Demona's Love Reborn v2 Part 4

by scottmercure

Demona has grown to trust McGregor and begins to open up feelings she has kept buried for years. Progress on both Xanatos' and Demona's project begin to bear fruit, however, an incident occurs that will change James' life unless he can find a way to control it.

DEMONA'S LOVE REBORN (Rewritten Version)
Part 4

By Scott Mercure smercure

All Gargoyles and characters are trademarks of Disney and Buena Vista Television, (c) MCMXCIV and used without their consent. Professor Scott Mercure, Venus Mercure, Jacob Forelle and all characters of the Lost Clan, BioClan and any other character not belonging to Gargoyles belongs to Scott Mercure. Daniel Straussmore and the Athena Project belong to Ryan Stout. All brand names or copy written material mentioned in this story belong to their respective owners.

Anybody who wants to use our characters is welcome to, as long as they contact us (Scott Mercure and Ryan Stout) first. Tell us what you plan to do with them and chances are we won't mind, although I cannot speak for Ryan.

Please be sure to read all the new rewrites to my Athenaverse fan firs before indulging in this series. These stories include "A New Beginning" and the first three parts of the rewritten "Demona's Love Reborn ''. Since these stories take place before any of Ryan Stouts it is not necessary at this time to go and read them to understand what is happening. I am not trying to sway you away from reading his fanfictions, I am only saying it is not necessary.

Author's Note:
Hello, welcome to yet another addition to the rewritten Demona's Love Reborn series. Sorry if this one took longer than you wanted but I was slowed by the fact that I started encountering problems fitting in with the main Gargoyles series timeline. It took me some time and juggling of scenes to get things working properly so that things do not overlap or happen too soon.
For those you've read my original DLR you will find tons of changes in this part, both characters and scene wise. I had to completely redesign the idea on how the character James MacGregor would be able to interact with Demona on an intimate scale that would be believable. Also you will find Demona doing things that most of you would not think possible or believable. As I have said before I believe that Demona does have a soft spot in her somewhere, but there is somebody who can bring it out of her.
That is about all for now. As always please feel to send me your comments, questions or anything else you wish. Thank you for taking the time to read my Gargoyles "Athenaverse" fanfiction series!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
At first Demona did not recognize the silver Pontiac Sunfire coming up her gravel driveway and growled angrily. From her vantage point on the roof she was able to see for a great distance in every direction. Earlier she had decided to wait up here for James to arrive and surprise him by swooping down and lifting him back into the air with her. She knew it was a stupid thing she wanted to do but somehow it felt like it would be fun.
It seemed now, however, that those plans were ruined and that whoever was in that car would get more than she had planned for James. Leaping to the cornice she crouched and readied herself to swoop down and pay respects to the intruder. When the vehicle stopped and gaped when she saw James step out and close the door.
"So, he finally smartened up and got his own car." She said softly, a playful smile parting her lips.
Keeping to her original plan she leapt from the roof and glided silently up and around so that she could approach from the rear. She did not want the surprise spoiled by him seeing her. As she completed her turn she went into a dive, heading straight towards him.
Smiling evilly she lowered her arms and positioned them so they would catch his underarms. The silent approach apparently worked as James let out a surprised yelp as she caught him and pumped her wings to gain back the altitude she had lost. For a moment she was afraid that his weight, which was more than she expected, would drag her down. For another moment he started to fight a bit until he realized what had grabbed him. Because of this she felt her wing muscles begin to strain against keeping them both in the air. It did not help either that she was not carrying him in the most convenient way.
It took all her strength to reach the roof again, to which she set him down as carefully as her sore wings would allow. He stumbled slightly when his feet touched the rooftop but she was barely able to stand when she touched down.
"How much do you weigh?" She breathed, not refusing when he caught her arm.
"Apparently more than you thought." James replied, chuckling. "Are you okay?"
She nodded, taking the opportunity to lean on him. "It is nothing. I will be fine in a few minutes."
"You gave me quite a shock, lass." He said, sliding his hand around her waist.
"That was my intention." She mused, then chuckled. "I am glad it worked."
She was about to move away when for some reason he bent, put his other arm under her legs and lifted her. Instinctively she threw her arm around his neck, certain that there was no way he could do what he was attempting. Just her weight alone she figured was almost twice his own. When she started to protest her voice froze as she realized that he had her cradled in his arms. What was even stranger was he did not seem to be straining, and if he was she could not see it on his face.
"What are you doing?" She breathed, still taken aback by strength she did not know he possessed.
"I am going to carry an Angel in my arms." He replied, giving her the smile she found attractive.
She could not think of any kind of reply but found that she liked being called by her old name. Folding her wings about her and making certain he would not step on her tail he started down into her manor. Not once did he falter, nor seem as if he was losing his strength. She knew she was too heavy for a normal human to carry, so she began to wonder if he had been doing other things without her knowledge.
Still, she found it very intimate to be carried in such a manner. She enjoyed the feel of his arms holding her up, the warmth of his body. This was something she had missed for a long time, and she liked it way too much. It was not until they were on the first floor, in the living room, did he set her down on the couch.
She reluctantly released her hold on him, letting her hand slide down his arm as he stood up again.
"Well, I am here as you asked." James said, smiling at the way she was looking at him. "Care to enlighten me as to your plan?"
"Do you have the data?" She asked, grinning slyly.
He nodded and produced a mass storage drive from his coat pocket. Placing it in her hand she examined it for a moment, wondering if her computer had a compatible interface. She figured that if it did not then she would simply get one. Smiling, she handed the drive back and watched as he returned it to his coat pocket.
"You have been working a lot, plus all the nice things you have done for me." She said as they approached the sofa. "I feel that this… vacation… is what you need and I have just the place."
James watched as she sat on the sofa, patting the area next to her to indicate she wanted him to join her.
"I have a private place on the beach at Cape Cod." Demona said, smiling. "I use it as one of my safe houses when I need to vanish for a while."
"Sounds like a nice place." James replied. "I have never been there myself."
"I have not been there for some time as well." She replied, sliding her tail around his leg. "As with all my safe houses it is equipped with a computer that I can use to access my network."
James nodded and did not object when Demona leaned closer to him. Her arm was resting against his as she stared at the floor, apparently not certain what else to do or say.
Demona was aware of where her tail and arm were but had no intentions of moving away. She would be careful not to let herself get drawn in like the last time they were together. She felt herself smile when he reached over and placed his hand on hers.
"When do we leave?" He asked, leaning back.
"All I need to do is call my private jet." She answered, smiling softly.
James smiled, enjoying the feel of her tail wrapped around his leg. "I used to enjoy fishing at the ocean with my father and walking on the beach."
"Then this should be a good thing for you." She replied, chuckling softly. Demona could not remember the last time she had laughed in good humor, but she decided that it felt good.
He nodded and watched, feeling a little down as she uncurled her tail from his leg and stood. She picked up the phone, dialed a number and spoke with somebody on the other end. Whoever it was she told, not asked, to have her small jet prepared and to have her Cape beach house prepared and stocked with food. She waited for the other person to acknowledge them and hung up without offering a goodbye.
"There." She said, grinning as she walked in a circle in front of him. "Everything should be ready by the time we arrive."
"So." James asked, leaning forward. "What do we do in the meantime?"
Demona almost suggested showing him where her bedroom was but decided against it. Instead she held out her hand and offered to give him a full tour of her manor and of the treasures she had collected over the years. He nodded and accepted her hand as she assisted him to his feet.

The jet landed without incident at the tiny Cape Cod airport. It was almost ten in the evening when the jet taxied into the private parking area. An attendant hurried out to the jet as its engines whine down. Moments later the door cracked open before lowering to the tarmac. The man watched as James stepped out first, followed immediately after by a cloaked and hooded woman. The man knew the woman was the owner of the jet and had received instructions to assist them in anything they needed.
"Your car is waiting for you, madam Destine." The attendant said, waving his arm towards the waiting town car parked a short distance away. "Everything you asked for has been arranged. Enjoy your stay in Cape Cod."
With that Demona and James watched as the man hurried back towards the main airport terminal. Both hurried to the car and got in, only then did Demona pull down her hood. Since the car had a one-way window installed between the front and back seats she was not worried about being seen.
"We should arrive at your residence in about thirty minutes." Came the deep voice of the driver.
With that they felt the car start and drive away from the airport. For a time they sat there, saying nothing and occasionally glancing out the windows. They passed several houses and buildings, most were darkened as things were closed at this time of night. At some point they were driving down a long stretch of dark road and could see the ocean some distance to their left.
James marveled at the dark mass of water stretching beyond the horizon. With the moon high overhead there was a long, white streak of light rippling towards the star filled horizon. Demona glanced to see what he was looking at and felt herself smile softly.
"It is a lovely sight, is it not?" She whispered, placing a hand on his leg.
As he turned to look at her he noticed the moonlight illuminating her face and glinting off her golden tiara. With her keen eyes and dark hair he looked like a demon hiding in the shadows. She had never looked so lovely as she did at that moment.
"Not as lovely as you, Demona."
She flashed him a toothy smile. "You certainly have a way with words, James."
He gave a small start when he heard her actually use his first name. "I would not lie about something like that."
Demona gave a slight nod and said nothing as the car continued on.

Less than a half hour later they turned up on a side dirt road. There were no lights to guide the way and most of the property was concealed behind thick hedges that lined both sides of the road. As they rounded a bend the house finally came into view. One could not see much detail at night but it was at least two stories with a wraparound deck on the second floor. To one side was a two door garage with what looked to be a small apartment above it.
The land itself was well manicured with stunted trees planted in tiny groves to break it up. There were not many windows in the house itself, which James could understand given Demona's looks. As the car approached a light came on over the front door, no doubt from a sensor since the rest of the house was dark.
As the car pulled up in front of the main entrance the driver got out and opened the door for them. James stepped out first and held out his hand, which Demona accepted with a tiny smile. James stole a quick glance at the driver to see if the man had noticed Demona's hand. If the man did notice he seemed to give no indication of it. Once Demona was out the man closed the door, stepped back to the driver's door, got in and drove off.
Demona reached into her belt and removed a small remote control box with a series of unmarked buttons on it. Keying in some code she stood for a moment until the front light blinked twice.
"There, the security systems have been disabled." She said, tucking the device back into her belt.
"Interesting." James replied, shaking his head. "How did your people have access to ready the place for our arrival?"
"They have an access code to the main house, but that is all." She replied as she started for the front door. "There is another area below the house that is off limits and hidden. Follow me."
James nodded and stayed a few steps behind Demona, still marveling at how nice the house and yard looked. After opening the door she stepped inside and turned on the light. When he stepped inside he had been expecting some grand house, instead he was staring at a plain looking entry hall. The walls were simple stained pine boards and featureless. Only a narrow closet to the left broke up the area, which Demona opened and hung her trench coat.
She led him down a short hall and into the main living area. Like the entry hall it was pretty plain, only much larger with a cozy feel to it. A comfortable looking sofa was set before a small entertainment center complete with widescreen television and home theater center off to the right. Large sliding glass doors to the side of the entertainment center gave a stunning view of the private beach and ocean. Dominating the left wall was a huge stone fireplace with a generous supply of dry logs piled neatly off to the side. There was another door leading into what looked to be the kitchen area while a set of wooden stairs led up to the second floor to their immediate right.
"So, what do you think of it?" Demona asked.
"Looks very comfortable and private." He replied, smiling. "I am amazed you do not come here more often."
"As I have said before I seldom have time to indulge in leisure." She replied, taking his hand and leading him to the sliding doors. What little free time she had was spent scheming how to rid herself of humans, but she did not tell him that.
Pulling them open they stepped out onto the deck and gazed at the dark ocean. Unconsciously she leaned into him, savoring the warmth of his body against the slight chill of the night air.
"What does the beach look like?" He asked, enjoying the feel of her body pressed against his.
"Come and I will show you." She replied, almost purring.
Together they stepped off the deck onto the soft sand, still slightly warmed by the sun earlier in the day. The backyard was not as elaborate as the front, mostly sand dunes with patches of tall, scraggly brown grass. A path set with flat stone led them away from the house, past some tall dunes before emerging onto the beach.
The beach itself stretched away to either side of them, perfectly flat and firm feeling beneath their feet. James could not see any signs of recent activity such as footprints, which led him to believe nobody frequented the area. Pulling off his shoes and socks he rolled up his pants and led her down to the water's edge.
Demona hesitated on entering the water at first, waiting for him to enter before following. When the cold ocean water lapped against her feet she gave a small start, but did not find the experience unpleasant. When she looked at James she noticed he was smiling, then attempted to pull her future in. Smiling softly she allowed him to lead her as far as her ankles, but to him it was knee deep and his pants were now wet.
"I haven't stepped foot in the ocean in years." He said, bending down to cup some of the water in his hand. "I almost forgot how good it feels."
"You humans have strange desires." Demona said, chuckling softly at his enjoyment. "I must admit I have never swam in the ocean before."
"We will have to remedy that." He said, grinning slyly.
At first she did not know what he meant exactly, but since they were on a vacation of sorts she figured she would be swimming sometime soon. What was not prepared for was him suddenly picking her up in his arms before plunging with her into the ocean.
It happened so fast that she had no time to protest, nor react as the cold salt water engulfed her body. The ordeal lasted only a few moments before she was able to regain her footing but she was completely soaked. By now she was standing in water up to her waist, her hair dripping wet. Her temper, however, was anything but pleased at being dunked in the freezing water. Spinning around she hissed angrily, ready to grab James and "explain" to him how displeased she was.
Her anger soon turned to puzzlement as she was unable to see him. There was no way he could have gotten out of the water without her seeing him. Growling softly she looked at the area around her, where she noticed him several feet away kneeling in water up to his chest. Balling her fists she angrily approached him, her hands itching to haul him into the air.
When she got within reaching distance she noticed he was clutching his left arm. Her anger turned into surprise when she saw the look of agony on his face, his body shaking as if he was freezing to death. Letting go of her anger she slid her arms under him and carried him out of the water onto the beach. She set him down and tried to look to see if he was hurt in some way but could not find anything wrong, aside from the look on his face.
"What's wrong?" She asked, at a loss as to what to do.
"I feel as if my blood is on fire." He managed to say, still clutching his left arm. "It's never been this bad before." With that he convulsed for a moment before falling unconscious.
By now she was truly upset and afraid at not knowing what was wrong with him. Taking him into her arms again she carried him back to the house and placed him on the sofa, not caring that he was dripping wet and covered with sand. The only thing she could think to do was remove his soaking wet clothes and try to warm him up. He no longer looked to be in pain, but his breathing was too fast, he was still unconscious but his skin was hot to the touch.
She hurried to make a fire in the fireplace, ensuring that there were enough logs so that it would burn for a good long time. After that she removed his clothes. Hurrying upstairs she pulled some warm blankets from a linen closet and laid them over his shivering body.
After a few minutes he stopped shivering and his breathing seemed to return to normal. Breathing a sigh of relief she went back upstairs and removed her dripping halter-top and loincloth before toweling herself dry and donning a soft bathrobe. It felt strange being naked, wearing only the robe with her wings draped over her shoulders underneath. Even though she was not wearing anything under the robe she did not feel embarrassed.
When she checked on him again she noticed he was still sleeping, so she did her best to towel him dry. Still unsure of what to do, she adjusted him so that he was lying on his back, then sat down and set his head on her lap. It felt strange having his head on her lap, nestled close to her abdomen. She ran her talons though his damp hair, curious as to how he would feel knowing she was wearing a robe and nothing else.
She chuckled softly before leaning back and setting her feet on the table in front of her. Closing her eyes she listened to the distant sound of the ocean, heard only because of her heightened hearing. Her nose caught the scent of salt air as a quiet breeze wafted in from the still open sliding door. It did not take long before her own breathing slowed as she drifted off into a light sleep.
It was not until she felt movement from her lap that she pulled herself awake. Blinking the sleep from her eyes she looked at the clock over the fireplace and realized that she had slept for almost two hours. When she looked down at her lap she saw James looking up at her though blinking eyes.
"What happened?" He asked softly as he shifted under the blanket.
"I was hoping you could answer that." Demona said, feeling foolish at allowing herself to fall asleep. "Do you remember anything?"
"I remember us going down to the beach and walking in the water." He replied as he rubbed his forehead. "After that I woke up here in your lap."
"Then you do not recall picking me up and tossing me in the ocean?" She asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice.
The look he gave her told her that he did not recall doing such a thing, which concerned her.
"I don't see why I would have something like that." He said, shaking his head.
"After that you seemed in great pain and then passed out." She added. "But you said something before you passed out. You said that it had never been that bad before and that it felt as if your blood was on fire." That seemed to have caught his attention.
"Once in a while I get some pains in my abdomen and arm, like tiny little needles poking me." He said, sighing. "Almost like when your arm goes numb from lying on it, but it usually only lasted a minute or two."
Once again he shifted beneath the blankets, only this time it was to sit up. It was then he realized that he was not wearing any clothes causing him to blush with embarrassment. Demona snickered at the expression on his face.
"Did you.." He started to ask. When she nodded he seemed to want to be someplace else.
"I could not leave you in those wet clothes." She said, smiling. "Do not worry, at the time I was not thinking about things like that."
He noticed a touch of worry when she said this, making him think she was generally concerned about him. "Thank you for bringing me back."
Demona only nodded as she got to her feet, making certain that most of her legs were bared in the process. "Oh, and you are not the only one who had to get out of wet clothes."
She enhanced this by pulling open the front of her robe just enough to show the upper curve of her breasts and stomach. It was plain to see that she had nothing beneath her robe and was not shy about revealing as such.
Suddenly he was grateful that he had a blanket to cover himself, else she would have seen how much he had enjoyed it.
"It will be sunrise in a few hours." Demona said, flashing him a grin from over her shoulder. "I wish to have something to eat before then. Will you join me?"
James chuckled and looked down at the blanket he had wrapped around himself like a toga. "Sounds nice, but I hardly feel dressed for the occasion." This caused her to laugh, which he did not hear very often.
"I do not think you have to worry." Demona said as she walked towards the kitchen. "You have nothing I have not already seen before." She added, hoping he did not see the twinkle in her eyes.

* * *
Venus, wearing her human guise, approached the front gate where the Federal Express man was waiting. She had no idea what it could be as neither she nor her husband had ordered anything lately. The delivery man smiled when he saw her approaching.
"Delivery for a Professor Scott Mercure." He said, looking at the large white cardboard envelope in his hand.
Releasing the manual latch using the keypad to the left of the gate she pulled it open. The man smiled and handed her a clipboard, asking her for her signature. She felt odd signing her name on the line he had indicated, more so because she now had a last name. When she handed him back the clipboard he nodded and handed her the envelope.
"Have a nice day." He said before climbing back into his white FedEx truck.
Closing the gate once again she glanced down at the envelope to see where it had come from. According to the origin area it was from the laboratory Scott normally hired to do his carbon dating.
"This must be for the sandstone project he has been working on." She said to herself, hurrying but not running back to the house.
She found him in his workshop sitting at his desk working on the computer. When she entered he looked up and smiled, asking who it was at the door.
"A delivery for you." She replied, sliding her human backside on his desk before holding out the envelope. "I think it is the results from the carbon dating you wanted done on that." She added, motioning with her chin where the large sandstone resting on the table.
"Does it normally take so long to do the carbon dating?" Venus asked, knowing he had sent it out a few weeks ago.
"Depends on the sample and how much they have to work with." Scott replied as he pulled at the opener tab. "I told them there was no rush, so that could be part of it."
The professor extracted the contents, which consisted of half a dozen sheets of computer printouts and chart diagrams. Glancing at the first page she watched his eyes move as he read each line. After a few moments he shook his head and set the sheets down without even looking at the charts.
"Well, according to the carbon dating the sandstone dates back to about eight hundred B.C." He said, chuckling. "Give or take about fifty years. It still doesn't tell me why there are two different languages from completely different time periods."
Venus recalled easily when she had herself discovered that the second language was Mayan. She knew she did not possess much knowledge of Mayan culture and its language, but she knew the two should not be found on the same tablet.
"So what are you going to do now?" She asked, walking around the desk to stand next to him.
"I'm going to have to get more help with this." Scott replied, shaking his head. "So it looks like this little item is going to spend some time in the museum research labs."
"Does that mean you will be spending more time at the museum for a while?" Venus asked, shifting her backside around on his lap.
Scott smiled and shook his head, still amazed at how good her human guise was. She did not even feel her true weight. "Not really. I was thinking of putting together a small team of students to puzzle it out. The museum is always looking for outside projects to give their students."
"That is a very good idea." She replied, smiling. "I am pleased that you show so much interest in educating young minds." Scott chuckled as Venus slid her arms around his neck. "So, when do you plan on doing this?"
He shrugged. "Not certain, perhaps sometime this week if I feel ambitious. As I said before its not a big thing to do since it's for my own personal interest."
"Good, because I need you for something tonight." She said, raising a black eyebrow, then grinned playfully before kissing the tip of his nose.
"Is that so?" He replied, sliding a hand over her human thigh.
She nodded. "Yes, I have taken the time to prepare dinner for us tonight and I need your opinion."
"Now that's something I can really get into right about now." Scott answered, halting his hand before it went any further. "What have you made for us?"
"It is called chicken pie." She said, smiling with pride. "I did it all by myself… With the help of a recipe I found in a book."
"That's great! I'm certain it will be wonderful."
Quickly getting back to her feet she grabbed his hands and gently pulled him to his. He did not resist as she led him to the kitchen where the smell of food caught his attention. As she pushed through the door he found the table already set with a dish of chicken pie resting on an oven mitt in the center. He was quite impressed with what she had done and said so.
"You and Jacob do so much for me," She said, gazing at the table. "I want to start doing things in return."
Scott smiled as he sat down. "You do not have to do anything, Venus, you know that. But this is a wonderful thing you have done. Thank you."
Venus smiled as she took her seat across from him. She felt pride well up as he reached out and took a helping of pie. Her pride went to nervousness as she waited for him to take the first bite. She had taken the pie from the oven a short time ago so that it would cool a little. As he forked the portion into his mouth she held her breath as he chewed and swallowed.
"This is the best chicken pie I've ever had." He said, smiling pleasantly before taking another bite.
She felt herself smile so much that her cheeks began to ache. There were no words she could think of to express how good she felt at that moment. So happy was she that it was not until he said something that she took some for herself and ate. She agreed with him that it was quite good and went so far as to take more once she had emptied her first plate.
When dinner was finished he made an attempt to clean the table but Venus would hear none of it. Instead he sat and watched as she took the dishes and placed them into the dishwasher. After that was done she went into the refrigerator and took out a small chocolate fudge cake.
"This I also made myself." She said as she set it on the table along with two small plates. "But I must confess that this came from a…" She thought for a moment. "It was called a ready-mix box."
At this he chuckled. "Don't worry about that, sweetie. I have done things like that myself many times when I was still single."
She chuckled as dished out the double layered cake onto their dessert dishes. As he started eating his cake there came a low rumble of thunder from outside. Venus looked out the window to see the sky beginning to darken.
"Looks like we are going to get rain." She said before forking a piece of cake into her mouth.
The professor nodded. "I heard something about rain on the news earlier this morning. I wonder if Goliath and the others will still perform their daily patrol."
Venus chuckled and nodded. "Yes, rain will not stop my brother when it comes to patrols unless he deems it dangerous to fly. Speaking of which, now that my wing has healed I was considering going back with the clan on their patrols."
The professor swallowed and nodded. "If you think you are ready. I know you've been anxious to start doing it again."
"You will not attempt to stop me?"
"Why would I?" He asked, puzzled. "It's what you do, Venus, it's what you believe in and I have no right to stop you."
"Thank you." She said, flashing him a seductive look. "So, are you enjoying my ready-mix cake?"
"Very much." He replied, scraping the remaining frosting from the plate. "I think I am going to have some more of that."
She smiled as watched as he cut himself another slice and started in on it. Her own slice was only half eaten as her thought had been concerned that he would have tried to talk her out of returning to patrolling the city. Now, however, she felt her appetite returning so it only took her a few minutes to finish her own cake before taking more.
"Any idea on what Goliath and the others have been up too lately?" Scott asked between bites.
Venus nodded. "I spoke with Elisa the other day and she said that Dracon has… posted bail, and is now free." From the tone of her voice she was not happy about it. "Elisa seems to think he is now doing something called a protection racket."
Scott sighed and shook his head. "Figures. Leave it to him to extort money from people to *buy* his protection."
"I do not understand this." She replied, no longer interested in her cake. "Why would somebody willingly pay a criminal for protection?"
"Well, normally the person or business is threatened that if they do not buy this protection they could meet with unfortunate accidents." Scott answered, not seeming to take an interest in his own dessert. "It's not a new idea. Most crime organizations have been doing things like that for many years."
"If Dracon is such a criminal then why did the authorities allow him to pay them money to be set free?"
"Most times it is not the police who decide this, it is the judicial courts." He said, shaking his head. "The judge analyzes the case and determines if the person should be given the chance to pay a large fine in return for being set free.
"But there is a catch to it, generally the person is not allowed to leave the city and has to return to the court at a specific date and time. Next time, if the crime is large enough they will use a jury system and make a final ruling on the case. If the jury feels there is enough evidence then they find the person guilty and they are sent to prison."
"What happens if this… jury does not find the person guilty?"
"Then they are released and allowed to go wherever they please."
Venus growled softly and pushed her dish away. "I do not like this modern way of treating a criminal. Back in my time a criminal was sent to the dungeon, or if the crime if grave enough they were put to death."
"Times and methods change, Venus." He said.
"Then I will have to do a better job of making certain Dracon is not allowed to be set free again." Venus muttered angrily.
"I hope you are not going to do anything rash."
"And why not?" She snapped angrily. "If it solves the problem."
"If you do that then you are no better than Dracon himself." Scott said flatly, crossing his arms.
She flashed him an angry stare for a few moments before the realization of what he said sunk in. When she realized what she had said she sighed and hung her head. "You are correct. Please forgive me."
"Just promise me you will never willingly harm another for the sake of your own feelings." He asked as he got to his feet.
"I promise." Was all she said.
The professor smiled and nodded as he disposed of the remaining cake on their plates before putting them in the dishwasher. Venus watched silently as put the remaining cake back into the refrigerator, not certain of what to say or do.
When he was finished he crouched next to her and once again thanked her for dinner and dessert, emphasizing it with a long kiss. She closed her eyes and opened her own mouth to meet him, moaning softly in the process.

* * *
She felt quite relaxed sitting on the thick rug in front of the crackling fireplace. It was not often that she allowed herself to feel this way, but the warm human cradling her body behind her convinced her otherwise. James had both arms around her, his hands crossed over her abdomen. In the past three days since they arrived here she felt as if she could actually allow herself to be seduced.
So far they had not done anything aside from walking on the beach at night and occasionally kissing. It was not until she awoke from her stone sleep that she felt different, much more attracted to him than even before. It was odd that she could not pinpoint the reason why she felt this way, but when she looked at him she could have sworn she was looking at one of her own kind. It was a foolish thought, thinking him a gargoyle when there was plainly nothing more than a normal human.
"Still.." She said to herself as she snuggled against him. "It somehow feels right."
Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt him brush his lips against the back of her neck. The contact made her shiver as tiny pinpricks began to dance on her arms in the form of goose bumps. Closing her eyes she sucked air between her teeth as he kissed her neck again, causing her to bow her head before pulling her hair over her shoulder.
His hands slid away from her midsection as he gently pushed her forward, his gentle kisses now moving slowly down her spine. She heard herself moan softly as his hands began kneading her shoulders. Since she was wearing her normal halter-top and loincloth he had easy access to her skin. As his fingers worked what she felt was magic she relaxed her body and told herself that he could do anything he wanted. He continued for a short time, seemingly in no hurry to finish. She was about to turn her head when she felt his hands slide from her shoulders further down, towards the middle of her wings.
His fingers felt like warm tendrils of relaxation until they reached the area where she knew all too well what was about to happen. Not long ago she would have not allowed him to do this, but for the moment she had no intention of stopping it. She knew what was going to happen and for the first time in many years she wanted it to happen.
He apparently had some idea of the effect it was having on her when her body went stiff for a moment, then seemed to turn to clay. A sharp intake of air through her teeth made a soft whistling sound as the first signs of the mating ritual surged to her brain. James seemed to know exactly where to touch and massage her body, primitive desire and lust began to overwhelm her. The last time this had happened was more than one thousand years ago, back when she and Goliath were teenagers to their kind. It had been her first time, and although it had not been as wondrous as she had hoped she never once thought it would always be that way.
Like that time before it felt as if she were once again an innocent virgin, never before having the desire to mate with a human. Unlike the first time with Goliath she knew what to do, how to open herself to the pleasure and what the male enjoyed.
Her breath quickened as his fingers continued to seduce her, the moans that escaped from her throat louder than before. She found herself running her talons gently over her own chest, down between her breasts and trailing over her abdomen. It only took a minute more before she knew what she needed to do, what her body was screaming out for.
Before James could react Demona hissed softly and spun around at a speed he did not think possible. Reaching out with her deadly talons she grabbed the front of his shirt and tore it right down the middle. Through her blazing red eyes she gazed on his bare chest, her talons gently raking his sides. He felt sharp pains where he knew her talons and broke the skin but it only seemed to fuel his own desire for her. With speed and strength he did not know he possessed he grabbed her wrists and growled himself as he spun her onto her back.
The force of his actions caused her to grunt softly as her tail whipped around and curled tightly around his thigh. He did not even feel the pain that was supposed to be there, he felt as if he had the strength to rip the entire house to pieces. She did manage to rip one hand free of his, but instead of punching or digging her talons into his flesh she grabbed his hair and pulled his face close to hers.
As she gazed into his eyes she saw something she had never noticed before. He had the eyes of a gargoyle, hard and determined not to let anything stand in his way.
"Your kind calls me a beast." She hissed angrily before covering his mouth with hers for a moment, then pulled away. "Show me what kind of beast lurks in a human body!"
Moments later she growled passionately as his animal-like hands stripped the clothing from her body. She returned the favor, although his were no longer salvageable by the time she was finished.
From outside the soft chirping of crickets and peep frogs was silenced as an unearthly scream pierced the night air. Anyone who had been close by would have thought it a scream of terror.
But for a gargoyle it was a sign of passion.

Demona had no idea how much time had passed since they had begun, all she knew was that something forbidden had happened. She should have felt violated, dirty, consumed with the disgusting thoughts of allowing a human to enter her body. Instead she felt as if she would be unable to stand, stuck in a permanent position on her stomach. She did not feel disgust at feeling his arm draped across her back, her head resting snugly on his shoulder.
A soft, cool breeze swirled in from the still open sliding doors causing her naked body to shiver slightly. With the aid of the slowly dying fire and James' own naked body close to hers the warmth returned quickly. When she looked at his face she smiled at how peaceful she looked while asleep. He looked nothing like the beast she had desired, and gotten, but one thing did occur to her.
She was tied to him, never wanting to be apart. If it took her entire fortune and all her resources she would not let him go. For the moment she did not care about Nightstone Unlimited, her money, the project or even Xanatos and the other gargoyles. All she wanted to think about was that in those moments of passion, her love had been reborn.
"I am no longer alone." She whispered softly, her breath causing the hairs on his chest to ripple with each breath.
Trying her best not to wake him she slid away and silently retrieved her discarded loincloth and halter-top. Flashing him another smile she donned her outfit, grabbed a blanket and gently covered him. James only stirred slightly when it happened but he did not seem to wake. Glancing at the clock she discovered that there were only two hours left until sunrise. Walking past the sliding doors she leaned on the wooden railing at gazed up at the stars.
"What have I done?" She asked softly, a tiny smile on her lips.
Moving to a sturdy wooden deck chair she slid into it and continued gazing up into the cloudless night sky. From somewhere behind her she heard the faint sound of rolling thunder. She figured it would probably arrive sometime tomorrow morning unless it changed direction. For the moment nothing really mattered to her anyway, only the human sleeping inside filled her thoughts. For a time she did nothing, not even move until she felt that it would not be long until the sun rose.
Getting back to her feet she went inside, closing the sliding doors behind her in case it began to rain. Walking into the kitchen she found a piece of notepad paper, a pen and wrote him a note.

James,
If you get this then you slept soundly and did not wake before I reverted to stone at sunrise. If you need anything at all do not hesitate to call the number below and anything you will be provided. Also, if you wish to access the data I had you bring then you will find the computer in the hall closet. When you open the door feel above the door frame and you will find a trigger button. The closet is actually a small elevator and will take you down into one of my computer network systems. Everything you need should be there and the computer should be able to assimilate the data.

I hope I did not wear you out last night as it would be a shame to have that happen all the time.

-Demona

She looked at the last line and chuckled softly, realizing that she hoped what had occurred a few hours ago would not be a one time event. Picking up the note she set it down on the coffee table and crouched down to the right of the sliding doors. Dim orange light that was no longer a mystery to her began to brighten the night sky. She felt the familiar comforts of sleep encompass her body as her vision faded to oblivion. Unlike her normal attack-like position she took a more relaxed crouch, a small smile frozen on her lips.

From somewhere outside he woke to the sounds of seagulls crying out to one another. He shifted under the warm blanket and knew he should probably get up, but the thick rug was too comfortable. Sunlight from the sliding doors shone across his body as he sat up. Almost immediately he spotted Demona's stone form crouched next to the sliding doors. Draping the blanket around him like a cloak and smiled and approached her.
Normally she would have been in an attacking pose, but this time she was staring out the sliding doors at the rising sun. He found her just as beautiful in stone form as in flesh as he ran a finger over her cold cheek. It felt almost as smooth as her real skin, but not quite. Chuckling softly he turned and noticed the handwritten note resting on the table. Bending down he picked it up and read what she had written. His eyes widened when he realized that the original reason for coming here was to work on the data he had stolen from Xanatos.
Setting the note down he went to gather up his clothes only to find that they had been rendered useless. He did not even remember Demona tearing them from him, all he did remember was his desire for her. When he recalled how she had felt, the primitive desire in her actions made him shiver with excitement.
"I'm lucky she didn't kill me." He said, snickering as he carried his useless clothes upstairs to get new ones.
When he was dressed he went into the dresser and removed the storage drive before going back downstairs. He went into the kitchen to see what there was to drink as he felt extremely thirsty. Placing the drive on the table he pulled open the refrigerator door and grabbed a carton of orange juice. Not bothering to find a glass he opened it and drank right from the carton. At first he did not think much about drinking, but when he was unable to stop until the carton was drained concerned him.
Gulping down some much needed air he practically dropped the empty carton on the floor in amazement. He no longer felt thirsty, but then again if he did he would have been even more concerned.
"Now that was strange." He whispered, still staring at the carton as if it would attack him.
Shaking his head he deposited the carton in the trash disposal, grabbed the drive and headed to the closet. As she had written there was a button above the door frame. When he pressed it the door closed by itself and an overhead light flickered on. He felt a slight movement as the elevator descended for a few moments before stopping. When the door slid open he was presented with a large vaulted room filled with all manner of computer technology.
Directly in front of him was a large screen perhaps four feet square with five keyboards beneath it. Off to his right was a large bank of server towers that hummed softly. To the left was a set of four standard personal computers that were no doubt linked to a network, yet each has its own tower. A large chair sat before the large screen and looked to be the only one present.
Shaking his head he stepped inside and went straight towards the front screen. As he sat in the large plush chair the screen flickered to life, first displaying a self diagnostics test before the system began booting. He could not even guess how much all this would cost, but he guessed it ran into the hundreds of thousands.
A few moments later he was presented with a logon screen asking for a username and password. He silently swore to himself and wondered why she did not tell him what it was; without it the system was useless. Sighing, he stood and went over to one of the personal computers and pressed the power button.
When the computer was finished booting it displayed an error message telling him that he needed to log into the main system first. There was no other option or workaround that he could find to bypass it. He did not bother trying the other computers as he knew they would all be linked into the main system.
"A lot of good things about me." He said, turning back to the large screen. The logon system was still there, not that he expected it any other way.
"Voiceprint identification verified." Demona's disembodied voice from a hidden speaker. "Welcome, Professor MacGregor. Nightstone Unlimited's mainframe is now online and you are granted full administrator access."
The sudden voice caused him to jump, nearly dropping the drive in the process. When he approached the large screen it had switched displays and presented him with a series of icons. Most were standard, pointing to several areas located on the local server. Judging from the system he had no doubt it had outside internet access. He was not interested in the internet, just the server towers to his right.
Approaching each one he pulled open the front panel of each, finding all but one occupied with either a hard dive or cd-rom. Opening the drive case he was carrying he interested the drive into the empty bay. The system beeped once before he heard the drive start up, a small green light began flickering in the lower right hand corner.
When he approached the main screen he saw a new window displayed letting him know that a new device had been installed. When he clicked on the window it widened and displayed a directory of files that were stored on the new device. James grinned before sitting in the large chair, feeling a little excited at using such a powerful system.
Using the mouse he highlighted the entire list and right clicked to see what options he was presented with. He found most of the usual things such as copying the file, renaming or deleting. However at the bottom he found more options that were not found on a standard system.

ENCODE…
TRANSLATE…
DECRYPT…
MAINFRAME…

He had no idea what the mainframe area was, what he was interested in was the decryption. Moving the pointer over the decrypt he clicked the left button and was presented with yet another window. He watched and smiled as the new window filled up with hex-decimal configurations, moving faster than his eyes could keep up with. With that done he went and examined the other computer he had switched on, now displaying a similar interface as the main system.
The temptation to look around in Demona's own company files was very strong but he thought better of it.
"Chances are she has a tracking program running and would know everything I did." He told himself. "Well, let's see what she will allow me to access."
Since the only chair was the one permanently affixed to the floor in front of the large screen he had to remain standing. He found areas that had no protection so he looked into those. Most were things stored on the local system, old data files dating back several years. He could find nothing there that interested him so he looked around and found one area filled with video files.
Most of them were password encoded and had only an eight digit number for filenames. It gave him no clue as to what the videos might be, with the exception of the last one. It had today's date and was apparently still open, meaning that the video feed was still active. Not knowing what it was he clicked on the name and was pleased to find that it opened without asking for a password.
However, what it started playing made him want to laugh out loud. The camera was located in a corner of the living room. Pointing so that it could record the sofa and sliding doors. He had no doubt this was for security reasons and figured she forgot to deactivate it. As he watched he saw both himself and Demona when they first arrived, but there was no sound. Since he did not have anything better to do he sat on the floor and watched the show.
Once in a while he would skip past the areas when they were not in sight of the camera. He laughed when he saw the time when he had passed out and Demona had taken the liberty of removing his wet clothes. During daylight hours he fast-forwarded as he had no interest in his activities while Demona was frozen in stone. When his eyes fell upon the scene that occurred between them last night he could not believe what he saw.
"I did that?" He gasped, not even recognizing the person that he knew was himself. It was as if something had taken over his body, giving him incredible strength and animal-like abilities.
Stealing a look at the hand that had been injured while back in the laboratory he suddenly lost interest in the video. Sitting on the floor he stared at his hands and wondered just what the gargoyle DNA had done to him. The strange sensations, increased strength, passing out and now this.
He had to get back to the lab and see just how much his body had been infected. His wants died almost as quickly as they had come; he had no transportation. If he called a driver Demona would no doubt find out, plus the only way he could get back was to either drive or fly. Both ways were out of the question since he would never make it back before sundown. Demona would be furious if she awoke to find him missing, plus the Gen-U-Tech building was sealed until Monday.
Glancing at the large screen he saw that it was still busy trying to decode his files. Since there was nothing left to do, not that he had any ambition to do anything, he decided to go back upstairs and take a nap.
When he exited the elevator and closed the door he returned to the living room and sat on the sofa. His thought drifted back to the video and what they had done together, which spawned a new thought.
Just how much of him had been changed? If his blood was being taken over by the mutated gargoyle DNA then what else was different? Eventually his thoughts ended in a slight headache, so he sighed softly and eventually dozed off.

Xanatos stood wearing his light exo-suit and watched as the BioClan dipped and soared through the night sky. Five Steel Clan war-robots stood silently behind him, awaiting a command from their creator. Lifting his left arm he spoke into a small communication radio that was linked to all the BioClan robots above him.
"I am going to place you in a combat situation." The multi-billionaire intoned, then switched the com-link off. "Steel Clan, deploy and destroy the BioClan."
A split second later the robots came to life and roared into the sky using their jet packs. Deadly streams of red erupted from the robots' forearm guns as they tried to shoot their targets down. The leader of the BioClan, blonde haired and muscular, made the first move by pulling up quickly and diving onto one of the Steel Clan robots. He grabbed the razor-edged metallic wings and tore them off as if they were no more than poster board.
The robot, its wings gone, was unable to maintain its normal flying mode and hit the side of the building, exploding in fire. Apparently its fuel tank had still been under a fair amount of pressure, for it burst into a cacophony of flames and fiery debris. The second male, fourth in their ranks, was busy dodging the robot while the second ranking female came up from behind and thrust her fist into the robot's back, piercing the iron armor easily.
When she pulled out her claw-fist, several wires and computer circuits came with it. The robot lost all power and exploded on the roof of another building, spewing white-hot blades of shrapnel.
The third male, originally the prototype, seemed to be having a hard time with the robot that was chasing him. Twice the robot's laser came dangerously close to striking him from the air, the coherent photon blasts searing his hair and wings. He looked at the second female, youngest looking of the two, who also had a robot on her tail and sent her a radio message using his own internal com system.
The female acknowledged his transmission and nodded before making a bee-line straight towards him. As she had expected, the stupid robot followed and seconds before the two gargoyles would have collided, they pulled up. The robots struck each other in a loud, metallic fiery death.
The last robot tried to shoot the BioClan leader but he faked the robot into going through a loop. As the robot reached to the apex of its ascent he pulled up and thrust with his talons. The high pitched sounds they made as they sliced through the robot's metal epidermis were agonizing. It flew off a few more yards before exploding as violently as the others had.
Xanatos clapped his approval and watched as his new toys landed gracefully before him. The leader approached and bowed his head, acknowledging his master's compliment.
"Excellent!" David said, more than pleased with the results. "Now all you need is your repair systems and of course, names."
Their leader tilted his head. "Why do we need to have names?" He asked in his low, monotone voice.
"So I can tell you apart." David answered, frowning.
"None of us looks the same, master." The BioClan leader said.
David shook his head in wonder but reminded himself that they were only androids and limited to their existing programming. "Well, it makes things easier for me when I want to issue commands to you as individuals."
The BioClan leader turned to look at his teammates for a moment before addressing Xanatos again. "Then I will be known as Bio One."
Xanatos rubbed his temples but could not help but chuckle at the androids choice. "Very well, but I hope you others are a little more creative."
Not saying another word he led them back in the castle, into the secret elevator and down to the underground complex. When they were back in the laboratory he had them link into the computer. Nodding, Xanatos went over to the main terminal and began downloading all the data they had learned during their test flight.
Eventually he would begin uploading several test programs dealing with secondary defense protocols and survival instincts. Of course they were only for testing purposes, if successful he would use the finished programs for his upcoming Athena project. These five would be great additions to his resources, but Athena would be his crowning glory in the field of android technology.
Once the download was finished he shut the BioClan down and disconnected them from the mainframe. Taking one final look at his creations he nodded and stepped out of the room.
An hour later, deep in his artificial subconscious the original BioClan prototype was receiving strange, chaotic images. Flashes of Roman gods and names, pictures and video of living creatures like him, poured into his CPU.

*001001001010010110000100101010010011Athena0010100101000110100010Ares001010010010100100111000101010100010010010Kali00100101Minerva001010011110010101001001LazerusAvalon00100101001000100100100Demona00100100010Goliath0010010100010Maza001010001010100100010Illuminati0010110010000010010010ERRORERRORERRORERRORERRORERROR*

His eyes suddenly opened with a dim glowing white light and he growled softly, an action that his core programming told him he should not have been able to do. Looking down at his off white arm he bared his titanium teeth before stepping over to the computer console. Opening his hand, a thin metallic interface connector shot out, plugging into the mainframe. With lighting speed he found, unlocked and began downloading megabytes of data and information. He focused mostly on Roman history, all manner of fighting and defensive data along with names and schematics of many of Xanatos' android projects.
He glanced over his shoulder to his sleeping comrades and chuckled softly. Why? He did not know since he was not supposed to be able to understand such emotions. But when his eyes focused on his leader, who had named himself Bio One, he snarled. Their *master* wanted them to have names of their own, then he would choose a name. It had been prominent in the huge data upload he had experienced a minute ago. He would not tell anyone his name, in time the world would know it… cities and armies would hear it and tremble with fear.
Yes, he would choose a name.
"My… name… is…" He whispered, his eyes glowing white. "Shiva."
When the interface was finished he erased everything that he had done before pulling the interface. He returned to his place on the platform, compressed all the new data into one file and stored it away in a small protected area of his memory systems. One day he would need it, but for now the time was not right. Visions of godhood flashed in his mind as one by one, his systems shut down before going into standby mode.
After that the laboratory was once again dark and quiet.

Scotland - 980 AD - Castle Wyvern

Goliath and Demona were alone in the woods, concealed among the dark branches that stretched out above their heads. Both were sitting on the damp, grassy ground, with her sitting between his legs, the back of her head cradled on his chest. He was gently stroking her long hair and reciting some poems he had read in a book. Her eyes dimly glowed with red fire, like dying embers being stoked in a fire.
"Humans can love just as well as our own kind," He had whispered into her ear.
She turned her face so that she could see him. "They do write lovely things, do they not?"
"Yes." He replied, his voice low and loving. "But you, my Angel, you are the poem that fuels the fire of my soul."
He was feeling wordy tonight, she mused. Smiling warmly she slowly turned her entire body to face his and placed her hands on his chest. With little effort she pushed his body to the ground, ensuring their faces were never more than a few inches apart.
Their mouths parted as they came together, their breaths merged, their passion displayed in the wonderful acts of love. It was not the first time they had made love, but the way she held him in her arms, the way her wings enveloped him, the ways she made it last... It was as if it was his first time, then and every time afterwards.

They were just dreams of the past as it faded to the present again. There were no more woods, no more ponds where they had spent so many hours. Goliath shook the cobwebs from his mind as reality reasserted itself, displacing his dreamland utopia. His fantasy was gone and he sighed his displeasure. He let the past fade away as much as he could and looked down at the book.
It was then he detected footsteps coming from behind one of the many bookcases, sounding somewhat dainty to ears that were accustomed to hearing quarter-ton gargoyles thumping around. Breathing easily he knew it was simply Elisa Maza coming for a visit, as she normally did.
"I thought I'd find you down here, Goliath," She said as he jumped down to meet her, his powerful legs absorbing the fall. "You like to read a lot."
"Yes." He replied, his low, majestic tone as strong as always. "I find reading an escape from reality."
Elisa laughed. "True, but my escape from reality is coming home alive each day to a hot shower."
Goliath smiled and led her up to the clock tower where the others were watching the television.
"Don't you do anything besides watch television?" She asked them.
"Yeah, we help protect Manhattan from evil once in a while," Broadway replied. "We can never thank you enough for bringing this neat stuff. It's not like we can go out and buy it."
"Yeah, thanks a lot for thinking of us, Elisa." Lexington said without turning away from the set.
"No sweat, I know how boring it can get up here," She replied, welcoming their thanks. "What are friends for?"
"Friends are for people who are alone and have nobody else to turn to," Hudson said, reaching down to scratch Bronx.
Brooklyn was the only one who was not present.
"True words." Goliath commented. "Is there something we can do for you, Elisa?"
She shook her head and slumped her shoulders in a half-shrug. "Nope. Just came by to say hello before starting my shift. By the way, where's Brooklyn?"
"Oh, him?" Lexington replied. "He said something about going out and cruising the town. Didn't say why."
"Can I have a few words with you before you leave, Elisa?" Goliath asked.
She followed him outside to where the gargoyles hibernated as stone during the day. He approached the railing and jumped onto it with uncanny grace. The air was warm and comfortable, and accompanied by the sounds and light from the city it was a tranquil setting. Above the sky was clear and filled with tiny stars, and a quarter moon hung overhead casting soft light onto where they were standing.
"What's on your mind?" She asked.
He seemed to hesitate before speaking, as if what he wanted to tell her shamed him.
"For the past few nights I've been having an odd dream." He began.
She smiled. "Everybody has dreams, Goliath."
"I know." He replied, sounding more and more distracted. "It's been about Demona and how we used to feel about each other. I can't get her out of my thoughts, and now she even haunts my sleep."
"Sounds like you're lonely." Elisa replied, quite aware of what he was trying to say. "What you need is somebody you can be with when you're lonely."
"Yes," He said. "I have the clan, but they do not see things the way I do."
"You've always got me." She said, placing her hands on his muscular arm.
He sighed as if something pained him. "You are a good friend, Elisa." He could not bring himself to say it. It was hard to accept that after all the emotions welling up within him about her, she was still not of his species.
With his hand he took hers and slid down from the stone railing. He placed both heavy talons on her shoulders and drew her closer to him, so he could actually feel her heartbeat. For a human he found her very attractive, but that's what she was, a human. He started to wonder if she felt the same about him. They enjoyed each other's presence.
On many occasions they had saved one another, at least a dozen times over the past two years. He considered her part of his clan now, but he wondered if there was something more. Looking down he noticed that she was smiling. She was not resisting his pull either. As she drew closer he could feel his heart beating faster. A growing feeling of warmth rose up within him.
"Hey, Goliath!" Brooklyn's voice from above. "Man, you should see some of the things they got on the far side of town. It's something called a Renaissance Faire."
Their silence broken, he let go of Elisa's shoulders and watched as she stepped away from his embrace. Only a few seconds longer and... "And what? What would have happened?" He asked himself.
Brooklyn landed and approached them, a look of fascination on his face. But when he saw the expressions on their faces he frowned, slightly embarrassed.
"I interrupted something," He said, knowing what might have been going on. "I'll go inside and tell the others about the Faire."
Goliath nodded and watched as the young warrior vanished through the door at the base of the clock.
"Like I said, I'll always be there for you." With that she turned and vanished through the door.
Walking back though the library she noticed several books on a table near Goliath's ladder. She approached the table and looked at the assortment he had laid out. They had recently been read, and all seemed to cover the same thing.
"Love." She murmured, picking one of the many books, it was entitled: Human Passion. The author was anonymous. She noticed a bookmark and opened it to the page it marked. It was some kind of poem:

When all else fails, and love is beyond your heart,
let go of your feelings and let hatred rot.
For there is always one out there who is like yourself,
you only need to stride oneself. Look not on the outside,
but what lies within.
Because only then, when the two are joined, will you find the true meaning of love, from within.

From the marks on the page she guessed that Goliath looked at it often. She felt a small tear well up in her eye and rolled down her cheek.
Letting the book fall back to the table she hurried out of the library, down the stairs to the station and out the front doors. A few officers tried to talk to her along the way. One in particular was captain Chavez, who had emerged from the ladies' room. Elisa nearly collided with her.
"Elisa." Chavez said, stopping her. "Where are you rushing off to in such a hurry?"
"My shift started a half hour ago," Elisa replied, trying not to sound too upset. "I'm late for my beat."
Chavez seemed to notice her discomfort. "I've known you too long, kiddo. Something's bugging you, care to talk about it?"
"Not really." She frowned. "Just a case of a broken heart."
"Ah, ha." Her boss frowned. "What happened? Found out he was using you, or is it another woman?"
Elisa sighed. "I guess his heart hasn't decided what to do yet."
"If that's true then he's not the right guy," Chavez said softly. "You're young and attractive, I'm sure there's somebody out there. You just need to keep your spirits up, and if you need to talk don't hesitate to call."
"Thanks," Elisa replied, trying to sound relieved.
Feeling a little better she buried her emotions until she was in her car. Wiping her nose she was kind of grateful that Matt was on another case. She did not feel like trying to explain to him why she was so upset.

* * *
The dim light from the computer screen illuminated Sevarius' frowning face. Even though he was down on the fifteenth sub-level of Xanatos' building he had no trouble gaining outside access. Some time ago he had learned that Xanatos had hired a new biochemist but did not know who. It was only now that he managed to gain access to Gen-U-Tech's computer database to list all the personnel. He knew most of the core scientists who were there so it was not too difficult to sort through the names.
When he found the name he pounded his fist on the metal table, not even wincing at the pain. "You!" He hissed, flexing the feeling back into his hand. "After all these years I have found you… My old partner." This last he spat angrily and called up the file.
Sevarius read where Xanatos had found him, when he was hired and what he was making. What he was not able to find out was what his old *friend* was currently working on. Aside from himself MacGregor was one of the best geneticists and biochemists on the planet.
"Upstage me, will he!" Growled at his reflection on the screen. "I guess having Xanatos find him before me is not all bad. Now I can pay my old friend back for abandoning me!"
How typical. You breed half a dozen mutants and your employer forgets about you and hires somebody else. It was not completely his fault that some of the "volunteers" had died. The Thailog project more than made up for that.
"What are you working on?" Of course his questions would go unanswered because there was nobody there to answer.
He was certain Xanatos did not know about his hatred for MacGregor, nor of the revenge he so direly wanted. "This time you won't escape me!"
Leaning over he picked up a nearby phone from its cradle. Dialing a number known only to himself he waited for the party on the other end to answer. It was amazing how fast the signal went though considering it was being bounced over a dozen different satellites. There was a short pause before there was an answer.
"Yes?" Asked in a soft, husky voice.
"His name's James MacGregor and he works at the New York branch of Gen-U-Tech." Anton said angrily. "Find out what he is working on and track his every movement. I want to know where he lives and his location when I ask."
"Fine." The cold voice replied. "This will cost you one hundred thousand dollars. You know where to leave it, and if you attempt to double cross us I guarantee you will not live long." With that there was a click as the connection was broken.
Leaning back in the chair he grinned slyly. Those mercenaries were quite the fools, but they normally got the job done. "Double cross them." He said softly. If they only knew about the mutagen he had infected them with a few months earlier. All it would take is a little cellular stimulation on the correct EM frequency and it would be they who would not live long. They had proved their usefulness before so he would keep them for the time being.
"You won't get away from me this time, MacGregor!" He said angrily as he stared at the man's picture on the screen. "Oh, no. Not this time! You stole from me once, and for that you will pay."
He thought back to a time when he and MacGregor were once partners, and almost friends, back when Sevarius had not been Sevarius at all, but working under a different name altogether. It would have been perfect; two brilliant minds working together. They had their own laboratory and equipment. The money that MacGregor had stolen from using the computerized bank links was more than they would have ever needed.
Their work was illegal, but they did not think of themselves as being 'bad' men. They were *scientists*, and progress always came at a high cost. It was for the good of the scientific world and all the possibilities it could offer.
They were on the verge of cloning their very first DNA sample of a human-jackal crossbreed back in the early eighties for Cyberbiotics. The information they had gathered in the two years that they worked together was beyond fascination.
Everything was going as planned until that unpleasant day. He had arrived at their secret laboratory to find all the data in the computers gone. Also gone were the DNA samples they had worked on and whatever money they had left. The only thing that was left was a note taped to the main computer's screen.

Anton, this is just to let you know that I've enjoyed working with you. What we've done here is wonderful, but since I did most of the work I've decided that I should get the credit. You'll find fifty thousand dollars left in your bank account. Don't try and look for me, I've left the country and have set up a new lab.

Your former partner,

James

"Damn MacGregor! The weak-hearted fool! Betrayer!" For a long time after that Anton had regretted ever working with MacGregor and vowed to get his revenge. He had gotten it, in part, when he sent that immuno-deficiency virus to MacGregor's mother and two sisters, which withered them away to nothing in an accelerated version of the AIDS disease. A horrible, painful death, very satisfying to watch on tape from the concealed cameras in their respective hospital rooms. There was an added bonus when two nurses contracted the virus and infected their families. Such valuable research! But somehow that had not been enough. He still needed MacGregor himself! That was when Xanatos had found him and offered him the job. He was to try and clone DNA from some creature that Xanatos knew about. But after he took the job, the billionaire told him that he was unable to get the DNA.
He told Xanatos it would be almost impossible to duplicate what he did not have. Xanatos told him to do whatever he could to create a creature similar to the one he spoke about. That was when he decided to work not on cloning, but mutating. By using the DNA of certain animals he could create a powerful creature. Xanatos was more than willing to provide test subjects, the most successful of which had been Derek Maza. Sevarius had not even expected the man to survive the process...
But even after his success in creating the part bat, part feline, part primate and half electric eel creatures, his thoughts were always focused on revenge.
Now that time would come, and there was nothing Xanatos could do to stop him. With MacGregor's work in his possession he would be the greatest geneticist in the world.
"Oh, sorry Doctor, I did not know you were in here."
Sevarius spun around to glare at the form of Dr. Daniel Straussmore, who had just wandered into the lab. "What are *you* doing here?" Sevarius spat.
Straussmore did not seem to notice the other doctor's hostile temperament. "Just finishing up some tests on this wolf-splicing project, Anton. I won't be long."
The young man proceeded to tap away at a nearby computer terminal, completely ignoring Sevarius. Sevarius grinned evilly. Well, he mused, there was always Straussmore. Brilliant, naïve, foolish Straussmore. Sevarius had to stifle a laugh every time he saw the geneticist; the man actually had no idea what kind of work he was doing, and it was for the better. Straussmore was one of those weak-minded fools who didn't understand that scientific research was more important than metaphysical concepts like 'law' and 'honor.' He didn't even realize that the project he was working on was based on the genetic alteration of one of the members of the homicidal Pack, specifically the lupine and savage Wolf.
True, Straussmore was not quite as adept at genetics as Sevarius himself, but the man had other talents: such as advanced robotics and cybernetics. Xanatos currently had him researching advancements that would be used in upcoming projects like Coyote's upcoming Egypt upgrade and the Athena Project. Sevarius sighed. At least Straussmore was more tractable than MacGregor. MacGregor, whom after all these years would finally experience the wrath of Sevarius! What should he do to him, hmm...? All the possibilities... Perhaps degrade his MHC proteins so his own immune system would devour him from the inside out. Or maybe flood his nervous system with acetylcholine to make his neurons fire uncontrollably. Or maybe induce severe goiter in his thyroid...
Ah, grow up, Anton, he admonished himself. You are like a child in a candy shop. The mercenaries will take care of MacGregor and bring him to you. *Then* you may deal with him as you please. For now you have more important work to do…
Sevarius leaned over his terminal and, making sure Dr. Straussmore was not looking, brought up the preliminary plans for Project Gemini.

James smiled happily as he stood knee deep in the cold ocean water. In his hands was a nine foot spin casting rod with a silvery, diamond shaped spoon dangling from the end. Earlier that afternoon he had been quite bored, and with the computer still working there was not much else to do. Feeling ambitious he phoned for a ride and browsed one of the local tackle and bait shops. It had been years since he had gone fishing, and the salt water variety had always appealed to him. By the time he left the shop he had spent nearly four hundred dollars in equipment. He felt that since there was nothing to do about what was happening to his body that he might as well do something he enjoyed to take his mind off of it.
He scanned the calm surface of the water for a short time until he spotted the dark moving patch lurking just below the surface. Lying on the sand behind him were three bluefish, the smallest being twenty eight inches long. Just to the side of the fish was a large tackle box, open to display several kinds of artificial lures and a twelve foot rod with a Penn level-wind reel.
The scientist knew there were more out there of the same species, but he was looking for a large striped bass.
A sudden splash from the moving path caught his attention, followed by several more as the bluefish gorged on the school of baitfish around them. Of course he knew what they were, but he already had three and did not wish to risk killing any more.
"Well, one more won't hurt." He said to himself, hoping that he could get a larger one.
Flipping open the bail he brought the rod back and hurled it forward with all his might. The tiny silver spoon spun through the air like a missile, landing several feet past the dark shadow. He began reeling moments after it struck the water, pulling the artificial lure through the dark mass, but without having any success.
"Stubborn, eh." He said, grinning like a predator. "Let's see if you want something with a little more noise."
Walking out the water he went over to the tackle box and removed a white plastic popping lure. Removing the spoon he attached it to the wire leader and returned to his spot in the water. Like he had done dozens of times already he once again cast, smiling at the surface lure struck several feel past and in front of the schooled fish. As he began reeling he jerked the rod so that the lure would churn the water as if went along, side to side.
Moments before the lure would have gone over the shadow it vanished in a large, watery explosion. The line became tight as the rod bent over until it formed an almost perfect horseshoe. He could tell from the weight on the line that this fish was larger than any he had hooked thus far. Mono filament line peeled from the reel as the fish fought against the pressure of the rod.
James felt himself grinning with pleasure, all thoughts of scientific research and his condition momentarily gone. He had no idea exactly which species of fish it was, either another bluefish or a striped bass. Either way it was big and he hoped to at least get a look at it. The fish continued taking line, only this time it started streamlining off to the right towards some rocks.
"No you don't." He said angrily as he attempted to use brute force to turn the fish away from the sharp rocks lurking beneath the waves. For a split moment he felt as if the line would snap under the pressure but he was rewarded when the fish spun around and headed to the right.
For several more minutes all he could do was stand there and wait for the fish to wear down. When he felt the rod begin to ease up he nodded and began reeling up, pulling back on the rod and then repeating the process over and over again. It took some time to recover all the line the fish had taken but eventually he worked the fish until it was only a few yards away.
Not taking any chances he lowered the rod and backed up onto the beach, dragging the fish with him. His excitement grew as a large white head surfaced, swiping side to side in a last ditch effort to free itself from the lure. A moment later the fish was unable to do that once it found itself in only a few inches of water. Not releasing the rod James walked back down to the fish, slid his hand into its large gill slit and dragged it up onto the beach.
As he had hoped a large striped bass lay in the sand, the rhythmic, pulsating of its gills and mouth the only thing proving that it was alive. The fish had attacked the lure with a vengeance as it was lodged deep in its throat. There was no chance of losing the fish unless the line had snapped. Not risking the hooks catching his hand he removed a pair of needle nose pliers from his back pocket and used them to dislodge the lure.
Replacing the pliers in his pocket he rubbed his hands together and dragged the fish to where the others were.
"Well, I guess I am done for today." He said as he began packing up all the equipment.
Since he would not be able to take everything at once he opted to leave the fish and bring the equipment back first. It was not very far to the beach house so he figured nothing would happen. As he walked back to the house he told himself he would have to measure, weigh and photograph the fish before cleaning them. He then wondered if Demona even liked fish. He had never actually asked her what exactly she did like and dislike.
"Oh well, guess I will find out tonight."
By the time he had returned to the beach and retrieved his catch it was a little past noon. He thought it an odd time to catch such a large fish since they fed mostly in the mornings and evenings. Either way he had a few hours of enjoyment to pass the time. He even started wondering if Demona would be willing to give it a try. The thought of a gargoyle standing on the beach casting a rod made him chuckle, but he would offer.

She roared loudly as she broke free of her stone sleep, thousands of tiny shards flying in all directions. As she stood she stretched her wings and looked around to see where James was. From the smell of cooking she knew he was in the kitchen preparing the evening dinner, but she could not tell what. It was nothing she had ever smelled before, not at all unpleasant, just different.
Leaving the stone covered floor she draped her wings and went to see what he was making. His back was turned towards the counter, apparently engrossed in putting away a roll of tinfoil. Smiling softly she crept up behind him and slid her arms around his waist, pressing her chest against his back.
If the action caught him by surprise he did not show it. Instead he turned around and was pleased when she leaned forward to kiss him softly. He placed his hands on her hips and returned the kiss, enjoying the feel of her so close to him.
"So, what are you making for us tonight?" She purred, running a talon down his side.
"Well." He said, smiling. "I don't know exactly what you like and dislike so I took the liberty of catching our dinner."
"Catching?" Demona asked, not certain if she had heard him correctly.
He chuckled and pulled from her embrace before walking over to the oven. "I was bored this afternoon so I went into town and bought some fishing equipment."
Demona almost laughed at how strange that sounded coming from such an intelligent scientist. Of all the things he could have bought or done this was something she had not dreamed of. "So, did you catch enough for both of us to eat?"
"I think so." He replied, snickering as he removed some Polaroid's from his pocket and handed them to her.
As she glanced at the large fish lying in the sand her eyes widened in amazement. "You actually caught those here?" She asked, waving a hand towards the ocean. When he nodded she handed the pictures back. "Very impressive. I cannot wait to see how they taste."
"You shall in a few minutes." James replied, opening the oven a little to peek inside. "I did not do anything overly fancy, just used some vegetables and chose herbs and spices."
"Well, judging from your past dinners I do not think I will be disappointed with your fish." Demona said as she rested her backside against the counter top to watch him work.
When it was finished they sat on the back deck and dined on fish and homemade coleslaw. Demona said she enjoyed the fish and went back two more times to get more. By the time they were finished there was nothing left but empty tin foil wrappings and full stomachs.
After cleaning everything up they returned to the deck and sat next to one another in deck chairs. A short time passed before he asked her if she would like to try catching some fish herself. At this she laughed and admitted it was not something she had ever considered doing. When she argued that she would not be any good at it he simply shook his head and said he would teach her.
"A human teaching me something?" She said to herself, thinking the idea insane. But then she remembered what happened last night and figured that perhaps there were some things she could learn from him.
When she relented he smiled. "It's not really difficult, just takes a few times to get used to casting and working the fish."
Helping her to her feet he grabbed only the rod and left everything else there since he would only be teaching her. As usual the private beach was deserted so she followed him down to the edge of the water. Showing her how to use the reel and how to position the rod he cast a few times before handing her the rod.
Her first few casts were less than perfect, the first landing several feet in the sand behind her. During the next one the bail accidentally closed, resulting in the lure simply shooting forward and then back again. The tip of the rod bounced back and forth like a tree in a strong wind. By now she was getting annoyed at being bested by such a primitive device and commented that a grenade would be more effective.
"That would be too easy," He replied, chuckling. "Go ahead, give it another try, only this time go easy. Don't worry about distance just yet, concentrate on getting it out there."
She nodded and did as he asked. To her surprise and amazement the lure went sailing out over the water before landing about a hundred yards away. As he had instructed she began reeling and working the rod, chuckling at the tiny lure churning and popping on the water. By the time she had retrieved the lure nothing had happened so she tried again. As before the lure went sailing out, landing to the left of were it had before.
As she repeated the process of working the lure she jumped when a small explosion erupted. The lure vanished beneath the water followed by the rod bending over, nothing like James' fish had, but it was something. Not knowing what to do she looked at him helplessly and tried to hand the rod to him. When he shook his head and stepped back she knew she was on her own.
The mechanics of the reel were not difficult, but she was annoyed when the fish would take more line than she could retrieve. James had loosened the drag just for this reason and purposely kept the knowledge to himself. The fish was not very large, but she started to feel a small rush of exhilaration. She told herself this was a battle, and she would not lose to something as primitive as a fish.
It did not take anywhere near as long as James', but it fought like crazy all the way in. For the landing of the fish James stepped into the water and grabbed the small bluefish behind the gills before lifting up. Demona stared at the fish for a moment before frowning.
"That is what I've been battling?" She said, amazed at how such a small thing could be so aggressive.
"They are stronger than they look." He said, removing the lure with his bare hand. "Bluefish are quite nasty when it comes to feeding, with the teeth to match."
When he showed her the row of sharp, pointed teeth on the upper and lower jaw she grinned. "Such a creature must be feared lurking out there in the water. Do they eat humans as well?"
"I have never heard of them doing so." He said, chuckling. "But I imagine if somebody were to swim through a school of them it could turn deadly."
Somehow that thought of that happening appealed to her. "Are you able to release it to feed again?" She asked, now impressed and fascinated by the fish and what it could do. "Such a youngling deserves to grow to become a skilled hunter."
James did his best not to chuckle as he tossed the fish head first back out into the water. He waited a moment to see if it would float to the surface but it did not so it should be okay.
"Great job." He complimented her as she prepared to make another cast. "Maybe you will get a bigger one."
She only nodded and continued fishing, much to the enjoyment of both herself and James. Ever since she had met this human she had done things she never thought she would have attempted on her own. It was not just because they had mated, but everything from cooking to being there for her when she needed somebody. This partnership was growing beyond anything she could have ever imagined.
For the first time in decades she was happy.
It was not until an hour and eight fish later that she decided that she had done enough fishing. All the fish she caught were around the same size as her first but all gave her the thrill of a fierce battle. The ones that got away she chalked up to being larger, and thus more intelligent. She figured he would take a turn as well but he declined, reminding her that he had done so most of the afternoon.
"So, what do we do now?" She asked, smiling.
When he suggested returning the rod to the beach house and then strolling on the beach she did not decline. When they returned he grabbed a large beach towel in case they wanted to lie in the sand.
The sand felt strangely familiar, as did the scene, as they walked hand in hand down the beach. Neither spoke for a short time as they gazed around at the ocean, the grass covered dunes and occasional chirps of crickets. All that was missing was a certain cliff and MacGregor carrying a little leather bound journal in his pocket. At this memory she could not suppress the tear that escaped down her cheek. When she reached up to wipe it away James glanced over and asked what was wrong.
"Nothing." She said, trying to sound happy. "It's just that all of this brings back the memories of your ancestors."
James thought for a moment before nodding. "That night when the two of you walked on the beach and he drew that sketch of you on the cliff?" When she nodded he released her hand and rubbed her lower back. "I'm afraid that I do not have any artistic skills, else I would draw you myself."
At this comment she chuckled and draped her left wing over his shoulder, encompassing him in a warm cloak. They walked like this for some time, not caring where they were or what else was going on in the world. At one point they found a worn path leading through the dunes, possibly made by animals. It was wide enough for them to walk side by side so they followed it, curious to where it led.
When he asked if she had ever been here she shook her head, adding that she had never had any desire to explore the area before. The path led them into a sparsely wooded area made up of thin, stunted trees covered in little spade type leaves. It cut out some of the night sky, giving the area a quiet, dark feel about it.
"Feels a little creepy, doesn't it?" James asked, wiggling his fingers for effect.
"Not really." Demona replied, smiling. "I've seen worse, but it does have a strange feel about it."
"We can go back if you wish."
She shook her head before taking the blanket from his shoulder, grinning playfully. "This seems like a good place."
"For what?" He asked, looking around as if something would jump out and surprise them.
"I wish to ask a small favor of you."
"Anything."
Running her talons though his hair she pressed herself again him, her other hand resting on the small of his back. "You were quit the beast last night." She purred into his ear. "Everything to did made you seem more like one of my own kind than a human."
Her strange choice of conversation started him wondering if perhaps she had found out about the accident in the laboratory. His thoughts were pulled back as she continued speaking, but what she said was not what he had been worrying about.
"The things you did drove me wild with desire. This time I wish you to be your human self." Demona said, kissing the side of his neck. "No backrub, no aggressiveness… Treat me like any kind, gentle lover would."
Running his own fingers across her waist to her lower back and gazed into her dark eyes and smiled. Without saying a word he gently kissed her on the mouth, letting her hands explore on their own.

From his office in New York, deep within the Eyrie Building, Owen Burnett was busy overseeing the many ordeals occurring each day. The computer screen in front of him was currently displaying the weeks payroll for his employers *normal* employees. As usual the final tally of nearly six billion dollars did not faze him. It did not include only this building, but the other smaller ones scattered throughout the world.
If he were to look at the payroll of Xanatos' *other* employees the amount would be considerably higher. But since his employer had many different sources of income money was not normally a problem. The only thing that Xanatos did find annoying was when some part of his building needed extensive repairs.
As he nodded silently he closed the accounting system and began thinking about what to do next. It had been some time since he went down to the gymnasium for a good workout so he decided on that course of action. As he rose from his desk he felt an odd, prickling sensation wash over him as if a cold chill washed over him. Strange images of a gargoyle-like creature flashed before his eyes.
Leaning on the desk for support he shook his head and tried to figure out what happened. It felt as if something had happened somewhere else and he was feeling some sort of flashback from it. The creature he had briefly seen had looked like a gargoyle, only it was different in some way that he could not pinpoint.
When he tried to picture the image again it came back as a hazy blur. There were no details he could make out, except that it was the same skin tone as a Caucasian human.
"Interesting." Was all he said before adjusting his tie and heading for the elevator.

Demona looked up at the large computer screen and frowned at the message it was displaying. She had the most sophisticated computer systems in the world, surpassed only by Xanatos, and it was unable to crack the data that James had stolen.

DATA DECYRPT READ ERROR
COMPUTER RETURNED CODE "0099" [UNKNOWN ENCYPTION]

MULTIPLE LINE MISMATCH CODES FOUND
DATA FILES CONTAIN UNKNOWN CODE.. UNABLE TO READ

DECRYPTION ALGORYHTUM ERRORS FOUND
FILES CONTAIN DATA – BUT LISTED AS EMPTY

SYSTEM FAILURE
HALTED PROCESS BEFORE CORE CPU SYSTEM FAILED

"It would seem Xanatos has changed the way he encodes his files." She grumbled, peeved at not being able to see what the files contained.
James nodded, also annoyed at not being able to see what he had worked so hard to attain. "Perhaps there is a way to access Xanatos' mainframe and access his encryption script engine."
"It would have to be from the inside." She said, pondering his suggestion. "I could probably get inside and access his systems. It was how I discovered you were working for him." She added with a sly smirk.
"I thought you had an access program installed on his system?"
She nodded, but frowned. "I did, but it was apparently detected and removed since I have not been able to gain access again." The idea of her being thwarted in such a way irked her almost as much as not being able to access James' data. "I will find a way."
"I am certain you will, my Dark Angel."
"So now I have a new name?" She said, feeling a sense of pride at being called such a thing. "And what should I call you, hmmm?"
He bowed at the waist and tried to hide the amusement in his voice. "Your humble servant."
Demona tapped a talon against her lower lip and grinned slyly. "You say the nicest things."

Venus did her best to sway in rhythm with the music as it had been described in the video. The moves were much more difficult than she had thought, requiring her to shimmy her hips for lengthy periods of time. What she found amusing was this was only the exercise's she was doing. The actual dances were much more complex and she found soreness in places she didn't know existed on her body.
Still, she found it an enjoyable hobby and had no doubts she would continue to pursue it. She had gotten many compliments from both Scott and Jacob. Her husband often commented on how good she looked in her costume.
Once she had mentioned about her trying to make a new costume for her gargoyle self. Scott had nodded and said that she would look stunning, but she had detected that he was hiding something. When she asked him about it he seemed surprised, saying he was only commenting.
As the music came to a halt she got down from her tiptoes and turned the music off. As she walked the tiny golden coins on her costume tinkled softly. At least she had found a good use for her old room since it was apparent it would not serve some other means.
The only addition she had was to have a four foot square of carpet removed and replaced with smooth linoleum flooring. At first Scott had been against the idea, saying they had other rooms she could use. She told him that her old room was better suited for the music. He had not believed her at first but he had finally relented since she wanted it so much.
Her next step would be to have a television and VCR brought into the room so she could watch her videos and practice along with them.
Walking into the bathroom she took a face cloth and held it under cold running water. Wiping the sweat from her face and chest she began removing her outfit and replacing each piece on their respective hanger. If she had worked up more of a sweat she would have taken a shower instead of using a washcloth.
Closing her eyes she released the magic that was her human disguise and reverted into her true form. The entire process of reverting from one to the other had long since become second nature to her.
She only barely glanced at herself in the mirror as she donned her underclothes before slipping into a pair of jeans and tee shirt. Tying her hair into a loose ponytail she turned out the lights before going downstairs to see what was in the refrigerator. Along the way she passed Jacob carrying a basket of clean laundry upstairs. From what was in the basket she guessed it was her and Scott's laundry from last week.
"Do you need help, Jacob?" She asked, smiling.
"No thank you, madam." He said warmly. "This is the last load so my task is almost finished."
Venus nodded and continued towards the kitchen. She had no idea what she wanted, only that it needed to be salty. Upon entering found the kitchen empty so she poked around in the cupboards where the snacks were normally stored. Grabbing a bag of salted potato chips she took a can of Pepsi from the refrigerator.
When she looked into her husband's workshop she was surprised to find he was not there. It was unusual for him at this time of day but not unheard of.
"If you are looking for your mate you will find him in the back with my mate." A familiar female voice came from the loading dock door.
When Venus turned to confront the voice she was pleased to see Cassandra standing there smiling. Yelping with joy at seeing her old friend she ran over and embraced her in a hug.
"Where have you been?" Venus asked, wanting to knew where she had been.
"Exploring this wondrous new time." Cassandra said, turning to walk with Venus back outside. "I am sorry myself and Eric were unable to stay here with you, but we felt in the way."
"Nonsense!" Venus stated. "You are always welcome to stay here with us. But please tell me what you have done."
Cassandra laughed and spun around in joy. "We have been residing in the state called Massachusetts. Bouncing around to different towns and cities."
Venus looked strangely at her lifelong friend. "Why did you not stay here in New York?"
"I am not certain." Cassandra answered. "It was as if something was urging us to explore other places. Actually there is not much to tell, aside from trying not to let other humans discover us."
"So what brought you back to New York?"
"Missed my old friend." The younger gargoyle replied, smiling. "Plus I have wondered what you have been doing since your… wedding." Looking down at Venus' abdomen she crossed her arms and frowned. "I see you are not yet with child."
Cassandra knew it was the wrong thing to say a split second after speaking. From the painful look in Venus' eyes she knew that was not as if she had not tried. "I am sorry, Venus, I should not have said that."
Venus shook her head. "It is not your fault, but I think humans and gargoyles are unable to have children. But let us not speak of sad things. Come, we will see what our mates are doing."
They continued their trek to the backyard where they found Eric and Scott sitting by the pool. The moon overhead was slightly hidden behind some clouds so the area was not well lit. Scott looked over at them and smiled, motioning them to join in.
"Eric here was just telling me about your many adventures." Scott said, as the two females sat. "Are you planning on remaining in New York?"
"We do not know as of yet." Cassandra replied, smiling softly. "But if the offer is still there we would be interested in living here for a time."
Eric cut in before either Scott or Venus had the chance to answer. "If you do not have the room then we will understand. We thought about asking Goliath but it does not feel right for some reason."
The professor chuckled. "Of course you are welcome to stay here for as long as you wish." Venus smiled and nodded her agreement. "We certainly have the room and it would be nice to have guests."
"We can probably find some way to work off our living here." Eric stated, clearing his throat softly.
"You don't need to do anything." Scott said, shaking his head. "We are more than happy to have you both."
Cassandra and Eric looked at one another and seemed relieved at not being turned away. Venus told them they could have one of the spare rooms and perch just about anywhere during the day.
"Have you eaten yet?" Scott asked, to which they both shook their heads. "Then come inside and we will take care of that."
The group stood and followed the professor and Venus into the house.

At the gargoyles' police clock tower, the entire clan was taking the night off. Broadway and Brooklyn were sitting in front of the television watching The Lion King, Hudson was busy reading a book and Lexington was showing Goliath what the Internet was. Lexington loved his new computer. Everybody was shocked when Elisa had brought it. It was the most expensive thing she had got them as of yet. Lexington in general was thrilled and very appreciative of her latest gift. When Goliath asked her why she had bought such an expensive gift she simply said it was on sale. Amazing what one could do on a detective's salary.
She had said that it had a high speed modem and was already set up for Internet access. Lexington knew what she was talking about and thanked her continuously. He was even able to get a T3 shell.
"See," He said, pointing to some text on the screen. "Anything you want to know about gargoyles."
Goliath watched as a small box in the upper corner revealed a feminine stone figure perched as a rain spout. "Very impressive, Lexington. Not one of use, I should say." But still somewhat attractive, he mused to himself with a grin.
"Nope," Lexington replied, moving the mouse pointer to the scroll bar and shifting the text off the screen. "Anything you want to know is here. Pick something, Goliath. Anything."
"Hmmm," He mumbled, trying to think of something. His eyes narrowed. "What about... Shakespeare's plays?"
"Sure." Lexington replied, typing on the keyboard. "Just watch and see, it's really cool!"
When he had typed in the search pattern the computer screen cleared and a list took its place. It was in alphabetic order and everything Shakespeare had ever done in his rather colorful life was there.
Lexington moved the mouse pointer to the picture and clicked the mouse button. The screen cleared and displayed the man's complete history, from his birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon to his death in 1616. Goliath was suddenly fascinated with what the Internet was capable of.
"Very impressive, I must say," Goliath said, smiling. "Can you read his works on this as well?"
"Sure," The kite-winged gargoyle replied, returning to the previous screen with a click of the mouse. "Which one do you want?"
Goliath looked at the long list and came across a particular play he was familiar with.
"Macbeth," He said, pointing to the name. "Bring up that one if you would." Perhaps he could find a clue as to how Shakespeare had learned of Puck and Macbeth. Could he have known Demona? She certainly seemed like the Lady Macbeth of the play... Lexington nodded and put the mouse pointer over "Macbeth" and clicked the button. There was a momentary pause as the information was downloaded. When it finished, the complete works of the Macbeth play were there, along with historical references. Goliath began reading the familiar text and was even more impressed.
Goliath smiled and kneeled down next to him, watching and listening to what he was told. It was rather interesting just to see how Lexington had adapted his own typing style to suit his unique fingers. A short while later they heard Elisa enter, carrying some books. Broadway saw the load she was carrying and went to help.
"Greetings, lass," Hudson said, marking a spot in his book and setting it down. "More stuff to read, I see. Thank you, Elisa."
Bronx looked up from his sleeping rug next to Hudson's chair and wagged his stubby tail in her presence. Elisa smiled and wondered if he smelled her cat, Cagney, on her clothes.
"Keep this up and you'll have a library similar to the one downstairs," She replied. "How's the computer working, Lexington?"
"Great!" He answered. "The Internet access you got for me is great, thanks!"
She smiled and went over to see what they were doing with the computer. It wasn't her specialty, but she knew what Lexington and Goliath were doing. The other thing she knew about personal computers was how much one cost.
"Going off shift, Elisa?" Goliath asked, taking a short break from the computer.
"Yeah. Pretty boring night, which seems to wear you out more than usual." She replied, yawning.
"I am in need of some night air." Goliath said, glancing up at the backside of the huge clock. "Would you care to join me?"
Elisa only nodded.
Goliath smiled and led her up the steps to the clock face and out onto the platform. She followed without question and leaned against the stone railing.
"What's up?" She asked gently.
"Nothing," Goliath replied, looking out at the city wistfully. "Why do you ask?"
"Because when you bring me out here you usually have something on your mind," She smiled. "Spill it."
He sighed and looked at her, a thin smile on his face. "I would like... That is, are you busy right now?"
"No. I just got off my shift," She answered, knowing well what he was trying to say. She looked up at him encouragingly, her eyes mesmerizing in the moonlight. "Why?"
Goliath shook his head slightly and seemed to hesitate, like he was trying to find the right words. He was so awkward whenever he was close to her...
"Would you care to walk with me in the park tonight?" He finally asked. "I could use the... companionship." He turned his head immediately after he had said it, his face turning a deeper hue. How embarrassing.
Elisa smiled and felt impressed. "You mean you're asking me on a date? Goliath, I never thought you'd ask such a question. Of course I'll go with you."
Goliath blinked at her in surprise and then looked at her warmly. He seemed to feel better and the smile on his face proved it without question. Going back inside, he told the others that he was going out for a while. When they asked why he said he and Elisa were simply going out to see the sights.
When Elisa stepped up behind him she gave the others a fast wink and ginned. She shook her head silently so that Goliath would not see her.
Brooklyn noticed it and whistled. "Hey, Goliath is taking Elisa out for a date tonight." He grinned maliciously in that boyish teen-aged manner of his.
"Good for you, lad!" Hudson said happily. "Nice to see you taking some time to relax."
The others laughed aloud, making Goliath feel out of place with them. He fidgeted his tail nervously, and his face blushed a deeper shade of purple.
Elisa noticed it and patted his arm. "We'd better get going, Goliath, before they find out you're taking me to the park." She put her hand over her mouth in a mock gesture of shock. "OOPS, I guess I don't know when to keep quiet."
"Sounds romantic," Lexington said with batting eyes, clapping his hands together and smiling with patronizing sweetness. "The moon, the clear night, just the two of you. Quite a love scene if I ever saw one."
Hudson stifled a laugh and held up his hand. "That's quite enough of that, lads. Leave your poor leader alone. Goliath, perhaps you'd better be off now and get on with your… date."
Goliath said nothing and stepped out of the door, wishing to get as far from Hudson and the trio as possible. Elisa smiled at them and followed. He picked her up in his arms and leapt off the building. The air was warm so Elisa wasn't worried about getting too cold.
As Elisa and Goliath glided on the air currents she wrapped both arms around his neck and nestled closer to his chest. He noticed it and tried not to lose his concentration. The park was still a ways off, so it would take a few minutes to get there. He wanted to say something to her, to apologize for what the others said back at the tower. Nothing came to mind and his eyes wandered about, trying to find something of interest, but they kept sneaking back to Elisa.
When they reached the park he was glad to see that nobody was around. They set down next to the lake, near to the boathouse that had once been destroyed back when they'd first met, nearly two years ago. Back when she had barely known him, yet risked her life to take out an entire squad of Xanatos' lethal attack troops.
She slipped from his grasp and looked around to make sure the coast was clear. Seeing nobody around, she grabbed his arm and led him down to the shoreline.
There was a stone bench there facing the water. They sat down next to each other and remained silent for a long time. "Goliath?" She said, breaking the silence. "How do you feel about me?"
"You are a good friend, Elisa," He replied after a moment's contemplation, not really wanting to tell the truth.
She bowed her head, the inky cascades of her hair flowing down her neck, catching his eye. "That's not what I meant, Goliath. I mean how do you REALLY feel about me?"
"I..." He paused, still not wanting to reveal his true feelings. "I care for you a lot, Elisa... Since losing Demona a part of me has been missing."
Elisa, hearing him talk about Demona suppressed a sigh and kept her thoughts to herself. She felt dejected that he still clung to the hope that the insane redheaded Gargoyle would fill his empty void.
"I understand." Was all she dared herself to say, anything more and she would have either cried or become angry.
For a while they simply sat and stared out at the smooth surface of the lake.

* * *
James could hardly believe the week had come and gone already. He and Demona were starting to enjoy their time together when Sunday was upon them. After sharing their last night in the beach house in each other's arms they flew back to New York. He spent the night at her manor and was now getting ready to return to his apartment before going to Gen-U-Tech.
When his employer had first said he was giving him the week off he did not like the idea. But now after spending time with Demona, having fun for the first time in several years, he wished it had been longer.
As he pulled into the parking area next to his building he removed his suitcase and went up to his apartment. Upon entering his apartment he found everything to be in order, including having no phone messages. He still had some time before he had to leave for work so he made a list of things to get at the grocery store before coming home tonight. Stuffing the list into his pocket he checked to make certain he had his keys before heading out.
The guard at the front gate glanced at his ID card before opening the gate. He was still a little early so there were several parking spots still available. Taking one near the front entrance he got out and swiped his card though the reader.
After the buzzer sounded he pushed the door open and went inside. He did not pass anybody else along the way, which he did not mind. The first thing he was planning on doing was checking to see if anyone had entered his lab while he was away. He would not put it past Xanatos to have a look around, not that he would have found anything of course.
Before leaving on vacation James had taken all his research data and copied it into an encoded directory deep within the computer. The directory was hidden, encrypted and he hoped next to impossible to unlock. But when he thought about the data he and Demona had been unable to access from Xanatos he began to wonder.
After entering his lab he looked around to find everything exactly where he had left it. His next step was to check the computer access logs to see if anyone had used it while he was gone. He smiled with relief when the last access log was his own, made a few hours before leaving last Friday.
If Xanatos had tried to gain entry into the system it would have been found and logged. James was pretty certain his employer would not think him so stupid, but it was good to take special measures.
Finding everything to his liking he restored all his data and began working once again. The first thing on the list was to extract another blood sample and have the computer analyze it.
"If what I think is happening then I will have to perform an MRI on myself." He said to himself as he gathered the necessary items from the cabinet.
After drawing a small amount of blood he started the computer working on it while he continued with Xanatos' project. He figured that in a few more weeks he could figure out how to solve the problem of the cells reproducing so rapidly. With any luck he could even find a way to reverse what was happening to him.
"But, do I want to?" He asked himself as he rolled his sleeve back down.
Once he had marveled at the idea of being a gargoyle, having all their amazing abilities. Now that it could be happening, why should the process? The other thing that scared him was the pain he experienced every so often. Sometimes it was easily tolerable, while other times he felt as if his insides were on fire.
"Can't make changes without some discomfort." He said, seeing his reflection in the glass. "Wonder what I would look like with wings and a tail." At this he chuckled at the idea, but it could very well happen.
As the morning progressed he found himself making little progress on Xanatos' project. He set up simulations that would bombard the formula with low level radiation to see if he would sterilize some of the cells. It would not be enough to cause any harm to living tissue, but hopefully it would do the trick. If that did not work then he would try strong doses of something more simple, such as aspirin to thin the blood. Other prescriptions such as penicillin or infection fighting medicines could also be tried.
It was well past noontime and he had half expected Xanatos to make an appearance. He could do without having his employer around, but the man had seemed very adamant on keeping tabs on his progress. It was not until the computer analyzing his blood began beeping that he remembered to check it.
As the data began scrolling up the screen he did not have to see the graphical DNA spiral to know that his thoughts were correct. According to the computer his blood type was of an almost unknown type. When he cross referenced it with the sample from Demona the computer stated that the two were almost one hundred percent identical. There were only a few small traces of human white cells still in his own blood.
"Okay, so now I wonder what else is different." He said to himself as he added the data to his "Demona's Love Reborn" file.
After doing that he erased it from the analysis computer and sat down before the main system. He sighed softly and called up the scan he had performed on Demona. A while back he had noticed that it had been in more detail than he thought. In addition to her internal organs, bone structure and muscular tissue it showed detailed images on her reproductive system.
He was not certain why he was suddenly interested in them, but something tugged at the back part of his brain. It took a few moments for the computer to display the high resolution images. Using the mouse he directed the zoom function to enlarge her abdominal area.
When the image was finished rendering itself he looked to see what it looked like. It was a little fuzzy but it was clear enough that he felt his mouth fall open, a low groan escaping his throat.
"Oh my God…" Was all he could find it say.
Shaking his head he began typing furiously on the keyboard, calling up several stored images on a human female reproductive system. When the computer compared the images his fears were brought to life as the results were displayed at the bottom of the screen.

SCAN COMPLETED
SCAN IMAGE "A" AND IMAGE "B" ARE 92.1245453% IDENTICAL

CROSS REFERENCED NEW BLOOD SAMPLE WITH SCAN
SUCCESS RATE OF FERTILIZATION: 85.222998%

"Just how much of me is different?" He asked himself, then glanced down at himself. The thought of performing that test made him feel strange. "Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse."

TO BE CONTINUED ..