For the next few days, Brooklyn talked to Pauline about his clan and things they had done for New York and even about his past life in Scotland. She found it fascinating that he was really from another century. No wonder he had said that horses were working animals in those days.

They both also kept an eye on Dolly as well. Brooklyn also got to meet the other three horses, who were also wary of him, and the cattle. He watched Pauline pour grain into giant feeding tubs for them all. He didn't dare go near them. He knew his presence would scare them.

It was amazing that Pauline lived out here by herself and yet, she had livestock but no dogs or cats.

"How come you don't have barn cats or dogs out here?" he asked. "Farms usually have those."

"I plan to adopt some shelter barn cats soon, but dogs are such a major pain in the butt. The cats will keep the mice in check. I had dogs while I was married and my husband dealt with the dogs. They were his specialty. Dogs just don't like me. Horses like me better. My husband, Joe liked horses too, though." Pauline explained.

"What happened to Joe?"

"He had colon cancer."

"Sorry for your loss." Brook said sadly.

"I'm sorry for your losses too. You lost so many of your clan."

"Yeah. Sometimes I wonder what rookery sister might have chosen me if my rookery sisters had all lived longer." Brook wondered.

"Did you have your eye on any before the massacre?"

"No, I didn't at the time. Now, finding a mate is nearly impossible without going outside the clan. There are clans in London, Japan, and Guatemala that we know of right now. But there are surely others as well." Brooklyn explained. "Maybe someday, all our clans will get to meet."

"That'll be nice."

"Yeah." Brooklyn thought, 'And my kids will get to meet others their own age eventually.' It was an intriguing thought.

…..

Christmas Day finally came and Brooklyn tried to help Pauline prepare for the dinner as much as possible. The turkey had been thawing all day and was still cooking. There was yams, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, some beets, and some brownies for dessert.

Brooklyn wanted to call Elisa but he still wasn't ready. He hoped his clan was doing alright without him. He thought of them. "Merry Christmas, everyone. I'll be home soon."

….

In New York, Christmas didn't feel all the same without Brooklyn being there. But they had lived without him for over five months.

The clan had invited guests. The Labyrinth Clan, Elisa's parents, Beth, Matt, the clones, Renard and Preston Vogel, David's dad, Petros, Robbins and Gilly. Fox and Alex. There was quite a gathering. But no matter how many there were, Brooklyn's presence was still missed.

Seeing Malibu there only reminded the clan easily of him. Hearing his voice too. It wasn't him though. If only they knew where he was and they would gladly go get him.

It was colder in New York now at this time of year. But everyone kept warm. The castle was well insulated. They all had a grand feast despite not having Brooklyn there. They were all grateful for what they still had but would keep Brooklyn with them in spirit.

…

Brooklyn was grateful to be staying with someone who welcomed his presence as her guest. He was also grateful to be carrying his twins because they were out of danger. He had some family with him. Pauline was glad to have a guest with her for Christmas. She would go visit her family after Brooklyn left.

They enjoyed their own feast at her home. Pauline saw that Brooklyn was eating quite heavily.

"You shouldn't eat so much if you expect to lose weight." Pauline instructed.

"I know, but it's so good." Brooklyn replied. "Eating is part of the joy of Christmas."

"Yes, but not eating to excess." She corrected him.

"I can't help it. I just feel really hungry." He stated, giving an innocent grin.

"Alright." Pauline said.

Brooklyn ate a good portion of the meal. There were still leftovers for another couple small meals but not if the red gargoyle was going to eat like he was. He knew he wouldn't normally eat that much but the twins demanded food for energy. He still hadn't told her the truth why he ate why he did.

Pauline knew that after the holiday, it would be better for Brooklyn to move on. To call his friends or move on. He was eating her out of house and home. She had liked having him here for someone to talk to, but he needed to go home. He seemed to be feeling better after the few days he had been here.

"Brooklyn, after today, I think it's best you move on soon." Pauline advised.

"I know. I just really needed some rest before moving on again. I don't want to waste your phone bill since you said it would be costly to call my friends. I'll move on tomorrow night if you can get me the supplies I need." Brook declared. He seemed sad that she was making him leave already.

"I'll be happy to get them for ya." She replied.

They were relaxing in the living room now. Out in the barn though, there was something exciting happening.

Dolly was moving around restlessly in her stall. She was getting up and down constantly and not eating so much at the moment. Her stomach and the foal movements were really uncomfortable as the contractions hit her. She whinnied loudly.

From the house, Brooklyn was hearing Dolly. "Does Dolly normally neigh that loud?"

"No, why?" Pauline asked.

"I can hear her now." Brook said.

"That's odd. I checked on her before dinner." The woman said. "She was fine then. But if you're hearing her calling out so loud, I need to go check on her."

Brooklyn and Pauline went out to the barn together to see what was going on. The mare had called out many times and the other horses were standing close to the barn too, wanting inside but couldn't be inside near her.

What they found was that Dolly was lying down and getting up again. "She's in labor, Brooklyn. She's ready to have her foal!" Pauline exclaimed proudly.

"That's great." He smiled. He watched what was going on. They both waited and watched to see a foal be born, but after several minutes, nothing happened.

"There must be something wrong." Pauline figured. After several more minutes and Dolly was pushing hard and nothing was happening, there was something wrong.

"Go call the vet, Brooklyn, fast!" Pauline ordered him.

Brooklyn ran back to the house on all fours. He could feel the weight of the twins inside him. He got the cordless phone and dialed the vet's number from what was on the fridge. After a few rings, the man picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hi, you the vet for Pauline?" Brooklyn asked.

"Yes? What's going on?" he asked.

"Pauline's mare, Dolly has gone into labor and seems to be having trouble. Can you get here soon?"

"Calm down, Sir. Mares deliver healthy foals all the time. You'll be lucky you don't miss it." He said. "I'm at a delivery at another man's barn right now with a stuck calf. I won't be able to make for another couple hours at least."

"Alright." Brooklyn said reluctantly.

"Call me again if Dolly hasn't progressed in half an hour and I can instruct on how to deliver the foal if needed." He advised.

"Okay." Brook stated. "Bye." He hung up. Some help.

Brooklyn was angry that the vet couldn't help but he hurried back to the barn to see if there was any progress. When he got there, Pauline asked, "Is he coming?"

"Not for a while. He's stuck on another delivery farm elsewhere." Brooklyn declared sternly.

"It happens in his line of work. There's still no progress." Pauline said. "And Dolly is straining hard."

"He said call him in half an hour and he could instruct you through it."

"I've pulled stuck foals before. It's been a while, but Dolly is straining. She'll be too tired by then. This can't wait. I'm gonna pull this foal myself." Pauline said. She took off her coat and rolled up her sleeves. She took off her watch and rings. "Brooklyn, stay on standby to help if I need you."

"Alright." He knew this was a big moment and he hoped it went well. He had a soft spot for this mare due to his condition.

Pauline had to go inside her mare to find out what was wrong. It was breech! She needed to get the foal out fast!

"The foal is breech! Brooklyn, I'll need your help to get it out." Pauline screeched.

"Alright. What does that mean?"

"It's backwards. The front feet and head should be first. It feels like a big foal too. No wonder she's having trouble." Pauline stated.

Pauline was able to get the hind hooves into the birth canal first but upon pulling on the foal, she wasn't strong enough. "Brooklyn, help me!"

The gargoyle was nervous about this. He felt personal about it, but he wouldn't let this innocent life die like this. He would be careful. He went in the stall and got down next to Pauline. The back hooves were out but weren't moving much.

"Where do I grab onto the foal?" he asked.

"The lower legs. But don't pull just yet. Dolly needs to push while you pull. I'm going to keep her calm while you pull. Pull the foal downwards." She ordered.

"Okay." He replied.

When Dolly pushed next, Pauline said to pull gently. She talked to Dolly to keep her pushing. "Come on, girl, you can do it!" She coaxed her.

Brooklyn pulled down gently on the foal's hind legs. It was coming out. The water had already broken and there was a blue sac over the foal. The rear end came out a little hard at first. Dolly pushed hard with Brooklyn's help. Soon, the rear was out, then it came to get the shoulders out. They got stuck briefly but in the end, with Brooklyn lending his strength to Dolly, he got the foal's shoulders and then the head and front limbs out. He grunted hard with pulling the foal out at the last moment.

Pauline hurriedly rushed back to the foal and she pulled open the sac that was around the head and started petting and messing with the foal to get it to breathe on its own. Dolly was still lying on her side, breathing hard. She was exhausted.

"Is it alright?" Brooklyn asked.

Pauline saw the foal was breathing. "Yes. It's alright. Thank you for your help, Brooklyn. They both might have died if it wasn't for your help." She thanked him with a smile. She then looked at the sex and it was a boy. "He's a big boy!" She announced.

"I'd say he is too." Brooklyn exclaimed happily.

The foal soon began to move about. Dolly eventually sat up and looked back at her son. The colt was a dark color right now. He might have been black like his mom. He had a thin blaze down his face, and two white fetlocks on the front.

"Let's give them some privacy now that the danger is over." Pauline said. "Mares need to bond with their foals."

They left the stall to let Dolly bond with her new son. They just watched though. It was a magical moment. Brooklyn couldn't help but cry. His hand stroked his own stomach, feeling his own babies inside him. He smiled.

"What are you going to name him?" Brook asked Pauline.

"Why don't you name him?" She suggested. "You were his hero tonight."

"How about Lightning? That was the name of the horse I once knew. And his face mark looks like lightning." Brooklyn suggested. "Or it was Thunder."

"That sounds like a nice name for him." Pauline agreed.

Lightning was soon trying to find his feet. Dolly got to her feet after a time. She began licking her son and encouraging him to stand. He eventually got there. He also sought out Dolly's milk supply and he got his first drink of milk.

"Dolly has colostrum in her breasts right now. It's crucial Lightning gets that milk. It contains antibodies to keep him healthy until he's older." Pauline explained. "I also need to dip his umbilical cord in iodine to keep out infection."

She got the iodine and went into the stall while Brooklyn looked on. While he was nursing, Pauline was able to dip the cord area in the iodine. She then petted him on the rear, making him stop drinking for a moment. Dolly was watchful but kept on licking her son.

Pauline then left the stall. "So, what do we do now?" Brook asked.

"Let them be. Lightning will be dry in a few hours and we'll get to see his true color."

It wasn't long though before the vet arrived and he was instantly afraid of seeing the red gargoyle in front of him. He came to see the foal.

"It's alright, Dr. Quincy. This is Brooklyn. He won't hurt you." Pauline explained. "In fact, if it wasn't for him, my mare and her colt would have died. He was stuck being breech."

"I promise I won't hurt you, Sir. What she said was true. Dolly needed help." Brooklyn declared.

"I said I couldn't make it but said I would come see. I'm glad you both got the foal out. So, what do we have?" The man asked as he came to the edge of the stall.

"A big strong boy." Pauline replied.

"That's good." The vet said and he went into the stall to make sure Lightning was alright. He listened to the heart and lungs. "Has he drank?"

"Yes."

Brooklyn watched how the vet handled the foal. Lightning wasn't too keen on being handled. But he needed some handling to let the vet do as needed. "But has he passed his first stool yet?"

"No. He should soon." Pauline replied.

The vet made sure the colt was healthy and he left him to be with his mother. Dolly was now keeping her foal close to her. She seemed calmer now.

The three watchers were so happy for Dolly. But then, Brooklyn suddenly felt something painful in his stomach.

"OH!" He cried out and backed off from the stall. It got the two humans' attention.

Brooklyn bared his teeth and sat down, holding his stomach. He panted hard. "What's wrong, Brooklyn?" Pauline asked in concern. She was by his side instantly.

"Oh, Pauline." He groaned, opening his eyes, panting. "I didn't tell you the whole truth."

The vet knew she couldn't trust this strange creature.

"About what?" Pauline asked.

"I told you that those people who kidnapped me in Florida did experiments on me, but what I didn't tell you… ugh… was that they… ugh… impregnated me… agh!" Brook grunted in pain. "My stomach hurts! I think… something's wrong!"

Pauline and the vet weren't expecting to hear that. "This is a fine time to be keeping things like this from me."

"I have twins. And I know that one of them has… a weak heart." Brooklyn stated painfully.

"Here, let me have a listen." Dr. Quincy declared. He put on his stethoscope and he put the stethoscope on the gargoyle's swollen stomach.

"It's the one on my right side." Brook grimaced.

"It'll be alright." Pauline said.

Dr. Quincy listened. He was a skeptic that a male was actually pregnant. As he listened, moving the stethoscope on Brook's belly, he soon could hear a heartbeat beneath the skin, faintly. "I hear a heartbeat. He's not kidding, Mrs. Pauline."

The vet also moved around to find a second heartbeat. He found it a little ways over from the other one. He then proceeded to put a hand onto Brook's stomach. He pressed just a tad and Brooklyn winced. But he got movement.

"There is indeed two babies in there." Dr. Quincy stated. "I got two heartbeats. But from what you say, if there is one with a weak heart, you need to have an ultrasound."

"How do we do that, Doctor?" Pauline asked.

"We need to take him to my clinic, right now." The vet advised.

They helped Brooklyn to his feet and he was still in incredible pain. It hurt to walk. The horses were left behind, being just fine now.

Quincy had come in a jeep. Brooklyn was helped into the back seat. Pauline got back there with him and kept him supported. Brook had his wings caped. The vet got in and he sped to the vet's office.

Brook was still in a lot of pain as he was forced to walk into the clinic. Once inside, he couldn't take it anymore and he had to lay down on the floor. "Oh, it hurts!" He cried out.

"I know, but you need to try to remain calm, Brooklyn." The vet coaxed. He hurriedly got his ultrasound machine ready and using gel, he spread some on Brooklyn's stomach. Quincy moved the wand around slowly. He took a look at the fetus on the right side first after what Brook had said.

Quincy indeed saw the fetus had a hole in the heart. "This isn't good. The heart is beating, but it's weak." He then moved it over to see the twin's heart and it looked whole.

"Can you… see what they are?" Brooklyn asked.

"Maybe, but that's not the concern at the moment." Quincy replied. He continued to move the wand around Brooklyn's belly to see if there was anything possibly causing him pain. He pressed around too, to know what was the cause of pain.

Brooklyn winced on the right side pressing. "It hurts!" He moaned.

Quincy saw an aggravated nerve in his side. He also checked down lower to make sure it wasn't possibly appendicitis. He had removed a few of those before, in dogs. He saw an enlarged organ.

"Think I found the problem." Quincy stated.

"What?" Brook asked, wincing painfully.

"Think you got a ruptured appendix, Brooklyn." Quincy said. "That has to come out, now."

"How long till sunrise?" Brooklyn asked painfully.

"There's still lots of night left. It's only after eleven." Pauline replied.

"Alright. Just lay here on the floor. I don't want to knock you out with that one baby having such a weak heart, but if I don't get the appendix out, that's going to cause problems or kill all of you." Quincy exclaimed.

"Please, save them." Brooklyn pleaded desperately.

Quincy hadn't known Brooklyn for long, but he was willing to help any creature in need. He quickly got the gargoyle sedated and Pauline was his assistant. He had a tube put down Brook's airway. He tried to be quick about it. He quickly cut into the right lower quadrant of Brooklyn's lower abdomen. He quickly found the culprit, the inflamed appendix.

He cut it out and he saw the artificial womb the baby was in. He saw one baby in there. But he couldn't deliver it. It wasn't ready yet. He got the appendix out and as quickly as he could, he closed Brooklyn back up again.

"We have to get him out of here before morning." Quincy told Pauline.

"Help take him back to my house when he wakes up." Pauline asked of him.

"Sure. I will be more than happy to oblige."

Within a couple of hours, Brooklyn finally began to wake up. He was groggy.

"What happened?" he asked.

"It's alright now. You had an infected appendix. We got it out." Pauline explained. "You'll be fine. Do you feel any pain?"

"No. Don't feel much of anything." Brook replied tiredly.

"I gave you some pain medicine. It won't harm the babies." Quincy stated.

"How do you know?"

"I've given it to pregnant mother animals before." The vet said.

"I'm not… an animal." Brook gave a growl.

"You're certainly different. But you're not human either. If you don't feel pain, then it's working." Quincy said.

"Need it out… at sunrise. Turn to stone." Brooklyn mumbled.

"We're going to get you out of here before sunrise." The vet man retorted.

Soon, after he was a little more awake, the iv was taken out of his hand and Brooklyn was given another ultrasound to make sure the twins were alright. They were still alive. He was then helped back to the jeep. His legs felt like jelly.

"With that baby's weak heart, you probably shouldn't be flying any further to get home." Pauline declared. "We'll call your friends, and they can come and get ya."

"Okay." Brooklyn agreed.

They got him home to Pauline's place and took him to the room where he stayed. He was helped into bed and tucked in. It hurt a bit to walk but Brook could manage now. He had an incision on the lower right side of his belly.

"What about my babies?"

"They're both fine. I saw they were growing in a not so normal sac. They aren't ready to be born yet. How far along are you?" Quincy asked.

"Five months, I think." Brook replied.

"You got some recovery ahead of you. I also saw no exit to that uterus. They will have to be born via c-section."

"I know." Brook groaned.

They left him to get some rest for the rest of the night but kept on checking on him at times before morning. The same with Lightning.

By near dawn, Lightning was now completely dry. He was a little bundle of energy in the stall with his mom. Dolly was happy to have her son and she seemed to be sore. It was understandable after what she had went through last night.

I definitely wanted something different and dramatic in this story, stuff that's never been written by me before. Hope you all enjoy this.