Chapter 15

Angela stepped into her mother's kitchen, having left Kat asleep up in the guest room.

"How is she?" Demona, now in her gargoyle form, asked concerned. The older gargess was cooking a couple steaks. After the long day with little food, both her and her daughter, despite the magic influencing them both, had the appetites of gargoyles, and needed the protein.

Angela sighed, and sat down at the kitchen island. "Exhausted. Today was very emotional for her. If I didn't need to eat, I'd still be up there." She looked up at her mother, "I'll be surprised if she doesn't have at least one nightmare."

"Understandable," Demona acknowledged. "What about you?"

"What do you mean?" Angela asked.

Demona sighed. "Today's been an emotional day for you as well, not to mention your confrontation with Elisa," the redhead clarified. She reached out and placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "I care for you Angela, I just want to know how you're doing."

Angela looked down. "Not good," she admitted after a few minutes. "I love Kat, love being with her."

"But…"

"That seems to be the only time I'm happy anymore." She grinned and added, "And when I'm with you." The grin faded and she leaned forward and rested her head in her hands. "Lex has backed off, but Brooklyn and Broadway are still pressuring me to go out with them, to choose one of them as mates. And Father…" She gulped. "I've tried to tell him about Kat, I want to tell him. But…the few times I've brought up the subject of women being together…he gets this look of disapproval on his face and, though accepting of it in humans, he mentions that it's not the gargoyle way."

Angela looked back at her mother. And Demona could see the tears in her eyes. "I love Kat, but he's my father. I…"

"You want him to be proud of you," Demona finished, pulling her daughter into a hug.

Angela nodded.

Demona sighed, and pulled back. "I don't know what to tell you Angela. I'm sorry to say that, though I once loved your Father, I don't know him anymore. All I can tell you is that, above all else, I want you happy. Goliath, I'm sure feels the same way. But…but if he can't accept Kat, you'll still have me, and Kat. It's up to you, but…if you're feeling this much stress, perhaps you should tell him."

"I'll consider it," Angela acknowledged. "But not until after Kat's feeling better and we know more about her father. She doesn't need to go through this, and deal with my problems at the same time."

Demona nodded, agreeing with the decision. "I hate to say this then, but…after we eat, you should head back to the castle."

"But Kat…"

Her mother held up her hand, cutting her daughter off. "I'll watch her, but if you don't want your father getting too suspicious…"

"You're right," Angela sighed.

Demona grinned, "I usually am dear."

For the first time that night, Angela laughed.

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As she landed back on the castle ramparts, Angela was already regretting having returned. It didn't feel right to be here instead of with Kat, but her mother was right.

As much as she hated it, if she wanted any peace from the clan, she needed to make an appearance.

"ANGELA!"

The gargess sighed and turned to face her father. She was annoyed, though unsurprised, at the look of anger on her face. "What Father?" she answered, more than a tersely. In her defense, she'd had a pretty bad day so far.

"Where have you been?" he demanded.

Angela sighed, "Out," she answered. "I spent the day at the hospital," not a complete lie, and she knew he'd assume she meant she'd turned to stone at the hospital.

"Don't you mean with Demona?" he rumbled.

A surprised look passed over her features, and she tried to school it into a look of disbelief.

But she knew it was too late as her father's eyes glowed white.

"I forbid you from interacting with her!" he growled. "What were you thinking?"

Angela's spine straightened, and she glared at her father, her own eyes taking on a red glow in her anger. "I was thinking that by spending time with my MOTHER, I could keep her from hurting the clan," she growled back.

Goliath scoffed. "And you think that will stop her?!" Goliath asked unbelievably.

"Yes," she answered.

"Then you know nothing," he said, the glow fading from his eyes, though his expression remained angry and grim. "You're grounded until further notice. You will not see her again."

"You can't do that!" Angela yelled.

Goliath roared, his wings flaring and his eyes turning white once more.

But Angela didn't back down, snarling as she flared her own wings.

Their stand-off had drawn the attention of the rest of the clan, who were watching, shocked at the anger being displayed between father and daughter. If Angela pushed any further, she may inadvertently challenge Goliath for leadership of the clan.

Gargoyles, while having many human mannerisms, were not human. One of their traditions was the right of challenge. Any clan member, if dissatisfied with the Leader's decision, could challenge them for leadership of the clan. It didn't happen often, for several reasons. The major one was that, though the challenger may beat the leader, the remaining clan could refuse to accept them. This was usually done if the challenger was disliked, considered untrustworthy, or simply distrusted, by the clan at large. Another reason was, if it was an elder leader being challenged, the clan may decide they preferred the Leader's knowledge and experience over an unproven leader.

Most of the time, the leader appointed a second, as Hudson had done with Goliath, and Goliath had done with Brooklyn. Most of the time, when the Leader felt they were too old or simply did not wish to be Leader anymore, they would step down, and the Second would take their place, or if the Leader died in some fashion.

But still, the right of challenge existed.

"Are you challenging ME?!" Goliath snarled angrily.

Angela wanted to snarl again, oh how she did. But to snarl would be to declare a challenge, against her own father. And she wanted nothing to do with being Leader, or the duties that entailed. Grinding her teeth together, she lowered her wings, though her eyes never lost their red glow.

"No," she ground out, still angry.

Goliath growled, but his wings lowered. The tension was still thick in the air, and when Goliath spoke, Angela knew that it was as Clan Leader, not as her father. "You have defied the orders of your leader, until you can be trusted to once more obey my commands, you will be grounded."

Without another word, he turned and walked away.

The rest of the clan eyed Angela carefully.

The gargess was still growling in her throat, and her wings were twitching with the urge to flare them and fight. Her talons were clenched into fist, and her tail lashed back and forth in a predatory member.

Never had any of the clan seen Angela so furious, or so in resemblance to Demona.

Males may, generally, be larger than females. But female gargoyles were more temperamental. A male gargoyles instincts were geared towards protecting clan and honor, but females were geared towards defense of self and protecting young/those they were close too. The major difference between them was that males thought of the group, while females tended to think of individuals.

There was a reason most rookeries, the places were eggs were laid and young raised until they were old enough to protect themselves, were supervised mostly by females. And a female that lost her temper, in fear of those she cared of, was deadly, amongst any species. When one added in talons sharp enough to cut through stone, and strength to match, you got no deadlier opponent, except perhaps for Fae.

And Angela, despite the wrongs she committed, loved her mother. And as much as she loved her father, her instincts were screaming that he was a threat to those she loved.

Her instincts were baying for her to do something.

Taking several deep breaths, in an effort to calm herself, Angela reached a decision.

Goliath could only be her Leader if she was a part of the clan. Turning away from the rest of the clan, she walked into the castle.

She needed to speak to Fox.

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The look of anger on Fox's face was evident as Angela finished her explanation of the day's events, from Demona agreeing to help with Fox's proposal to Kat's father, and finally to her confrontation with Goliath.

"Are you sure about this Angela?" Fox asked in concern, despite the anger on her face.

Angela nodded. "Yes. If this is Father's reaction to me spending time with Demona, I can only imagine his reaction to finding out my mate. I can endure many things Fox," she assured the other woman, "but I could barely stop myself attacking him about his attitude towards Mother. I honestly don't think I could if he reacted badly about Kat. And as much as my instincts are begging me to attack him now, I know the feeling will pass, and I never want to fight my father. I never wanted to fight Demona, but due to her actions I did. Now that she's spending time with me, I don't know that I could."

Fox sighed, and the look of anger on her faced melted into one of concern. "You'll visit, right?"

"In my human form," Angela assured her. Though the anger on Angela's features didn't fade, the hormones that were in her system still from her fight with Goliath prevented that, they did lessen somewhat. "I have no desire to lose my best friend."

Fox smiled, and walked forward to pull Angela into a hug, which the gargess tentatively returned. "If there's anything I can do, call me. And as for our little project, we can hold off as long as Kat needs."

"Can you tell the clan?" Angela asked. "I would but…I'm afraid they'd try and stop me."

"I understand." Fox looked over at the massive window of her office. It wasn't as big as David's (which was basically the outside wall of his office), but unlike her husband's, it could open. "Would you like to take my window? You don't have to risk them spotting you until it's too late then."

"I'd appreciate that."

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Kat jolted up.

It took a few moments for her to remember where she was, and that her nightmare had been just that, a nightmare.

Not wanting to dwell on that, she stood from the bed, and left the room to look for Angela. Before she left the room, she noticed the time.

It was just after midnight.

Sighing, she stepped into the hall. It wasn't until she was almost to the stairs that she heard any sign of life. Walking downstairs, she found Demona, in gargoyle form, sitting in an office going over papers as she listened to classical music.

Kat knocked on the door, and Demona looked up. "Kat, what are you doing up?" she asked, the concern in her voice surprising.

"I had a nightmare," Kat admitted.

Demona smiled sadly.

"Where's Angela?" Kat asked.

The gargess sighed. "She went back to the castle. I told her I'd keep an eye on you."

Kat smiled slightly. "Thank you," she said, right before blushing as her stomach growled loudly.

Demona chuckled and stood up. "Come on, you could use some food."

Kat opened her mouth to protest that despite her hunger, she didn't think she could eat, but Demona cut her off. "Don't worry, I'll make something lite."

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Kat was munch on some toast with jam, when she and Demona heard the door slam.

A few minutes later, Angela, in her gargoyle form, walked into the room. She was tense, but as soon as she saw Kat, much of the tension left her body.

Surprising Kat, Demona, stepped away from her, and Angela picked her up without warning, before sitting down and pulling her into her lap. Kat could then feel the rest of the tension leave Angela's body as the gargess nuzzled her hair, breathing in her scent.

Before Kat could question Angela's strange behavior, Demona asked, somewhat warily, "What happened?"

Some tension returned to the lavender gargess' body, and she snarled slightly, but Angela answered, "I almost challenged Father." Her tone was clipped and Kat knew now wasn't the time to question her bonded.

It seemed Demona had the same idea, as she slipped out of the room.

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It took some time, but Goliath eventually calmed down.

He knew he needed to apologize to his daughter, more for his harshness than the actual punishment. He was sticking by his decision to ground her until she realized just how dangerous her mother was.

He found the rest of the clan, minus Angela, in the kitchen, eating a meal prepared by Broadway. Each of the gargoyles eyed him warily, but warmed up quickly once they realized his temper had cooled.

"Where is Angela?" he asked.

They all looked at each other, before Brooklyn answered, "We haven't seen her since…," he trailed off, not needing to elaborate further.

Goliath sighed. "If you see her, I need to speak with her, and apologize for the way I reacted," he clarified as he watched the trio tense up. They relaxed just as quickly.

Hudson nodded approvingly.

He turned to leave, to see if he could find his daughter, only to be stopped at the sight of Fox in the doorway.

The redheaded former mercenary was glaring at him. The look of anger on her face was something that, even as enemies, the clan had never seen. "Good, you're all here," she drawled.

"What do you need Fox?" Goliath questioned, not wanting to deal with the Xanatos' schemes tonight.

"To ask if you're happy?" she said, harshly.

Right before she slugged Goliath with all her strength.

The unexpected right hook sent goliath to the floor, and brought the others to the feet, growling as their eyes turned white.

But Fox ignored them, keeping her glare on Goliath, even as she winced and held her hand. "Angela's gone," she told them, shocking everyone out of their anger. "She wanted me to give all of you, but especially you Goliath, a message."

Standing straighter, Fox said, "She said, and I quote, 'I renounce the clan, and choose to glide the night alone."

Without another word, Fox turned and left.

Leaving a stunned clan standing in the kitchen, and an even more stunned Goliath still lying on the floor.

As guilt and remorse filled his heart.

His daughter had left the clan.

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Please Review and Checkout the Challenges in My Forums and the stories I have up for adoption, posted under the title Please Adopt Me!

I hope the long wait for the chapter was worth it, especially as I feel this is a very emotional chapter, for all the characters.