She Who Walks Through Time, a gargoyles fanfic

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

by: Spacebabie

Authors note: My old yahoo account has been hacked. I had to get a new one

She who walks through time

The weather forecasters had said the temperatures for New York were to be in the thirties, but despite the chilly winds on the outside of the castle, Marle Duchamp kept the window open in the bedroom part of her living quarters open. It wasn't much, just a crack to allow in enough chill to combat with the heat of the castle. Owen had raised the thermostat to seventy eight. Four degrees higher than what Marle deemed to be comfortable. If it became too cold in her room she would just close it.

If she could get out of bed she would close it. Marle stared down at her swollen ice blue stomach. She and the other females had entered into their six month of gestation. Both Desdemona and Demona had told her they were going to lay their eggs anytime soon.

She sank her head back into her lage stack of pillows, breathing in the crisp scent of fresh clean linens. The aroma was mixed with the rich scent of her hot cocoa. Hudson had remained pretty adamant when he wanted the females to drink plenty of milk and would not allow them to drink anything else. He once even snatched a can of soda out of Rayne's hand and confiscated all the packets of tea, only distubiting them to those who were not with egg.

"Soon," she sighed while rubbing her stomach. Her middle was almost as hard as a rock. "Soon I can enjoy a fresh fruit salad, macaroni salad, and a piece of apple pie with a glass of grape Kool-aid." In addition to the beverages the elderly gargoyle made sure they stuck to a specific diet. A diet rich in protein, calcium and folic acid. He respected Marle's decision to be a vegetarian, but made sure she ate plenty of egg salad sandwiches, beans, nuts and cheeses. He allowed vegetables, but forbade sweets of all kinds, even fruit. The only exception was for yogurt and ice cream. Luckily for them Fox had snuck them plenty of chocolates and Sara Lee cake bites.

The past months were hard and around Christmas time Demona snapped at the former leader. "You never denied me the foods I enjoyed when I was carrying Charlie. You will not deny them now." Her mouth was pulled into a full snarl as she glared at her stolen twinkie.

"Ye were not living wi us at the time," Hudson had told her. The snack cake still wrapped in its clear wrapping was held in his talons.

The answer did not convince the immortal. "It still does not change the fact Charlie hatched strong and healthy."

"I am not going to be taking those chances."

"You can't watch us all the time," Demona smirked. "While you are asleep the other weregoyles and I will be indulging on Twinkies and cupcakes."

"Yer mates will keep ye from eating too much."

"Ah, that may be true, but they will at least allow us some taste of cake and pie."

Marle chuckled from remembering the conversation before she reached for her cup. As she drank in the chocolate flavored beverage she thought about long it would be before she could lay her egg and enjoy the foods she missed.

The brass metal of the Grand Central clock looked more bronze at night. The moonlight did not provide a right amount of ligh to shine on the clock and highlight it in the same radiant glory the sun bestows upon it.

The dull metal appeared golden for a few seconds when a glowing fireball materialized above it. The flare lasted only a few seconds, leaving behind silence and two winged forms perched on the edge of the building.

The drab green, male gargoyle gasped out in surprise as he teetered on the edge of the building. He had no idea he would have been placed on a ledge that narrow. A single flap of his dark green wings was enough to propel him forward to the top of the building. He fell forward, landing on his chest and stomach.

"Are you all right?" The brick-red female asked. She had quickly regained her balance the second the fireball had ended and quickly jumped forward, landing next to him.

The olive hued gargoyle sat up while brushing the maroon locks of hair out of his eyes. His long sea of red hair was parted in the middle of his head by a pointed pterosaur crest. "I just lost my footing. That is all. Thank goodness there is a building here." He gave the roof a gentle pat.

"There are buildings everywhere." The female took in her surroundings. They were in a large city. Wherever she turned she was facing tall buildings, after tall buildings. She was dressed in a simple t-shirt and a pair of denim shorts.

"Do you think this could be your home?" He stood back up. While the female was dressed in clothing more suited for the twenty first century he looked like he was wearing clothing from the middle ages. Around his waist he wore a light tan loin cloth with a braided rust brown belt. A white tunic was covered with a light light blue vest with and embroidered edge. He wore no form of jewelry save for a ring consisting of a Celtic design and a triangular. red gem on the middle talon of his right hand. "It would be great if it is. You can see your family and I can see my brother and sisters." The thick curved shovel tipped tail drummed excitedly against the ground.

"It could be ," she ran her own talons through her near shoulder length white hair. "It is New York, Rinaldo, but I don't think its the right time." She craned her neck around. "There are some buildings missing. I don't think they have even been built yet."

"Oh," he stared at the ground. "I'm sorry, Calliste."

"Don't be," she said softly. "If anyone should be sorry its me. I should have never chased after this thing." She stared at the police badge shaped item in her right hand. The scrawny gold bird seemed to be mocking her from it's bed of light blue. "Should have never chased after it, or made sure you and Raphael were no where near me."

"I don't think Raphael is complaining," Rinaldo smiled. "He finally found his true love. I'm the only bachelor left."

"You'll find someone." She slid the gate back into her shorts pocket. "I think the only way we can find out for sure is to take a glide around." She spread her split, butterfly shaped wings and felt the warm thermal underneath her lift her into the sky. She turned when she heard the sound of a second pair of wings and turned to see Rinaldo gliding right next to her.

The majority of the buildings were familiar to the eyes of Calliste. She had glided over them in the past. While some of them looked pretty much the same as she last remembered them some appeared to be less weathered and cleaner. She hovered over one of the construction sites. One that had barely started. "I remembered spending the day here once."

"This was a building from your time?"

She shook her head. "Not was, will be. It was a year before I found the gate. My parents and Goliath grounded me. I had to stay in the castle for a whole week and wasn't allowed to watch any television for three nights."

"How long did we travel back for you?"

"I think at least twenty years into the past. I'll know for certain if I find a digital clock."

"A digital clock," Rinaldo agreed. Digital meant glowing broken numbers. He kept his eyes open for a building with the large numbers in front of it. "Calliste!" he pointed at the black screened clock in front of a bank. The glowing numbers were displaying the current temperature to the denizens of the city.

"I know it's a bit cold." she scowled at the numbers as they changed to 2/24/03. "It's 2003. I knew I haven't hatched yet."

"At least we know when we are," he never removed his gaze from the clock. "And it's almost six. We need to find someplace to rest."

"We can't go to the castle. I don't want to have to explain to everyone who I am, and we also have to becareful on where we rest."

"How about there?" Rinaldo pointed at a building already decorated with numerous stone gargoyles. The roof was nearly covered with them.

"It will keep us from sticking out." She descended first and landed next to a statue with a long beak. Rinaldo landed in front of her and chose a place between two other statues. She glanced toward the direction of the sky with the approaching light of the rising sun and spread her wings to their full span. She stretched her arms, talons curled down and pulled her lips into a fierce snarl.

A deep rose radiance filled Calliste's vision as she awoke from her stone cocoon. Her cougar like roar was accompanied by Rinaldo's as they shook loose their stone skins. She turned to greet the Avalon gargoyle when she remembered he was standing in front of her the night before.

"Where are the other gargoyles?" Rinaldo asked. They were not where they had fallen asleep the night before. Instead of staring up at a ceiling of stars they saw a regular stone ceiling and instead of fresh cold air the atmosphere felt warm and dank.

The female gargoyle sniffed the air, nostrils twitching when they detected a damp, musty aroma. "Where are we? It smells like old basement in here."

"That is because you are in an old basement." The man who answered them spoke with a deep burr. Both gargoyles turned to see they were not alone. The man standing before them stood tall and appeared to be in an extremely healthy condition for someone his age. His squareish jaw was trimmed with a a well groomed gray beard. His hair was also a solid shade of gray. The black shirt he wore was stretched across his chest, doing little to conceal the muscles underneath.

"I know you," Rinaldo stood tall and placed himself in front of Calliste. "You were under the Archmage's spell. You fought against my clan."

"I can assure you I am sorry for that lad." The man nodded sadly.

Rinaldo shrugged. "I understand about how magic works."

"Macbeth?" Calliste spoke up. If the human immortal was the one who brought her and Rinaldo into the building he was doing it for the right reasons.

The elderly man narrowed his silver eyes. "How do you know who I am lassie?"

She gave a reassuring smile. "It's a long story."

"Is he a friend of yours?" Rinaldo asked.

"I donae even know her."

"We know you are a friend of the gargoyles and Goliath's clan in particular." Calliste folded her wings across her chest.

"Aye," Macbeth agreed. "That is why I brought you here. I saw the two of you land on that building. The quarrymen own a helicopter and they are not as dumb as ye may think. They would not be too friendly to a couple of gargoyle statues they haven't seen before. I had this suspicion confirmed with two of my employees who briefly worked with Castaway. I paid them to bring the two of you here."

"But why here?" Rinaldo's thin lips formed a frown of discomfort. "Why are we in this basment?" He pulled his own ribless wings across his shoulders, locking them together at the triple wing claws.

"Because I have a few guests over." He approached the stairs leading to the door. "I will be back shortly."

Rinaldo blinked at the sound of the door being closed. "Now what do we do?"

"I think we have to stay here." She searched around for someplace to sit and found a stool placed against the water heater. "We just cannot walk out of here, not knowing how his guests might react to us."

The olive green gargoyle sighed. "You got a point. What if the gate goes off first?"

She shrugged. "We'll just ride it as usual, but I don't want to worry Macbeth." She slid off her seat and searched around for something to write with and write on.

The Scottish immortal hated having to keep the young gargoyles in the basement, but he had no choice. He couldn't risk having them scare the others off and he didn't want to risk the lives of the young gargoyles if his guest turned out to be experts at fighting and hunting gargoyles.

He wished he had found them a couple of days before or tomorrow He had arranged for that night to meet with a few people to be guest speakers for his class. The ideal of having literary scholars who have traveled across the globe to speak was more than appealing. he jsut wished they could have met around another time, or at least meet during the day.

As he approached his hallway he wondered if he should call Goliath. He doubted if the two were living at Wyvern but the clan leader would probably feel better if the two youths were with the rest of the clan. One of them was apparently one of the young gargoyles from Avalon if he remembered him as being a servant of the Archmage. He wasn't sure where the female came from, by the way she dressed she could be from one of the other clans living across the globe, but she knew him. That shouldn't bother him, but he had to imagine how did she reconize him.

He shrugged it off when Fleance approached him in the halls. An expression of annoyance flashed across her eyes. "Your other guests are here boss," The strong woman had her arms folded across her chest.

"Did you invite them in?" Macbeth asked.

"They are in the sitting room with Banquo." Her voice rose to a frightening tone when she mentioned the name of her ex.

"At least he is there keeping them company."

"I think it would be better if he wasn't there at all." Her voice thinned out again. "He's talking to them. Probably telling them some of his old stories."

"I am sure it is not as bad as it sounds," the immortal smiled. "I want you go check on my other guests. See if they need anything to eat or drink."

"All we got is milk, beer, and root beer."

"Give them a decision between root beer and milk, or offer them some tea. I know we have some tea bags and as for food I know you can atleast make a sandwich."

The sitting room was technically a spare living room without a television or any entertainment system. It was decorated with a thick carpet in the color of slate and the walls were painted pale blue. A dark stained cedarwood coffee table was placed in front of the couch and a matching end table was placed between the chairs. Brass lamps with pale slivery blue lamp shades provided the room with ample light and a few flowering plants hung from the ceiling. The room was where Macbeth prefered to do buisness instead of cramping everyone in his office.

He had no idea what Fleance was complaining about. Banquo was sitting in one of the gray and brown striped chairs in front of the couch. His hands were placed on his lap and his mouth was closed, not talking at all, just smiling.

"Were there any gargoyles killed in this building?" A silky smooth voice dripping with a French accent asked.

Banquo didn't change expressions. "They escaped before Castaway's second bomb could go off and they helped rescue the cleaning crew that was still inside."

"Cleaning crew?" The female voice asked.

"There were a few still inside the building. Castaway and the rest of us didn't check if anyone was still in the building. The three gargoyles brought them and another woman to safety, as I remember it, she was a plant."

Macbeth rubbed his chin thoughtfully before he made his away behind the couch. He did not want to interrupt the story, but he wanted his guests to know he had arrived.

"Plant?" One of the three men asked. "You mean she was a spy?"

Banquo nodded. "Yeah. The quarrymen were ready to attack the gargoyles on the ground, but the cleaning crew and this woman defended them until the cops arrived. Castaway, my ex, me and a few others were arrested on the spot."

The room became silent as Macbeth lowered himself into the chair next to his employee. "Don't let me interrupt you."

"Well the story is pretty much finished." Banquo shrugged.

"No it isn't," the tall man sitting in the middle of the couch said. His skin was darker than the others, a deep tan or bronze hue that contrasted slightly with his white suit. His diamond like eyes were a deep brown. His well groomed goatee and hair were a dark brown as well. "I'm curious as to why you decided to give up being a Quarryman."

Banquo sank back into his seat. "Fleance and I were released before Castaway. We really didn't have anywhere to go and work was hard to find. Mr. Macduff here was the only one willing to hire us, or should I say rehire us?"

"You have done good work for me in the past," Macbeth smiled at him. "And you have served your time."

"You are Mr. Mcduff?" The woman asked. She was barely dressed conservativly with a tight white blouse wrapped around her bulging chest and hanging loosely around her shoulders. A goldchain belt was wound around her wasp like waist, keeping her short black skirt clinging against her skin. Her thickly curved hips thined towards the knees and ended in long slim legs and tiny feet. Bright wavy red hair cascaded down her shoulders and kept out of her pale oval face by opal hair clips. Her made up lids were slightly lowered over her pale green eyes.

"Aye madam," Macbeth nodded. "And you must be Ms. Blushea."

Her plump lips pulled back into a smile. "Oui monsiure, but please call me Colette." She held out a pale hand. Her long fingernails were painted in copper and gold laquere.

"Colette it is then." He glanced at the men. The only other man who seemed to be interested in what he said was the scruffy man wedged into the end of the couch. His dark greasy hair was combed back and held by a simple elastic. His long blunt jaw was covered in 3 day stubble. It appeared he had only recently decided to start growing a beard.

The gaunt man in a wrinkled suit was not even looking at him. His beady hazel eyes were fixated on the moth fluttering near the lamp shade. His thin fingers gripped the arm of the sofa, threatening to tear into the material while his left leg shook.

"Now wich one of you is a Mr. Trax, Mr. Ohur, and Mr. Rossie?"

"I am Mr. Ohur," The Turkish man said. "But you may call me Balthazar."

"Mr. Trax," the grungy looking man held up a finger.

The other man kept staring at the moth with the eyes of a hunter. His lips were damp with saliva.

"Mr. Rossi?" The man known as Ohur reached over behind his shoudler and pinched him.

Rossi bolted up and turned in his seat, but did not stare at Mcbeth but rather the man who pinched him. "Sorry ma-mister Ohur." He smiled at the immortal. "You have a nice place here Mr. Macbeth."

"Thank ye," Macbeth nodded knowing he wasn't studing his home but rather the moth. Was he a practicing collector who felt Macbeth might frown on his hobby? "Banquo ye can finish working maintenance on the plane."

"Do you need anything else before I go?"

"I can take it from here." He waited for his employee to exit the room. "The university had already faxed over your credentials. I am pretty amazed with your knowledge of world literature. Did you actually travel through Europe, North Africa and the Middle East?"

"That we have done was mostly for research," Ohur said, lacing his fingers in the exact manner as Macbeth. "We want to bring our lessons to life, so to speak."

"I see. Do you ever take your students on trips to some of the places you have been?"

"We took some of them along with us," Colette smiled. "Have you done the same?"

"I have taken a few of my students on trips with me to the UK They enjoyed visiting the homeland of the authors they have been studying. They were those who maintained a B average and could afford to go to it. I also told them to becareful what they said around Stratford upon Avon."

"Why?" Balthazar raised his eyebrows.

"Because in my classes I stress out the difference between Shakespeare's work and acutaly history." Macbeth narrowed his eyes slightly.

"You have taught them the truth about the Bard?"

"The man was brilliant at story crafting and creating scenes both humorous and tragic, but he had the tendency to distort history to suit both Elizabeth and James."

"I can see we are going to enjoy working with you."

Macbeth nodded. "I hope you won't think it's rude of me, but I need to take care of a few things." He stood up. "I do not have much in the way of beverages other than water, milk, beer and root beer. I can also brew some tea."

"Tea will be fine." Balthazar said.

The gaunt man only half listened to Macbeth. His focus had returned to the fluttering moth. Only every so often he would glance towards the direction the Scotsman was sitting. "He's gone." His voice was thin.

"Yes he is," Balthazar confirmed. "Try to show a little more self control, Horatio."

Horatio chewed on his bottom lip while slipping his sweaty palms from the arm of the sofa. "I'm sorry master. It just looks so delicious."

"It may take him a while to return with our beverages," Colette purred. "Go head and eat it."

Horatio's eyes wide with admiration for his lady. "Mistress, thank you."

"Just be quick," She wagged a pale finger at him. "Just becareful of what you do and what you say."

"Yes mist," he caught his tongue in time. "Mrs. Blushea." He quickly slid out of the seat and ambled to the wall. He snatched the moth with a single swipe and slammed it into his mouth.

"What are we going to do if we do get hired?" Trax asked. "I don't know jack about teaching."

"We will help you," Balthazar told him. Being guest speakers, and psosbily teaching a few classes at Colombia would help them earn some extra money. It would also buy them time to hammer out a plan for Goliath and his clan.

"What about the others inthe van?" How long do they have to stay there. While the four of them were enjoying the nice warm house the two underlings were still in the van they traveled in.

"They will be fine. Do not forget the cold does not bother us as much as it does you and Horatio.I want you to go find Mr. McDuff and see if he needs any help."

Trax looked at him in disbelief. "Why do you want me to go and help? Why not Horatio?"

The mood of the Turkish vampire did not change. "Because I'm not asking Horatio. I'm asking you."

"Balthazar?" Colette sang the name of her mate. "Macduff looks kind of fit and he sounds like a very smart man."

"Yes he does," he smirked. He had a feeling of what his mate as trying to get at.

"He's obviously very rich, and has two servants and he's good looking." Her fingernails danced up Balthazar's chest. "Can I sire him?"

He clasped her hand between his and raised her knuckles to his lips. "I'm sorry, my pet. We cannot risk suspicion." He noticed the corners of her eyes twitch up in disappointment. "I know you want a trophy to sire, but he is not the one."

"But he would be such a valuable servant."

"We have two valuable servants already." He gently pat Horatio's stomach gently. The gaunt man looked up at him with great admiration.

Trax followed the sent of Macbeths fine silk clothes and Scotsman's choice in aftershave. Using his nose was the only way he can make it through the long hallways of the mansion. He paused when hear heard him talking to another one of his servants, a woman, and ordered her to help Banquo with the maintenance.

He ran to catch up with the Professor. Macduff's name was on the tip of his tongue when he saw the silver back of the older man's head but did not call out. Mcduff was opening another door. A door that lead to a dark room. He saw stairs leading down and caught the dank musty scent that usually accompanied basements. Why was he going down there? Should he tell Balthazar? No Balthazar would just order him to spy on the proffessor. It would be better if he saved time and spied on him now.

Calliste wiped away the bread crumbs from her mouth before drinking the last from her can of A&W. Between her and Rinaldo they had polished off four peanutbutter and jelly sandwiches, a bag of potato chips and half a bowl of fruit. She removed a grape from the bunch just as she heard the door creaking open. She did not address the man until she heard his feet had reached the bottom steps.

"Mr. Macbeth, I like to thank you for taking care of us."

"Ye donnae have to thank me lass. I donnae really deserve it." The man sat down next to the two gargoyles as they finished the last of their meal. "I have been thinking about it and I feel I should have placed the both of ye into a better room."

"We understand the precaution," Rinaldo nodded. A fleck of strawberry jelly clung to the corner of his mouth.

"I thank ye fer ye kind words lad, but I donnae deserve it." He held out a hand before any of them could object. "My other guest will be here for an hour at most. After they leave ye can glide to Wyvern. Or I can call the castle and instruct my employees to get ye out of my mansion without being seen."

The red gargoyle flinched at the mention of Wyvern. "I am not ready to go to Wyvern, not at this time." She reached over to Rinaldo, taking a napkin to his mouth and wiped it clean.

"Why can ye not."

"It's kind of complicated."

"I'll try to understand."

She inhaled deeply. "I'm from the future. Not the too distant future. I will hatch five years from now in the Wyvern rookery." She explained to him how she came across the Phoenix Gate and could not control it as it carried her across time. She mentioned how she arrived on Avalon and took two of the gargoyles with her, depositing one with a potential mate and finally arriving over Grand Central Station.

Trax nearly stumbled over his own feet and he stepped away form the door. He couldn't believe all what he heard., A gargoyle from the future who knows Goliath's clan? He had to tell Balthazar immediately.

He found the three of them still in the sitting room, discussing literature. "Nice to see everyone brushing up on the subject."

The Turkish vampire scowled at having been interrupted. "We would have invited you to discuss the subject with us , but you seem to be forgetting something. Where is Mcduff?"

"That's what I want to bring up." Trax's voice had taken on a giddy tone. "That's not his real name. His real name is Macbeth."

"Like the play?" Colette yawned. She appeared to have been less than interested in the discussion.

"Like the play, but there is more. He's got a couple of gargoyles down in the basement." That grabbed their attention.

"Filthy creatures," the French woman snorted. "I don't want to sire him anymore."

"Now my pet that is now way to behave," Balthazar stroked her chin. "Just because he keeps a couple of gargoyles doesn't mean he is a bad man. We don't even know if they are part of Goliath's clan. They could be his servants for all we know."

"They know the clan that lives in the castle. In fact they are the clan. Or will be . One of them is from the future." Silence followed his words, covering the group in mixutre of shock and disbelief.

Balthazar was the first to recover form his shock. "How do you know this?"

"I saw him enter a basement and placed my ear against the door."

"Horatio, wake up the others in the van," Balthazar pointed at his servant. "This means a whole new change of plans."

"If she is from the future then how did she get here?" Colette asked.

"Some sort of magical doohickey. I forgot what it's called."

"We better find where his servants are," Balthzar ran his finger across his chin.

The Scottish immortal carefully approached the sitting room while balancing a tray containing a tea pot,several cups and a sugar bowl. He didn't know how they took their tea and hoped none of them wanted honey and lemon.

"I hope you all prefer Earl Grey,"he said as he entered the room. "I don't know how many spoons of sugar...you...prefer." His voice faded when he discovered he had entered an empty room. "Hello?"

"Sorry Mcduff," Trax appeared behind him . "Or should I call you Macbeth?"

Macbeth quickly grabbed onto the handle of the the kettle and spun around, slamming the cups and sugar bowl against Trax's face. The grungy man grunted from both the shock and impact and quickly rubbed his eyes, trying get the sugar out.

The immortal heard footsteps running from behind and turned to see a stranger racing towards him. He knew from the yellowish green eyes and fangs he was dealing with a different kind of immortal. He threw the pot at him hitting his opponet on the head. The vampire paused at the force of the tea kettle striking the side of his skull but the greater pain came from the steaming liquid spraying against his skin.

Macbeth ignore the screaming vampire and picked up the metal tray. The gaunt man, Rossi aimed a gun at him. Macbeth quickly threw the tray at his head and dove down, just as the gun fired.

"You are a bold man, Macbeth." Balthazar Uhur entered the room with another woman he had never seen before and Banquo. The man's face was covered with bruises while his arms we held behind his back. "And a good fighter. I can see why Colette wanted to sire you."

"What do ye want?" The gray-haired man hissed.

"We want you too surrender, and tell me where those gargoyles of yours are kept. I want you to take me to your basement."

"And what if I refuse?"

"Unlike us I am sure you care about the lives of other humans." The woman he was with raised a gun and placed the barrel against Banquo's temple. He turned at the sound of the thump and saw a badly beaten Fleance being dropped on the floor. Her hands were bound with rope.

"Very well," He raised his hands. "I surrender."

The sound of Horatio's gun had reached the ears of both Calliste and Rinaldo. The female from the future stared in shock at the olive hued male.

"Was that a firecracker or a gun?" He had learned a lot on his journeys through time, but he still could not tell the difference between a gunshot and a fireworks. He lacked the listening experience one who had grown up in the city would have.

"I think that was a gun." She glanced at he stairs leading towards the door.

"Was it in the house or outside?"

"Does it matter? Macbeth could be in trouble. Or maybe his guests are in trouble."

"Or maybe the guests are trouble," Rinaldo suggested.

"That too. You stay here I'm-"

"I'm coming with you." He barreled past her to the door. "Should I use my ring?"

She shook her head. "Save it as a trump card. Do not show your hand too early."

"You are right," He burst through the door and dropped to the ground. The pungent scent of the gun going off was still strong enough for them to follow. He tracked down the scent through the many long hallways in the castle to a small room with striped furniture.

Macbeth and the woman who gave them food were kneeling in the middle of the carpet, along with a man they had never seen before. Seeing the bruises on the strange man's swollen face, brought a glow to his eyes.

"You were right," a smooth voice said. "They did come." A man dressed in white stepped in front of Macbeth and his servants. He was followed by a buxom gorgeous female whos proporations seemed impossible. Her breasts and hips bulged out, thrating to tear through her bose and skirt while her middle was as slender as the stem a whine goblet. "I keep forgetting what protective creatures they can be." His lips were puled up into a sneer, revealing the whitest teeth Rinaldo had ever seen.

"Mr. Macbeth?" Calliste asked. She did not know what was going on, but she knew from the way they were kneeling they had their hands bound. She had read many books, seen enough movies, and heard many stories from her father to make an educated guess. "What happened?"

"What happened?" The malovent glint in the mysterious man's eyes grew brighter . "My dear, you are mistaken. It is not what happened it is what is going to happen." He clapped his hands together. A pale man and a woman, both carrying guns, entered the room and took their place behind the humans. "You are both going to surrender, and your going to give me the talisman."

How did they know about the Phoenix Gate? She decided to feign nativity. "I don't know what you are talking about."

"I think you do." He nodded at his servants. Both of them placed the snub ends of the pistols at the back of Macbeth's and Fleance's skulls. "So what is going to be?" He waltsed around the prisoners, his eyes never leaving the red female. "Will it be their lives or will you surrender?"

"I surrender." Rinaldo didn't even wait a full second before he fell onto his knees. His arms were held high above his head.

"Smart boy," Balthazar smirked. "Horatio, I want you and Trax to use the chains on him."

Calliste turned at the rattling clink of chains rubbing against each other and saw as, a disheveled looking male with long, greasy hair and a thin man with beady hazel eyes and cheekbones so sharp they could cut cheese into thin slices approached the youth from Avalon with thick chains. "You don't even know what it's called." They wanted the gate, the only way she could return to her home in the future. She felt her eyes burning as the tears started to develop "You want it to satisfy your own needs. You just don't care that I may never see my friends or family again." She heard the click of the safety being removed from a gun. "You don't care, but I'll give it to you." She removed the Phoenix Gate from her pocket and held it out in front of her.

The corners of the ringleader's mouth swept up as he took the talisman from her. "Thank you my dear. Your kind is so predictable." He tilted the gate back, watching as the light struck the surface and reflecting off the golden phoenix and the edges.

"Where are we going to go first?" Horatio asked. He also smiled the second his master retrieved the gate, but his smile was more of an eager grin and not a malicious smirk like Balthazar's.

"The correct question is when, not where," Balthazar did not look up from the talisman. "We are going to go back in time to when the leader of the Wyvern clan was a little hatchling."

"He'll be easier to kill," Trax chuckled. "Good idea. Can we go back in time to Prohibition? I always felt like I'd make a great racketeer."

"We are making requests?" Colette's eyes brightened. "I want to watch Marie in the guillotine. I want to be close so I can see the head fall into the basket and smell the blood and as the blade cuts down I will eat a piece of cake."

"Ye have a morbid sense of irony." Macbeth scowled up at her.

The French vampire smiled. "I appreciate the compliment." She bent over and ran her finger nail against the side of his head.

"We will all go where and when we want to," Balthazar approached the female gargoyle. "How old is the leader of your clan? I'm talking as of now, not from your time."

"Uncle Goliath is 1065." Calliste answered. She only semi expected the slap across her face. His hand was not rough but it did leave behind a stinging feeling and the scent of old spice scented lotion.

Balthazar lowered his hand. "Do not toy with me, girl. I know your kind age more slowly than humans, but I know they cannot live past 240. Now tell me the age of your Uncle Goliath."

"I told you the truth. Goliath, my father and four others were under a spell for a thousand years. They were locked into stone until uncle David bought the castle."

He was ready to strike her again but the way her brown eyes were narrowed seriously he had to ponder what she said. "Magic does exist. If what you are saying is true then I have to travel back farther than I originally planned if I want to kill this Goliath."

"Why?"

"He and his clan killed my sister."

"Your sister?" She ran through the collection of stories her father told her in her mind. The first time there were vampire attacks in the city involved four vampires, and one was female. "He didn't kill her. He held onto the leader while Uncle Jon staked him."

"Alendro," he spat the name. "I would have staked him myself. Do you know who it was who murdered Xandra?"

She shook her head. "It could have been one of the Pack."

"How old are the members of the pack?"

"You really are bent on vengeance," her eyes narrowed. "You cannot kill the pack when they are children. You cannot change the past."

"I don't think you are in the position to tell me what I can and can't do."

"The lass is right," Macbeth spoke up. "Other people have tried."

"Aunt Demona tried to save her clan from being masquerade by Vikings, but she didn't succeed." Calliste said. "Your friends can go play gangster in the twenties or be a spectator at the French Revolution, but you can't go back in time and kill someone when they are young."

"Obviously she didn't do it right, but I will." He held the gate hive above his head and stood still. After a minute he brought it down and examined it. "How does it work?"

"I don't know." Calliste sighed. Balthazar raised his hand to slap her again. "I really don't. If I did I would have returned home instead of hopping back and forth through time for ten years."

"Ten years?"

She nodded. "There was a party going on in the castle and I wanted to be alone. I saw this glowing thing and I ran to it and caught it. There was a fireball and the next thing I knew I was sent back in time by a thousand years. I don't know when it will go off again. Sometimes I'm in a place for a second and it will go off, and sometimes It will stay cool for a few months."

"You are telling me you have no choice on where it takes you?"

"Even Oberon himself could not let her have control over the gate," Rinaldo spoke up. "He couldn't control it."

Calliste remembered when she handed the talisman to the ruler of Avalon. He could not keep it because it was active and he could not deactivate it himself. "The only one who can deactivate it was the one who activated it in the first place."

"And you don't know what that was?" Balthazar fought hard to keep his temper in check.

The quarterling did not want to betray anyone else, but she did not want anything to happen to Rinaldo, Macbeth or his employees. "It was Goliath." She felt a warm droplet travel down her cheek as she opened her eyes. The vampire leader had regained his devilish grin.

The image of Tom cruise pacing in front of Jack Nicholson filled the large screen of the gargoyle's television. Marle had seen the movie over twenty times and knew most of the lines by heart. She wanted to shout her favorite quote, but her mind wasn't on the movie. It was somewhere else, preoccupied by the feeling something was wrong with her egg, but it hadn't even been laid yet.

She wasn't alone. Lucy and Desdemona were sitting next to her on the plush sofa, and Rayne was occupying Hudson's favorite chair. Both Florida gargoyle and clone had seen the movie several times before, like Marle, but it was the first time for Desdemona. She watched it intently while asking if the marines were anything like the ones in the movie and Tom Cruise's character was considered a JAG.

"I want the truth!" Marle spoke alone with Cruise's character, ready to speak Nicholson's line as well. "You cant handle-" a jarring pain gripped her most intimate area. "Can't handle-The pain!" She grabbed onto her stomach and stood up as fast as she possibly could.

"It is time," Desdemona tried to gasp out while her face was twisted up in pain. "The rookery."

Marle and the others followed her out of the den and down the long hall. She was glad they had used one of the first floor rooms. She could not possibly climb up any steps, not with the pain she was in.

"Desdemona?" Angela asked with a weak voice. She had caught up with Desdemona's group as they were about to enter the rookery. Delilah, Michelle, and Gloria were following her, each one female had the same look of discomfort on their face.. "Gloria thinks it might be time."

The restored gargoyle nodded. "Inside. Find a place and gather enough bedding together."

"How are we going to know which ones ours," Rayne asked. "They have no scent and we didn't put dividers in the rookery."

Desdemona narrowed he eyes at her. "We will raise our children together. That is the gargoyle way."

"But I want to know which one is mine." She wanted her voiced to come out determined, but because of the discomfort it dribbled out as a whine.

"You are not the only one," Marle tried to give her a smile before looking at the others. All of them were nodding.

"We can discuss this inside." Desdemona pushed the door open and lead the females into the rookery.

Demona, Cecilia, Eleanor and Boudicca were already inside, sweeping up piles of straw, cotton, and feathers into a soft pile. Only Boudicca was in the middle of the room. The other females were against the walls their talons either sweeping or clawing into the wall.

"What are you doing?" Desdemona asked as the females were squatting and reaching up the scratch the stones. Her brow ridges rose when she realized they were scratching in their names. "You do not have to worry, little sister." She smiled at Rayne before she found a place next to Demona.

Marle found an area on the opposite side of the room and created a pile of the lining like the rest of the females before she squatted over it. She cried out along with the others as she felt her egg push through. She wished she could have been given the same pain killers the human females were given when they gave birth.

"Push!" Desdemona urged before another cry exited her throat.

"It hurts!" Lucy screamed. Her talons dug in deep beneath her name.

Demona's pain filled cry turned into roars. "Damn it Matt! This is the last one, you bastard!"

Marle screamed, feeling her own voice turn into a cougar like roar. She released her last roar as it ended, and felt her self fell forward against the wall as she tried to catch her breath. At least it wasn't as long as delivering a child. She didn't know which was less painful, but she was glad it was over. Marle waited against the wall, feeling the coolness of the bricks and listened to the diminishing cries of the other females.

The ice blue weregoyle slowly turned around and rested her back against the wall. Hudson would be pleased there were thirteen eggs in the rookery. She removed her gaze from grayish lavender eggs to the one before her. It was blue. It was a pale shade of blue just like her. "Blue?" She did didn't even have to write her name into the wall. She could easily tell her egg from the others. Marle kneeled down next to her egg.

Gloria sat down next to her egg and let out a relaxed sigh. "Why is Marle's egg blue?" She directed the question at Demona. "And why are our eggs green, and spotted?" She looked at her's again. Her egg was a pale greenish gray with large blotchy dark green spots.

"It is simple," Demona said as she pointed at Desdemona's egg. "That is a gargoyle egg. They are that color and lack spots because they are freshly laid. As gargoyle eggs age they become spotted. You and I laid weregoyle eggs. My guess Marle's egg is blue because she and Brooklyn are slightly different species.

"That makes sense," Gloria felt slightly dumb for not knowing the answer, but she was more exhausted than anything. She barely even noticed the second egg next to Boudicca. "Do beasts usually lay more than one?"

Both Demona and Desdemona sat up and stared at Boudicca. The brassy green beast was lying on her side, panting with her tongue hanging out. A few inches from her were two eggs, smaller in size than the others and more gray than lavender.

"Boudicca?" Cecilia slowly approached the beast. "It's over now. You can relax." She kneeled next to the dog like gargoyle and gently ran her fingetips over her side.

"I'd probably be panting that much if I laid two," Angela took a placed next to her sister and teacher over to pet the beast's head. "It wasn't too much for her. was it?"

"This is not the first time a beast had laid two eggs," Demona said. "It's not often, but not very rare. Once every other rookery when a beast lays more than one. It is more rare with us."

Boudicca's breathing gradually wore down as she licked her lips and sat back up. Her eyes shone with appreciation as she glanced at her rookery sisters.

"This counts as a celebration!" Goliath's voice rang out as he entered the kitchen with Matt. He and his patrol team were informed of the full rookery when they had glided in for a landing. Matt and Brooklyn gave their mates gentle hugs and kisses before he followed him into the kitchen.

"Shouldn't we wait for the others before we break into the champagne?" Brooklyn asked.

"No, and for two reasons," Goliath opened the door to the stainless steel fridge. "We are not drinking wine, and the second reason is because I'm thirsty." He removed the clear plastic bottles of Mountain Dew and handed two of them to the others.

"I can't believe I'm going to be father," Brooklyn gazed at the ceiling as he opened his bottle. "It won't be for ten more years," he sighed. "I think I have the cutest egg in the rookery. Its the same shade of blue as Marle."

"You have the most unique egg," Matt chuckled. "I'll give you that, but there is no way yours is cuter than my egg."

"I think Goliath would agree with me."

"I think Goliath does not want to get into this," Matt said. "I don't think he should. It's hatchling behavior to squabble over small details."

Brooklyn felt his beak drop. "I do have a long way to go before I become a leader and a father."

"Might not be as long as you think. Charlie hatched three months after he was laid and Marle is a weregoyle, not a gargoyle."

"Oh," his shoulders dropped.

"I am sure you will make a fine father," Goliath placed his hand on his second's shoulder. "You still have time and we will help you if you have any questions.

"I hate to interrupt your celebration," Owen entered the kitchen holding up a cordless phone. "I received a disturbing phone call from Macbeth's place."

"Disturbing?" Goliath's brow ridges rose.

Owen nodded. "They insist on speaking with you."

The clan leader narrowed his eyes at the bright red phone before he took it from the majordomo's hand. "Hello?"

"Am I speaking to Goliath?" A smooth voiced hissed.

"Who is this?"

"You don't really have proper phone manners. How typical for your kind."

Goliath bared his teeth as he squeeze the phone. "Who are you, and where is Macbeth?"

"Please don't take your rage out on the phone," Owen's voice was strict and yet, not bossy.

"You do not know my name do you?" The man on the other end asked. "I am Balthazar. I nearly drowned one of your members in that filthy sewer water a few years ago."

"I still don't know who you are."

"You know who this is," Goliath could hear faint whispering from the other end and the impact of a fist striking against flesh.

"It's a trap," Macbeth barked out before the phone was pulled away from him.

"As you can hear we do have Macbeth as a prisoner in his own house," the other man spoke again. "We also have two of his employees and two gargoyles."

"What do you want?" Goliath growled.

"I want you, and you alone. I'm pretty sure you know where Macbeth resides. I want you to come here and you better be alone."

"Why are you doing this?" Goliath cried out. He was only answered by the dial tone.

"What is it?" Brooklyn asked. Both he and Matt were listening to the discussion along with Owen. "Macbeth's in trouble?"

"And a few others," Goliath handed the phone to Owen. "He wants to see me only."

Calliste glared at the vampire leader as she placed her hands behind her. She could feel the grungy man examining her hands. Even though he wasn't touching her she had the feeling his eyes were on them, counting the fingers as he breathed on the back of her neck. "Stop breathing through your mouth. You are steaming up my hair."

"Hey boss can you slap her?" Trax asked as he wrapped chains around her arms.

"No," Balthazar took a quick look out the window. "She is right. You need to stop breathing through your mouth. I can smell the foul stench from over here.

"Hey," Trax sounded hurt. "I use binaca." He pat down on the top of Calliste's head, careful of her long horns. "This one is kind of cute, and different from the others. She's got eyebrows and five fingers. I think she's kind of a freak, but a cute freak."

"I'm part human, moron."

"Is that it. Maybe Balthazar or one of the others should take a taste. Make sure she is telling the truth." He smiled at Balthazar in time for his leader to slap him across the face.

"Don't be a fool. If she is hurt or dead we will loose whatever leeway we have." Balthazar turned back to the window to see a a large lavander form land on the ground a few feet away. "Looks like has arrived." He pointed to the male underling. "Take the gun with you and welcome him in. Tell him if you are harmed I will order one of the hostages to be shot."

"Yes, sir." The vampire removed the gun from pointing at Fleance's head and left.

"Soon," Balthazar stared at the gate, tracing his finger around the emblem. "Soon I will be able to have my revenge." It would be funny to have the large gargoyle tell him how to work it before he ceases to exist, or maybe he will let the beast live if he gives him the exact names of those who murdered his sister.

"Balthazar,"Goliath called out a few minutes later. The deep tremble of Wyvern clan leader echoed off the walls before Goliath even entered the room. He was holding the vampire by the cuff in one hand and the crumpled metal that was once his gun in the other.

The lackey chuckled weakly. "He didn't lay a hand on me. Just the gun and this is technically not hurting me, according to his rules, at least."

Balthazar turned up his nose. "I am certain you remember me now, monster. You can set him down, and don't try to use him as a barter chip."

"What is it you want?" Goliath slowly lowered his prisoner while studying the man's features. He was certain he had seen him somewhere before, but the female with red hair was more familiar. "I know you. You attacked an infant's birthday."

"He does remember us," Trax said. "Hey, Goliath. how's Dolph?"

Goliath didn't even look at the werewolf. "Unlike you Dolph is slowly redeeming himself."

"I knew he would." Trax grumbled, his usual wiseguy tone softned til it was barely audible. "Never liked eating human flesh."

"Silence!" Balthazar held up his hand. "A great fortune had come my way." He held up the gate. "Did you loose this?"

"The Phoenix Gate?" Goliath instantly reconized the gold and blue emblem. "How did you come across it. I sent it through time with no direction so that no one would find it."

"I found it," Calliste spoke up. "It appeared before me and I caught it and it sent me through time. I couldn't control it and even Oberon says he can't deactivate it."

He had barely noticed the female gargoyle. There was a strange familiarity about her."Why did it appear before you?"

The quarterling shrugged. "I wish I knew. After you let it go it must have kept cropping up through out various times. Only you can deactivate it."

"How do I do that?"

"Choose a location in time when it goes off. Please don't ask me when that happens. It's unpredictable."

Balthazar raised his dark eyebrows. "Are you telling me I have to give it to him until it goes off?" The only answer he received was not from the young female, but from Goliath in the form of the gargoyle grabbing on to his arm.

"I'll keep you close," Goliath grunted as he wrenched the talisman out of the vampires hand. "I need to demonstrate the merchandise before I can sell it." The second the golden edges came in contact with his large paw a bright glare danced about it, growing larger into a burning ball that consumed them and disappeared.

Colette watched, wide mouthed along with the others. "Balthazar?" Her eyes narrowed, pale green taking on a golden hue as she turned to the gargoyle youths. "What have you done to him?"

"I did nothing," Calliste said. "It was the gate."

"Where is my Balthazar?"

"Somewhere in time," Rinaldo answered while inching closer to the female. "That's what happened whenever we travel through time."

"It worked?" Her normal eye color slowly returned. She approached the spot her mate and Goliath were standing in wondering if they would appear there again.

Maryland/ Virginia border. Winter 1779

A bright sphere appeared over the snow covered ground in the middle of a woodland clearing. Goliath felt the compacted snow being crushed under the talons of his feet. "This is what I wanted." He glanced at The Phoenix Gate. The talisman appeared to have lost the spectacular luster it held before.

"Where and when are we?" Balthazar immediately shivered the second they had arrived.

"We are in America during the Revolution," Goliath spoke while searching the area. He noticed the way the vampire was trembling. "I thought your kind was not bothered by the cold."

"Once we are used to the environment we are," Balthazar explained. "This was a shock to go from a warm shelter to a cold forest."

"It's colder in New York."

"That is true," his shivering slowed and his arms dropped to his side. "How do I know this is the Revolution and you just didn't send us to some random location during modern times?"

"You have a right to question me." He folded his wings against his shoulders as he walked away. "Follow."

Goliath didn't know where he was going. His direction was somewhat random. He wanted to go back in time during the Revolution, but he did not want to be at one of the major battles, nor did he want to be in the middle of it, just close. He did choose the particular time for another reason and hoped it would convince the vampre to not take the gate if Balthazar wanted it for the reason he thought it would.

Even if Balthazar hadn't changed his mind he was going to carry them both back to Macbeth's a few minutes after they left. He hoped the extra time would be enough for the others to create a plan.

Balthazar stretched his legs to keep up with the lavender giant. The shock of the temperature had worn off and the chilly air no longer effected him. "How far are we from the action?" He whispered. The Turkish vampire was slightly impatient, but he was not going to risk getting them noticed by voicing his complaints out loud.

"Close," Goliath hissed. He did not know how well the vampire's hearing and sense of smell was, but he could hear the explosions and smell the gun powder used by the muskets. He dropped to the ground and bounded forward several yard before positioning himself behind a thick tree. He stared past his shoulder at the vampire racing towards him before staring a head. Balthazar had caught up to him in time as a canon was fired. The loud explosion caused the immortal to freeze and drop to the ground.

"Was that a canon?" Balthazar asked as he took refuge behind the gargoyle. The sound of gunshots from the long primitive guns were even more clear.

Goliath nodded. "The battle is about to move our way. We should seek shelter, but there is one question I have to ask. Why do you want the gate?"

"Who wouldn't want to go back in time? my clan and I have several reasons, but I want revenge. I want to kill the pack before they have a chance to kill my sister."

Goliath's guess was right about Balthazar's motives. "You can't change the past."

"The girl told me the same, but I know it was just a stalling tactic."

"You don't believe me?"

"Why should I?"

Goliath shook his head. "I chose this place in time for a reason. A few nights ago I watched a show on the history channel about this exact time. It was taken from the journal of one of the soldiers. A group of them sought shelter in these very woods and planed a surprise attack on the British and succeeded." He stared the vampire in the eyes. "I'm going to allow you try to change history." He pressed his claws into the bark of the tree and quickly climbed up.

Balthazar narrowed his eyes as the gargoyle climbed higher through the branches. "Do you have any idea where they hid exactly?"

Goliath scanned across the woods searching for soldiers dressed mostly in blue. He saw small group carrying dead, dry shrubs and large branches over their heads in hopes to conceal them. It had to have been them. According to the program the soldier's group was inspired by a particular scene from Macbeth

"I see them," Goliath called down. "The are heading towards a ravine. About a thirty yards south, southwest of the clearing we have arrived in."

"Before I go to see you are telling the truth hand me the gate. It won't go of now, right?"

"It won't activate unless you know the incantation," he stared at the vampire's determined expression. "You are afraid I'll leave without you?" Goliath dropped the gate. The magical talisman landed softly in the snow a few inches say from the vampire.

Balthazar quickly snatched the trinket and slipped it into the pocket of his dress jacket.

"I will be keeping an eye on you. You can try to change history, but the second you bare your fangs we are going back."

"Very well," Balthazar mumbled and hurried through the snow without even looking up.

Balthazar did not have to worry about having to stop and catch his breath. It was one of the advantages of being one of the undead. The Turkish vampire raced across the snow. He could almost taste the victory that was at hand, but there was one thing bothering him. Goliath seemed so arrogant when he gave him the challenge.

"It was a ruse, and nothing more." He grunted as he continued along his way.

He slowed down as he approached the ravine, hoping the snow would not crunch loud enough for them to hear.

The ravine didn't seem to be too wide and was nearly surrounded and covered by naked branches. At first he thought the gargoyle had lied to him but then he noticed movement. He slowly walked closer to the hiding place, speedwalking from tree to tree, trying not to make a sound. He paused behind a short and thick tree, peering behind it to give the ravine a closer look. He made out a few glimpses of hair and the tri-corner hats they wore. He also saw the long tube like metal of the gun.

He quietly double backed through the snow, careful not to make a sound until he had put a good distance between himself and the ravine. Once he was halfway back he raced towards the tree Goliath was in, or was in. He could not see any sign of the lavander creature.

The question of the where abouts of Goliath was answered when the gargoyle glided towards the tree and landed on the largest branch, causing it to shake. The gargoyle wasn't lying when he had said he would be watching him.

"You were right and now watch me prove to you that I can change history."

"Be my guest," Goliath called down. He had found a comfortable place to watch until Balthazar would become out of a range. If this was anyone else he would argued until his face was a deep shade of eggplant, but with creatures such as Balthazar he had to show him the truth.

Balthazar stared back up at him. "Go ahead and be so cocky. I will prove you wrong."

He ran forward past Goliath's shelter. His eyes seeking out the telling red of the British soldiers.

It did not take him long to find what he was looking for. Five British soldiers were kneeling behind a make shift barrior of broken branches propped up against each other. Three of them were loading their muskets with gun powder. The other two had the ends of their weapons poking through the cracks of their shield.

They appeared trigger ready. Balthazar knew it would have been stupid if he snuck on them and introuduced himself. It would be better if he grabbed their attention while a few yards away.

"Gentlemen! I belie-" he was stopped short when another canon blast landed in the middle of the group of soldiers, scattering snow and debris.

Manhattan, 2003

Calliste kept her eyes on the spot where both Goliath and Balthazar had disappeared. She had wondered why they hadn't returned a second later. At least the werewolf wasn't bothering her. In fact no one was even talking. The only sound she heard was Rinaldo rattling his chains.

"I'm switching the ring around," Rinaldo whispered into her ear.

"What?" She hissed back, hoping their captors weren't listening. She knew it wasn't impossible for the gargoyle to slide the Celtic ring of and spin it around before slipping it back on. He had done it when his hands were stuck in a jar once. It was more of matter on why he was doing it.

"I have a plan." He answered.

"What kind of plan?" She turned around and stared at the vacant spot where the gargoyle once was. She couldn't see him, but she could feel him lean against her as he tried to stand up. She gave him a little help by lifting him with her tail.

"Where the other one go?" Trax had removed his gaze from where Goliath and Balthazar vanished. "Where is pointy head?"

"What?" Colette shrieked when she saw the male gargoyle had vanished. "Where is he?"

"His name is not pointy head," Calliste growled.

"Where is he?"

"He just pulled a vanishing act."

I know that," the buxom vampire wrinkled her nose. "I want to know where he went."

"Don't be daft lass," Macbeth spoke. He was watching as Rinaldo when he had just seemed to disappear. "That would defeat the purpose of the spell."

"Spell?" Colette turned her head towards to him.

"Aye. Ye know perfectly well some gargoyles are able to perform magic spells."

"Don't move," the voice of the male whispered into the Scotsman's ear. Macbeth froze as he heard something cut through the rope. A second swipe cut away even further and he could feel the weight of a gargoyle leg being brought down against him.

"Thank ye lad." Macbeth muttered underbreath. He didn't know how he was doing it, but he was thankful.

"Now you don't see me," Rinaldo called out. "And now you do." He appeared sitting a few inches from Calliste.

Their captors stared at them, dumbfounded. Colette pointed at the Avalonian, but no sound came from her lips.

Horatio was the first to make his mouth work. "He is magical mistress."

"How did you do that?" Colette asked.

"I have a special gift," Rinaldo said. "It allows me to turn invisible. A gift I'm willing to give to you." He lowered his eyelids and smiled. "On one condition."

"What is it?" Colette smiled at him. To be able to turn invisible at will was very tempting. It would make things easier for her to hunt down victims and fight their enemies. She did prefer to uses her beauty and grace to lure the men to her. Maybe she could let Balthazar use it for hunting and she would use it for fighting.

"Trade the gate for it."

"I figured there was trick," Trax grunted. "Forget it."

Rinaldo studied the captors. The other female vampire seemed to be as disappointed as Trax, but the male was as eager as Colette. The one called Horatio seemed confused, not sure which he would rather have. "You can't change the past, but you can make the present to suit your needs. Think of all what you can do when you are invisible."

Colette placed her finger against the bottom of her mouth. If the gargoyles were right about the past then there would be not much fun to have with the gate. "I really want to turn invisible."

She, nor anyone else knew it was the exact time Goliath had in mind when he and Balthazar returned. Her whole body became lit in a brilliant red glow as a sphere of flames appeared behind her.

Maryland/ Virginia border. Winter 1779

Balthazar dove down to the frozen ground the second the cannon ball had struck and shielded himself from the flying debris. He felt snow, dirt and stones rain down against his back while his shirt and the front part of his pants became saturated with melted snow. A branch was torn from a tree and struck him on the shoulders. If he had been a human the impact from the branch would have broken a couple of bones.

He waited until the ringing had cleared from his ears before he sat up and turned towards the direction of the tree Goliath was sitting in. "One little infraction won't change my mind," he grumbled.

Several more red coats were racing towards their fallen comrades and a handful more were charging towards the direction the canon was fired from. Their muskets were constantly being fired at the revolutionists. One soldier, much wider in girth than the others, ran right into the vampire as he stood back up.

The colision near sent Balthazar sprawling back into the snow. He steadied himself while waiting for the pain to leave his sore body. If Goliath was indeed watching him he was sure he was laughing at him by now.

"Watch were you are going," the soldier narrowed his eyes at the vampire. The man he ran into had skin much darker than he did, almost a bronze hue. He was also dressed in a strange outfit, and did not appear to be suffering from the cold. "You, what are you?"

"What do you mean?" Balthazar asked as he swept the debris off his clothes. He did not bother to stare the Englishman in the eyes. He never did give his pawns that much respect, especialy one that appeared to be unfit to be a soldier. The other man was almost twice as fat as the rest of his men.

"Where you from? You are obviously not a yank and you are not dark enough to be a Negro. Your features are not like those of an Indian."

"I'm from Turkey, originally." he quickly cleaned the last bits of dirty snow off.

"Oh," his thin eyebrow raised with recognition. "What's a Turk doing out here, and why are you dressed like that?"

Balthazar smiled. "Not going to help your fellow men?"

"I am," he stood rigid. "I mean I was until I ran into you."

"How would you like to receive special recognition from your commanding officer? I have discovered something you might find of interest."

"What would a Turk find that is of interest of to me?"

Balthazar chuckled. "A group of yank soldiers hiding in a ravine, ready for an surprise attack."

The soldier's eyes widened. "Tricky little buggers." He rubbed his chin. "How do I know you are telling the truth? Why would you want to help our side?"

"Come with me and I will tell you," Balthazar turned around and walked backwards in the direction he came from.

The soldier glanced at the survivors of the canon attack being helped and the last of his fellow troops race after the American troops and followed the mystery man. "Who are you?"

The vampire didn't slow his space. "You made a right choice my friend."

"Who are you?"

"You may call me Balthazar." He quickened his steps to an almost jog before racing ahead, ignoring the pleas of the soldier for him to slow down. He only paused when he came across a fallen log and sat down while waiting for the soldier to catch up.

The soldier staggard towards him, breathing deeply. "You didn't have to run like that."

"I was just anxious to show you the men." Batlhazar enjoyed watching the Brit suffer. Besides, he felt the soldier could uses some exorcise. "Now come on."

"Wait," he reached out. The other hand was on his chest while he tried to catch hsi breath. "I'm still not ready."

The vampire slowly rose from his seat. "Do you want to find these traitors or not?"

"I do."

"Good, now follow."

"You never told me why you are doing this."

"I'm not fond of those who betray their nation, especially those that would upset a great and noble empire such as your nation."

"That is nice of you , Mr. Balthazar."

The Turkish man stopped short and turned around. "There is no Mister. There is just Balthazar."

"Oh," he blinked. "sorry about that."

"Don't be." The sooner he lead the soldier to the hidden Americans the better. he couldn't wait to be rid of the annoying man and prove to Goliath he can change the past. "We are almost there."

They were nearing the clearing when Balthazar heard the sound of a gun go off behind him. The sound was too close, either there was a small battle taking place nearby, or a few of the revolutionist's had tracked them down.

He turned to alert the soldier to find a place to hide only to see the soldier's eyes widen. A ring of dark red moisture developed from the hole in his chest. Blood traveld down his jacket, staining the material as he fell forward and landed on the frozen ground. More blood trickled out from both the hole in his back and his mouth.

From behind the dead man stood four soldiers dressed in blue. The one lowering his gun was also the tallest of the group. He was also the only who did not wear a tri corner hat. He brushed his chesnut braid over his shoulders.The other three off them still had their guns raised.

"No," Balthazar shook his head. There was no way the lavender gargoyle was going to be right. He would not allow it. "Those were minor setbacks. You ruined it!"

The tall soldier ignored his outburst "It appears another nation is backing the British." His cold silver eyes glared at Balthazar.

"Which country do you represent?" The youngest soldeier said. He kpet his shoulder length hiar untied.

"I represent only myself," Balthazar hissed. "Now if you excuse me I need to find someone."

"He wants to report to his superior officer!" The shortest of the four said and fired his musket. The vampire did not have a chance to duck. He took the bullet in the chest. It wasn't the first time he was shot, but he was used to the steamlined bullets with the pointed ends. The burining, round bullet tore through his left lung. The pain was excruciating. He leaned forward, but did not fall.

"He isn't supposed to be doing that," the tall soldier said. "He's supposed to be dying."

"That's because I'm already dead," Balthazar stood back up. His bourbon colored eyes had shifted to a yellowish shade and his canines had lengthen into fangs.

"Holy Christ!" All four soldiers stared at him in complete shock. Another soldier tried to fire at him but Balthazar ducked, missing the bullet and rolling over to the short soldier. He grabbed him before he had a chance to run.

The vampire stared deep into the frightened gaze of his captive."I will not drain or sire any of you, but if that is what it will take to change the past-"

"Then you will not do it." The deep voice of Goliath boomed down from overhead as the lavender beast glided down.

The youngest soldier aimed for the gargoyle and fired, but missed as Goliath carefully glided out of the path of the bullet. He, and the rest of the soldiers fell chest first to the ground.

Goliath dove into Balthazar, sending them both sprawling over the snow. Goliath stood up first and glanced at the frightened soldiers. They were quickly refueling their muskets with ammo and powder.

"You can't interfere," Balthazar barked as he rose to his feet. His fangs were still out. "You promised."

Goliath picked him up. The vampire's attempt to struggle out of his hold prompted him to growl. "And you promised to not bare your fangs." He held onto him tightly as he quickly ran, heading towards the direction of the clearing.

"It was a reflex brought on by the bullet."

"You started to attack the soliders, unless that was part of the reflex." Goliath approached the area they had arrived in and set the vampire down. "Now give me the gate."

"Why?"

"Because I'm the only one who knows how to use it." Goliath quickly snatched the talisman and grabbed onto the vampire. "I'd leave you here if Macbeth and the others were not in danger. Deslagrate muri tempi et intervalia." Flames sparked across the gate, creating a radiating flame that consumed the both of them in a ball of fire and vanished.

Manhattan, 2003

The fiery sphere illuminated the entire room as the two time travelers returned from the Revolution. The gargoyle released the vampire as soon as the flames had died.

"Balthazar?" The red-haired vampire sqrealed his name in delight. "You are back!" Her enthusiasm quickly died as something entered her mind. "How is my hair? Did the flames burn it?" she ran her fingers through her tresses, seeking out burned areas.

"Your hair is beautiful as always my pet," Balthazar smiled at her. "The flames do not burn anyone. All of you, not just your hair is a treat for my eyes after what I have been through. Speaking of which," he swiped the talisman from Goliath's hand before the gargoyle had time to react.. "You must teach me the incantation."

"Are you telling me you still haven't learned?" Goliath asked.

The vampire leader stared at The Phoenix Gate before looking at Colette. "I believe you may be right about not being able to change the past, but we still can go back and be like tourists."

"You can give him back the time traveling talisman," Colette said, her eyes resting on the drab green gargoyle. "I want what he has."

Balthazar pursed his lips together and raised his left brow. "Why is that?"

"He can turn invisible master," Horatio said. "I've seen him do it. We all have seen him do it."

"How?" Balthasar approached the gargoyle with deep red hair. "How did you do this?"

"If you removed these chains form me I will be able to show you," Rinaldo said.

"You did it with the chains still on," Colette pointed at him.

He nodded. "But if you want to know how to work it yourself you will have to remove the chains."

"That seems reasonable," Balthazar glanced around the room. "Which of you has the key?"

"I have it master!" Horatio ran up to him, removing a tiny key from his back pocket.

Goliath watched as the gaunt servant loosened the bicycle chain wrapped around Rinaldo's arms. "Why are you willing to give them such a gift?"

The young gargoyle glanced at Calliste. "I don't really have to turn invisible, but she needs the gate so she can return home. Without it she will never she her parents, or friends."

"I shouldn't have to make you give up something you had since you were a hatchling," Calliste shook her head while staring at the ground. "This is all my fault"

"No," Goliath sighed. "If there is anyone to blame it is me. I sent it through time without giving it an exact direction."

"You were doing what you thought was right at the time," Calliste said. "Even in your old age you still regret that decision, Uncle Goliath."

"Old?" The leader of the Wyvern clan blinked. "Uncle?" He studied the females features. He had seen those wings before, along with the same face. Her skin and hair coloring were also as familiar as her horns. Why didn't he realize it before? A female gargoyle from the future who had the same coloration and horns of his second and the wings and facial features of Marle.

"Now to show you the script to my act," Rinaldo said as he held out his hand. He slid the brass ring off his middle talon and flipped it over, having the red triangular gem point up instead of down, before the slid it back onto his hand. The gargoyle instantly vanished.

"He's got the ring!" Banquo shouted. "Just like the one in the movies."

"The one ring is real?" Horatio asked. "Master, can the ring really exist?"

Their leader shook his head. "It was a story, a made up story and nothing more."

Rinaldo kept silent while the vampires debated what the ring was. It would bought him some time to bolt across the room and place himself behind Banquo and Fleance. Macbeth's own bindings were held together by a string. The immortal had even managed to loosen some of Fleance's ties. The gargoyle quickly loosened it the rest of the way before clawing and untying Banquos ropes.

"Why must you argue what it is?" Goliath asked. "This is taking much longer than I hoped. Call it whatever you want and exchange it with the gate. Let the youths go home and leave Macbeth's for good."

"The leader of the beasts is correct," Balthazar said. "We are willing to make the exchange now."

"I was hoping you would say that," Rinaldo appeared before him. The ring was held out, displayed in the palm of his out stretched hand. "Hand me the gate and I'll give you the ring."

"Why not in reverse?" Balthazar asked. "Don't you trust me?" He noticed the way the youth was growling at him. "You are a smart boy." He grabbed onto the ring while setting the gate in his other hand.

"I may not trust you," Rinaldo clutch onto both treasures and pulled back. "But you trust me too much." He jumped backwards taking both the ring and the gate with him.

Balthazar nearly fell backwards from being relased of the small tug of war like game"Shoot him!" He commanded.

"Not in my house," Macbeth stood up, shedding the loose bits of rope from his limbs. Banquo and Fleance grabbed both of the underlings. Fleance, being able to knock the gun from the female's hands and sent it flying across the floor.

Balthazar quickly pounced for the discarded gun. He only made a half jump before landing on his stomach. Something was holding onto his leg and by the strength of the grip and the growling he knew who it was.

Macbeth quickly zeroed for Horatio. The gaunt servant was aiming his gun at the immortal, ready to pull the trigger. Macbeth didn't care. He could take a few bullets before crumpling onto the ground. His adversary aimed for the left while Macbeth veered for the right. As he stepped forward he swung his fist into the side of the man, delivering a force that should have caused him to drop the gun, but it didn't.

Horatio felt all his strenght concentrait into one arm as he clutched onto the gun, not allowing it to fall out of his hand, nor would he allow Macbeth to take it from him. He could not shoot the olderman because every tine he brought the gun up Macbeth woud try to either ram his fist into Horatio's arm or try to kick it out of his hand. The gaunt servant used what little strenght he had left for his left fist and he fought back.

As soon as Balthazar had ordered the attack Rinaldo quickly scrambled to his feet and placed the magical items on Caliste's lap. He glanced up as Collate had shifted to her vampire face and Trax began to change into his wolf form. "Pull with me." He grabbed onto the chains and quickly tried to tear them off. She flexed her arms down into the opposite direction as he pulled up. With her help the links snapped.

"Rinaldo!" She grabbed onto the gate and handed him the ring. Her friend had slipped it on the second the werewolf had pounced onto him, pinning him down. She wanted to help, but not with another vampire on the loose.

Colette's original target was the green gargoyle but with him in invisible mode and the female loose she did not have much choice. She anticipated the first fist and ducked, missing being struck in her nose. She even second guessed the kick, ready to jump it, but she didn't expect the gargoyle to kick up instead of straight out. The bottom of her feet stuck the gargoyles calf and toppled to the floor.

She sould not give up that easily. Colette rose to her face and without so much as a hiss she raced forward.

Calliste ddin't even wait for the vampire to hit the ground when she reached into her pocket and pulled the Phoenix Gate out. She swung her fist out, striking Colette on the jaw with the gate. She pocketed the talisman before she held her hands up, ready for the counterstrike.

Trax blinked in surprise. He remembered seeing the gargoyle as he was landing from his leap, but just as his paws were about to come in contact with his flesh he disappeared. He could feel the warm body under his paws and he could smell the gargoyle's scent, but he could not see him. Fighting an invisible enemy was going to be hard, but as long as he could smell he would be able to attack the young gargoyle.

Rinaldo took advantage of the werewolf's confusion and swung up, striking the wolf's jaw with his fist while he kicked around with his feet. His lower talons struck the underside of the wolf. His talons cut through the wolf's skin.

Trax snarled his pain. His jaw was stilling sore but it did not hinder him from biting. He lunged his jaw down and snapped onto the air with the hope he would catch something in his teeth. His sharp fangs scaratched the top of the gargoyle's shoulder while he recieved a mouthful of hair. He stretched out one leg and brought it down onto the floor. His pads came into contact with the soft leather of the gargoyle's wing. He pulled his paw back as the claws scratched the skin.

Sweat coated Macbeth's face, matting down his beard. The immortal held onto the servant's wrists, squeezing with all his might but he still refused to let go of the gun. "Yer a stubborn one all right."

"This is for my mistress and master," Horatio squeaked. The pain in his wrist was unbearable and knew there was going to be swelling and bruising, but he would not release the gun from his trembling fingers.

"Ye leave me with little choice." He released the other hand and swung back, striking the serving in the shoulder before grabbing onto the gun.

"No!" the thinner man called out as he tried to force Macbeth from the weapon. He tried to pull back with all his might, not noticing his fingers had pressed hard against the trigger.

Banquo held up the lackey he was fighting against the window. The immortal's face was covered with deep violate bruises and broken nose. One more punch and he would have the vampire knocked out for a short while, but he would accidentally break his boss's window in the process.

He heard the gunfire before feeling the searing hot lead pierce through his chest and continue through the vampire's shoulder and through the window. Banquo felt his conscious beginning to ebb from his body as he used the last remaining bit of strength in his body and punched the vampire with both fists, sending him through the glass. The image of jagged pieces of glass with the ends stained in blood was the last thing he saw as he fell to the ground.

"Banquo!" Fleance screeched before she grabbed the vampire she was fighting by the ears and slamming her head against the ground. Ignoring the rush of cold from the broken window she raced to Banquo's side.

"No," Goliath dropped Balthazar and hurried over to the fallen man. Behind him the Turkish vampire rose to his feet in time for Trax-thrown by an invisible force-too knock against his body.

"You!" Macbeth grunted before he brought his elbow down against the back of Horatio's head.

"Horatio!" Colette shrieked not paying attention to the gargoyle as she used her tail to trip her.

"Colette grab Horatio," Balthazar quickly scrambled to his feet. He picked up the female lackey. "Pick him up and follow me."

"But our vengeance," Colette quickly collected the fallen servant. "What about or vengeance."

"It can wait. We need to get to the van."

Calliste didn't care if the monsters left or not. A man may have died while fighting them. She swiftly approached the group gathering around Banquo.

"He isn't dead is he?" Rinaldo asked as he removed the ring.

"Not yet," Macbeth said solemnly. He pulled a phone out form his pocket and quickly pressed the numbers for 911.

"I should have just let go off the ring," Rinaldo sighed . He stared at the metal band encircling his talon. "I shouldn't have pulled that move."

"Don't blame yourself," Goliath told him. "It as a clever move and I couldn't begin to think what they would have done with the ring."

"He's right, Rinaldo." Calliste took his hand into hers. "I'm the one you should blame. You would still be on Avalon and I would still be home and this would have never happen."

"I am certain I am happy I left Avalon and Raphael would agree with me."

"Goliath," Macbeth placed a glove clad hand over the receiver. "I don't want to hear you starting placing the blame on yourself. I'm the one who let them in my house to begin with. I should have exercised my better judgment."

"Stop it all of you!" Fleance sat up. Her cheeks still puffed up from crying. "Don't blame yourselves. You didn't shoot him."

"I may have assisted in firing the gun."

"No sir," Fleance shook her head. "I still won't blame you. I blame those monsters, those vampires. They were the ones who are at blame."

Macbeth placed his hand over the receiver once more. "Goliath, I suggest ye and the young ones leave before the police and ambulance arrive."

The clan leader nodded before turning to the young warriors. "Do you know how to use the gate?"

"I memorized the incantation. It had no effect before." She removed the talisman out from her pocket. "Lets go home, Rinaldo. Deslagrate muri tempi et intervalia." Tiny flames sparked around the emblem of the Phoenix and formed a fiery sphere around both her and Rinaldo.

2024

The flames gradualy died around the two garoyles leaving cool spring time breezes to brush against their skin. She kept her eyes closed but she knew she was home. She felt the stone floor of the castle beneath her feet and inhaled the sweet scent of flowers: gardenias, orchids, roses, honeysuckle, heather, lilacs and hyacinths from the garden.

"This is Wyvern?" Rinaldo asked solemly. He expected a castle made of seperate stones like Oberon's castle back on Avalon. He didn't expect to see parts of the towers and battlments to be made out of a strange blue metal.

Callste did not have a chance to answer. Several voices cried out at once about the sight of the flame. She knew the flame would attract someone and she was more than pleased when several gargoyles emerged from the nearest entrance.

At the mere sight of her and Rinaldo the gargoyles screamed with glee.

"Rinaldo?" Mercutio raced toward his rookery brother on all fours, followed by Angela.

"Mercutio, Angela," the olive hued gargoyle held out his arms to embrace him. "You both have aged quiet well."

The webwing stuck his toungue out at him. "We may be older, but we are looking better."

"I think I know how you got these injuries," Angela pointed at the scratches in his wing. "It's a good thing we are immune to werewolf saliva."

"I will heal within a day," Rinaldo folded his wings. "There is a different kind of pain that won't heal as fast," he glanced at Calliste as more members of the clan raced out to greet her. "A pain we are both feel."

"I missed everyone," Calliste called out as she felt herself being pulled into the arms of her mother and sibblings who each in turned squeezed her in full embrace.

"It wasn't five days for you was it?" the voice of her father asked.

"No it wasn't," she allowed her father to take her into his arms. it was only when he hugged her did she release her tears. "Oh, daddy I missed you."

"I missed you too," he gently brushed the back of her head.

"Something bad happened before I left."

"It's okay honey," Brooklyn held her close allowing her to saturate his shoulder with her tears.

Manhattan 2003

Goliath sat on the battlement of the tallest of Wyvern's tower. He stared at the sea of stars before him, wondering if he had done the right thing seven years ago.

"Goliath?" Elisa approached him. Her eyelids were low and mouth set in a frown. "I just received a phone call from Macbeth. Banquo didn't make it." Her husband didn't seem to respond. "Goliath I'm sorry. I know you feel responsible about his death, but it's not your fault."

Goliath breathed in deep. "Did I do the right thing when I threw the Phoenix Gate into the timestream?"

"Considering the possible consequences back then I believe you were in the right."

"Look what it has caused," he turned to stare into her eyes. "An innocent man has died and I ruined the life of a young female."

"You don't know how much good she had done. How many lives she saved, people she had helped."

"I still feel guilty."

"I'm sure the butterfly is feeling bad about causing the hurricane." She tried to offer a smile. "Don't blame yourself for everything you had done in the past. Look to the future. We have a rookery full of eggs and who knows what kind of heroes they will grow into."

"I know, but I kneed to make it up to Macbeth somehow."

"We'll do it together." She spread her arms around his waist and placed her head against his chest.

The End