Little Tsu: Ok, so ta put it simply, it's been about a month or so since I got around ta placin' up the next one-shot ta this series, but even though my updates are slow at times, they WILL get updated eventually when I manage ta get around ta them. So without further ado, here's the next one-shot of the Orphan Chronicles. Enjoy!

Surprise and Rejection

...Well, this was rather unexpected.

Brooklyn wasn't really sure how this happened...Or rather, he didn't really expect such a quick answer from his leader and the old Gargoyle. Couldn't they have at least listened to his explanation at all?...Apparently not. Instead, here he was, perched on the edge of a roof on a different building while holding the little orphan known as Nitalia closely to him so she wouldn't fall. Her little form was cradled in his left arm and pressed up against his chest firmly, yet still gently while she rested.

"...Goliath just doesn't get it...I'm his right hand...One of his strongest and most loyal warriors in his clan...Why couldn't he just listen and let me explain why I had brought this little human with me?...No...She's not just a little human...Her name's Nia and she belongs to me...I had promised her."

As he spoke to himself quietly so he wouldn't rouse the child from her sleep on the second night since they met, he thought back to just two hours ago when he had finally arrived home at the top of Eyrie Building where his fellow clan mates were waiting for him. After all, he hadn't made it home in time the night before and had stopped at the top of a nearby building, managing to tell Nia that he'd be sleeping, but that he'd awaken when the sun set.

Thank anything that she had understood and didn't freak when he had turned to stone.

{Flashback}

Upon making his descent and finally landing softly onto his own personal perch at the top of Eyrie Building, he carefully set the human girl down before hopping off of his perch and straightening up on his haunches. As he did though, he heard the thumping of clawed footsteps before suddenly having himself staring right at his best friends, Lexington and Broadway. Both seemed to have been worried, but also excited that he was back. However, he soon noticed them skidding to a halt and was now staring at the little human at his side. Being the size that he was, the light green Gargoyle had to look down, but the tan colored one with the web-winged arms and legs didn't really have to since they were about the same height.

"Uh...Brooklyn?...Who's this human?...She's so small."

"Of course she's small Broadway...She's a little human; a child. So where did she come from anyways?"

Brooklyn gave his two friends an odd look, but then blinked slightly as he felt something warm on his leg. Tilting his head down out of curiousness, he found that the little girl was clinging to his leg while trying to hide behind him; an obviously nervous and skiddish look upon her features. So she was afraid of his friends despite their pretty much harmless appearance?

Chuckling to himself at this thought, he managed to kneel down so that he was definately more eye level with Nia before lifted a taloned hand and resting it down gently upon the top of her head; ruffling up her orchid colored hair lightly in a reassuring manner. "Don't be afraid. These two are my friends...They're completely harmless." The red Gargoyle then brought his gaze back onto his clan mates. "This is Nitalia...But I decided to call her Nia for short...I found her all alone at the park crying."

"What's with the blood on her clothes?...Is that hers? Is she hurt?"

Brooklyn shook his head towards Broadway's questions. "It was her family's." Once he gave that simple answer, he could tell that by the suddenly solemn looks on their faces that they instantly understood what had happened to her parents and now why he had brought her with him instead of taking her back to her own home, which now no longer existed since she was an orphan. Before he could explain anything further, a deep voice rumbled before Goliath finally stepped outside, only to see the child still clinging onto his young right hand.

"...What is this child doing here Brooklyn?...She is a human."

"So? Elisa's a human too, but she comes around all the time."

"That is because she is our friend and has helped us in getting used to this new world of ours. She is also an adult and is fully capable of taking care of herself."

"But Goliath...This child..."

Goliath held up his hand to immediately silence the younger Gargoyle and promptly gave him a stern stare. "You will return the human back to where you found her. Some humans will find her and return her home."

"What? Return her? But Goliath. If you'd just listen..."

"I said no...Now take her back...We are different from her and a human child cannot fit in with our kind...My decision is final." With that Goliath turned around and leaped up onto the ledge before jumping off and gliding away into the distance. He was leaving to meet up with Elisa Maza.

Brooklyn's eyes narrowed after the large retreating figure while an arm was now around Nia, holding her close to him in a protective manner...What did he know anyways?

{End Flashback}

Releasing a distressed sigh of breath, he tilted his head down towards the little girl that was still sound asleep in his arm before shifting carefully off the ledge and taking a seat on the roof with his back resting up against the ledge. The little girl was now sitting in his lap more comfortably while still being cradled in his left arm against his chest. As he watched her sleep for a while, he carefully lifted up his free hand and brushed her bangs gently out of her angelic face before caressing her cheek soothingly with the back of his talons causing a tiny smile to appear on her features in her sleep and to also snuggle that much more closely to his larger form.

Seeing such a reaction from this little human caused a small smile to etch itself onto his bird-like features before finally dropping his hand back onto his right leg and lifting his head up some so that he was now staring up at the star filled sky, which held a beautiful full moon just as it had the night before. "...Goliath doesn't know what he's talking about. I can't possibly bring myself to taking the girl back, but...for some reason, I've already grown attached to her...She's just so different from many of the other humans...She looks a little different too...She's also not afraid of me."

Sighing once more, Brooklyn drifted his gaze back down onto Nia's sleeping form and curled his tail around to in front of him as he wrapped it gently around the girl's waist in somewhat of a protective manner;...more so than his cradling already possessed. "...Don't worry Nia...I'm not going to abandon you. I promise...I'll take care of you and I won't ever leave your side...I'll make Goliath see...I'll make him accept you somehow."

'...I promise.'

End

Little Tsu: Well, that's the ending to this one. I'll get more one-shots up of this eventually so please be patient all of you like you've always been. Thanks again for reading & please review. It encourages me about my skills as a writer & makes me continue further.