, Goliath. I can understand your concerns but I think this Scott guy is on the level."

Goliath sighed heavily and continued to follow Jacob until they came to the sun room. The area was nicely done, each wall was made of glass, as was the ceiling. There was a polished wooden table in the center with two chairs. An expensive stereo with a large selection of music CD's was set in the corner.

Soft lighting from each corner of the room gave the place a cozy setting.

"Please make yourself comfortable," Jacob said as he headed toward the door. "Is there anything I can get you? A drink or something to eat perhaps?"

"No, thank you," Goliath answered. "Just inform your master that we wish to meet with him now."

"Goliath!" Elisa said, slightly annoyed. "Will you calm down please?"

"Professor Mercure is dining upstairs," the butler said. "He should be finished by now. I will deliver your request."

With that the butler nodded his head and vanished out the door.

Sitting in the upstairs living area Venus and her human companion were finishing their meal. As usual there was some soft classical music playing in the background.

Aside from his workshop this room was where he kept his more important artifacts. Displayed behind shatterproof glass cases wired with alarms were his past finds.

Most included small assorted carved statues. Each one had a small label describing what it was, where it was found and when he had found it. Other items included ancient Celtic weapons such as swords, maces, ranged weapons and various shields. Like the statues all were marked and cataloged.

Venus dabbed her napkin around her mouth to wipe away the excess oils from the salad she had just finished. As usual the food was well prepared down to the last details. Even the odd dessert he called chocolate moose was interesting.

Everything about this time was wonderful, especially the human she had fallen in love with.

If having her in his home and taking care of her wasn't enough he had bought her some clothes to wear. At first she found the articles awkward but he had them tailored to allow her wings and tail to protrude through.

Right now she was wearing a simple blue sweater and loose fitting jeans that buttoned in the back. When she had looked at herself in the mirror she was shocked at how she looked. Her body was covered from the neck, all the way to her ankles. After years of wearing the same loincloth it took some getting used to. She decided that she liked it.

She was having the time of her life, but her thoughts were always on the past.

When she was depressed she could always count on Scott to cheer her up, like now. He had finished telling her of what he had done to the news camera back in Scotland. He needed to tell her what a camera was, or course, but when he finished she could not help but laugh.

"These reporters," she said, leaning forward on the table. "I do not think I would like them. The way you describe their methods of getting information is quite rude."

"Yes, I do not care for them very much," Scott laughed. "I like to keep my affairs to myself, not broadcast all over the world." He mused with the idea of how a reporter would react to Venus. Ah, to see Travis Marshall hoisted up by lavender claws...

Venus smiled and chucked at his comment.

"Venus?" Scott asked softly.

She looked at him with interest.

"If I agreed to go back to Scotland, would you be willing to show me where this Archmage used to live?" he asked, almost in a whisper.

"To search for others of my kind?" she replied happily. "You would do that for me?"

He smiled and nodded. "Venus, I'd travel the world to find others of your kind. Let's say it's my gift to you."

She sprang from her chair and nearly knocked him from his chair as she threw her arms around him. He was momentarily stunned but he regained his composure and smiled. He had yet to get used to the gargoyle's boundless enthusiasm. Scott loved that about her.

In so short a time he had found somebody who he could really care about. He found her very beautiful despite her extra limbs, and found her to be wonderful company. She looked deep into his eyes and kissed him. He offered no resistance and took the moment to enjoy it. Her warm breath in his mouth, the way she slid her arms around his back, her velvety wings encompassing his body...

It was like a dream come true. For the first time in his life he felt complete. He loved her and she gave back that love, twice over. She nestled herself in his lap and let him do what he would with his hands, baring fangs in a playful grin.

She was starting to enjoy his caresses when she heard somebody knock at the door. They broke away, with Scott not looking at all pleased with the interruption.

He opened the door to reveal Jacob, as if it were going to be somebody else.

"Detective Maza and her..." He hesitated. "*Companion* are here to see you."

Scott nodded and said he would go and meet them, sighing.

He was about to take his leave of Venus when he realized the reason why the detective was here; her. Looking at Venus he had a sudden feeling of awkwardness; She was obviously not a statue anymore.

The reason why the detective had come was to introduce him to somebody who could tell him about the statue.

"Oh, no," he whispered, burying his head in his hands. "This is not what I had planned on doing. Venus, I want you to remain here while I try and get them to leave."

"Ahem," Jacob interrupted. "There is something I should tell you before you meet them."

"Why do I get the feeling this is not going to be one of my better nights?" he sighed. "Go ahead, Jacob."

"The detective's companion is also a gargoyle," the butler said softly. "In fact he has the same skin and hair coloring as your companion here."

"What?!" Venus replied aloud. "Another of my kind is down there right now?"

She proceeded to bolt for the door but Scott put himself between them. "Venus, no. Let me go down there first and try and find out what's going on." A male gargoyle? Ugh, he had yet to comprehend how truly powerful Venus was. What on earth would a male look like? ...And how would Venus react to having a potential mate of her own species...? A sick feeling suddenly dropped into the pit of his stomach.

"But he's a gargoyle, like myself!" She frowned. "I've got to meet him."

"Okay," Scott sighed. "But remain out of sight until I call for you, okay?" How could he refuse those beautiful eyes?

She nodded her head and followed Jacob and Scott downstairs towards the sun room. Scott stopped and told Jacob that he was going to go to the workshop with Venus. His instructions were to wait two minutes and then bring them there.

The old butler nodded and watched as they proceeded to the workshop. Once inside he asked Venus to wait outside the loading door until he called for her. She did as he asked and hid around the corner, dark skin blending with the shadows.

As planned, the butler emerged about two minutes later with Elisa following close behind. When the other gargoyle emerged Scott felt very awkward about how much he looked like Venus. It had the same skin and hair color, just as Jacob had said.

He looked up at the huge male gargoyle and was reluctant to say anything.

"Here is the person I was telling you about, Mister Mercure," Elisa said, waving her hand at Goliath. "Like I said, he does not like to make himself known."

"I..." Scott stammered. "I can see why that's true. But please, make yourselves at home."

"Where is the statue?" Goliath said, sounding impatient. "I must see her, now!"

Scott sighed and waved his hands in the air and smiled. "Ask and you shall receive. Venus, you have company!"

Goliath and Elisa looked shocked when he pointed to a winged figure in the doorway. Venus stepped into the light and seemed very excited.

"Goliath!" she screamed, rushing towards him, tears streaming down her face already. She must have recognized his voice. "I can't believe it's you. After all this time you're alive!"

"Blood sister!" Goliath bellowed as he threw his arms and wings around her. "You don't know how overjoyed I am to see that you're alive! But how?"

She broke away from his tender embrace and pointed towards Scott. "He broke the spell that bound me."

"Thank you, Mister Mercure," Goliath said with joy. "I guess I owe you my undying gratitude."

The collector approached Venus and put a hand on her shoulder and smiled. Venus, in turn, slid her arm around his waist and kissed him on the cheek.

"He's been very kind to me, Goliath," she smiled. "I've even agreed to stay here with him. Don't be angry when I tell you that we care deeply for one another."

Goliath looked at her and seemed somewhat upset at the way they held each other. It would appear that his sister had done more than thank the collector. Something inside him felt like he was going to lose her again, this time to a human.

Elisa noticed it too but she could understand how Scott probably felt about Venus. Just seeing them together gave her a warm feeling in her heart. Unlike herself and Goliath they were not afraid to display their true feelings. In Elisa's opinion that was something that she wished she could relate to.

Goliath, on the other hand, didn't seem at all impressed with the couple. He made a fist and tried to think of something to say but was speechless. His only blood relation and she decided to fall in love with a human.

She's definitely of your blood, said a tiny voice within him. He shook it from his mind. Elisa was different, Elisa was... Well, Elisa!

Even though he wanted to try and talk Venus out of it he knew it was not the right thing. He was her brother, but he could not tell her how to run her life. Back in the Tenth Century he was unable to control her actions, and he knew it would be the same now.

Sighing softly, he managed a smile that seemed to make everybody feel better. Goliath extended his hand to shake. Scott grinned and obliged him, though the man sweated a little nervously as his hand was encompassed in the giant's talons.

"Goliath," Venus spoke softly. "There is something else about me you should know. I don't turn into a statue at sunrise."

"What?!" Goliath said, sounding very surprised. "What sorcery has been cast upon you?"

Sighing, she began telling Goliath about her encounter with the Archmage. She told him about how she and the other gargoyles in her clan pledged their service to the wizard. They listened about how her mate was killed, and what the Archmage had planned and what he had done to her.

When she finished Scott looked at Goliath and tilted his head in puzzlement.

"Is there something wrong?" Goliath asked as he saw the was Scott was looking at him.

"Strange," Scott said softly. "You look just like that robot that appeared last night."

"Robot?" Goliath said aloud. The Steel Clan! "Was it metallic

in color, or red?"

"Red, without a doubt," he answered. "It was interested in getting Venus. If it wasn't for her who knows what damage it would have caused."

"Xanatos!" Goliath growled. "How dare he attempt to take my sister!"

Scott's eyes widened in surprise. "I know Xanatos is powerful, but I never knew he had robots so... advanced! It was like something Cyberbiotics would have come up with."

"He has robots, yes," Elisa said. "But that particular one you saw was Xanatos himself. He has his own personal Exo-suit that looks like Goliath. With that kind of technology, it would take the US Army to put him down."

"I should have known Xanatos was up to something when he came to see her," Scott sighed. "He even asked if I was interested in selling her to him. The viper!"

Goliath gritted his teeth and growled angrily. "At least he didn't succeed in getting her."

"Perhaps it's time we introduce her to the others," Elisa commented, trying to calm Goliath down.

"So there are others!" Venus said with joy. "Yes, please take me to see them?"

Her brother relaxed and let the hatred he felt towards Xanatos fade away.

"Very well," he said, smiling. "Would you care to come along as well, Mister Mercure?"

"Scott," the collected corrected. "I think I would like that very much."

Goliath nodded as Scott led them outside. Elisa would be carried by Goliath, of course, while Venus would take Scott on her back.

They carried their human passengers up the side of the house and onto the roof. Scott only gasped once as they leapt into the air.

* * *

Xanatos paced around his office grumbling about his encounter with the gargoyle last night. He had hoped when he offered to show her other gargoyle she'd agree to go with him.

Worse was that, she had caused serious damage to his Exo-suit. He could afford to have it repaired, of course, but he was still upset. A pity that he only had one back up suit, the one he had used to track down Fox when she had been possessed by the Eye of Odin, and to encounter Thailog.

"Nobody says no to me, Owen," he said calmly, stopping to look out the large window behind his desk.

"Might I ask why you want this new gargoyle, sir?"

David sighed and looked at his majordomo and frowned. "I could have used her in some way. Any gargoyle would be a useful asset. My Steel Clan are powerful, but they are no substitute for the real thing as I had hoped they would be."

Owen shook his head and sighed. He respected his employer but sometimes he did not understand Xanatos' motivations. Xanatos could have almost anything he wanted, except the will of others.

This, in Owen's opinion, would eventually lead to his employer's downfall.

"It's only a matter of time before Goliath and the other gargoyles find her," Xanatos grumbled. "How long until the Exo-suit is repaired?"

"The damage she caused to the power pack and neck is rather extensive," Owen replied. "I'd say not for another two of three weeks at least."

Xanatos sat down behind his desk and remained quiet for a long time. Owen looked at his employer for a moment and said he had some work to do. David nodded his head silently and waved his hand at the door.

Closing the door behind him, he looked at his own desk for a moment before heading outside the castle. Once there he stood and looked at the dimly lit stone walls.

"If she still exists, then the others must still be around as well," Owen said softly, a hint of nervousness in his tone.

It was then he made up his mind to track Scott and the others' movements. He would go to Scotland if he had to.

Unfortunately he would be unable to tell Xanatos of this. It was something he was not looking forward to doing.

He would find a way, even if it meant taking time off.

"They must not be discovered," he sighed, looking to the East as if he could see Scotland. "The power they possess must not be unleashed."

Owen shook his head and went back inside the castle.

* * *

Back at the clock tower the others were trying to think of something to keep them occupied. Hudson tried in vain to scan the television for something to watch. Broadway kept staring at the selection of books. Brooklyn and Lex would be playing video games but they were forbidden to do so.

Each searched for something to do, but all had the same thing on their minds.

"When is Goliath coming back?" Brooklyn said, trying hard not to go crazy.

"I don't know, lad," Hudson answered as he continued to scan the channels. "We'll know soon enough, I suppose."

"Sooner than you think, guys," came Elisa's voice from the top of the stairs.

They all turned to see her standing in the doorway. The smile on her face was all they needed to see. Elisa stepped away from the door as Goliath emerged, also smiling.

"So?" Broadway asked eagerly. "What went on? Did you see her, is she still alive? C'mon Goliath, spill it!"

Goliath said nothing but stepped aside to allow somebody else to emerge. The first was a human, the one they had seen on the television, Scott Mercure.

The collector looked around for a moment and smiled when his eyes fell upon them. He turned and spoke to somebody outside. A second later a new winged form emerged.

Their eyes went wide in amazement as Venus stepped in, wearing a sweater and jeans. Her skin tone was identical to Goliath's, as was her jet black hair.

The three younger gargoyles seemed to fall in love with her that very instant. She had a slim figure and a body that would send even the strongest of males to their knees.

"Everybody," Goliath announced. "I'd like you to meet my blood sister, Venus."

"Venus, is it?" Hudson replied, somewhat impressed himself. "I haven't seen you since you were a child."

"Thank you... er, Hudson is it?" she said, smiling.

The old gargoyle nodded and introduced the others, each smiled and said "hello."

Venus looked very pleased with what she was seeing and she tried hard not to cry. It was a strange feeling, seeing others of your kind alive after all these years. Decades. Centuries.

Scott put his hand on her shoulder and whispered something in her ear. She immediately perked up and kissed him on the cheek. This action made Hudson and the others stare.

Brooklyn groaned inaudibly and smacked his palm against his horned head. Figures, he thought. The first eligible female in one thousand years and she goes for the rich guy.

"Ahem," Goliath began. "It seems my sister has taken it upon herself to search for love again. As you can see she appears to have found it."

Goliath and Elisa led them down the steps into the main living area. Scott and Venus were greeted in a friendly manner and made to feel at home. Venus smiled and greeted each of them with a smile and a quick hug.

"It pleases me to have found another of our kind," Goliath said to Elisa. "It makes me wonder if there are others out there waiting to be found."

Scott overheard what Goliath had said and cleared his throat before speaking. "Venus and myself were talking about that during dinner earlier. I'm going back to Scotland to search for the place where this Archmage lived. Venus said she'd take me there."

Goliath and the other gargoyles heard this as well and looked at the collector in wonder.

"Perhaps I can find out what happened to her comrades," Scott added. "You're all invited, of course. I can use all the help I can get."

"You mean, go back to our homeland?" Broadway said, an awed expression on his face. "You would take us? All of us?"

Scott nodded. "And Detective Maza as well, if she wishes. I have a private jet so there won't be any trouble getting there."

Goliath scratched his chin and looked distant. "You are a very generous man, Scott. But why would you do this for us?"

"Wouldn't you like to find others of your kind?" the collector asked. "To be there if I am able to locate their whereabouts?"

"Nothing would please me more," Goliath sighed. "It's just that we have not seen Scotland for..." He bowed his head and seemed saddened. "Many years."

Scott approached Goliath and smiled. "Now's your chance to see it again. We..." he waved his hand at Venus. "Would enjoy your company, and yours as well, Detective."

Elisa seemed startled by the professors invitation. "Why would you wish me to go?"

"I can't see you parting with Goliath and the others for a whole week," Scott replied. "If they decide to come, that is."

Goliath sighed and pondered the idea for a few minutes before reaching his decision. "We will go with you, Scott. Will you come as well, Elisa?" he asked, turning to face her.

"I've got some vacation time built up," she smiled. "If you can hold off on going for a few days I'm sure I can swing it."

Scott smiled. "Excellent! It'll take a few days for me to prepare for the trip. Meet me at my home this Friday around eight o'clock. Agreed?"

"Very well," Goliath replied. "Thank you again for your generosity, Scott."

The professor smiled and held Venus' hand. "I would do anything to please her."

Venus smiled and kissed him softly. The others looked at this with mixed feelings, especially Goliath.

Time passed quickly as everybody sat and talked about past and current events. They told her of the City of Stone incident, and reminisced about old times spent with the Onlooker and the other long-dead denizens of Castle Wyvern. Venus seemed particularly horrified at the story of Coldstone. Broadway fixed something to eat and they all had a nice gathering.

Scott and Venus bid their farewells shortly after one o'clock and flew off into the night. Elisa left around three, leaving the gargoyles alone in the clock tower.

Later that night Goliath found Brooklyn sitting outside the clock face. The young warrior stared off into space and didn't seem to know Goliath was there.

Goliath had asked Brooklyn about his mood swing a few nights ago; Brooklyn had dismissed it as being the bad weather. After that he seemed to cheer up. Deep inside Goliath knew something was bothering him.

Brooklyn sighed and felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. He turned and saw his leader standing behind him.

"Something the matter, Goliath?" he asked.

"No," Goliath answered. "But there seems to be something wrong with you. Please share it with me."

"Okay," he sighed. Sharing one's feelings wasn't very... *manly,* as the humans said. But this was Goliath, one of his rookery parents... "I've been having some really strange feelings lately."

"They are?"

"I..." Brooklyn started. "I dunno, it feels as if I'm missing something from my life."

"Are you not happy with this new life?" Goliath asked.

"Oh, sure!" he replied, smiling. "This place is much better than Tenth Century Scotland. God bless the USA, and all of that. But it feels as if I'm alone here."

Goliath released of soft sigh and seemed to know what Brooklyn was feeling.

"You have your clan," Goliath added.

"I know that, Goliath," he sighed. "But I consider you and the others family. What I'm missing goes beyond that.

"You have Elisa and Scott has Venus," he explained. "Lex keeps himself occupied with his computer, and both Hudson and Broadway read.

"What do I have?" he asked. "Nothing. It's like I'm alone with nobody to keep me company."

"Yes," Goliath said softly. "You're missing companionship and the love of another. I once felt as you did, Brooklyn, but in time I found somebody.

"You just have to keep a positive attitude that one day something will happen," Goliath replied. "Until then you will always have us, thus you are never alone."

Brooklyn smiled and seemed to want to say something but hugged Goliath instead. Goliath found this very odd for Brooklyn but said nothing. The younger gargoyle also found the unusual show of affection awkward, but it felt good to confide in someone. Goliath smiled and let Brooklyn know that he was indeed not alone.

He understood completely what Brooklyn was feeling. He himself had almost lost Elisa by keeping his feelings buried. Ever since the scene on the Liberty torch he knew what it had been like to feel alone.

* * *

Xanatos sat behind his large wooden desk shuffling around in a stack of papers. The billionaire would look over a financial statement and type on the computer keyboard.

Going over the financial report for his corporation was something he didn't enjoy doing. Xanatos Enterprises was ridiculously large. He should never have bought Coca-Cola...

His wife entered the room and noticed his distress. "Something wrong, dear?"

"Yes," David sighed, pushing the papers away. "Owen picked a fine time to take some time off. I'd program Coyote to do all this stuff if he wasn't busy guarding the Athena Project."

"He's only going to be gone a week," Fox said. "I'm sure your corporation will survive Owen's absence for a few days."

"He could have at least told me where he was going," David grumbled. "It's not like him to do something like this."

Fox smiled and sat on the edge of his desk. "You can track him, if you're that curious."

"I am," David replied, smiling. "But so far he's still in the city."

"Where about?" she asked.

David shrugged his shoulders and began typing on the computer keyboard. The screen cleared and displayed an overhead map of the city. A small red dot in the downtown area was flashing.

"It seems he's going to do some shopping," Fox said. "Somehow I can't picture Owen browsing through a store."

"Neither can I," David replied. "Do me a favor and follow him for a few hours, would you? Take a portable tracker and stay out of sight."

Fox looked at him and laughed. "You don't have to tell me my job, David." She was a tattooed ninja celebrity, daughter of one or the richest men on earth and husband of *the* richest and she had fought everything from gargoyles to morning sickness. Fox could certainly take care of herself.

"I humbly beg your forgiveness, my love," he said over dramatically as he stood and bowed. "Now if you please, I have some more work to do."

She nodded and left the room.

Owen, however, was doing just the opposite of what Fox said. He WAS browsing through a store, and for clothing at that.

He had already picked out a new black suit and was looking as some casual wear. A clerk approached him and handed him a small plastic bag.

Inside were some socks, a few ties and some underwear that he had already chosen. He selected two pairs of black jeans and some plain white T-shirts. He had been meaning to try wearing one of those things for quite some time now...

The clerk took the items from him and placed them in the bag with the socks.

"I'll put the new suit on now," Owen told the clerk.

The man smiled and nodded as he led the majordomo to the changing rooms. He handed Owen the dress suit and waited until Owen stepped out again.

In his hands were the suit he had been wearing. He was also holding all the other garments as well. The clerk took the old suit and undergarments.

"Please be sure to dispose of them," Owen said plainly. "Have my other purchases put into a suitcase. If you would be so kind please have a cab meet me outside the store."

"Of course, sir," the clerk replied before rushing off.

A few minutes later Owen stood outside the store holding a small leather suitcase. A yellow cab pulled up and waited until he was inside before driving off.

"Take me to the airport."

The taxi driver nodded.

He already had a round trip ticket to Scotland. With luck he'd be there by tomorrow morning.

Keeping track of Scott was quite easy. The professor didn't even try to cover up his tracks. Owen knew Scott was taking his private jet and was scheduled to leave in a few hours.

Owen didn't feel comfortable until he was sitting in his seat on the airliner. Looking out the window he watched as the ground rolled by.

He removed a notepad from his pocket and began working on a pencil sketch. In the distance he could hear the stewardess giving the in-flight instruction but he could have cared less. He hadn't lived the life he led just to die in an airplane crash.

His hand moved easily on the clean white paper as a full body drawing of Demona took shape. He glanced at it and seemed to smile slightly, then he started drawing again. If only he had some red pen...

A picture of a middle aged man wearing a lab coat stood beside Demona. With a quick move of the eraser he redrew Demona and the man so they were holding hands. Putting the pencil down he took a good look at the pair and smiled.

"Demona," he said softly. "Soon even your love with be brought to light." Fate was such a strange thing.

In the background he drew and soft pencil sketch of what looked to be a baby gargoyle. Thinking for a second he put a little more work on the child's hands; five fingers instead of four.

Putting the pencil back into his pocket he inhaled and gently blew the excess lead from the paper. The picture seemed to move, ever so slightly as he closed the pad and set it on the seat next to him.

* * *

Scott and Venus sat in the cockpit of Scott's private jet, looking at the dark runway before them. From the passenger section they could hear the others talking. Broadway could be heard the most as he apparently found where the snacks were kept.

"Hey," Lexington shouted. "Save some of those for us. You're not the only one who eats around here."

"Could have fooled me," Brooklyn shot back merrily.

"Enough, both of you," Goliath said as he approached the cockpit. "When will we be taking off?"

Scott looked down at the flight controls and switched on the fuel tanks. A low hum caused the jet to vibrate softly as the engines began to wind up. Several tiny lights flashed on the panels as the navigation systems were activated.

"In about two minutes," he answered, looking at the small radar to his left. "I have to clear our takeoff with the tower."

Goliath's head vanished from the opening as he took his seat with the others. Hudson looked at him and seemed nervous. The old warrior would look out the tiny window and shake his head.

"What's wrong, old friend?" Goliath asked softly.

Hudson shook his head again and frowned. "I prefer to use my own wings, thank ye much. This metal machine doesn't strike me as the safest way to travel."

"Sure it is," Lex replied, looking over some archaeological magazines. "Statistics say your risks of getting killed in an airplane are considerably less than if you were walking."

"Oh, that makes me feel so much better," Brooklyn sighed as he tightened his seat-belt. "This thing uses jet engines, like the Steel Clan. And you know how often *they* fall out of the sky in flames."

"Why don't you guys just relax?" Elisa added as she sat next to Goliath. "Think of it as a much-needed vacation."

Hudson mumbled something under his breath and checked to make sure his own seat-belt was secured.

"Private jet Venus One, serial number 43236-B, requesting clearance on Runway Four," came Scott's voice from the cockpit.

"Venus One, you are cleared for take off on Runway Four," the tower replied back

Goliath could not help but smile at how much Scott had come to love his blood sister. He could not even begin to compare to what the human was giving her. She lived in a wonderful home with a caring man who adored everything about her. In his mind she was better off than any of them.

She even had a jet named after her. According to Scott the jet was brand new, right from the factory. The human has said his other jet was too small and thus purchased a bigger one.

Goliath didn't mind that so much. It was when Scott said he was going to pilot it that he became concerned. He saw the way they cared for each other, the holding and kissing. It occasionally brought back memories of him and Demona.

Painful memories that he wished to experience again. But he knew that would not happen. He still felt a certain bond to his former mate and did not want to let it go. But she was not the woman she once had been.

Elisa seemed to sense his feelings and placed a sympathetic hand on his arm. When he looked down at her she smiled as if she knew what he was thinking. Her touch always felt so comforting, even with the fifth finger...

"You should be glad she's found somebody like him," Elisa said softly, so the others wouldn't hear. "Imagine if she was in the hands of Xanatos."

Goliath gritted his teeth and snarled. "That's something I don't want to think about! Xanatos would not have had her very long. I would have seen to it personally!"

She looked at Goliath's expression and knew that her comment had worked. His mind was now focused on something else. Only she hoped it was the right one.

Everybody felt the jet begin to move down the runway. The distant lights of the city slowly moved from left to right. There was a growing whine from the engines as they began to reach takeoff speed.

Hudson said something under his breath as the jet slowly lifted from the ground. Elisa gazed out her window to see the city lights getting smaller.

When the ground could no longer be seen Elisa and the others unfastened their belts.

In the cockpit Scott entered the direction and heading into the navigation computer. He released the controls and let the computer take over. The flight would take several hours so he decided to try and entertain his passengers.

Venus smiled and unfastened her belt and followed him into the passenger compartment. Hudson looked at Scott and seemed somewhat concerned.

"Who be flyin' the plane, Professor?" he asked nervously.

Scott smiled and tried no to laugh. "Don't worry. The computer knows where we're going. Everything is state-of-the-art so I don't anticipate any problems."

"Don't anticipate any problems?" Brooklyn replied. "That's almost as good as Lex's explanation."

Elisa tried not to laugh but the urge was too great. She inhaled once before bellowing a hearty laugh.

"I've seen you guys take down muggers, armed robbers, cars, trucks, buildings, even Xanatos," she snickered. "But to see you guys act like this, it's too precious! I wish I had a camera."

She continued laughing, and was soon followed by Scott and Venus. To make it even worse Broadway laughed, and to everyone's surprise, Goliath.

Hudson and Brooklyn looked at each other and seemed to think the same thing. "I should have stayed home this time."

"I have a question for you all," Scott said when the humor had died down. "What did you do with your watchdog, Bronx?"

Elisa began laughing again. "I asked my partner Matt to take care of him,"

"Yeah," Lex snickered. "Bronx is going to stay at his place until we get back."

"Is that safe?" Venus asked.

Hudson smiled and tried not to laugh. "Aye. But just wait til' he needs to be taken for a walk. Matt will have his hands full then."

Scott thought about a human taking such a huge beast out for a walk and shuddered. "I'm glad I'm not your partner."

"I'll bet Matt wishes that too," Elisa added with a smile.

Bronx was lying quietly before the television set while Matt ate his TV-dinner. There was an old black and white police show on that neither of then seemed interested in.

Matt looked down at the sleeping watchdog and sighed.

"Why me?" he said between bites. "Elisa gets a week off and gets to spend it in Scotland. What do I get? I get to baby-sit a four hundred pound dog with a complexion problem."

At least he didn't expect anybody to try breaking into his apartment. Although it would be far better than what was on the television tonight.

"Eighty channels and nothing to watch, eh boy?"

Bronx snuffed and looked up at him as if to say. "I don't really care."

"Me too, Bronx," Matt smiled. "Well, I think I'm gonna go get some sleep myself. Good night Bronx."

The gargoyles watchdog yawned and stretched to his feet. Matt was about to go into his room when he heard Bronx whine. Sighing he turned to see the beast staring at the apartment door.

"You can't be serious," Matt grumbled. "Now?"

Bronx whined again and scratched at the door, leaving quarter inch gashes in it. Matt saw this as well and cringed at how he would have to explain that to the landlord.

"Okay, okay," he sighed, grabbing his coat off the couch. "No need to tear my door down. Why don't we go out the fire escape instead?"

The beast snuffed and approached the glass double doors leading to the fire escape. Matt donned his coat and followed Bronx outside.

When they reached ground level Matt noticed that there was no place he could take Bronx. The street was too well lit and the alleys usually had homeless people who would probably ask questions.

He led Bronx to his car and opened the back door. The watchdog stepped onto the back seat and made himself comfortable.

"Okay, Bronx," Matt said as he got into the drivers seat. "I guess we're off to the park."

Bronx "ruffed" his eagerness to get going. Matt drove off wondering why he was doing this.

"Elisa," he said softly. "You're going to owe me big time for this one."

His route took him past Xanatos Enterprises where a certain billionaire was about to get interesting news.

"I found Owen for you, dear," Fox said as she stepped into David's office. She had a white plastic bag in her hand.

Xanatos looked at her and shook his head. "I know where he was, Fox. I just wanted you to follow him."

"Okay then," she smiled. "Use your computer to track where he is now."

David shrugged his shoulders and began typing. The screen cleared and displayed the city again. He looked at the blinking red dot to see it was in his building. When he instructed the computer to go into more detail is displayed an image of his office.

"What?" he said aloud. "What the hell is going on here?"

"This," Fox said as she dumped Owen's suit and undergarments on his desk. "I would have to guess he didn't want you tracking his whereabouts."

David looked down at the rumpled suit and gaped. "Why that no good, sneaky little son of a..."

His wife covered her mouth and began laughing. David looked up at her and scowled at how Owen had gotten the better of him.

After a few seconds of think he grinned and began laughing himself. "I taught him too many of my tricks!"

The uncharacteristic humor was momentary. "But," he added, regaining his composure. "Where would he go where he wouldn't want me to follow?"

Fox shrugged his shoulders and said she had no idea.

"I hate being left in the dark," Xanatos said, sighing.

* * *

Jonathan Dunbar found it very strange when he got a call from Professor Mercure. The collector said he was returning to do some more research and needed his help.

Now here he was, standing alone on the dark runway waiting for Scott's jet to arrive. He glanced down at his watch, 4:00 in the morning. He yawned and held his coat closed against the cold morning air.

Several feet behind him was a large truck that the professor had told him to rent. Within were enough supplies for eight people for an entire week. Other things included digging tools, photo equipment, ropes and lamps.

Whatever the collector had in mind, it was no doubt related to the statue he had bought from him.

Scott had already wired him the money so it was no trouble. But to come out to the airport at this hour? Surely the collector could have timed it better.

Off in the distant night sky he could see tiny blinking lights from the jet. A few moments later the soft hum of its engines echoed in the air.

The plane looked slightly larger that the first one the collector had arrived in. As the whine of its huge engines fought to slow the jet Dunbar took a few steps back. Like the first jet it was completely white.

As it touched down he saw an insignia just below the forward cockpit. It was in the formed of some winged creature with a name below it: VENUS 1.

"Goddess of love," he whispered to himself. "Strange name for a jet."

He watched as it rolled down the long runway before stopping a short distance away. The wind and debris that blew up from the ground was almost blinding. Covering his eyes, he heard the engines wind down and stop.

As before, the door opened and a set of stairs lowered. Scott emerged in the doorway and stepped to the ground. Dunbar smiled and began walking towards him when another person stepped out.

She was an attractive young woman with dark hair and lovely face. The professor smiled and took her hand as stepped to the ground next to him.

"Welcome back, Professor Mercure," Dunbar said politely as he shook Scott's hand.

"Thank you, Mister Dunbar," Scott replied. "This is Elisa Maza from New York. She's a detective with the New York police."

Dunbar smiled and shook her hand. "Delighted, I'm sure."

Scott looked at the covered truck and smiled. "I would guess you got everything I asked for?"

"Aye. I got everything for ya," he replied. "Do you need a place to rest tonight? If so ye may stay at my place tonight."

The professor shook his head. "No, thank you. We'll be staying in tents since we're on a research expedition."

"Research?" Dunbar tilted his head in puzzlement. "Can I ask what you're researching?"

"I'm following up some history concerning Venus. That statue you sold me."

Jonathan smiled and tried not to laugh. "So, Venus is her name? Interesting, Professor Mercure. I've lived in Scotland all my life and can offer my assistance." The man was so obsessed with a statue that he named his airplane after it? Ah, well, who was he to judge. After all, poor people were crazy; The rich were eccentric.

This time it was Scott who laughed. "Thank you, but I already have some people for that?"

Elisa cleared her throat and nudged Scott's side. "The sun will be coming up in a few hours. I think we'd better start moving out."

"Very well, Detective," Scott answered. "Thank you for your help, Mister Dunbar. Rest assured you will be well compensated for your time."

Jonathan nodded and shook his hand again.

"Oh," Scott said before Dunbar could turn. "I would assume you need a ride home?"

"Nay," he replied. "I got my motorbike in th' back of the truck."

Scott nodded and watched as the Scotsman walked over to the rear of the truck. He lowered the tailgate and slid a long, think board out making a ramp. Dunbar climbed into the truck and rolled a new motorbike to the ground.

"As ye can see, sellin' that statue was quite worth me while," he laughed. "Because of you me family's land is gonna be restored to its original beauty!"

The professor smiled and waved as the Scotsman started the bike and sped off into the darkness.

He turned and nodded to Elisa. "Are they going to ride in the truck, or are they gonna follow us in the air?"

"We'll follow by air," Goliath said as he jumped from the doorway. "We are familiar with this land and will be able to see your vehicle."

Scott nodded and yawned. "I'll be glad when I can get some sleep."

Venus stepped down next and looked around. Scott smiled and took her by the hand.

"Welcome home, Venus."

She smiled, looked around and shook her head. "This is no longer my home. My place is with you now, my love."

Goliath frowned but said nothing as he watched the others step from the jet. The others looked around at the night sky and seemed saddened by their surroundings.

"It's not like I remember at all," Hudson said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well, it has been a thousand years," Brooklyn remarked as he stretched his wings. "Perhaps we should get going?"

Scott nodded and led Elisa into the truck. The others jumped in the truck and leapt into the air. They circled high above until they saw the truck drive down the road.

Goliath looked at Venus and smiled. He loved his sister and felt odd flying with her again. Even it in Tenth Century it was something they very seldom did. He began to wonder if he should have tried to be there for her when they were younger.

His mind was jogged back to reality as he felt somebody take his hand. He looked over and saw Venus smiling warmly.

"Brother?" she asked. "How do you feel about me and Scott falling in love?"

"I am your rookery brother, nothing more. It is not my decision to make, Venus," he sighed, trying to pull his hand away.

She didn't let him. "That's not what I asked, Goliath. HOW do YOU feel about it?"

"I'm not crazy about it," he said, finally speaking his mind. "But I cannot control who you can and can't love."

Venus let go of his hand and glided away from him. "I had hoped you would understand. Is it so different that you can care for a human, and I can't?"

"Elisa and myself are good friends," he growled, wishing she'd get off the subject.

She laughed sarcastically. "You're a very bad liar, Brother. I can sense your feelings."

"How?" he asked, looking at her.

"The Archmage was a very good teacher," she smiled. "There are many things I can do. I haven't even told Scott about some of my powers."

"What?" he said, angered by her words. "You're a sorceress?"

She nodded and looked down at the truck. "I love Scott very much, but I'm afraid to tell him I'm an enchantress. He's accepted

me for what I am so far, but..." She frowned worriedly, running a nervous tongue over her fangs. "I don't want to push my luck. I can't risk losing him."

Goliath growled and glided closer to her. "Then why did you tell me?"

"Because you are my brother, and the only family I have left in this new world," she sighed. "I will tell Scott in time, but for now will you keep it secret?"

He nodded as they continued their flight. His feelings for her were getting more complex. How well could she sense them? Was she reading his mind right now? He hadn't laid eyes on her for well over a millennium and now she was a sorceress. His thoughts seemed clouded by this but he could not take the time to figure it out now. It all seemed too familiar: Meeting a loved one after one thousand years, only to lose her again, learning that she was a sorceress. Like Demona...

Off in the distance they could see the mountains. Goliath and Hudson knew that was where the Archmage had once resided.

Goliath found it very hard to realize that they would see where Castle Wyvern had once stood.

Looking back he could tell that the others felt the same way.

Elisa felt strange riding next to Professor Mercure. She was not used to riding with anybody except Matt. For a long time they said nothing. At one point Elisa turned on the radio for something to listen to.

It took about an hour to reach the site of Castle Wyvern. The gargoyles were already there. They were walking around the rim of a huge horseshoe crater where the castle had once stood.

Scott stopped the truck a few yards away from the edge. He and Elisa exited the vehicle and approached the gargoyles. Goliath was standing a few feet away from the edge, looking at the ocean. Venus was standing not far away, and she smiled when Scott approached.

The others were walking around, looking upset at the area where their home used to be. Elisa seemed to understand Goliath's feelings and stood next him.

Looking down at the sheer cliff she watched as the waves struck the edge. The violent reaction sent sprays of white mist soaring into the air.

"Once, a long time ago, we guarded this place," Goliath said as Scott approached. "Now it's just an empty hole. Our ancestral home rests atop Xantatos' Eyrie Building."

"So what happened?" Scott said softly, drawing the attention of the others.

Goliath sighed and began to tell of the story of the Vikings and their assault. He told of the treachery and of how the castle was taken, and his clan destroyed.

* * *

Owen watched as the people went milling about the airport. Some were waiting for their bags at the luggage carousel while others were talking with loved ones.

The sight that caught his attention the most was of a man and woman hugging each other near the entrance. He could hear them talking to each other, saddened but happy. The couple went out the doors as approached the counter.

The majordomo watched as his things were thoroughly searched and replaced. The man at the end of the counter asked for his passport and looked it over carefully. He pressed a stamp permitting his entrance into Scotland and handed it back.

"Do you have any fruit, live animals or anything to declare?" the custom's agent asked, sounding bored.

"No," Owen replied dryly.

The customs agent nodded and said he could continue.

Once outside he waved down a cab and climbed in. He gave the driver instructions to take him to the nearest car rental agency.

By the time the sun sank below the horizon Owen was standing in a hotel room. He gazed out at the horizon and began wondering

what the professor and the gargoyles were doing. It would take a day or two before they would find the Archmage's Lost Clan, so he had no need to rush.

They'd slept for more than a millennium, they would continue to sleep for two more days.

* * *

Scott, Elisa and Venus watched as the other gargoyles took positions within the large tent they had erected. As the sun rose the sky outside the tent began to give way to light. Goliath and the others turned to stone only seconds before the sun appeared.

"That's really strange," Scott replied, shaking his head.

"You think that's strange?" Venus replied, smiling. "Imagine watching others do what I should be doing. That's strange."

Elisa simply smiled and said it was nothing new to her. "So, what are we going to do until sundown, Professor?"

"They should be okay in the tent," The professor answered. "Venus knows where the entrance to the Archmage's lair. Why don't we go and look around?"

Venus sighed and seemed a little nervous at her love's suggestion. "Are you sure we should go without the others?"

"It'll be fine, Venus," he replied, grabbing a flashlight from a nearby crate. "But I'd like to see the Rookery, if you don't mind."

They exited the tent and looked around at the wide open area. Venus pointed to a small rock formation and said the opening was there. She led Scott and Elisa to the round opening and halted a moment before entering.

"What's wrong?" Scott asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Nothing," she replied in a low tone. "Just reliving some old memories. Come."

Scott flicked the flashlight to life and pointed it into the dark opening. Venus followed the beam and was soon standing in the chamber where she was hatched. Scott stepped in behind her and began panning the light around.

Wherever the beam hit they would see a jagged, glistening wet rock wall. Venus took the light from him and pointed it at an irregular spot in the center. As she had thought, there were no sign of eggs, or even shells. She didn't think to see any; It had been over a thousand years since she had been here.

Sighing, she stifled a soft cry and handed the flashlight back to Scott. He looked at her in the darkness and frowned. She was not pleased at being here. Handing the light to Elisa, he slid his arms around her and hugged her close to him. She returned the favor and cried softly, burying her face into his shoulder, wings coming to rest about his shoulders as like a soft, silken cloak.

Elisa watched and wanted to mention why they had come here but decided against it. Scott and Venus looked like they were meant for each other. Venus might be a gargoyle, but Elisa admired Scott for not holding that against her.

Not long after, the trio stood before the carved opening of the Archmage's lair. A large column stood on each side of the opening. Several engravings and picture text adorned them. Scott used the flashlight and began to examine them very closely.

"Fascinating!" he said softly. "I'll have to get some pictures of these carvings. You say this Archmage was a powerful wizard?"

"Yes," Venus replied, sounding a little angered. "A very cruel and dangerous wizard!"

Scott waved them onward, deeper into the dark tunnel. The area was all-too-familiar to her as they continued towards the heart of the Archmage's lair.

"Are you alright?"

Venus nodded, though there were many bad memories in there that she did not want any part of. She found herself rubbing the wetness that had been forming ever since they passed into the cave.

She sniffed and approached Scott, touching him ever so slightly on the shoulder.

"Yes?" he asked, turning to face her. "Would you feel better if we left and came back with the others later?"

"Yes," was all she could manage before hugging him.

He smiled and returned the hug, rocking her slowly back and fourth. "I know they're some bad memories here, my love. Come, we'll leave and go get some sleep."

"Thank you," she replied softly. "I really do love you, you know."

Scott placed his hand on the side of her head and ran in up and through her hair. "I know that Venus... I know."

Elisa stood a few yards and away and regarded the pair with mixed feelings. It was odd seeing the professor and Venus showing so much love for each other. She and Goliath had been friends for a long time, but she wanted to be more than his friend.

"Why is it so easy for them, and so hard for me and Goliath?" she asked herself.

When the professor said they were leaving she nodded and followed them back outside. Scott and Venus held hands the entire trip out. When they emerged into the sunlight Elisa looked at her watch. 8:23am, it was still quite early. She stifled a yawn and began liking the idea of catching up on some sleep.

She helped the professor erect two tents, one of which was for Scott and Venus. The second was for her to sleep in, alone. Now, it seemed, that they were not only in love, but they may even be sleeping together. Elisa had no idea of what to think, or of what Goliath would think. Goliath was a very understanding gargoyle, but when it came to his sister it was different.

It was something she wasn't going to tell him about; that was for Venus to do. In a small way she admired the professor. It was so easy for him.

The things she was feeling now never seemed to affect her this much before. Soon after entering her tent she lay down on the soft sleeping bag and began thinking about the past.

The memories of her and Goliath soaring over the city as friends didn't seem as grand as they had once been. What she did enjoy was when they made the tape to fool Brooklyn and Broadway.

It was only play acting but deep inside she wished it had been real. She began wondering what it would really be like making love to Goliath and shuddered. He WAS taller, and much broader than a human man. It was fun acting out the part with him, but at least she got to kiss him.

She would never forget how it felt to have his lips pressed to hers, his warm breath in her mouth. It had only been for a few moments, but it felt like a lifetime. Sliding an arm under her pillow she sighed and closed her eyes.

Within Scott's tent he and Venus were sitting Indian style on their sleeping bags. Scott was inspecting a camera while Venus sat and looked on. He pointed it at her and pressed the button. The camera clicked softly. There wasn't any film in it, he was just checking the focus.

"I'm sorry if I sounded rude back in the cave," she sighed. "When I saw that place it brought back some terrible memories."

Scott smiled and put the camera into a leather carrying case "I understand, Venus, you have nothing to be sorry about. We should get some sleep before tonight."

With that he yawned and slid into his sleeping bag. Venus looked down at him and wanted to say something, but could not. She felt bad about speaking out. It was more than a week ago when the professor freed her from her magical sleep. In those first few hours he had fallen in love with her and she did not refuse.

Perhaps it was because she wanted somebody to pity her, but deep in her heart she only wanted somebody who cared for her. Scott had done that, and given her so much more. She stifled a soft cry and felt a tear roll down her cheek.

Swallowing hard, she leaned forward and touched the side of his face with her talon. He was fast asleep already, his slow breathing told her that. She tried to speak again but found herself pulling her hand away.

"I'm so very sorry, dearest Scott," she whispered into his ear. "You gave me so much and I have done little to thank you."

With the utmost care she kissed him, ever so softly on the lips. To her surprise she felt a hand on her upper arm. She inhaled suddenly and noticed that he was no longer sleeping. He gazed into her eyes and smiled.

"I have no need of payment, my love," he said. "Your kind words have said what I've known all along."

She sighed and kissed him again, this time harder. "I want to repay you somehow. Did you know that I never mated before?"

Scott didn't seem to know how to respond and cleared his throat, looking embarrassed. "Er, uh, that is... Why tell me that?"

"Because," she purred, running her talons through his brown hair. "You've given me so much happiness I want to return the favor." Her tail swayed provocatively, like a cat who had sighted something to play with.

Kissing him again she began unfastening the buttons to her shirt until her front was exposed just enough to make him stare. He was about to object when she kissed him again and pressed her chest to his. With shaking hands he slid them under her arms and held her tight, as she enveloped him in her wings.

* * *

When she finally woke up she could feel her naked body cuddled next to the professor's. She looked down at his face, brushed a lock of hair from his brow and smiled. Even here, in her ancestral homeland, so close to past memories she did not stop loving him. What they had done a few short hours ago would remain with her the rest of her days.

So as not to disturb his sleep she slid from the sleeping bag and grabbed a short white cotton dress that he had bought her. Sliding the smooth fabric over her shoulders she tied it shut with a strip of cloth around her waist. She glanced outside the tent to see if Elisa was up, but she saw nothing moving.

Yawning away the sleepiness she went to the large tent where the other gargoyles were. After stepping inside she stood before Goliath and touched his frozen face.

"I can understand why you like that human female of yours, Brother," she whispered as if he could hear her. "I never dreamed humans could be so wonderful and caring. I wonder, have you done with your human what I've done with mine?" She flashed her fangs in a knowing grin.

Smiling, she went to the back of the tent where the supplies were stored and searched for something to eat. There was a variety of things to eat, but most of it was canned and needed to be cooked; it was something she did not know how to do. Off to one side she spotted a box of Rice Krispies so she grabbed it.

"Milk," she said to herself. "And some utensils."

After some more searching she found a sealed package of disposable bowls and assorted utensils. She figured Scott and Elisa might want some when they woke up so she took the entire bundle.

Anything that needed to be kept cold was kept in a large refrigeration unit in the back of the truck. She set the items on a table that the professor had set up shortly after they had gotten here and went to the truck. She couldn't resist pausing for a moment to tilt back her head and sigh in the warmth of the

sun. She still wasn't used to the wonderful blaze above her. After all those years of wondering what it looked like... Goliath didn't know what he was missing.

There was milk, and a big supply of assorted juices and other items. She took the container of milk and sat down at the table and began eating.

She had just started on her second bowl when she heard footsteps from behind. Turning she noticed Elisa Maza approaching the table.

"Hello," Elisa yawned as she seated herself opposite of Venus. "Sleep well?"

Venus swallowed the mouthful she had and tilted her head. "Pretty well, I suppose. Why do you ask?" Did she know? How loud had they been?

"No reason," she smiled back. "Just trying to be neighborly."

"I am unfamiliar with that word," Venus answered. "Does it mean you wish to be friends with me?"

This time it was Elisa who was puzzled. "Did you think we weren't friends? Of course I consider you a friend, you've done nothing wrong."

Venus smiled and pointed to the cereal. "Hungry?"

Elisa snickered and poured herself a bowl of cereal for herself. "I've always liked Rice Krispies ever since I was little. But you forgot the juice, it's not cereal without it. Want some?"

"Yes, please," Venus replied as Elisa headed for the truck. "Cranberry juice for me."

The detective nodded and vanished into the back of the truck. She returned a few moments later carrying two bottles of juice. Venus thanked her again and opened her bottle of Welch's Cranberry juice; it was her favorite. Elisa drank her own juice, orange pineapple, and began to eat her cereal when Venus asked her an unusual question.

"What's my brother like?"

Elisa needed to repeat the question to herself since she didn't realize what the question was about.

"Goliath?" she replied. "Well, he's a brave leader and will seem to do almost anything to protect his clan. We're good friends and spend a lot of time together fighting crime in the city. Why do you ask?"

Venus drank some of her juice and sighed. "Back at Castle Wyvern we never really got to know each other. Even as hatchlings we never did play together, and we seemed to go our separate ways. What you call a 'nuclear family' is not exactly the gargoyle way of life."

"I never had that problem with my brother," Elisa replied, finishing her cereal. "My sister, on the other hand, is another story. She's never home because she's in school off in another state. I really don't know what else to tell you, Venus."

Venus smiled as she downed the last of her cereal. "May I ask another question of you?"

"You can call me Elisa, we're friends," Elisa answered. "Ask away."

Elisa noticed that Venus seemed hesitant about asking whatever question she wanted answered. Venus closed her eyes and sighed.

"Do you know of his first love?" she whispered. "His second in command. I did not see her at the clock tower, nor did my brother mention her."

It took a few moments before she could answer. It was not the type of question she would have expected from her.

"Unfortunately I do," Elisa replied, sounding upset. "She's here too, although neither I nor the other gargoyles like her. She's called Demona, and is border line insane with trying to destroy the human race.

"On more than one occasion did she come close to killing either me, or one of the other gargoyles," she continued. "She no longer loves him, and in fact she is determined to make him pay for something that wasn't even his fault."

Venus gasped and covered her mouth in surprise. "Oh, my. I never really got to know her and I don't think I want to know."

"Good choice," Elisa replied. "She seems to be a very powerful sorceress. Madness and magic powers are a deadly combination."

"A sorceress," Venus grumbled. "I'd like to see that."

Elisa pushed her bowl away and tried to make out what Venus had just said. "What did you say, Venus? I didn't quite hear you."

"Nothing," she answered politely. "How long until the sun goes down?"

The detective checked her watch. "We have a long way to go, about seven hours."

"I wish I was human so we could go into town and look around," Venus commented. "It's very boring sitting around doing nothing."

"Well, well," came a familiar voice from Scott's tent. "Female bonding, I see."

Both Venus and Elisa turned to see the professor emerge from the tent. He had changed into something most unusual. His once blue jeans were replaced by worn cotton pants and a shirt that looked like it hasn't been washed in months. The outfit was surpassed only by an old leather jacket and beat up Aussie Outback hat. That, and him not shaving in a few days made Elisa almost crack up laughing.

When he adjusted him coat she saw a leather whip hanging from his belt and she could no longer help herself.

"Indiana Mercure!" she said, laughing.

Scott smiled and began laughing himself. "What's so funny? He's one of the main reasons I got interested in archeology."

"Indiana Mercure?" Venus asked when they had calmed down. "What is she talking about, my love?"

"It's a character in a movie who does what I do," Scott answered. "An archeologist nicknamed Indiana Jones went around the world in search of treasure and adventure. Although what I do is not as dangerous."

Venus smiled. "I must watch this Indiana Jones you speak of. Perhaps I should try and learn archeology so I can help you with your work "

Scott stepped over and kissed her cheek. "I'm sure you'll make a great archeologist." A statue digging for statues, he mused.

"By the way you're dressed, I assume you're going back into the cave?" Elisa commented as she began cleaning the table.

"Just to set up the lighting and examine those carvings some more," he answered. "Are the two of you available to help?"

Elisa shrugged her shoulders and threw the refuse in a can near the storage tent. "Sure, sounds like fun to me."

Venus smiled and said she'd do anything he wanted her to do. Elisa almost chuckled out loud at Venus's comment but managed to fake a cough instead. The professor nodded approvingly and said the lighting equipment was in the storage tent. They carried several boxes marked "Halogen Lighting," and put them into the back of the truck.

It didn't take very long for the truck to pull up in front of the cavern opening. While Venus helped Elisa unload the truck, the professor inspected the cavern. He was making sure the area would be safe to run electrical equipment; moisture would cause problems.

Everything seemed fine, there was a little water here and there, but nothing serious.

The professor indicated where to place each stand by drawing a chalk "X" on the ground. While Elisa and Venus arranged the lights Scott ran a long cord from the generator into the cave. As each light was set he plugged the end into the base and switched it on.

Soon the entire length of the tunnel was illuminated; from the opening to the archway leading into the Archmage's lair. The place looked less menacing with the lights to guide their way. Venus went back to the truck and got them some juice to drink, including herself. There were several grinders already made as well, so she took three of those as well.

When she returned to the tunnel Scott was already examining the carved archway. Elisa stood a few feet away, staring at the strange carvings. Every so often she'd ask him what a particular picture meant and he'd answer as best he could.

"Detective, could I ask a favor of you?" the professor asked.

Elisa smiled. "Sure. What is it?"

"I need some pictures taken of these markings," he replied, grabbing the camera at his side. "For scale I'm going to stand in the center of the archway. Try to get as much of the archway as you can in picture."

She nodded and took the camera from him. Venus watched in puzzlement as her human love stood in the archway. Elisa pointed the camera at him and said something about him needing to say cheese. When she took the picture the camera flashed, causing Venus to drop what she was carrying.

"That camera thing is very strange," Venus commented as she began picking up the bottles and grinders. "It looked like she cast a spell of blinding."

The professor looked at her for a moment. "What did you say, Venus? I didn't hear you."

Venus realized what she said and replied that it was nothing. She didn't want to tell him yet that she was a not exactly an average gargoyle... But then again, to humans there *were* no 'average' gargoyles. She did not want to say anything that would possibly cause him not to love her. At some point she would need to tell him, but for now all she wanted was his love. When he was ready to hear it...

Scott stretched and noticed the items that Venus was holding. "Ah, my dearest love is thinking of my stomach. Thank you."

She smiled as the professor took a bottle and grinder from her. Elisa looked at the selection for a second before taking her choices. She shot a bemused glance at the two lovebirds. They were laying the romance on kind of thick. Ah, young love, mused Elisa to herself. It can seem so melodramatic when others are doing it, but when it's you... She sighed and tried to stop thinking of Goliath, at least for a little while.

Venus was left with a bottle of grape juice and an Italian grinder. They sat in a small circle a short distance away from the archway and started eating.

Between bites Elisa would look at Scott, then at Venus and wonder what it would be like. Here was a seemingly nice guy who was in love with a female gargoyle. Elisa admired how it seemed so easy for them to express their love. With her and Goliath it seemed like a wall that could not be broken.

Sure, they'd shared a few romantic times together, but they never seemed to last. That time in the clock tower, then at the Liberty torch; they seemed so close. She wanted to say that she was in love with him but her mind said it wasn't right.

So here she was, in Scotland with a rich archeologist who'd fallen for a gargoyle. She was surrounded by friends, but as usual love was nowhere to be found, at least with her.

"This time is filled with many wonderful things," Venus said in between bites. "Scott has been showing me all sorts of things he owns."

Apparently her comments were aimed at Elisa directly. At least that's what Elisa could figure.

"It's a lot different than Tenth Century Scotland," Elisa answered.

The professor put his grinder down and picked up his juice bottle. "Detective, just how did you come to know the gargoyles? If you don't mind me asking, that is?"

Elisa shook her head and smiled. "That's a long story. But I guess it's better than just sitting here. Well, back in 1994 I was called to the Eyrie Building, which we all know belongs to Xanatos.

"There was something going on at the top floor. It was quite violent, in fact it was so bad that huge chunks of stone were falling to the street.

"I wanted to know what was going on so I took it upon myself to enter the building..."

* * *

Goliath and the others broke away from their stone sleep, as they always did at sundown. Tiny pieces of granite went sailing in all directions as they yawned and stretched.

Hudson looked around and noticed that they were the only ones present. "Where are the others?"

"Dunno," Lex replied, scratching his arm. "Maybe they're having dinner."

"Dinner?" Broadway replied, looking alarmed. "What are we waiting for?"

One by one they exited the tent to see Elisa and the others standing next to a fire. There were some electric lights set up around the area for illumination. There was a portable stove next to a table where something was boiling.

Lexington noticed what the professor was wearing and began humming the theme song to Indiana Jones. Brooklyn and Broadway noticed it too and started laughing.

Scott heard them and smiled. "Well, at least I know I got the outfit right."

Venus saw Goliath and smiled. "Sleep well?"

Goliath looked at her and tilted his head. "We have little choice. Has anything happened as of yet?"

"We set up the lights in the cave," Scott replied as he moved over to the portable stove. "I also took the time to make some stew for you guys."

"Hey, thanks!" Broadway replied as he looked at what was in the kettle. "Ah, beef stew, my favorite." This American meat they'd brought along was much better than what they used to eat in Scotland.

Brooklyn crossed his arms and grunted. "Have you found anything yet you don't like?"

Broadway tasted the stew and shook his head. "Not yet."

Scott stepped away from the stove and removed a small notebook from his pocket. "I found a lot of interesting runes on the cavern walls. Do you know anything else about this Archmage, Goliath?"

"Nothing more than I already told you," he replied, turning to Hudson. "What about you, old friend?"

Hudson shook his head. "Nay, I don't care to know any more than I already do."

"Most of the pictures told stories about battles," Scott said as he fingered through his notebook. "Carvings of humans, gargoyles, and some other strange, almost insect-like spiny apes..."

"The Dark Ones," muttered Goliath vehemently.

"The *what*?" said Scott with a raised eyebrow.

Venus sighed. "Horrible creatures. Monstrous. The closest name you humans have for their kind would be 'trolls,' but that certainly doesn't do them justice. They are... hideous!" Venus shuddered, grimacing. "Long ago a group of them attacked Castle Wyvern. We fought bravely, but many were lost, human and gargoyle alike. We almost lost the Rookery, save for the heroic efforts of the Onlooker."

Scott looked at her questioningly. "Who?"

"An old friend," sighed Hudson. "One who is long since dead. Shattered by Vikings."

There was an odd silence, and then Scott cleared his throat. "Well, aside from that I couldn't find anything about Venus and her clan."

Venus, hearing this, stepped up behind Scott and wrapped her arms around him. Goliath noticed a look of sadness on her face and shook his head.

"Did you enter the Archmage's lair itself?" Goliath asked.

Scott shook his head. "We wanted to wait until you and the others woke up before entering.

"You know more about the layout than anybody else. I understand you tracked the Archmage here back in the Tenth Century?"

Goliath folded his wings over his shoulders and stared off into the sky. "When Hudson, Demona and myself pursued the Archmage we only wanted to get the Grimorum.

"I had no intentions of killing the Archmage, but we needed the book to save the prince. We did not enter the temple itself, he met us at the ravine."

"A temple with a large ravine," Scott said to himself. "I couldn't see much past the archway. We'll have to take some portable flood lights."

Hudson shrugged and sat down at the table as Broadway placed the large pot in the center. Everybody sat down and helped themselves to the stew.

They talked for a short time, mostly concerning the Professor and Venus. Goliath would often look at them, sitting close to one another, and wonder. It seemed so easy for his sister to love the human. He really did love Elisa, but he knew enough not to say anything. He felt the time was not yet right for them to express their true feelings.

"Well," Scott said, wiping his mouth. "Unless anybody wishes to remain here, I vote we begin exploring."

Venus reached over and gripped his hand. "Do you really think the others are still in there?"

Scott shrugged his shoulders. "Well, we're not even sure they're in there at all. Don't forget that just because you were turned to stone doesn't mean that the rest of them were."

"But what about that inscription you found on the pedestal?" Elisa asked, out of the blue.

The professor stood up and brushed some invisible dust from his coat. "The inscription told of a sleeping army, that's true, but a lot could have happened in a thousand years."

Venus bowed her head and sighed. "I know, but somehow I know they're in there."

"Well, we'll never know unless we get started," Scott stated as he adjusted his whip.

Everybody nodded and followed Scott to the cave entrance. He handed out some portable flood lights and led everyone to the archway.

As they walked Goliath and Hudson kept looking at the walls and the writing that covered them. The others could tell that Goliath and Hudson did not enjoy being here.

Everybody jumped when Scott and Venus turned on their powerful lights. The white beams cut though the darkness with ease to display a damp, filthy floor. High above they could the soft chattering of bats.

Goliath moved past everybody and panned his light around until it found the edge of the ravine. Everyone approached and gazed down into its dark depths. The lights were powerful, but even they could not touch the bottom.

"Thanks for the information, Goliath," Scott breathed. "This would have been a very dangerous thing to encounter."

Venus turned away and seemed ashamed of something. When Scott asked her what it was she replied that she had forgotten about the crevice. The professor said she didn't need to be ashamed, her mind was no doubt on other things. She looked at him and smiled, but she still felt bed about forgetting. Scott placed a loving hand on her shoulder and said that they would need to get across. Her tail coiled lightly about his leg and she leaned on him, purring softly. He smiled at this unexpected display of affection.

Brooklyn immediately suggested they could fly their human companions across. Goliath nodded his head at the suggestion and said that he would carry Elisa. Venus said she'd carry Scott and within five minutes they were standing on the opposite side.

Brooklyn and Lex peered over the edge and whistled their amazement.

"I wonder if the Archmage's body is still down there," Lex found himself asking.

"Why don't you fly down and look?" Brooklyn replied. "I'm sure an old human skeleton would make for an interesting find."

Lex stuck out his tongue and shook his head. "No thanks. I'd sooner tangle with the Steel Clan first!"

"This from the guy who thought the XCG were Vikings."

Goliath cleared his throat and told them to stay with the rest of the group. They nodded their heads and rejoined the others.

The dim light from the entrance to the tunnel could be seen quite clearly. Goliath looked at the lit opening for a moment, then towards where he knew the temple was. He held his light up and pointed it into the darkness. It's beam fell upon a wide, flat wall adorned with symbols. The others pointed their lights in the same direction and gaped at the huge structure.

It was carved right into the wall, with huge stone pillars that seemed to serve no purpose. The professor was very impressed with the workmanship. He wanted to examine the symbols, mostly because they seemed different, but a nudge from Venus suggested otherwise.

"I never thought I'd see this place again," Venus sighed, looking at her human love. "If they're still... here, then they'll be somewhere within."

Scott nodded and began walking towards the entrance. Goliath walked a few feet behind them. Elisa noticed that he was looking around carefully, as if expecting something to happen.

Everybody became very cautious when they started walking up the stone steps. Scott panned his light around to reveal a long hallway with an arched door at the far end. More symbols adorned the walls as they continued forward.

Venus felt something cold begin to surround her body and she gripped Scott tightly.

"What's wrong?" he asked, noticing the increased pressure on his arm.

She shook her head. "I'm not sure, I suddenly felt cold. There are a lot of bad memories in here. I feel that there's something very powerful somewhere ahead."

"How do you know that?" Elisa asked.

Venus hung her head and released her hold on Scott. "I sense it because I'm a sorceress."

"A sorceress?" Scott asked, quite puzzled. "You never told me you were a sorceress."

"I'm sorry," she breathed. "I didn't tell you because I thought you'd stop loving me."

Scott stepped up to her placed his hand under her chin. She let her face be lifted to his level to find him smiling.

"I love you, my dearest Venus," he said softly. "Nothing will ever change that, and don't you forget it."

She seemed to want to say something but leaned forward and kissed him instead. The others noticed it and respectfully looked away, except Goliath and Elisa. Elisa thought Goliath was going to say something but he smiled instead.

He looked at Elisa and pointed towards Venus. "Love comes in all shapes and forms. Perhaps our two races are more alike than we thought."

Elisa smiled and nodded her head. That was something she'd been waiting for Goliath to say. She was amazed that he even said something about their two races. It was the first time since she agreed to come on this trip that she felt really good.

Scott hugged Venus and said that they should continue on. She hesitated for a moment and nodded.

Venus held onto Scott's arm again as they passed through the arched doorway into a vaulted room. Seconds after they passed under the arch the room began to glow, softly at first. They noticed several rune symbols begin glowing on the walls.

Goliath and the other gargoyles growled softly and began to take defensive positions. Venus looked at the symbols and patted her human love on the arm.

"Do not worry about those," she replied. "They're supposed to do that when somebody enters. It served as a warning to the Archmage that somebody was coming."

As the symbols grew in light, so did the features of the room they were in. The room looked like an overturned cup; wide at the floor and arching upward into a rounded ceiling. To their shock there was a stone gargoyle suspended by some invisible means.

"Is that one of your clan, Venus?" Scott asked.

She shook her head sadly. "No. That's just an ordinary gargoyle statue, it's not alive. At least I never saw it come to life. I sense nothing from it."

Venus rubbed her chin and tried to think. She remembered hearing the Archmage saying something about it once before. He had said that the statue was special, but he never said why. She told the others this and apologized for not knowing any more about the statue.

"That's okay," Scott said, smiling. "Perhaps when we're finished I'll take it from here and add it to my collection. That is if you others don't mind?"

Goliath stared at the statue for a second and frowned. "If it were one of us I would not allow it. But this is your dig, so you are entitled to whatever you find."

The professor looked at the statue himself and started to wonder how he would get it down. He could not see any visible signs of support. If he needed help he hoped the gargoyles would aid him; their strength and agility could come in handy.

Hudson looked at the statue and felt like he had seen it someplace before. The castle did have some normal statues; perhaps that's where he'd seen it. He shrugged his shoulders and continued to follow the others.

There was another arched doorway on the far side of the room that was also lit. They turned their own lights off and proceeded down the other tunnel. Scott was still amazed at the glowing symbols. He had seen thousands of symbols and all forms of picture writing, but they could not begin to compare with these.

This hallway was not as long as the last one and ended in another large room. Unlike the last one there was a large glowing sphere near the ceiling. It was casting a cone of soft bluish light to the floor. Within the cone of light were seven gargoyles frozen in stone slumber.

Venus's eyes grew wide as a huge smile crossed her face. She threw her arms around the professor and began crying with joy.

"They're here!" she breathed. "I don't believe it, they're still here!"

"Come," Goliath said as he hurried towards the statues. "We must find a way to free them."

Venus pulled away from Scott and whipped around, a look of terror on her face. "Goliath... NO! Don't touch the light!"

Her warning was not quick enough. No sooner did Goliath touch the light when his body was riddled with white crackling energy. He bellowed in pain and was thrown back towards the others.

Elisa gasped and rushed to his side, as did everybody else. Goliath was lying there unconscious and his breathing was slow and irregular.

Scott pushed his way past the group and began to examine Goliath's body. He could not find any visible burn marks from the electrical charge, but it had no doubt been very painful.

"Is he going to be alright, lad?" Hudson asked, nervously.

"I think so," the professor replied, feeling Goliath's pulse. "The shock just seems to have rendered him out cold."

Venus hung her head and start to cry. "It's all my fault. I should have said something sooner, but I was so happy that..."

"It's not your fault, Venus," Elisa said softly. "Look, he's starting to come around."

Goliath shook his head and growled at the headache that was forming in his head. "What happened?"

"You got a powerful shock when you touched that blue light." Lex explained. "Some kind of defense field, I suppose."

"How are we going to get past it?" Hudson asked.

Venus stroked Goliath's hair and got to her feet. "I should be able to negate it."

She approached the blue field of light and spread her arms wide. Inhaling a deep breath he began enchanting in Latin, as she did a while field began to form around her body. The professor stared at her in wonder.

As she spoke the sphere above the statues began to spin slowly. Its blue glow began to dim softly causing the field to falter and finally vanish. Venus set her arms down and seemed a little exhausted.

Broadway and Lex helped Goliath to his feet. He looked at Venus and felt a little strange hearing her enchant like that. The professor approacher her and with a little hesitation put a hand on her shoulder. A little spark of static electricity from her skin made him jump sheepishly. She was radiating power... and truth be told, he found it very attractive.

"I never believed in magic before," he chuckled. "But after seeing that you've changed my way of thinking."

Venus smiled and slowly stepped to the first statue. It was a burly male standing about six feet. His facial features were similar to Brooklyn's, but he lacked his beak. He had a look of anger on his face, as if his sleep was unwanted.

"His name is Blackwing, I suppose he was our leader," Venus answered before they could ask. "The Archmage gave us all names, because he was sick of referring to us as 'beast.'" She sneered at the memory.

Goliath stepped past him and looked at the others. There were four other males and three females present. All varied is size and appearance, but they were gargoyles.

Venus looked around and immediately walked up to one of the females. She remembered this particular female, they were good friends back at Wyvern Castle. If her memory served she had long black hair, dark blue skin and liked to talk a lot.

The male next to her was her mate, or at least that's what it seemed to Venus. He had been green in color, much like her own mate was, with long white hair. He was not as talkative as his mate but he was a good gargoyle to be around.

These were the two she remembered most, because they had been friends since they were hatchlings. The others she knew because they all followed the Archmage. Aside from that she never really associated with them.

Venus stepped away and began looking over the others, then at the glowing sphere above. Brooklyn approached the female Venus had been looking at and smiled.

"She's nice looking," he commented, rubbing his chin. "I wonder if she has a boyfriend?"

Lex looked at him and giggled, as did Broadway. He glared at them and said to mind their own business.

Hudson stepped up and looked at the entire group. "So now what do we do, lads?"

"Awaken them," Goliath replied, crossing his arms.

"That's all well and good," Scott said, taking his eyes off one of the statues. "But how do we do that? I'm not even sure how Venus was brought back."

"I can awaken them," Venus sighed, still staring at the glowing sphere. "I know his particular spell. The Archmage toyed with this a lot and I studied it."

Everybody looked at her in utter fascination, especially Scott. He was going to say something when she asked everybody to stand out of the way. Venus was revealing that she was much more than a novice at the arcane arts.

"When you told me what the writing on my pedestal said I knew what had to be done," she replied as they moved away.

They hesitated for a moment before standing in front of the opening. Venus stood directly under the sphere and began concentrating. She spoke in Latin as if it was her native language.

"Ex supera alta, ex corde ignoto," Venus began, her voice sounding like a musical score. "Lucern lunae impero ut eluceat."

The sphere above her began glow a dull white as she continued her casting. "Lucern vitae in lapides dormientes infunde. Esomno excitate, o milites noctis."

They needed to shield their eyes against the sudden flash of white light from above. "Rursus consurgite!"

From all around came the soft, dull sounds of cracking granite skin. Goliath and the others knew what was going on, but all they could do was wait.

From somewhere behind they heard a strange voice. Goliath turned and saw somebody coming down the hallway.

"NO!" came a strangely familiar voice. "Don't awaken the Lost Clan!"

As the shadow came closer Goliath saw that it was floating a few feet off the floor.

"Puck!" Goliath growled as the Child of Oberon came into full view.

Robin Goodfellow stopped before the group and looked at the shimmering light. From the look on his face he was not very happy about something.

"You fools!" he spat. "Stop her! Don't let her finish the spell!"

Goliath looked at Puck and tried to grab him as he flew by but all he got was empty air. There was a strange explosion of light that sent Puck tumbling back. From within the room was a low growl and shattering stone.

"This is not good," Puck commented, then turned towards Goliath. "You have no idea what she's done."

"This does not concern you, Puck," Goliath said.

Puck frowned and took another look into the room. The light was dying down and there was movement from within. Where there had once been statues were living gargoyles. Venus was still standing in the center, looking quite tired.

"It may not concern me, my large friend," Puck replied. "But your future is in jeopardy. I'll be around."

In that instant Puck faded into nonexistence. Goliath and the others paused for a moment before turning their attention on the new gargoyles.

Scott dashed past the former statues and helped Venus steady herself. The gargoyle known as Blackwing looked around and seemed disoriented. They could see why he was called Blackwing. His wings were almost pitch black, with ebony hair dark blue skin.

"Where..." he groaned. "Where am I?"

Venus answered before anybody else could reply. "Rest easy, my comrade. We've awakened you from a thousand year sleep."

Blackwing shook his head and looked at her. "That is not possible, rookery sister. The Archmage cast the spell only last evening."

Goliath stepped up to Blackwing and smiled. "You must trust her, my friend. She speaks the truth."

Blackwing looked at Goliath and smiled. "I've seen you before in the castle," he looked at the others and smiled when his eyes fell upon Hudson. "You're here too!"

"Aye, lad. Tis' good to see ye all again," Hudson said politely. "But what she says is the truth. It's the year nineteen ninety six." Hudson decided to let that sink in before he told the lad about the Viking's slaughter...

He didn't seem to believe him, but instead looked at his clan. They nodded and stepped forward so that they were standing side by side.

The first gargoyle in line was a brown haired, tan skinned male. He was smaller than the average gargoyle about 5'3, with a pointed beak. He introduced himself as Ravage.

A blonde haired, blue skinned female next to him smiled and introduced herself as Krysta. She looked similar to Demona but not as muscular.

The third was another male. Standing almost as tall as Goliath he looked slightly nervous. His main features were that he was bald with a reddish skin coloring. He did not speak, but instead looked to Blackwing for help. Their leader grumbled the name Zornan.

Another female introduced herself as Cassy. She looked quite lovely for such a young female, with black hair and deep blue shaded skin. Her best feature was her pretty face and sweet voice. Of all the females she looked as if she could be Demona's younger sister, save for the black hair. Venus smiled at seeing her old friend alive and breathing again.

The male standing next to her said his name was Eric. He seemed about the same age as Cassy with long white hair. Standing around six feet tall he was an impressive gargoyle to behold. His strangest feature was his deep blue eyes, like a river. Every so often he'd look at Cassy and smile. She, in turn, would smile back.

The last gargoyle in line was an older female named Star. Aside from Blackwing she seemed the oldest of the bunch. Dark graying hair and olive colored skin were her strongest features. She glared at the newcomers with an expression far colder than the stone she had just escaped from.

When their introductions were over Goliath was about to introduce his own clan when something odd happened.

Blackwing sighed and looked at the two humans that were present. They all wondered why he hadn't noticed them before. His facial expression told them that he was by no means happy to see them.

"What are humans doing in here?" he growled, his eyes glowing a faint white. "Their kind is not fit to associate with us!"

Venus broke away from Scott and crossed her arms. "Things have changed, Blackwing. Those you see here have chosen to live with humans," she stopped for a second before continuing. "I myself have fallen in love with one."

For some reason Goliath felt as if something strange was about to happen. The gargoyles that had been frozen in stone with Blackwing were moving into a tight group, talons extended.

Goliath was about to say something when Blackwing chuckled softly.

It happened so fast that nobody was able to react. With one quick incantation Blackwing had altered the entire area they were standing in. Instead of a round room, they were now standing in the center of a huge cavern.

The only thing that was still present was the sphere overhead. Only now it was much smaller and seemed to be in Blackwing's control.

"This stupid deception has gone on long enough!" he spat angrily at the stunned group. "Those who follow me step forward, those who challenge me... prepare to meet your fates!"

Venus had a look of utter shock on her face. "What are you doing? NO!"

Blackwing's group stood away from the others and glared at them. Only two of the seven seemed to hesitate before joining the evil group; Venus' friends, Cassy and Eric.

Goliath and his clan took defensive positions and demanded to know what was going on.

"You're all fools!" Blackwing spat, looking angrily at Venus. "After a thousand years I've had time to plan my revenge."

Hudson drew his sword and growled. "You were under a stone sleeping spell, how could ye plan yer revenge?"

"That much is true, but my spell was a combination punishment and torture," he explained. "The Archmage was a little angry when I tried to take over his position.

"He cast us all into a stone spell as punishment. But because I was the leader mine was the most severe."

Blackwing made a fist and shook it at them. "You haven't seen hell as I've seen it. Imagine being frozen in an sleepless state where upon you don't age, but see time progress.

"That's truly what hell is like!"

The others gasped in amazement at what Blackwing must have experienced. Alone in a darkened room, unable to do anything but wait for time to progress. Goliath now understood why he was ting like this, but he was not going to accept it.

"You're free now!" Goliath bellowed. "Why take your mistake out on everybody else? We can both live in his new age, there's no need for senseless battles."

Blackwing clapped his hands in air creating a deafening sound that echoed throughout the chamber. Everybody needed to cover their ears in pain.

"It's too late for that!" he hissed between clenched teeth. "I will enjoy watching you all die!"

Elisa stepped up to Goliath and went for a gun that wasn't there. She gaped in wonder at the empty holster and mumbled a curse under her breath.

"Looking for this pitiful thing?" Blackwing asked, holding up her pistol. "Such an odd weapon, but it will serve you no good."

With a simple squeeze of his hand the weapon was turned into a metal softball.

"So, you're a wizard too," Venus growled as she stood next to Scott. Eyes flared red and her wings spread out to her sides. The instinctual gargoyle need to protect surged through her slight frame. "Come on!"

Venus pushed her human love away, saying she was sorry but she had to do something. He shook his head and said to stay back and let the others handle him.

"NO!" Goliath roared, charging Blackwing.

The dark gargoyle smiled and waved his hand at Goliath. An instant later a bluish wall was erected before him, similar to the previous cone of light. This time Goliath managed to stop before striking it.

He roared his anger and stepped back to see just where the wall was. To his misfortune it was centered around Blackwing and his group. But what was worse was that Venus and the professor were on the inside with them.

The others growled and paced around the shield, spitting curses at the cowards within. Blackwing could only look at them and start laughing.

Venus gritted her teeth and let loose with a quick flurry of incantations. A flash of white appeared from her outstretched hands heading directly for Blackwing. A second before it struck him he ducked. Unfortunately Zoran was directly behind him.

The flash of light struck him squarely in the chest. He screamed in amazement as his body was completely covered in thick ice. Blackwing looked at his frozen comrade and laughed softly.

"You have gotten powerful, little one," he complimented. "But this battle is between us alone!"

With a wave of his hand the others vanished in a flash of blue light. A moment later they reappeared outside the protective field of energy. Goliath and his clan looked at them and attacked without asking questions. "The Archmage taught me much, and magic in the hands of a gargoyle is far superior to a human's pitiful spells."

When the light around him diminished Scott found himself outside the blue field. Several yards away Goliath and the others were fighting with Blackwing's clan. After a quick look he noticed that Cassy and Eric were not fighting. If he wasn't mistaken they looked scared of the battle before them.

A high pitched scream brought his attention back to Venus and Blackwing. Venus was clutching at her left shoulder in pain as a steady trickle of blood flowed from her upper arm. Blackwing grinned wickedly and lunged at her viciously.

Venus was not prepared for the sudden attack and grunted as she was thrown into the field. She screamed in pain as her full body came into contact with it. Her body convulsed with jagged electric bolts of energy, her wings creating a devilishly large surface area for the electrons to leap over.

"Venus!" Scott bellowed as she crumbled to the ground.

Gritting his teeth he happened to look up at the sphere above them. To his amazement it was not contained within the field but hovered a foot above it. Each time Blackwing would cast a spell it would diminished slightly.

"That's the source of his powers!" he said to himself. "It has to be! I've got to do something about it."

Looking at his side he noticed his leather whip attached to his belt. He undid the tie and snapped it to life. It cracked like a vicious snake striking it's target. Looking at the sphere again he knew it was far too high for him to reach; he needed help.

He looked at the other Gargoyles but they were in combat with Blackwing's clan. The only two that were not doing anything were Cassy and Eric. Scott looked at them, then at the sphere.

Eric looked away for a second and said something to Cassy. She kissed his cheek and nodded her head. Eric looked around for a second before approaching Scott.

"What will you have me do?" he asked. His soft voice gave away his young age.

"I need to get to that sphere," Scott said softly. "If I can somehow destroy it, Blackwing will be powerless."

The gargoyle nodded and pointed to the rocky wall a short distance away. Eric was a little larger than Scott so it wasn't too much trouble for him to carry the human. With one arm wrapped around Eric's neck they ascended the wall. Each time the gargoyle would sink his talons into the rock it would make a dull crunch.

"I'm going to jump and try to glide," Eric said as he stopped a few feet from the ceiling.

Scott nodded and gasped as the gargoyle leapt from the wall into empty air. Eric made a wide circle and began to glide towards the sphere. Scott gripped his whip and lashed out at it as they passed by. It barley struck the sphere's side, sending tiny cracks of electricity up the length of his whip.

Scott felt a momentary tingle in his hand and arm as the energy hit him. He told Eric to take another pass but to fly closer this time. Eric nodded and made another wide circle.

This time when Scott lashed out with the whip it struck the sphere dead center. There was a loud crack, a bright light and then a small explosion. Without warning both Scott and Eric felt a huge surge of electricity engulf them.

They screamed in pain and went plummeting into the ground. Eric was forced to let the professor go as he struck. To Scott it felt like running into a solid wall. A moment later there was a sharp pain in his chest followed by darkness.

The sudden explosion sent everybody sprawling away from where the sphere was. There was an eerie silence before the bright light faded. When it did they all found themselves in the room where they had first found Blackwing and the others.

Goliath shook the dizziness from his head and clutched at a deep gash in his side. He could feel the blood flowing from the wound but he did not concern himself with it.

Blackwing's entire clan was lying about the floor in various areas, all out cold. Hudson backed away from the gargoyle he had been fighting and growled, a thin line of blood flowing from his forehead.

The trio didn't seem to by too badly hurt, only a few minor cuts and bruises. Unlike Goliath they looked bewildered.

Everybody felt drained and found that they could do little except maintain their balance. Elisa, for one, found that she could not even get into a standing position. Her legs wouldn't work, no matter how much she tried.

The only two who didn't seem to be effected by the flash were Blackwing and Venus. They still stood where they had been fighting behind the energy field.

Venus backed away from Blackwing so as to get a better view of the situation. She knew she was hurt, the stinging pain in her shoulder told her that. When her eyes fell upon Blackwing he seemed very confused, as if he had lost something.

"NO!" he bellowed, his anger evident in his glowing eyes. "This isn't happening, my power is gone!" The violent rage of his millennium of madness, the same insanity which had spurned him to attack his saviors, burned through his being furiously.

Venus shook her head and noticed that Scott was sprawled out of the floor a short distance away. Cassy was kneeling next to Eric trying to rouse him from his unwanted slumber.

"Scott!" she gasped in horror.

She growled the pain away and limped towards him as fast as she could. Blackwing noticed it too and got between her and the professor. When she tried to run past he lashed out and sent her sprawling back.

He was not used to feeling this way. He found himself unable to call upon his magic.

Unsure of what had happened, the professor blinked his eyes open and rolled onto his back. It wasn't very bright anymore, the only light coming from the glowing wall symbols.

When he tried to get up he felt a sharp pain in his chest and looked to see what it was. His shirt was torn open revealing a deep gash that ran from his chest, all the way down to his side. The amount of blood that flowed from the opening was terrifying.

He somehow managed to get into a sitting position, even though it felt as if he would pass out. Venus was sprawled out at the far edge of the room. Blackwing was standing over her laughing. Nausea swept the archaeologist.

Reaching down Blackwing grabbed Venus by the neck and lifted her off the ground. She was out cold, that much Scott could tell, and was unable to fight back. The professor looked to the other gargoyles and noticed that they were in no condition to assist.

Grunting away the pain he got to his feet and hurried as best he could towards them. Blackwing had no warning that he was coming and was momentarily startled when the professor jumped onto his back.

Scott threw his arms around Blackwing's neck and squeezed as hard as he could; the gargoyle's neck felt like a tree trunk. The only thing he succeeded in doing was taking Blackwing's attention off of Venus, mainly because of his hot, slick blood running freely down the giant's back.

Blackwing let her fall back to the floor and lashed at the pesky human with his tail. Scott felt like his back and been snapped in two as the powerful limb struck him. He screamed in pain and fell from the dark gargoyle's back.

Blackwing reached down and grabbed the professor by his shirt, lifting him into the air.

"You, little human whelp!" he growled. "You're the one who destroyed my power. For that you will pay!"

Venus moaned softly as she looked up to see what was going on. Her eyes went wide as she saw Scott being held in the air my Blackwing. She slowly started to get into a standing position when Blackwing acted.

With whatever force he had in his arm he struck the professor squarely in the chest. Scott screamed in agony as his body went slamming into the far wall.

Venus shrieked as she noticed a large amount of blood splattered on the wall where Scott had hit. Deep within her she felt a growing anger unlike she had ever experienced before. Making a fist she shoved it squarely into Blackwing's lower back.

There was a sound of cracking bone and tearing flesh. Her hand passed through his back, emerging from his chest in a bloody mess of blood and gore, her claws arched and glistening with brackish bodily fluids.

Blackwing looked down in shock at the unnatural limb protruding from his abdomen. He watched as it was pulled back through, taking vital parts of his anatomy with it. Turning around he noticed a look on her face that he had never seen before, one of pure hatred.

When he tried to talk all that emerged was a gout of dark red blood. His body felt numb as he fell backwards. He didn't even realize that he was dead until his vision faded to black.

Hissing angrily she began to chant again. This time they knew which spell she was casting. Goliath and the others backed away from Blackwing's clan as they were enveloped in a blue mist.

"Dormiatis Dum Castellum, Super Nubes Ascedat!" she spat angrily. "May you all rot in hell!"

Blackwing's clan screamed and tried feebly to swipe at the magic mist around them. Goliath and the others watched in horror as their enemies growled angrily before turning into statues: It was the Magus' spell of sleep.

A second passed before another odd sound rose in the silent chamber. Nobody quite knew what it was until Blackwing's clan shuddered and blew into millions of fragments.

The only two of Blackwing's clan that were left alive were Eric and Cassy. They looked at their dead comrades and seemed to feel relieved that they were not included. Obviously they had no emotional attachments to their fallen clansmen.

It took a minute before Venus realized what she had done. Her hand and arm were drenched in blood and gore. When she saw what she did she backed away in horror and threw up what had once been her lunch.

When she had finished retching she wiped her mouth with her clean hand. Swallowing hard she limped over to where Scott was lying on the floor. He wasn't moving and a large pool of blood had formed under him.

She began to cry as she knelt down beside him. With shaking hands she gently rolled him over. His chest and face were badly gashed and broken. It wasn't hard to tell that was dead, no doubt from striking the wall.

Gathering all her fears and emotions she screamed at the top of her lungs. The commotion caught the attention of the others and they looked on in horror.

She was clutching his body close to hers and crying so hard she was not even aware of them. Goliath stepped up behind her and did his best not to show his sadness. He held back a tear and knelt besides her grief stricken sister. The body was so badly mangled that it was hanging in her arms at an odd angle, its blood smearing over her.

"Venus," he said, his voice soft and soothing. "There's nothing you can do for him now."

"Go away!" she growled softly. "Leave us alone!"

"My, my," came a familiar, playful-like voice. "It seems she fulfilled her destiny. They always do, you know. That's the great thing about fate."

Everybody, with the exception of Venus, turned to see Puck hovering over what used to be the Lost Clan. He crossed his arms and grinned stupidly.

"So much for that problem," he spoke as if nothing was wrong. "For a minute I thought they'd be the end of you all. We couldn't very well have the Archmage's disciples running amok, now could we? Not after all the trouble he's caused in the time stream... or will cause, depending on how you look at it."

"What's the meaning of this, Puck?" Goliath growled. "Destiny? You knew this was going to happen? Why didn't you warn us earlier?!"

"Tisk, tisk," Puck smiled. "Such questions deserve answering, but that is for another story. For now there are other things that need to be tended to first."

Before anybody could reply Puck snapped out of existence in a white flash. How typically Fay. Goliath shook his head and gazed down at his sister, still clutching Scott. He sighed and asked everybody to leave the room so Venus could be alone.

They seemed to understand and, one by one, left the room. Goliath and Elisa were the last ones out, they looked at the couple one last time before leaving.

"Why you?" she sobbed, caressing his face. "There was no way you could have stopped Blackwing. Why did you have to be so brave?"

Puck gazed down at Scott and Venus and seemed saddened at the sight. Nobody could have seen him, his magic took care of that. To Goliath and the others he had just winked out of existence; he preferred it that way. What he was going to do was not something he'd want them to see, and he didn't need anyone distracting him. Too much of his concentration was already taken up by masking the gargoyles' presence from the spirits of Hakon and the Captain of the Guard. The vengeance of those ghosts would have to wait for another day.

It was an odd sight, seeing a female gargoyle weeping over a human. She looked so gentle nobody would have expected that she possessed great powers. Puck knew she was stronger than the Archmage was, even stronger than Demona; which he admired a lot considering what he had done with her. Venus was a gargoyle to be feared as well as loved, the powers she had might have startled Oberon himself.

"You are very powerful, little one," he said to himself. "Search with your feeling and you shall be with him again. Try it, child, reach out with your heart and tap the magic that's within your very soul."

Venus sniffed and felt the tears rolling down her cheeks. The tiny droplets of salty water landed on Scott's face... and absorbed into his skin!

"Give him some of your life force, little one," Puck whispered into her ear. "Reach into yourself and share it, concentrate."

She was not aware that her hands were tingling until Scott's body seemed to grow lighter. Gazing down she noticed that his body emitted a soft white glow. By this time it was floating about three feet off the ground.

Backing away she gaped in wonder and shouted for Goliath. Her brother bolted into the room, along with everybody else. They saw the professors body floating and stared in wonder. When Goliath asked her what was going on she was unable to answer. Instead she crossed her hands over her chest and began chanting. Goliath knew Latin, but what Venus was speaking was alien to him.

Both Venus and Scott were now engulfed in a swirling white light. The light was crackling with magic energy. Goliath tried to approach was an invisible force repelled him.

As her voice rose in pitch so did the magical energy. The magic mist cleared slightly and they could see Venus within. She was waving her arms over Scott's body and crying. In what seemed to be mere seconds the magic light vanished, leaving only Venus and the professor.

Venus was kneeling next to Scott, just as it was before the magic began. Only this time there was no more blood and Scott's body looked to be completely untouched.

She gazed down at his face and ran her talon down his cheek to his lower jaw. Her eyes grew wide as his jaw twitched, his mouth parted slightly.

"Scott?" she whispered softly.

His eyes fluttered open as he stared into her eyes. "Did we win?"

Venus screamed with delight and dragged him to his feet. She threw her arms around him and began crying again. The others could only stand there, staring at the sight that had befallen them.

Goliath's sister had brought professor Scott back to life. They all discovered that they were either sniffing away tears, or biting their lips. She continued to hug Scott for a long time until she released him.

"I thought I'd lost you forever," she sniffed, throwing her arms around him again.

He hugged her back and ran one hand through her dark hair. "I promise never to leave you, my dearest."

Goliath and Elisa walked up to them, smiling. Scott took Venus by the hand and asked her a question that took them all by surprise.

Scott looked into her eyes and smiled. "I'm just a human, but would you be willing to marry me?"

There was a stunned moment of silence. All looked on in complete and utter shock. Venus mind seemed to flare out for a moment, and when the realization of what he said hit her she gaped at him. He was willing to marry her? Marriage was not 'the gargoyle way,' but she knew enough about it to remember that the proposal should be a special, wonderful time. She glanced down at her filthy, blood-smeared body. He loved her so much as to ask her that now? The way she looked? She felt her mouth part with a single answer. "Yes."

He smiled and kissed her gently on the cheek. Goliath stared for a second before smiling himself. He looked down at Elisa and saw that she was just as amazed as the rest of them.

Scott looked at Goliath and waited for the large gargoyle to say something. Goliath waited for a second before holding out his hand in friendship.

"Welcome to my clan, Scott."

Hudson grinned and said something about the possibilities of new gargoyles flying around the city. The others looked at him and started snickering. Venus looked at Scott for a moment, then at the others and winked.

They stopped staring and were suddenly unable to speak. The one who was stunned the most was Goliath. He looked at Venus for a moment, then at the professor then at Elisa. Shaking his head he smiled and said that life was not going to be the same after this day.

* * *

Owen stepped up to the customs agent and presented him with his passport. As before they went through his things and asked him the normal customs questions. The man behind the counter stamped his passport and handed it back.

"Are you taking anything from this province back to the United States?" he asked before Owen could leave.

He shook his head.

"How was your visit in Scotland?" The custom's agent asked.

Owen took his bag and adjusted his glasses. "It was a very magical trip."

The customs agent nodded his head and asked for the next person in line to step up. Owen walked through the airport and sat in the waiting room at his flight gate.

He was about to check his ticket when a woman approached him and held out a piece of folded paper.

"Excuse me sir, but you dropped this back there," she said in a polite fashion.

Owen took it from her hand and opened it. It was the drawing of Demona and the human that he did on the flight here. The woman looked at the drawing and smiled.

"That's an interesting picture. Are you an artist?"

"I have several arts," he said softly. "Drawing is just one of many."

The woman tilted her head in puzzlement. "If you say so. Have a nice flight."

Owen nodded his head and watched her walk away. He glanced at the picture once more and smiled.

"This is for another story."

With that he put the paper into his pocket and waited for his flight to be called. When it was he stood and followed the others who were on the same flight. The lady at the gate door checked his ticket and pointed towards the front of the jet.

* * *

EPILOGUE

"Might I say that you look smashing, sir," smiled Jacob admiringly.

Scott loosened his collar nervously, swallowing hard. "I'll tell you this right now, old friend," he said nervously. "Facing a dozen more magic-wielding gargoyles would be less nerve-racking than this morning has been." He turned to Goliath, who was standing a few feet behind him. "Do you have the ring?"

The lavender gargoyle's mouth twisted into a half-smile and he shook his head slightly. "Honestly, you humans. For the twentieth time; Yes, Scott, I have the ring." He reached down to his belt and extracted the small case the ring was in. He fidgeted slightly: Gargoyles were not used to wearing much beyond loincloths, but to please Scott they had agreed to, as he put it, 'dress up' a bit for this occasion. The specially designed tuxedos, made to fit creatures up to seven feet tall with huge wings and supple tails, had cost a fortune, and so the clan was being quite careful not to damage the unfamiliar fabric. "I have no intention of losing it. I *have* done this before, you know."

Scott raised an eyebrow. "You did? I thought gargoyles didn't have marriages."

"We don't. I was Xanatos' best man."

The professor gawked for a moment. "*Xanatos*?!"

Goliath had to grin. "Yes, well, let's just say that I hope this ceremony turns out better than the last one."

Professor Mercure shook his head as he struggled to fix his bow tie. Jacob sighed and intervened, rapidly knotting the tie with expert fingers. "Xanatos actually invited you to his wedding... Hmph. I can't imagine you enjoyed that very much."

Scott flashed a grin of his own. "I hope for Xanatos' sake that it didn't take very long."

"Oh, it spanned one thousand years or so."

"Guys, this is all really fascinating and all," put in Brooklyn. "But shouldn't we be getting a move on? The bride's not supposed to beat the groom, you know." Scott quickly shot a glance at his watch, breaking into a sweat.

"*Relax,*" smiled Lexington. "Brooklyn's just anxious. We've got plenty of time."

"Personally, I'm looking forward to this," said Eric softly, staring out the window of the mansion to the courtyard below. "I've never seen a human wedding before."

"Well, I must say you've given us quite a gift," smiled Scott. "A clear, cloudless, starry night sky, and a pleasant warm breeze wafting in."

Eric shrugged. "Cassy and I had little else to give you. Hopefully our rudimentary magical skills will allow you to have a pleasant climate on this..." He searched for the right word. "...*unique* day."

Scott looked over at the tan gargoyle. "Are you sure I can't convince you to stay?" he asked quietly.

"I don't think so, professor. Cassy and I, we don't belong here. We're burdens to you."

"Nonsense! You're guests."

"Guests don't stay forever. We can't pull our own weight. And we don't belong in Goliath's clan either, at least not yet. After the ceremony, we shall go our own way. But do not worry: Cassy and Venus have been friends for over one thousand years. We shall stay in touch."

Scott brought in a shaky breath. "Well, I thank you all," he said, spreading his hands out toward Goliath, Lexington, Broadway, Hudson, Eric, Bluestone, and even Bronx who sat curled on the floor, clawing curiously at someone's corsage. "It means a lot to have all of you here with me. This won't be a particularly large wedding: I don't know a great deal of people who know of

gargoyles. But I promise you, this will be the most important day of my life. And I'm honored to have you all here to share it with me."

Hudson looked up at him, sick of trying to button the odd jacket he had on. Such things were not made to be fastened by gargoyle talons. "We're here for ye, lad. Ye're a member of the clan, now." He paused. "I dinnae know much about these sort of things. When gargoyles choose mates, everything is pretty much straight forward. But are nae the groom's parents supposed to be here?"

Scott pursed his lips. "I, uh... don't quite think my parents are ready to meet my wife. Some day, I'll introduce them, but not just yet. I really don't know how they would react to my marrying someone with seven limbs, purple skin and fangs, who normally wears nothing but a loincloth. Not exactly the girl every parent expects their son to marry." He perked up. "But nonetheless, I'll never find a woman more loving, more caring... and more beautiful."

Brooklyn shook his head and grinned. Humans...

"Relax, Scott," said Goliath in his usual deep voice. "You are among friends here. There is nothing to fear. Imagine how Venus must feel: She's no idea how one of these things is supposed to go."

"No," put in Lexington. "Imaging how the *pastor* feels. I bet he's never hosted a wedding like this!"

Goliath tilted his head. "Actually... Yes, he has. His name is Judge Ruben, and he was also present at Xanatos and Fox's marriage. It is a good thing I was able to contact him, even if I had to speak with Owen Burnett to do it."

Matt chuckled. "I wonder what he thinks about all this. Twice in a row, no less..."

"Actually, he seemed rather pleased," continued Goliath. "He even said that he would supply the bridesmaids, seeing as how we're rather low on female participants. I think he mainly wants to have eyewitnesses to prove he's not crazy."

"What about the music?" asked Broadway. "You're supposed to have music at one of these things, right? And food?" He licked his lips in his typical manner.

"Jacob plays piano," replied Scott. "Indeed, there's very little he can't do," smiled the professor to his old friend. "And after the opening march, my sound system may take over."

"I don't mind, sir, really," Jacob said. "It's no trouble at all."

Scott sighed and smiled. "What would I do without you?" Jacob had to think about that for a moment, and Brooklyn broke out laughing at the butler's thoughtful expression.

"But I don't know anyone else who plays the piano..." Scott trailed off. "Except one old friend."

"Who's that?" wondered Lexington.

"Oh, no one you know. His name is Straussmore, Daniel Straussmore, a doctor who works for Xanatos. I've known him for years."

"Why didn't you invite him?" said Goliath. "Would we be too much for him, as well?"

"Oh, no," scoffed Scott. "Somehow I doubt gargoyles would startle him too much. He's a very peculiar fellow, but a good friend. I tried to contact him, but he couldn't even come to the phone." Scott frowned. "At least that's what Xanatos said. Daniel pretty much lives in the Eyrie Building, and Xanatos screens all his calls. I bet that viper didn't even tell him that I was getting married."

He shrugged. "But there's nothing that can be done about that now. We shouldn't keep the judge waiting: He'll be here any minute. Everything should be all set." He swallowed again and rubbed his hands. "Well... wish me luck!"

"Good luck to you, Scott," said Goliath sincerely. "And may God bless you on this life-long journey."

"Venus, if you don't stop fidgeting I'm going to handcuff you."

"I'm sorry, Elisa, I'm just trying to breathe!"

"Well, stop it. Wedding dresses aren't intended to have a bride breathing much. Now sit still, this is for your own good."

Cassy grinned at her age-old friend. "You must truly love this human much, rookery sister. To go through such trouble, to don such fancy clothing, to prepare such a reception... Just so that you can mate!" She sighed. "Eric and I have no such problems. I don't see how humans procreate so much, if this is what they have to go through."

Elisa frowned slightly as she continued to work on Venus' dress. "It's more than that, Cassy. Marriage is a sacred bond, a commitment for life... Unless you get divorced."

"Di...vorced?" Venus tried to pronounce the alien word. "What does that mean?"

"It's when you end a marriage," Elisa sighed. "If you're lucky, the spouses part on good terms. Unfortunately it's all to common to have a messy divorce."

Venus' eyes widened. "I was not aware that this was supposed to end!" Her purple coloring paled a couple of shades. "How long will he be my husband? What will happen to me when it is over? What--*"

"Whoa, whoa!" protested Elisa, holding up her hands. "Calm down! Nobody intends for a marriage to end; It *is* supposed to be forever. 'Till death do us part,' and all that. But sometimes it just doesn't work out. Divorces are *way* more common than they used to be, happening to fifty percent of all marriages, but if you take your time, be patient, and are sure you've found the right man..." Elisa smiled, and inadvertently realized she was picturing Goliath in her head for some reason. "... you'll do just fine. You and Scott love each other, that much is plain to everyone. Don't worry: You won't get divorced."

Venus began to relax, but it was obvious that Elisa had struck a chord with her. "I should say not. I love Scott, more than anything. We even share the same life force, now." She curled a determined fist. "Nothing will come between us."

Elisa smiled lightly. "I know," she said softly. ~I only wish I could feel the way you do now.~

Cassy shook her head, grinning. "I still say it's overblown. If you want to mate with him, and he wants to mate with you, than you have fun and everybody's happy. Simple."

"I tried to tell you, it's more than just mating," began Elisa.

"You said it was a commitment forever," said Cassy.

"Right."

"But then you said half the time it *doesn't* last forever. So what's the point?"

Elisa threw up her hands. "I give up." How can you explain the sacredness of marriage to a gargoyle? "It's just something... you feel." She turned to Venus. "You understand, right?"

"Oh, yes," smiled the gargoyle. "It's..." She paused. She herself was a gargoyle, and yet she also found it difficult to explain to her life-long friend. "...something very special. That's all." She flashed her fangs in a playful grin. "And besides, if I only wanted him for mating this would have been

over and done with long ago."

Elisa raised an eyebrow. "You mean the two of you..." She trailed off, circling her hands. "That kind of defeats the purpose of wearing white, you know."

"Oh, don't worry," replied Venus, still smiling. "We've only done it two or three times..." She turned slyly and said in a lower voice: "...per night."

The music began and Hudson, the Trio, Eric and Matt turned to look down the isle as Cassy advanced, flashing them all a stunning white grin. She glided slowly down the isle between them, three on either side, standing in the back yard of Scott's island mansion. The courtyard was beautifully decorated, with elaborate white streamers hanging daintily from lamp posts and bouquets of flowers throughout the area. The lamp and candle light cast a surprisingly pretty illumination over the scene, and despite the fact that they were outside in the dead of night the wedding scene was breathtakingly beautiful. Behind them was a large buffet table, under which Bronx drooled impatiently at the multi-tiered wedding cake.

Brooklyn gawked for a moment at Cassy's surprisingly tight outfit, which left little of her figure to the imagination. The white lace matched perfectly with her blue skin and black hair. The gargoyles' second in command quickly regained his composure when he noticed Eric shooting him a suspicious look.

Cassy scattered red and pink flower pedals to either side of her, and she approached the altar where Scott was already standing, sweating nervously next to the somewhat calm Judge Ruben. Ruben's eyes traced Cassy up and down, and he shook his head in wonder at the gargoyle before him. ~If only Mom could see me now,~ he thought wryly. ~Since when did I get the reputation for marrying vampires? Or whatever they are...~

As the bridesmaids followed, each as calm and cool as the judge, and filed out of the way. He must have prepared the poor girls remarkably well.

"Nervous?" whispered Cassy to Scott, who blinked at her, flustered.

"A tad."

"Relax. It'll be worth it. Trust me."

"I hardly know you."

The judge looked from one to the other. "Both of you," he whispered, "hush up now." He turned to Scott, motioning with his eyes. "Your bride is here."

Scott turned... and gaped.

Before him was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on. Highlighted in the candlelight, Venus emerged. As she strode slowly yet purposefully down the isle, all the onlookers found their mouths dropping open. Her body was sensuously wrapped in a white silken gown, lace and elaborate designs running up her breast and over her shoulders, down the arms. The veil she wore did not hide her sharp cheekbones and flawless skin. She held her wings just slightly over herself, outlining her figure perfectly.

Before Scott realized it, she was by his side. "My... God!" he breathed silently, so only a gargoyle's enhanced hearing could pick it up. "You... You look astounding!"

Beneath the veil her white-fanged smile was visible, and she dropped her eyes, flattered. "I hoped you would like it."

"I've never seen you more beautiful." He touched her cheek gently, and she brought her clawed hand to rest on his wrist. "I love you."

"I know," she whispered back. "I know."

The judge shook his head for a moment, realizing just how strange this scene was. Man and monster bound in holy matrimony... But as he looked closer he began to see just how attractive this 'monster' was. And it was clear that the man cared for her. The judge smirked incredulously and wondered what people would think if he ever wrote a book about his life... He cleared his throat and began. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today..."

Elisa Maza smiled nostalgically as the judge began the ceremony, watching Scott and Venus side-by-side, staring into each other's eyes. Their gaze never parted as the judge continued, and Elisa looked from Cassy, the bridesmaid, to Goliath, who tonight was playing the role of not only the best man, but was also giving the bride away.

~Goliath,~ she thought, ~how my life's changed since I met you. Perhaps, one day...~ She paused, bringing in the scenery around her, the gorgeous mansion and the white lace, the guys she'd met two years before ducked out in their first tuxes, the cake and the altar and the gifts... so perfect. ~...one day, this could be us. One day...~

She shook her head, wondering just how many dreams really did come true. Venus and Scott's were being fulfilled right before her eyes. Maybe there was hope for she and Goliath yet. Maybe.

"*Sniff* I always cry at weddings, don't you?"

Elisa about jumped out of her skin. At the sudden unexpected voice from behind her, her first reflex was to go for her gun. But there was no room for a holster in such a revealing dress. She spun madly on one heel and stifled a startled cry.

"Puck!"

Lexington glanced over to her, curious about the disturbance, but then turned back to the ceremony.

"Shh!" warned Puck. "Don't ruin everything. They can't see or hear me, you realize."

"What are you *doing* here?!" the detective hissed. "Go away! We don't need your mischief ruining this for everyone."

"Oh, relax, Detective," remarked the hobgoblin. "It's almost over anyway, see?"

"Do you, Scott Mercure, take this, Venus, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?"

The professor answered emphatically. "I do!"

"Nice ring he's giving her," remarked Puck. "Big one, too. I suppose it had to be specially designed for a gargoyle's large claws."

"What are you doing here?!" demanded Elisa again. "This silverware has got to have some iron in it..." She looked around for a fork or butter knife to stab him with.

"Nope, sorry. I'm afraid that's really pure silver," grinned the sprite, leaning back on nothingness with his hands laced behind his head. "Calm yourself, Detective. The Fey aren't here to spoil anything. With the exception of me, no tricksters allowed! Not Raven, not Anansi, not Coyote, not Loki, nobody. We can't interfere." Except, of course, what Raven had put in the punch... But that hardly counted.

"...let him speak now, or forever hold his peace," proclaimed the judge.

"Then why?"

"Fate, of course. This event is quite important for the history of the future. Venus is ridiculously powerful. Let me assure you that even *she* has no idea what she can do. You've just seen the tip of the iceberg. Now, smile like a good little guest and get ready to clap."

"I now pronounce you man and wife!" Ruben announced. "You may kiss the bride!"

Scott pulled back Venus' veil, but before he could do anything she seized him by the collar and pulled him close, locking her mouth to his and kissing him passionately. Brooklyn whooped for joy, and cries of "Way to go, Scott!" rang out from the peanut gallery. They still had not parted lips.

"Aw, isn't that sweet," remarked Puck. "They do make quite the happy couple. Anyway, it seems you have business to attend to. I'll be back in a little while: Enjoy!"

"Puck!" she protested. "What are you talking about? Where are you--*" But before she could finish, the little elf *popped* out of sight. She blew air through her mouth in exasperation, and turned to see Venus finally pull back. Scott gasped for breath, his face flushed.

"Wow," he finally managed.

The rest of the evening was absolutely perfect.

Soon after the ceremony, the professor's stereo system began to play in wonderfully designed surround sound, presenting songs such as the "Four Seasons" and Pachelbel's "Kanon in D." Scott and Venus were quickly torn apart, swept off to the dance floor by Cassy and Goliath, respectively. Elisa still marveled at the incredible bliss of the setting. She decided to hit the buffet line before Broadway and Bronx had it all gone.

"Judge!" she said, noticing Ruben looking around by the food. "You're holding up remarkably well. I don't suppose you normally do this sort of thing."

He shook his head. "Truth be told, I don't really know what's going on here. But I'm finding the experience to be quite... enlightening."

"You're not planning on telling anyone about this, are you?" Elisa wore a worried expression. The man simply laughed.

"Tell about what?" he grinned. "I'd rather not have my sanity

questioned. I don't know what these creatures are, nor where they came from. But I do know that those two..." he pointed to Scott and Venus, "...whatever their species, are very much in love." He glanced at her meaningfully. "And I think I know of another pair as well."

Her head dropped a little. "Maybe one day," she said softly, "I'll see you for a different wedding."

"Maybe one day," he smiled back at her.

"Elisa," came Goliath's voice from behind. She whirled, startled.

"Oh, Goliath, it's only you," she said, relieved. He seemed momentarily crestfallen, and she laughed, resting a hand on his chest. "Don't look so hurt! I didn't mean that the way it sounded. It's just that there's an uninvited guest lingering around..."

"Xanatos?" shot Goliath, suddenly alert.

"No, no... Just don't worry about it. The night is too beautiful to waste being paranoid. So, what did you want...?"

He bowed slightly. "I was simply wondering if a lady would care to dance."

She leaned forward and hugged him tightly, even though she barely came up to his breastbone. "I would be honored."

As the evening progressed, the food diminished and the males cycled through their turns dancing with the limited number of women, though it was like pulling teeth to get Goliath away from Elisa. Elisa caught the bouquet, which was no surprise because the other eligible female had no real interest in getting married. Goliath almost got the garter, but Brooklyn rushed in, vaulting off the leader's shoulders and seizing the ring of lace in mid-air. When he put it back on Venus it was rather clear that he was nervous, as his hands were shaking so badly he thought his claws might nick her leg. The cake was cut, and at the urging of the crowd, Venus smashed the first piece into Scott's face. At first she was apologetic, but then he laughed uproariously and tried to explain that it was tradition. Cassy simply shook her head. ~Humans!~

Eventually the east began to lighten, crimson rays staining the sky an orangish color, and all knew that the night was drawing to a close. Scott and Venus embraced for one final, special dance, and the others watched on silently, some with tears pooling in their eyes. Elisa found herself leaning on Goliath. As the newlyweds continued their dance, never breaking eye contact, Elisa made her way to the table for some of the remaining punch.

"Careful, it's spiked."

Choking, she nearly dropped her cup at the head that protruded from the punchbowl. "Puck!" she sputtered. "You again!"

He grimaced at her. "You certainly do have a way of making a body feel welcome, you know that? I just wanted to see the wedding." His lip protruded in a mock-pouting. "Lighten up, Maza. I'm an old friend."

She sighed, letting her guard down for the first time that night. "Yeah, well..." She grinned at the sprite. "I suppose if you were going to cause trouble you'd have done so already."

Puck nodded, levitating out of the punch, perfectly dry. "An incredible night."

"A perfect night," amended Elisa. "I only wish Cassy and Eric were staying. They seem like they would be a wonderful addition to the clan."

"You'll see plenty of them," Puck replied. "Trust me, it's for their own good. Eric is right, they don't belong here. Their place is with a daughter of Zeus and a man who must die in order to live, in a company which doesn't even exist yet."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"Of course not. What did you expect? Whoever heard of clear prophecies?"

Elisa shrugged. "I'm glad there's not more than one of you here... Things get too confusing when you Children of Oberon show up."

Puck grinned. "Oh, aren't there?" He pointed over his shoulder. "See anything interesting?"

Elisa glanced behind him. All she saw were the bridesmaids, three of them... One with blonde hair, one with black, and one with silver... "Oh my God. *Them*?!"

Puck nodded matter-of-factly. "Yep."

She looked over at him. "Why me?"

"Why you what?"

"Why did you choose to reveal yourself to me and not the others? They still have no idea you're here."

Puck looped a little in the air. "Because, Maza, you're a focal point of fate. You should be aware of *everything* that's going on, as you're the cause of it all." He cocked his head and grinned again. "But I'm boring you, and I do so hate boredom. Just be satisfied that I decided to grace you with my presence." He bowed elaborately.

Elisa sighed. "It's getting late, Puck. Early, in fact. I've got to get going, and soon my ride will be stone."

"Yes, well, I just stopped by to say hello, really... Oh, by the way, how do you feel about time travel?"

Elisa paled. "Why?"

"No reason. Just planning my next trip to Egypt."

"Elisa!" called Goliath from across the yard. He motioned for her to come to him.

"Well, that's my ride," the detective said. "I'll be going n--*" But Puck had already left, gone from sight as she turned back to face him. "Fey," the policewoman muttered. "I'll never get used to them."

Venus and Scott waved until the winged figures were lost over the horizon. Not long after, the sun emerged into a clear, warm day. Scott breathed deeply, savoring the crisp morning air. He held Venus close, enjoying the feeling of her silk-clad body under his hands. Her wings draped around his shoulders and he lost himself in those eyes of hers.

There were a thousand things he wanted to say, a thousand things he wanted to do. He wanted to tell her how radiant she looked, how indescribably gorgeous. He wanted to say that he would never leave her, that they would be forever side-by-side. He wanted to take her away on their honeymoon. He wanted this moment to never end.

But with all the countless thoughts whirling about his head, he simply said nothing. Venus leaned knowingly into him, and they kissed again, not sure what to do next and not caring. It was the beginning of a new life.

A new life together.

*** THE END ***

Send all comments, suggestion and input to both myself and Ryan Stout (we both worked on this story and deserve equal credit).

Scott Mercure:

smercure@charter.net

Ryan Stout:

proteus@pdt.net