Demona's Love Reborn Part 1 of 2 (Version 3 - Rebirth)

by scottmercure

Demona hires a scientist in hopes of finding out how her kind turns to stone during the day. What she discovers is that even a heart as hard and cold as hers can be softened and warmed when properly motivated. In addition, the professor and Venus are enjoying their lives together. Venus, however, is beginning to come into her newfound powers, both good and bad.

GARGOYLES
CREATED BY GREG WEISMAN

THE NAMELESS UNIVERSE - PART 3
Demona's Love Reborn
PART 1

REBIRTH
The New Version

The sequel to A New Beginning (Revised Version)

PG-13

WRITTEN BY LENNOX MACBETH
macbethlennox39

ORIGINAL RELEASE
April 30th, /2001

REVISED (VERSION 3)
March 15th, 2023.

GARGOYLES™ IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF THE WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIO
COPYRIGHT ©1994-2023- ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

PROFESSOR SCOTT MERCURE, VENUS (REBEL FLOWER), THE LOST CLAN (BLACKWING, MOONFIRE, ERIC, CASSANDRA), JACOB FORELLE, ROBERT AND JAMES MACGREGOR ARE ALL CHARACTER CREATED BY ME AND SHOULD NOT BE USED WITHOUT PERMISSION.

ALL BRAND NAMES MENTIONED IN THIS STORY BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS

THIS STORY IS NOT AUTHORIZED, USED OR ENDORSED BY THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM AND IS NOT CANON TO THE SHOW.

A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR

If you are new to the Disney Gargoyles show, you will have to go back and watch the first two seasons in order or you will have no idea what is going on. My stories are not standalone, in fact they are well integrated into the established lore with references to other episodes and characters.

Readers who remember me from back in the mid 1990's and 2000's will probably remember that I had completely rewritten most of my stories. One thing I never did was finish rewriting my "Demona's Love Reborn" series, which many thought was my best work. As of the writing of this I am in the process of finally finishing it.

The hardest part of completing my series, however, is it's been many years since I watched the show. Because of this I must try and remember what happened and what the technology of the time was.

During the height of the Gargoyles craze me and another fanfiction writer, Ryan Stout, joined forces. The result of this collaboration was the creation of "The Nameless Universe", or "Athenaverse" as we called it. However, when I started rewriting my stories I had long since lost contact with Ryan, but I still reference his stories. There are a few instances when I mention his characters in passing but do not get into any details. His characters are there as placeholders in the event you have, or want, to go and read his Gargoyles fanfictions.

One last thing, this is a SEQUEL to the revised "FULL MOON RISING" and "A NEW BEGINNING" so you must read them before this, or you will have no idea what is going on.

THIS IS A WORK OF FAN FICTION
NOTHING CONTAINED IN THIS STORY IS AUTHORIZED WITH DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIO OR ANY OF ITS PARTNERS. IT IS NOT CONSIDERED CANON TO THE ORIGINAL SHOW, IT'S A STANDALONE, SELF-CONTAINED STORY.

*

Cornell University – Ithaca, NY
April 10, 1996

James MacGregor watched from behind his desk as the students rapidly filed out of the classroom. Being Friday, he wondered just how many of them would begin the assignment he had given them. Chances are they would instead pursue other avenues such as parties, drinking and no doubt bouts of passion. It was not the most interesting job he had in his career, but with his past not many places would employ him. It was not as if he was a bad teacher, on the contrary, most of his students were scoring high on the exams. Many of them had made the honor rolls, which made both the student and teacher look good to the school administration board.

He waited until the last student left, closing the door behind her. Sitting, he turned towards the computer terminal to his left and logged into the main system. One of the few perks he had at the University was that he was in full charge of the school's network systems. Entering his administration name and password he watched as the root network menu appeared. Using the mouse, he clicked on the option for dialing an outside computer.

When the system requested a phone number, he entered the line at his apartment which connected to his personal computer. He waited as the system dialed the number and connected to his private system.

Private system access. Enter system password:

He entered, simply: DEMONA.

Sitting back, he waited for the system at his apartment to access the hard drive and download the root menu. Having dial up was not the most efficient way to access his home computer, but it was the cheapest and most difficult to track. A few moments later the menu appeared, using the keyboard he selected to access another protected area. Again, he waited as the information was downloaded.

The computer paused for a second, the hard drive whirring, and displayed a menu of options. Moving the mouse pointer, he positioned it over a selection labeled: Private Database. Another menu of options was displayed. He selected to open an existing file and was presented with a file selection. There were dozens of files in the directory, but he already knew which one he wanted.

Scrolling down through the files he highlighted one called: and double clicked on it. It took a few moments for the computer to download the file. When it finished a new window opened in the upper left corner and began to display a picture. The picture was of a female gargoyle with blazing red hair. Once the digital photo was done refining itself, some text appeared next to it.

Subject profile:DEMONA
Sex:Female
Height:6'
Weight:180lbs (Flesh), 700lbs (Stone)
Hair color:Red
Skin color:Light blue, gray
Biography:(File hard locked)

PROFILE INFORMATION GATHERED BY DAVID XANATOS: MARCH 13, 1992

He had tried for weeks to try and access the protected file containing the biography of Demona but met with failure. He had found it easier to access the main computers at Xanatos Enterprises than to break this file. It had not been all that difficult, with his knowledge of network systems he quickly found an open serial bus port. He had done the entire thing from a quiet phone booth using a laptop computer. The access was slow, but he was able to browse through most of the system's storage drives.

Tagging a bunch of files, he downloaded as much as he could, hoping that some of them would be financial. What he wanted more than anything was to have his own private laboratory and the freedom to work without being restricted or watched. With any luck David Xanatos would be able to help with that. When the files were downloaded, he logged out and went home to see what he had gotten. To his surprise it was not financial records, but some of David Xanatos's own personal records.

There weren't ordinary records, however. Some of them he couldn't break into, being too heavily encoded; Files named things like "Coldstone," "Thailog," and "Pack." Others, however, he was able to crack open and look inside. They concerned some kind of strange looking creatures, hideous things with too many limbs that seemed to defy modern taxonomy. The file described them as gargoyles, a total of six, complete with personal records. He read each one, but when he had seen Demona's, his interest grew.

Reaching into his pocket, he removed an ancient leather-bound journal and opened it to a marked page. There was an inked image inside of a creature like the gargoyles described in Xanatos' files that looked like it could be Demona's twin sister, but referred to as Angel.

"Is it possible that you are the very descendant of her, this Angel of the night?" He asked himself, looking at the picture on the screen, then at the journal. "What I wouldn't give to meet you, just once."

He tried to bring his thoughts back to reality. "But it's hopeless," he said, shaking his head. "I'm living in a fantasy world."

For weeks he had tried to dig up any information he could about Demona and the other gargoyles. He had even attempted to access the computers at Xanatos' building but found the access now blocked. What little information he was able to find came from newspapers and the internet. But as always, this information was vague and only resulted in confusion.

He leaned back in his chair and continued to stare at the picture of Demona. A few moments passed when there came a knock on the classroom door. Without waiting to ask who it was he immediately logged off his home computer, followed by the standard menu. He pocketed the journal, then stood up and walked to the door. When he opened it he looked into the face of a man he had never hoped to see.

David Xanatos, the very man who owned the system he had hacked into a few weeks back. Standing a few paces behind him was David's majordomo, Owen Burnett.

"Does he know?" James said to himself, trying not to sweat. "No, if he did then he would have sent the authorities and not come himself."

"James MacGregor, I presume." the multi billionaire said, smiling. "I have been anxious to meet you."

"I'm sorry, sir, but who am I addressing?" James asked, his light Scottish accent giving away his origins.

"My name is Xanatos, David Xanatos." Xanatos answered, not seeming insulted at not being known. "This is my associate, Owen."

James nodded at Owen and shook David's hand when he held it out. "A pleasure to meet you, sir. I have heard your name a few times, but I have never met you in person."

"Life here at the University keeps you busy?" Xanatos said as he stepped into the classroom.

"Busy enough." James replied, wondering why the man was even here. "I don't mean to sound abrupt, but is there a reason why you are here? If you are interested in enrolling, then you…"

Xanatos shook his head and smiled. "No, no, I am not interested in the University, professor. I am interested in you, and your skills."

"Mister Xanatos is offering you a job with his company." Owen cut in, his face showing no emotion.

At this James breathed a silent prayer to whatever deity was watching over him. "Well, apparently he doesn't know about the hacking I did." He said to himself. "I am sorry, mister Xanatos, but my schedule here at the University is pretty tight." He said aloud, loosening the brown tie around his neck.

"Please, call me David." Xanatos replied, smiling. "Oh, I would not want you to leave the University immediately. I fully expect you to complete the semester first. After that all I ask is a few months with Gen-U-Tech."

"Gen-U-Tech!" MacGregor said, his eyes widening. It was one of the most advanced genetic engineering corporations on the planet. He was immediately interested. He could have access to the latest laboratory and newest scientific equipment.

David chuckled at the professor's noticeable reaction. "Please, feel free to take some time and think it over. Owen will give you one of my business cards and you can call me when you reach a decision."

"Aye, it sounds like a very interesting proposal." MacGregor said as he took the card that had mysteriously appeared in Owen's hand. "I am curious, though, what exactly would I be doing for you?"

"Sorry, but I can't very well give out information to people who are not working for me." David replied, winking. "But I will say this, you will have your own lab, assistants if you need them and paid triple what you make working here." He added, waving his hand towards the empty desks.

"This must be a dream." James thought to himself. "Well, I shall give it some serious thought and give you my decision in, say, a week?"

Xanatos nodded. "I will be looking forward to your call. Thank you for your time, professor."

Once again, they shook hands, then as quickly as they appeared both Xanatos and Owen filed out the door. James stood there for a few moments, staring down at the business card in his hand. This offer was what he had been waiting for ever since the accident.

He still shuddered at the thought of it, five students killed and a dozen more injured. Eight years ago, he had been tampering with an illegal serum when one of the students bumped into him causing the vial in his hands to shatter to the floor. The vial had contained what he had hoped would be a revolutionary new, non addictive pain killer, but it had not yet been refined. When it shattered it turned into a thick noxious gas that caused the students to panic. In their flight to get out several other vials and containers were broken. The combined elements of some of them created an explosion. Luckily, he had been at the far side of the laboratory and thus escaped without injury. But the five young men and women who were closest did not fare as well, killed almost immediately in the blast.

Others who had been farther away had been seriously burnt but had survived. Later, when the fire department and medical team had seen the tragedy, MacGregor was taken into custody and questioned. When the research team did their investigations and discovered what he had been doing he was arrested. His lawyer fought with the court that it was an accident, but the fact that students were killed was MacGregor's downfall.

Sentenced to ten years in prison, he was paroled after only serving six years for good behavior. Upon his release he found that Cornell University had suspended him and would not hire him back for another year. In that year he had gotten a job working in a pharmaceutical company running their computer network systems; a skill he knew well but had never pursued. Eventually his request to return to the University was granted and he has been teaching biology ever since.

Pocketing the business card, he removed his white lab coat and donned the tweed jacket that hung on the back of his chair. He turned off the light and locked the classroom door behind him as he left. On his way out he saw very few people left, mostly students who had no weekend plans. In his case he never had any plans, either after work or the weekends. He had never been able to find a woman who took any interest in him, nor were there any activities that he felt like pursuing. His normal routine after work was to walk through the park before going home and cooking dinner. After that he would either bounce around on the internet or watch television.

Not the kind of life most women found appealing. Since it was Friday, he usually did not leave the University until after nightfall. Because of the hour he decided to go out for dinner, Chinese food being one of his favorite dishes. As he stepped outside and proceeded down the steps, he failed to notice a winged figure perched on a dark corner of the roof. A few moments later the creature stood up and leapt off the roof, its bat-like wings stretched wide as it glided overhead. Its eyes were always on MacGregor's exact location.

***

All was silent as Goliath stood upon his favorite reading ladder, a battered copy of Jurassic Park in his left hand. The library was a wonderful thing to have here in their new home, but he still missed the castle. His mind, however, was not concentrating on the book, it was instead on the past. 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. There was no cause to worry, knowing it was Elisa 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, don't you?"

"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 bath."

Goliath smiled and placed the book on a nearby table before leading Elisa up to the clock tower. When they emerged through the trapdoor, they found the trio sitting in front of the television. Hudson sat in his recliner, a book in one hand while Bronx lay by his feet, snoozing soundly. At the sound of their arrival, they all looked up and smiled.

"Hiya, Elisa!" Lexington said, waving.

"Yo, Elisa." Brooklyn added, flashing her a beaked smile.

Broadway looked up and waved, seeming more interested in the old western movie that was playing on the television. With the introduction finished they turned back to the television. Hudson lowered the book he was holding and stood up, giving Elisa a quick hug.

"Always a pleasure to see you, lass." the old gargoyles said, smiling. "What brings you up here this evening?"

"Just checking in before I go on duty." She replied, placing her hands in her jacket pockets. "You guys on patrol?"

Goliath nodded. "Yes, we are going to patrol the north area of the city tonight. We have heard reports that Dracon may have a new arm selling ring set up there."

"Matt mentioned something about that last week." the detective said, nodding. "The captain didn't assign that case to us. I think the F.B.I. have taken it over, but I don't know that for certain."

"Well, we will also look into it." Goliath said, crossing his arms. "I abhor the idea of deadly weapons being sold on the street. If Dracon is back in business, then we intend to put him out of business."

Elisa fully believed that, but she hoped that the F.B.I. would not go so far as to start hunting the gargoyles if they were seen. "Well, got to go and meet Matt now. Catch you guys later."

They all waved and said their farewells as Elisa stepped back through the door,

***

MacGregor sat alone in his small apartment watching television. There was never anything interesting to watch on Thursday nights, but since he never had anything else to occupy himself with, it was his only activity. Tomorrow would be a week exactly since Xanatos had approached him with a job offer. For days he had been weighing the differences between his teaching job and working at Gen-U-Tech. So far everything about Xanatos' offer outdid what he was getting at the University.

Ignoring the television, he looked over to the small end table next to the sofa to see the telephone and Xanatos' business card. "He did say I could finish the semester first, which is only a few weeks away."

Shaking his head, he picked up the phone and dialed the number on the bottom of the card.

*

The following evening MacGregor found himself sitting in a fancy booth in one of the high-end Japanese restaurants. It was one of those types where the chef cooked your meal in front of you. Xanatos had left instructions that he would meet with him here at eight o'clock. James glanced down at his watch, which read ten past eight. When he heard someone approach, he thought it would be Xanatos, but instead it was the chef.

"Are you ready to order?" He asked in a heavy Japanese accent.

"I was expecting another, but I suppose I will order." James said, smiling at the chef. "Would it be an inconvenience if the rest of my party shows a little later?"

The chef shook his head. "No trouble, Mister Xanatos comes here often and left instructions that you are to be taken care of."

"So, Xanatos has more influence than I thought." James said to himself, shaking his head before glancing down at the menu. "Very well."

When he had given his order, the chef simply nodded and went to work, his hands moving with practiced grace. The display was starting to mesmerize him when he saw Xanatos and Owen step from around the corner. MacGregor stood and shook each of their hands before sitting down again.

The chef halted his work and waited until Xanatos and Owen gave their orders. With that finished the man went to work again.

"Thank you for accepting my offer, mister MacGregor." David said, smiling. "I think you will be very happy working for Gen-U-Tech."

"I still fail to see what it is you want from me." MacGregor said. "I know of better biochemists than myself."

"I know," David answered, gesturing in the air with a flourish. "Sevarius, Phobos, Straussmore, and a host of other world-famous genetic engineers that I'm sure a well-informed man like you has heard of. But you see, they're all already working for me, and I want you for a special project. Your qualifications in computer science and biochemical engineering are above standard. You would make an admirable addition to my Gene Team."

Xanatos smiled, narrowing his eyes. "Think about it, Professor. All the greatest minds in your field gathered and were handsomely paid for their time. You could be one of them."

James sighed and thought about what he was being offered and its possible future implications. A tiny voice inside him said not to pass it up, but another side of him felt as if he were being deceived. But the thought of having his own lab and access to some of the greatest minds was far too good to pass up.

"I accept your offer, mister Xanatos." James said, smiling. "I can start as soon as this semester is finished. Now, my question from before remains the same. What is it you want me to do?"

"A special project that I have been working on." The billionaire said with a smile.

"Special project?" He said, his brows knitted with suspicion. "If you're asking me to create some kind of weapon you can just turn and leave right now, because I'm not interested."

"Professor, I assure you that I'm just an honest businessman." David said. "If I needed genetically developed super viruses, I could simply buy some off any number of governments, including the United States. No, all I want from you is to perform a series of tests, primarily on the regeneration of damaged cells in the human body."

The billionaire's reason sounded interesting. "Why? Are you trying to make some kind of miracle cure-all?"

"Something like that." David replied. "If it's successful, then your name will go as its creator. The fame and fortune you will receive will be far better than anything you'll get at the University. Your background in genetic engineering is perfect for this job. All the data from previous attempts is already there. All you have to do is find out where everybody else went wrong, professor. I know it's possible, but I need you to figure out how to do it."

"And if I am unable to make it work?" He asked.

Xanatos shrugged. "Then you'll move on to other projects. If you thought to be fired upon failure you are very wrong. My employees do not get fired unless they perform illegal activities."

"I must admit that it does sound quite interesting." MacGregor said, crossing his arms. "Well, you've got yourself a new biochemist."

"Excellent!" David replied, smiling. "Owen will see to your leaving Cornell University to work at Gen-U-Tech. Do not worry, the school administration will get a very friendly letter of resignation." The other thing the University will get is a nice check as an incentive in the event they are hesitant about letting the professor go.

They shook hands and sat back as the chef began placing their orders on the plates in front of them. From what James could tell the man either did not hear a word of what they spoke about or was paid to keep silent. As he began to eat, he thought about what else he would be able to do with his own laboratory. He had a feeling this project of Xanatos would not be the only thing he could work on. He still had all his notes and formulas back home for the serum he had been working on before the accident as well as his past work with Anton Sevarius.

"This is going to be very interesting." James said to himself as he began to fork the steamed vegetables into his mouth. "Especially if Sevarius is in Xanatos' employment. I just hope we don't cross paths again."

*

High above the city, a new form appeared in the night sky, its wide wingspread producing a very distinct silhouette against the bright crescent of the moon. Using the thermal updrafts, Demona climbed higher to avoid one of the higher skyscrapers. Several weeks ago she had accessed the computer that had been receiving information from Xanatos' mainframe. Upon browsing the data, she had learned that Xanatos had become interested in a biochemist named James MacGregor. She had no idea why the billionaire wanted the man, but some reason she could not fathom, was strongly motivated to find out.

A few days ago, she had gone to the University where he worked and followed him back to his apartment. She had wanted to confront the scientist herself, not only to find out why Xanatos wanted him, but to try and solve a problem of her own. For reasons she could still not understand, discovered that a few weeks ago had once again turned to stone at sunrise. At first, she did not really mind, but when it came to not being able to move around during the day it became a nuisance. She hated being Dominique Destine, she hated humans in general, but the guise served her well enough to manage her corporation. Nightstone Unlimited, a massive company she had created with her partner, Thailog, the clone created in Goliath's image. Using the fortune she had amassed during her long life, plus the money Thailog had stolen from Xanatos, the Paris-based company had been born.

She had her own scientists that could have probably investigated the problem, but she could not risk them discovering what she really was. Along with the information she had gotten from Xanatos' computer she had done her own background check on James MacGregor. To her surprise the man was more intelligent than she believed. If anyone could figure out her problem he was as good a chance as any, if he could be persuaded.

The thought of her holding him up by his shirt collar made her grin evilly. For some reason a strange sensation washed over her. Her mind seemed to suggest being more subtle and simply asking the human for his help. She knew that the man would want to be paid since money seemed to be their obsession.

The Gen-U-Tech building where Xanatos was taking the professor was on the outskirts of the city. She guessed that she would be there in another fifteen minutes.

*

James did his best not to show the astonished look on his face when Xanatos and Owen led him into the Gen-U-Tech building. Everything James saw was clean and state of the art, right down to the security scanners on every door in the complex.

"All the genetic research laboratories are on the top floor." David explained as he gave the professor the full tour. "We have a full medical section in the east wing, complete with an MRI scanner and trained medical staff. We often get students who come here to continue their medical careers.

"The lecture hall is in the west wing, which also houses several small dormitory rooms where some of the staff stay." The billionaire continued as they approached an elevator. "There is a lower level where we store the more sensitive experiments."

"Sensitive experiments?" James asked as he watched Xanatos press the call button next to the elevator.

"Mostly biological experiments that require a germ-free atmosphere. It's also where the main computer servers are housed." He explained as the elevator door slid open silently. "We also do some biochemical research. We are working with artificial limb replacement using living tissue."

"Impressive." It was the only word James could think of to describe it all.

Xanatos ushered the small group into the elevator and pressed the button for the sixth floor. The doors slid closed before the elevator started upwards, a few moments later to stopped and opened again. A long hall with several doors and a few large windows stretched out before them. As they stepped out into the hallway the sound of their shoes echoed off the smooth polished walls.

As they passed each door a plaque described what each of the laboratories was used for. "Genetic Gene development", "DNA Splicing/Encoding Department", along with several others all dealing with Genetics.

Through one of the windows, they watched as a young woman wearing a virtual reality helmet and gloves picked apart a DNA strand; all displayed on a large wall monitor. As she moved her hands the strand would either turn or rotate on a central axis. She reached up to the strand and pinched two fingers together. Immediately a single cube was plucked from the strand and dragged off the screen.

"This is incredible!" James said, his eyes fixed on the equipment.

"You will, of course, have access to all of these labs." David said as he ushered him away from the window. "But for the moment you do not have an access card. One will be provided to you when you arrive for work after the end of the semester."

They stopped before a larger door with a key card reader embedded in the wall to the right of the door. Xanatos pulled a card from his pocket and swiped it though. The reader beeped once before the door slid open silently. When they stepped inside the door closed as silently as it had opened. James could only stand there and gawk at what the room contained.

A row of five Cray model supercomputers sat along one wall, each with a twenty-inch monitor. Many types of computerized testing equipment were neatly arranged towards the rear of the laboratory. Two large tables sat in the center of the room, each containing four chairs and two table mounted laptop computers. He could also make out some smaller versions of gene-splicing equipment at the other end. Everything about the room looked and smelled of equipment that would total more than two million dollars. He even had four large picture windows that showed the distant city.

"This will be your lab, professor." David said, amused at the stunned look on MacGregor's face. "If you wish you can be provided with assistants, or you can work alone if you prefer."

"Thank you, mister Xanatos." James said, thinking of all the possibilities this new job could provide.

"Please, call me David." David said, shaking his head. "No need to be so informal, and it will be a pleasure having your talents here."

They shook hands and were about to leave when Owen's pocket phone beeped. When he placed it to his ear he listened to somebody speaking on the other end. "Very well, I will inform Mister Xanatos immediately." He then hung up and placed the phone back in his pocket.

"What is it, Owen?" David asked, puzzled.

"It seems you are wanted in the robotics lab." Owen said in a blasé tone.

"Very well. Professor, why don't you remain here and look around some more." Xanatos suggested. "This shouldn't take very long."

James nodded and watched as both Xanatos and Owen left the laboratory, closing the door leaving MacGregor alone in the laboratory.

*

Unknown to him, Demona was quickly approaching the Gen-U-Tech building. She knew the place would probably be guarded, but to her such things were trivial and hardly worth her effort. Guards were simply lambs to be slaughtered, and fences were a pointless barricade against someone who could leap twenty feet straight up and bend steel with her bare hands. She made a few low circles around the streets, trying to see if she could locate the limousine.

When she spotted the sleek black vehicle, she smiled and landed on the roof without any sign of being detected. Climbing to the edge she dug her talons into the side of the building and crawled down to the windows. There was only one set of large windows where she could see activity. As she climbed lower, she peered into the window to see Xanatos and Owen speaking to MacGregor. From the looks of the equipment the lab contained this MacGregor person was being given all the toys a man of his schooling would want.

The only problem she could see now was how to get MacGregor alone so that she could speak with him. She was considering following him back to his apartment when her luck seemed to change. A smile spread across her face when she noticed Xanatos and Owen leave the lab without the professor. The phone call Owen got must have been important for David to leave MacGregor alone in such an expensive room.

Not wanting to simply burst directly in, she waited a minute to see if David or Owen would return. When MacGregor began examining the equipment she scaled down to the lower part of the window and gently pulled upward.. She was expecting it to be locked but was again surprised when it slid upwards without a sound.

"For once something is going my way." she said to herself as she slowly climbed into the laboratory. With little effort she swung herself inside, landing silently on her feet and uncoiling her body like a tense spring.

"Ahem." she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Her voice caught him by complete surprise considering he had not seen anyone else in the room. When he swung around and saw her, he looked absolutely stunned. She was amazed that he did not scream, or even try to escape. The human only stood there, staring at her; not the type of reaction she was expecting.

"Greetings, Professor." she said, purposely baring her white fangs to his gaze. "You are just the man I wish to speak with."

"Demona?" He said, his eyes fixed on her winged form.

The fact that he called her by name took her by complete surprise, making her back up a few steps. "How do you know me, human?" This was a factor she had never even considered when she thought to confront the man.

"From Xanatos." James replied, taken by her alien beauty. "Or rather, from the information stored on his company's computer."

James saw her flaming red eyes; they almost matched her long, blood red hair. He was fascinated by her, the way she looked and acted, her wonderful body. The way her muscles moved so smoothly beneath her skin, the way she radiated power and authority. Her outfit, which was nothing more than a loincloth and halter top, did not in any way disgust him either. He loved her leathery wings and long tail, even the light blue coloring of her skin. His eyes found themselves wandering up the curvature of her thigh...

"How did you have access to that?" She demanded, knowing the information was not available to just anybody. When he failed to reply she snarled, grabbed him by his shirt collar and lifted him a foot off the floor. "Answer me, human!"

"I..." He began, stammering his words more out of surprise at her strength than fear. "I hacked into his network."

At this answer she barked a laugh and set him back on the floor. She admired him, slightly, for what he had apparently done that many had not. Her respect for him went up a notch, such skills could also be useful to her in an ally.

"You have more courage than I thought." She said, smiling. "But I did not come here for such pleasantries, I have come to ask for your help."

This time it was MacGregor who laughed. "I seem to be suddenly in demand."

"Quite." Demona hissed, walking past him and towards the tables. She spun around and rested her backside against one. "I am certain Xanatos is paying you nicely, but I could help add to your income level."

"You have my interest, Demona." he said, crossing his arms. "What is this job you wish me to do?"

She gave him a quick summary about her kind and how they turn to stone at sunrise. It was this problem she wanted him to solve. When he asked why she suddenly wanted to be flesh during the day, she explained, reluctantly, that while in stone she was unable to run her business properly. At first, she noticed that he was not taking the prospect seriously, but that was to be expected. "How do you explain something to a creature who evolved from apes?" She said to herself.

"I have to admit that all this sounds very far-fetched." James spoke, shaking his head in wonder. "Would it be possible to see this turning to stone metamorphosis? It would help me in deciding if it is worth my wild."

Demona was taken aback at how casually the human was taking everything. Most humans she had ever encountered were usually terrified. She could not sense any fear in his eyes as he moved about, casually as if speaking to an old friend. His request, however, made her feel uneasy since she would be vulnerable.

"It is not that easy, professor." She answered as she swished her tail back and forth. "How much would it cost to buy your decision?"

"Everything is money." he said, shaking his head. "I can't so easily bought, Demona, but perhaps there is something you might be able to do." He added with a sly grin.

She did not like the sound of that at all, this man was being far too casual, and it made her feel uneasy. "And that is?"

"Information." Was all he said.

"Say what?" She asked, not certain if she had heard correctly.

"Information about you and your kind." James said, turning once again to face her. "What I found in Xanatos' computer files was vague and incomplete. That and there is a matter of an old journal I have with a drawing that resembles you."

The mention of an old journal with her picture in it was like a slap in the face. At the mention of it her eyes flared red, she growled angrily before grabbing him by his shirt collar. "What?! Give me that book! NOW!"

"I don't have it with me." He said, suddenly uneasy at her mood change. "It's back at my apartment."

"I know where that is." She hissed, flexing her hands angrily after releasing him. "I demand to see that book and will meet you at your place tomorrow evening at midnight! Be there!"

At that she spun around and stepped over to the open window. Before she jumped though she turned sideways to look at him. "Oh, and professor, do not think to tell your new employer about this meeting, and give serious thought to my offer."

With that she lunged out the window and soared off into the night. He hurried over to the window and looked up in time to see her winged form glide past the moon. Closing the window, he stepped away and leaned on the table where Demona had been. The area was still warm and it gave him strange feelings, and suddenly he started laughing.

"This has got to be a dream." he said, chuckling. "First an encounter with the man whom I hacked into his companies' files, who gives me a job. Now a visit from a woman I have only dreamed about."

He was about to examine some more of the equipment when the door opened and both Xanatos and Owen stepped in. James did his best to make it seem as if nothing happened while they had been away. One thing he did not think about until now was how Demona had apparently known when to leave before Xanatos returned.

"That woman is fascinating indeed." James said to himself.

"So, professor." David said as he placed his hands behind his back. "Is everything in order with the equipment?"

"Yes, I am very impressed with what I see." MacGregor said, still seeing the alluring image of Demona in his mind. "I think I will enjoy working here very much."

"Excellent!" the billionaire said, smiling. "Now, I think it's time we call it a night."

James nodded and followed them out the door, to the parking lot and into the limo. In short order James was driven to his apartment and with a handshake was left on the sidewalk. Turning, he entered the apartment building and rode the elevator up to the top floor where his apartment was located. After unlocking the door and stepping inside he re-locked it and sat down in the living room.

Once seated he reached into his coat pocket and withdrew the old journal. Holding it up, he stared at the worn leather cover for a few moments before placing it on the coffee table. Leaning back, he closed his eyes and began to dream about Demona again. Her beautiful face and penetrating, emerald-colored eyes seemed to swallow him. He felt himself smiling at the thought of meeting her again tomorrow night.

***

Venus gripped the saber in her right hand with ease as she and Scott circled each other. The professor was holding a one-handed long sword, laterally to his posture in a defensive mode. Neither one had scored a strike yet, but Venus' sheer strength was wearing him down quickly. Smiling, he started a high swing towards her neck, to which she instinctively moved to block. At the last second, he pulled back, swung the point of the blade down and lunged at her waist. Venus looked down and knew it was over before she could even think to react.

"Gotcha!" He said, holding the edge of the blade an inch from her side. "Hudson wasn't kidding when he said you were good with a blade."

"You are not so bad yourself." She replied, staring down at the blunted edge before smiling. "But I could see that you were growing weary, so I went easy on you."

Scott looked at her, lowering the blade so that it was pointed in a safe direction. "Sure, that's what they all say." He spoke, not believing what she said.

The gargoyle simply shrugged before walking over to a table containing other assorted bladed weapons. In addition to their weapons there was a large Scottish broadsword, two Roman swords and a replica of a Templar sword. There was also an assortment of knives, including three Scottish dirks, two Celtic thrusting daggers and one of his prizes, an actual King's dagger from the ninth century. All were resting on a thick velvet blanket, their blades glinting off the sun in a dazzling array of colors. At first it had been a history lesson, Venus wanting to know more about the collection. At some point during the lesson it had turned into a physical exercise of swordplay.

They placed their weapons among the others and sat down on the grass a few feet away. Scott was still catching his breath while Venus sat without seeming the least bit weary. A few minutes later Jacob came out carrying a tray of lemonade with a stack of ham and cheese sandwiches.

"You read my mind, Jacob." Scott said, examining the tray of food.

"No, sir. I read your stomach." The old butler shot back, smiling.

Venus laughed at the old butler's jest and silently applauded him for coming up with such a clever comeback.

"Will there be anything else, sir, madam?" Jacob asked, still smiling.

When they both shook their heads, Jacob bowed slightly and went back into the house. After he had gone, Venus spun around and lay on the ground, placing her head in his lap. He reached over and slid his fingers through her hair, touching her scalp with his fingertips. She closed her eyes and said nothing, not wanting the soothing feelings to end.

"Four months." Scott said, touching her cheek.

"It seems like only yesterday we were married." she replied, lifting her left hand to look at her finger. The sun glinted off her wedding ring, three bands of thin gold interwoven with a diamond in the center and two smaller lavender gems to each side. "I still see that evening in my dreams, all our friends being there… and the words the priest was saying. That special dance was like a wonderful dream come true, it was the happiest thing to ever happen to me."

"I am just glad that dream was real." he added, placing his hand on her shoulder.

In the weeks that followed their marriage, the professor had made a few changes to the house to better accommodate her. The first was that he had gotten rid of the waterbed and bought a king-sized bed for them to sleep in. The other thing was having a large balcony built on the second floor in the back of the house. This was mainly for the gargoyles themselves so they would be able to land and take off easier; it had also served as a place for Eric and Cassandra to roost during the day.

Venus herself added several of her own touches to the house, cosmetic mostly consisting of more decorations that were not associated with archaeology. She said it gave the place a more lived-in feel to it instead of having all kinds of old artifacts in the rooms.

Venus placed her hand over his and decided to touch on something she had been thinking about recently. "Do you think we will ever be able to have children?"

The question caught him off guard and he needed to think about what she asked before he was able to answer. "I don't know, Venus, it's not as if we are the same species. Perhaps humans and Gargoyles cannot interbreed."

"Perhaps." She sighed.

"You sound like you want to have a child of your own." He said, already knew it was indeed a desire of hers.

"There are so few of us." She said, opening her eyes to look up at him. "And I think it would be wonderful to raise a child."

To be honest he had thought about it a lot since they were married. They never took any precautions in bed, he just figured they could not have children together. He had no idea what a female gargoyle did when she was pregnant, or whatever it was called. If it was like a human, then she was showing no signs yet.

"How would you know if you were with a child, Venus?" He asked, knowing she would be the best one to answer.

"Well, it is not all that different from a human female." She replied as she returned to her sitting position. "Except that we carry our young for six months before producing an egg, which takes ten years to hatch."

"Have you had any symptoms that you might be pregnant?"

She thought of the time back during their Scotland trip when she had experienced the bizarre false laying. It was something she never told him or anybody else about, so she simply shook her head.

"I guess all we can do is keep trying," he said, chuckling softly before becoming serious. "But it's possible we are not able to have children."

"I know." Venus said, looking saddened by the thought.

He got to his feet and held his hand out and helped her to stand. When she was up, she slid her arms around him tenderly. He returned the affection and figured it would not do any good to say anything. After a few moments they broke apart and looked down at the tray of food and lemonade sitting on the grass. Scott bent down and retrieved the tray, placing it on the table away from the weapons. He waved to one of their chairs so they both sat and ate their dinner in silence.

It was not until much later that they stood up and began picking up the weapons, the tray now empty of food. Scott wanted nothing more than to comment that the future was not set, and that having a child could still be possible. Instead, he picked up the Templar sword while Venus took several of the small daggers. With care they carried them into the house and set them back into the glass cases in his study where a lot of other Medieval weapons and armor were displayed. When that was complete, they took the tray inside to the kitchen before going into the living room to watch some television.

"Venus?" He said softly before going for the remote control.

She looked over at him.

"No matter what happens, we will always have each other." Scott said, sliding his arm around her waist. "I had no idea just how alone I was until I met you, and I won't let anything come between us."

She did not try to force back the tears that filled her eyes, blurring her vision. Biting her bottom lip she pulled him into a fierce hug, touched by his words and feelings. As she nestled her face on his shoulder, she managed to get an "I love you" in between.

"I know you do." He replied softly, holding her close and making no attempt to stop her from crying. He felt this was something she had been bottling up for some time and it needed to be released.

All thoughts of watching television vanished as they sat on the couch in each other's arms, content with just being together. Not even Jacob had come looking for them during that time, sensing that something was amiss when he had brought the tray to them earlier. As he held her, he tried to think of things that he could do to help them. The first thought that came to his mind was Xanatos and his resources. He was not certain if he was that desperate yet, but it was something to keep in mind. Long ago he had said he would do anything to please her, and to give her a child would be the ultimate gift.

"There has to be something I can do." He said to himself, trying to think of something to lift her spirits. "So, do you think your little surprise for dinner tomorrow evening will amaze the clan?"

At his question she chuckled. "I would think so, especially Goliath. Although knowing his distrust of magic, I doubt he will be overjoyed."

"I am starting to think there is no end to your powers." Scott said as he slowly slid his hand towards her side.

"I have been wondering about myself as of late." Venus replied, oblivious of the hand inching towards her.

"Well, I don't think I will ever get completely used to seeing you perform such things." he added as his fingers touched her waist.

She felt his fingers on her skin and wondered just what he had planned as she did not feel like becoming intimate right now. It was not until he started tickling her that she knew his intentions. Her first instincts were to move away, but he had cornered her on the edge of the couch. The sensations forced her to laugh as he used his other hand on her stomach. She tried to bunch up into a fetal position but her laughing prevented her from moving.

"Bet your magic can't save you now." he said, snickering as he continued his tickling attack.

"No... eep!" She said, her words cut short by a new spasm. "I am unable to… ack… concentrate. But I do not need magic."

With that she lunged out and quickly placed her own hand under his arm and began her own attack. The professor realized what she was doing but was unable to stop her in time. Her sharp talons barely touched him, but it was enough to start him laughing as his own body was overcome by the sensation. In a few moments they were both laughing, eventually winding up on the floor before they finally ceased their antics.

*

MacGregor could not wait for the day to come to an end. The entire day at the University turned out to be one long, mind-torturing ordeal. He had not slept well during the night, his mind too focused on what had occurred during the day. His new job was something he had only dreamed of, but what kept him from sleeping was Demona's visit to the laboratory. For some reason most of his students seemed to be uninterested in the day's lecture and would constantly bother him for clarifications. At noon the school administration had approached him with questions as to why he was leaving them for Xanatos; which had lasted over an hour. Naturally they had tried to talk him into staying, even offering him more money.

However, when he told them what Xanatos was offering they had no way to compete with the billionaire. Because of this meeting he had been late for his next class, which the students did not really mind. Then during his afternoon break the network servers went down so he spent the next two hours trying to locate the problem. It was lucky that he had nothing scheduled for that time, else he would have had to request a replacement.

Now here he sat at his desk, impatiently waiting for the clock to strike five so that he could leave. He prayed that his meeting with Demona tonight would be an improvement over today. Considering how she acted when he had mentioned his ancestor's journal, it could get dangerous.

"This should prove interesting." He said quietly so that his study period students would not hear him.

He thought about tidying up his desk, but he had already done that three times and there was nothing left to organize. There was no use accessing his home PC as there was nothing on there he had to look at. Once again, he looked up at the clock and saw that it was only a quarter past four; he felt like screaming in frustration.

Leaning back in his chair, he pulled out the old journal from his pocket and began to page through it. The one thing that still amazed him was the condition it was in, considering the date inside the cover was 976 AD. Most objects, especially books, would have long since turned to dust in that amount of time. Yet the pages were whole, the writing as vivid as the day it was penned and described Robert MacGregor's life at Castle Wyvern in detail. As always, he stopped at the picture of Angel.

"Remarkable!" He said, as he always did. "And to think this creature cared deeply for my ancestor. Why was he so foolish to turn her love away?"

On the next page was the handwritten script that told of their relationship:

'Angel has fast become more than just a close friend; I fear I am falling in too deep with this amazing creature. Last night when we shared the beach together, I was so taken by her beauty that I had to put pen to paper to capture the moment.'

James still marveled at how well it was written, most people back in that time could not read or write, yet this man was able to do both.

'She is a fast learner and has done well in learning the ancient techniques of the Citadel Monks. Often, she spends time with me instead of her clan members, nor her mate, Goliath. Even as I pen this, she is sitting on the battlement not more than ten paces away from me. I fear that if this continues, I will be forever stricken with love for this woman, this gargoyle. The men and women in this castle shun her kind even though they not only helped in its construction, but protect Wyvern Castle with their very lives.'

'Already I have heard whispers and rumors that many are speaking of the relationship I have with Angel. Though we have never gone beyond friendship, I fear they think we may be lovers. Ever since I lost Mistra, my beloved wife, so many years ago, I am fearful of forming another relationship, even more so with one not of my species. Very soon I will have to reveal these feelings to Angel, for fear of breaking her heart if this friendship blossoms into something more.'

'Robert MacGregor, March 12 in the year of our Lord 981'

James could envision the things going on in his ancestor's head as he was torn between choosing friendship or love. That had been the last entry in the journal, and he had always wondered what had happened after that night. He was about to close the journal when the school bell rang at the top of the hour. Without waiting for his consent, the students stood up from their desks and filed out the door. Pocketing the journal, he stood up himself and followed the last student out the door, closing and locking it behind him.

For once he hurried to get out of the building before anybody would have a chance to delay him. As he passed through the main doors with several dozen other students, he followed them until they reached the main parking lot. There he detached himself from the multitude and took his normal route though the park to the bus station on the other side. Since he was earlier than normal, he found himself waiting for the bus to arrive. When it did, he climbed inside, flashed his bus pass and took a seat a few rows back. As was the basic policy of the city transit authority, the bus driver had to wait there for a certain amount of time before leaving.

Fidgeting in the seat, he kept looking up into the air, not that he expected to see Demona. If she was telling the truth when they met last night, then she would be a stone statue until the sun went down. It seemed to take longer than usual for the bus to make the trip though the city to his apartment complex. When he was let off, he walked the two blocks from the bus stop to his apartment in record time. When he entered his apartment, he did not lock the door as he usually did. Tossing his briefcase on the floor next to the front door he removed his coat and hung it on a peg on the door.

He was by no means hungry, but he knew he should eat something since he had not had the time to have lunch. Without any real purpose he fished through the refrigerator until he came up with some cold fried chicken. Sitting down at the table he unwrapped the plate and began eating the cold chicken. When he bit into the first piece his hunger took over and he ate until the plate was empty. He washed it down with a large glass of fruit punch and placed the items into the small dishwasher next to the sink.

By now it was almost six o'clock and he decided to take a shower and get into some comfortable clothes before tonight. It did not take him long to shower, shave and don a pair of jeans and cotton T-shirt. With nothing left to do he sat down on the couch, turned on the television and waited for time to pass.

*

Meanwhile, Owen was approaching the main office of his employer to bring him some interesting news concerning his new employee. The majordomo did not bother to knock as he knew Xanatos was not busy with anything. As he entered David's office, he saw his employer sitting in his chair looking out at the city.

"Something you want, Owen?" David asked, not turning around.

"Yes, mister Xanatos." Owen replied in a flat tone. "I have some news on Professor MacGregor."

"Oh?" Xanatos said, turning to face Owen. "What, pray tell, is that?"

Without answering, Owen removed a small remote from his pocket and pointed it towards the left wall. The wood paneling slid away to reveal a large television with a computer console under it. Pressing another button, the screen flickered to life with a view of MacGregor in the laboratory. From what Xanatos could tell it was just after he and Owen went down to the robotics department. He watched as MacGregor walked around the laboratory examining all the equipment.

"Very fascinating, Owen." Was all David said as he quickly lost interest. He was about to turn away when he saw Demona step into the picture. "Well, isn't this interesting."

He sat quietly as the entire conversation between MacGregor and Demona took place, complete with audio. When Demona questioned MacGregor on how he knew about her, Xanatos was alarmed at the answer.

"Fascinating. This might come in handy in the future." Xanatos said, frowning. "Owen, see to it that the network is overhauled and have all the firewalls updated."

Owen only nodded without saying a word. Xanatos became enthralled when it came to the professor mentioning something about an old journal he had. Demona had become angered and demanded to see it. When MacGregor said he did not have it with him, Demona said she would meet him the following night, he laughed.

"Looks like love at first sight to me." The billionaire said, grinning happily.

The majordomo said nothing as he waited for the part where Xanatos had returned and switched it off.

"Looks like there is another player, Owen."

"Indeed." He replied in his monotone voice. "Would you like me to have his apartment tapped?"

David shook his head. "No. I have a feeling we will be seeing more of this show soon. Who knows, perhaps her request will be something I could use myself."

"I doubt that." Owen said to himself. "Will there be anything else?"

With that Owen pocketed the remote and stepped out of the office, leaving Xanatos to ponder the video he had just watched.

"What's your game now, Demona?" he asked, grinning. After a few moments he turned back to the window, and gazing out over the city, watching as the sun was dipping below the horizon.

*

The television was showing an old rerun of Sanford and Son when a winged silhouette approached the dozing MacGregor. The sliding glass door leading to the balcony outside had been left unlocked, so it had not been difficult for her to gain entry. She took a quick look around to see if the journal was lying about anywhere. When she was unable to see it she figured the human would no doubt have it in his possession. Smiling, she walked around to the back of the couch so that she could look down at him.

She stood there silently for a moment before crouching down so that her head was almost level with his head. Using her left hand, she ran a talon gently down his cheek and across his neck, grinning the entire time. It would be so easy to slice open his neck and simply take the journal she had been wanting for over a millennium. However, she still needed him to try and solve her dilemma of turning to stone again at sunrise. Removing her hand, she got to her feet and walked around to the front of him.

Crossing her arms, she used the tip of her tail to poke him in the chest, which caused his breathing to change. When he did not wake, she became annoyed and gently slapped the side of his face with her tail. This had the desired effect, and he awoke with a start, nearly leaping behind the couch when he noticed her. As the human fought to regain his posture she grinned slyly and chuckled.

"It's about time you woke up." She snarled as her tail returned to its place behind her. "It's not very nice to leave a guest standing around while the host sleeps."

"I was not aware I had fallen asleep." He replied, leaning forward to stand.

"Remain where you are, for now." She said, pushing him back down with her hand. "Now where is the journal?"

"What, no hello?" he commented, smiling.

"You test my patience, human!" She growled, her eyes glowing red. "I could have slit your throat and taken the journal while you slept." The glow in her eyes faded, but the annoyed look on her face remained, "I spared you because you have not yet given me your answer."

"I accept your offer." He said, feeling silly at being forced to sit like a disobedient child.

"What is your price?" she asked, then to herself. "And if you set your sights too high, I will indeed cut your throat."

"As I said yesterday, I would like information." James answered. "Information about you, your kind and of things in that journal."

She lost some of her anger at the odd answer the human had given her. "You are not like others of your kind, who hunger for money."

"With what Xanatos is paying me I won't have to worry about money." MacGregor said as he tried to get to his feet again. This time she did not stop him. "Do you accept?"

Demona nodded. "Very well, but first I wish to see that journal."

The professor nodded and pulled the ancient leather-bound journal from his pocket and presented it to her. She seemed to hesitate at first before taking it, her hand was trembling as if she were cold. Their fingers touched briefly as he released his grip of the book, marveling at how soft her skin felt.

"You seem to know a lot about it." He said, noticing how her entire demeanor changed now that she held it. "How?"

"The sketch you saw is me." She replied, gently caressing the cover with one of her talons. "Back then I was known as Angel."

"That's not possible." He said, barking a laugh. "Do you know how old this journal is?"

"One thousand and fifteen years old." She replied, not even needing to calculate it. "Robert sketched that picture shortly before he was killed."

"Killed?" James said, staggering back. "What do you mean he was killed? How?"

"Protecting me." she replied, her voice barely a whisper.

"This I have to hear," he said, shaking his head. "This question has plagued my family for years. Please, sit." He added, pointing to the couch.

Without offering a complaint, she silently did as he said, her head bowed as old memories resurfaced in her mind. She had not even opened the journal yet, for fear of what she would find, from the only human she had ever dared loved. There were things in there that were done by the hand who had so often held hers, touched her in ways she could never forget. The hand of the man who she wanted for more than a friend.

"Tell me." he asked, sitting on the table in front of her.

She looked up from the journal and straight into his eyes. There was something strangely familiar in the way he sat there, waiting for her to begin.

"What am I doing?" She said to herself, amazed that she obeyed when he told her to sit. She tried to convince herself to leave but his gaze seemed to paralyze her. "Very well."

Scotland, 981 AD – Castle Wyvern

With a bellowing roar, Angel broke free of her stone sleep before rising from her kneeling position on the tower cornice. Tiny shards of stone chips fell from her bluish skin as she flexed her wings before launching her powerful body into the air, soaring down to the ground below. It wasn't her night to go on guard duty, nor did the Archmage have any lessons for her so there was little to do but stroll around the castle.

As she walked aimlessly she noted, as was normal, that most of the humans she came across stepped out of her path. She ignored them and continued towards the main gate, intent on going out to do some hunting. As she approached the gate, she noticed another female gargoyle talking to one of the human guards. This was something she found very strange, it was not normal for a human and a gargoyle to be speaking to one other. At first, she was going to ignore them and continue outside when she noticed the human carrying some scrolls.

She knew the female gargoyle he was speaking with, Goliath's twin sister, who was normally put in charge of the clan's hunting party. Some called her Rebel, mainly because of her habit of going against many of their traditions, others called her Flower. Goliath himself never openly admitted that they were brother and sister, all Gargoyles were rookery siblings, but the resemblance between them was extremely obvious. The human was asking her about something on the scrolls, but Rebel shook her head. She looked around for a moment before her eyes fell on Angel.

"Angel!" She called, noticing her approach. "Are you occupied?"

"Not at the moment." She answered, wondering what the female wanted. "Why?"

"This man has some scrolls that you might find interesting." Rebel said, pointing to the tan colored rolls in his hands. "I would look into them myself, but I am on patrol with Goliath and Mentor."

With that she smiled sweetly and hurried on all fours towards another group of Gargoyles, heading towards the battlements. Angel and the human watched her go then stood in silence, each wondering who should speak first.

She felt uncomfortable being so close to this human. From what she could tell he was one of the regular guards who defended the castle. He was not wearing the usual leather breastplate and grieves, nor was he carrying any weapon that she could see. His hair was sandy brown, tied into a small ponytail with a matching beard and mustache. He seemed harmless enough but was out of place with the scrolls he had in his hands. Folding her wings over her shoulders, she did not return the smile he gave her.

"So, what are these scrolls of yours?" she asked, slightly irritated at Rebel for dumping the human on her. If they were spells or something else of that nature, then perhaps they could be enlightening. Being the secret student of the Archmage, anything pertaining to magic piqued her curiosity.

When he showed her the scrolls, she was disappointed to see that all they contained were poorly drawn humans in odd positions. Around each sketch were instructions and small arrows indicating various positions in which to move. Not long ago she would not have been able to understand the words, but thanks to the Archmage she had learned to read and write.

At first, she thought that it was showing some bizarre mating rituals since all the pictures contained two humans. Now she was wondering why he was talking to Rebel, a female, about the scrolls. If the human was looking to perform those odd rituals with a female Gargoyle, then she would teach the sick human a lesson. After that she would track down Rebel and throttle her for this perverted outrage.

"I am looking for a sparring partner." The human replied in his thick Scottish accent.

"Sparring partner?" She replied, knowing that to spar was to engage in mock fighting. "Why are you interested in a Gargoyle for that?" If the human was interested in mock fighting with a Gargoyle, then he was either brave or very dense; in most cases she found that it was the latter.

"Mainly because th' other guards know me t' well." he replied, tucking one of the scrolls under his arm. "Aye, when they spar with me, they have a habit of walking away with sore bodies, or flat on their backs."

Angel laughed at his words as she had heard such things mentioned among the other castle guards. "So, you are the one who does that?" When he smiled, she found it strangely attractive, for a human. "You wish to test your skills against me?"

"Aye, but I know how strong and agile yer kind be." he said, trying to juggle the scrolls in his arms. "Which is another reason why it'd be interesting, aye. For me t'would be a good challenge."

When one of the scrolls slipped from his grasp, she reached out with her tail and snatched it before it touched the ground. He stared at how fast she had done it, then presented her with the smile she found attractive.

"I wish he wouldn't do that." She said to herself, wondering why she even found it interesting at all. Then to him. "Very well. Do we fight right here or is there a specific place you have in mind?"

"Someplace with softer ground than this." The guard replied. "Let us both go to th' training area, the ground be mostly sand."

When she nodded, he started walking towards the rear section of the castle grounds, she followed him silently. He was taking his time walking so she suddenly found herself catching up to him. She slowed to match his stride, else she would have gone ahead, which would look like she was in a hurry.

The training area consisted of four large rings separated by roughly cut wooden fence poles. These were used for sword fighting, wrestling and general exercises during training. Along the east wall there was a row of straw filled dummies suspended from poles which were used for sword and archery. To the west was a long stretch of trampled ground, separated into two lanes by another wooden fence. Spaced out at intervals were taller poles with cross arms that hung out over the lanes, hanging from a thin woven rope was a small metal ring. The purpose of this area was for jousting, in which a person mounted on horseback would balance a long javelin. The main goal was to catch as many of the rings on the tip as possible.

She looked around and saw only a few pairs of men using the area. When they noticed the odd pair approaching, they stopped what they were doing for a moment and watched. The human with her ignored the stares and rude comments they made.

"I'm need'n somebody t' practice with." Her companion said, looking towards the other men. "You men look proper enough."

At this they suddenly seemed to lose interest in them, commenting that it was getting late and needed to return to their barracks. Picking up their practice swords they hurried away, putting as great a distance between them as they could.

He watched them go, frowning all the while. "Louts. Like most, they nay recognize all the help ye clan provide."

She was amazed at the appreciative way he spoke about her kind, unlike most of the humans she knew. Her respect for the man increased and she no longer found herself feeling so uneasy about being with him.

He entered the closest ring and waited until she had stepped in before speaking again. "I have a feeling that ye never don' martial arts bef'r?"

"I have never heard of such a thing." Angel replied as he placed the scrolls down next to the fence.

"Tis an ancient method where yer only defense is ye body." He began. "When done proper, ye limbs become weapons, aye."

She found it very strange that a human, weak as they are, would be able to fight using nothing but the arms and legs. A gargoyle would have no problem fighting in such a manner, but they were stronger and more able bodied than humans. Their talons alone were enough to tear most anything apart.

When she looked at him, he knew she was perplexed. "I will'a demonstrate what I mean, but ye have t' attack me."

Although the idea of a human asking to be attacked was interesting to her, she found herself unable to do so. "Are you out of your head, human?"

"Sorry, me name's MacGregor." he said, chuckling at her hesitation. "Robert MacGregor, and nay, I am not out of me head. Come now, lass, attack me!"

"Well, he is asking for it." She said to herself, then crouched to pounce.

She waited a moment to see if he would take some sort of defensive posture, but to her amazement he just stood there. Without thinking twice, she bared her teeth and leapt towards him at her best speed. She told herself that she would not actually harm him, only knock him down. When she was about to shove him, he seemed to vanish from her sight for an instant. When she attempted to stop herself, she felt him grab her upper arm. A moment later she felt her legs kicked out from under her. With a heavy grunt she found herself lying flat on her back, staring up at the night sky, her wings splayed out under her. The entire ordeal was so fast she was not even certain what had happened.

A moment later he appeared over her, a look of genuine concern on his face. "Are ye hurt?"

"I am fine." She hissed as she rolled onto her side. The fall did not hurt her, unless you count her pride, but she felt embarrassed.

When she was on her knees she lashed out with her tail, fully intended to put him on his back. To her dismay, he saw the appendage coming and leapt out of the way with catlike reflexes. By now she was quite aggravated and leapt to her feet, leaping and slashing with her talons, fully intending to teach him a lesson. No matter how hard she tried, or what she tried, he always managed to evade her attacks.

At one point he even ducked beneath her legs when she pounced into the air. She turned to look at him and noticed that their antics had attracted others, human, and gargoyle alike. Seeing this angered her even further since she was now being made a fool in front of not only humans, but her own clan.

"Stand and fight!" She growled, her anger showing in her red eyes.

"Nay, lass. Ye will nay hit me in such a fashion." Robert said, crouching into a defensive position. "Ye attack without thinkin', yer swings generated by anger, aye. Yer trying t' hard, think about what ye want to do before attacking."

What she wanted to do was tear his legs off so that he would be unable to dodge her attacks. By now she felt herself starting to get short of breath due to the rigorous movements she was making. He, on the other hand, was showing no sign of tiring. Apparently, he noticed her condition and waited as she gulped down several breaths of air.

"How did you learn these things?" She asked, curious, if he had taught himself from the scrolls she had seen.

"When I was but a wee lad, I lost my parents to bandits." He replied as he stepped closer. "I was raised in a monastery with a group o' monks who spent their days not only in prayer, but exercise.

"Having nay purpose in life at that time, I simply watched while th' monks performed these techniques." Robert continued, smiling as they slowly circled each other. "When they saw how interested I was, they be offering to teach me, aye. It took years b'fore I was able t' master it all, but in the end the result was what ye have seen tonight."

"Impressive." She breathed as she felt her strength returning. "I have never met a human who could move such as you."

"Thank ye, lass." Robert replied, smiling at the compliment. "Out of all the others, ye have been the most determined. As always, yer kind are excellent fighters."

At this comment she strangely found herself starting to like this human, even if she still felt embarrassed. She looked at him and gave him a tiny smile, which he returned. A few voices from the others watching caught his attention. While he was distracted, she crouched again and lunged, being careful not to make a sound. She felt herself smiling as her hands reached out towards his exposed back. She would grab his tunic and lift him into the air until he was looking up at the night sky.

Her talons were an inch from him when he ducked and twisted his body to avoid her sneak attack. Before she struck the ground, he reached under her and spun her body. Once again, she felt the soft ground underneath, only this time she felt his arms underneath her. Instead of striking the ground, his intervention had cushioned her fall. When she tried to get up he pulled his arms out and threw his body onto hers. She felt her arms and legs pinned to the ground. The shock of what happened did more to hold her in place than his body, not to mention the fact that a part of her was strangely excited by it.

"I could hear yer wings rustlin' as ye leapt, aye." He said, his voice low as he stared into her emerald green eyes. "But I applaud yer attempt, ye almost succeeded."

For some reason she did not understand, she placed her hand against his side. At first, she was going to shove him away but when she touched him the sensation made her pause. She looked up into his face and marveled at how dark his eyes were. His facial features stood out in the dark sky above them and she found herself enjoying his weight on her. Before she could stop herself, she lifted her head and pressed her mouth to his.

This action caught him by surprise, but the feeling of her warm face pressed to him was far from unpleasant. He was starting to enjoy it when he felt her body tense and before he knew what was happening, she flipped him onto his back. The breath was knocked from his lungs as he felt her weight on him, pinning his arms and legs with her own.

There was loud applause from the audience of humans and gargoyles who had been watching the spectacle. She looked down and had expected him to look either angry, embarrassed or both. To her amazement he was smiling and seemed pleased at being bested.

"Twas never taught that move by the monks," he said, chuckling. "But then again, there were nay any lovely lasses at the monastery."

His words sounded alien to her, nobody aside from Goliath had ever commented about her looks. "What did you say?" she asked softly.

"I said ye look lovely." He replied, his voice also soft. "Ye be havin' the prettiest eyes I have ever seen. Aye, the color of emeralds they are."

She felt herself flush with embarrassment at his odd comments, but deep inside she was enjoying his kind words. When he failed to try and get up, she kept him pinned for a few moments more before sliding off and getting to her feet. When he sat up, she held out her hand, which he took, and pulled him onto his feet.

"Thank ye, Angel." He said, using her name for the first time.

"You thank me for beating you?"

He nodded. "Aye, you be the first t' do so, I am impressed. If ye are interested, I could teach the lassie these techniques."

"Why would you offer to do this for me?" she asked, suddenly interested in being able to do the things she had seen.

"Because I think a gargoyle knowing these fighting techniques would'a make for a very formidable warrior." Robert said, crossing his arms as his eyes ran over her body.

The image of her being able to do the things he did appealed to her warrior nature. For some odd reason, she felt that it would be interesting to be able to spend more time with him. She kept silent for a few moments as she thought it over.

"This could be interesting." she said, smiling warmly. "Very well, perhaps I can teach you some of our ways."

"Aye, I would like that very much." Robert replied, nodding his enthusiasm. "When would ye like to start?"

"Tomorrow evening after my patrol." Angel answered.

"Very well. Has the lass eaten yet?" he asked, to which she seemed startled.

She knew that she had not had the time to eat since she had emerged from her stone sleep. Eating was something she had planned on doing when she returned from hunting but she had been sidetracked.

"Not yet." Was all she said.

"Neither have I." Robert said as he cleared his throat. "You wouldn'a want to join me in a meal?"

Now she felt it was really getting strange, him asking her to share a meal together. She did like him, but she felt that this was going too far, too fast. Feeling a slight regret, she smiled and declined his offer, saying that she still needed to go out on patrol. He did not seem upset at her refusal, which made her feel better about turning him down.

She watched as he went over to gather the scrolls he had left at the fence. When he had gathered them up, he turned towards her and bowed. "Until tomorrow evening, lass." He said, then turned and walked away to where the guard's barracks were located. As she watched him go, she heard another gargoyle step up behind her. She did not need to turn to know who it was.

"Who was that, my Angel?" Goliath asked as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"His name is MacGregor." She answered without looking up at him. "He was showing me some interesting fighting moves."

"So I saw." He commented in a voice that hinted at being annoyed. "Is this human a friend of yours?"

Angel only nodded, slightly annoyed at his tone of voice towards her and MacGregor. "Yes, he is… different." She said, letting her feelings be known by her low tone.

Before Goliath could utter another word, she walked off, fully intended on resuming the hunt she had originally planned. She also needed the time to think about what had occurred between her and the human. The thought of suddenly having the impulse to kiss him, even if it was to distract him, did not seem to bother her as much as it should have.

As she walked, she could not help but think about MacGregor and what they had done together. It was the first time she had ever had this type of encounter with a human, she found herself liking it. "Too bad more humans are not like him." She said to herself as she walked under the portcullis.

Even after she had taken wing, her thoughts were always sliding towards MacGregor.

*

Demona felt something warm pressed into her hand, which pulled her thoughts away from the past. When she looked down at her hand, she found herself holding a mug filled with steaming tea. The tea smelled strongly of cinnamon with a slight hint of mint, which she found appealing. Her other hand she held the journal, which was opened to an entry that chronicled the events that she had just explained. For a moment she ignored the drink and looked up to see him standing before her.

"It sounds like you and my ancestor formed a close friendship." James said, a tiny smile appearing on his face.

"Yes, the human was quite interesting." She replied before sampling the tea, which she found quite tasty.

"I know that journal forwards and back, but you have opened a whole new view to his words." James replied, still amazed at how much detail she had given.

For some reason she looked up at the clock to see that it was after two in the morning. She swallowed the remainder of the tea and placed the empty cup on the table. "It is late, and I must leave you for the evening." She did not want to get caught up in another tale and wind up remaining here until sunrise.

"When will I see you again?" he asked as she got to her feet.

"In a few days. I have some things I need to take care of first and it will take up most of my time." Demona said as she started towards the sliding door leading to the outside balcony.

Before stepping through the door, she turned and held out the journal for him to take. She wanted to hold onto it so she could read it in private, but it did belong to him. He reached out as if to take it, but instead pushed it back towards her.

"You can return it when we meet again." he said softly. "I've had it for years and can live without it for a few days."

She took it and stared at him for a few moments, unable to think of anything to say. Slipping it into her belt, she turned and stepped out onto the balcony. Without saying a word, she jumped onto the railing, spread her wings and leapt out into the dark. He hurried out just in time to see her soar up and over the tops of the buildings. Moments later she banked left and vanished behind some of the taller buildings. He waited a few moments before stepping into his apartment, sliding the door closed behind him.

"Left alone again." He said softly as he picked up the empty mug on the coffee table. He walked into the kitchen and placed the mug into the sink before heading towards his room.

***

Elisa stood, patiently, as the sun slowly crept below the horizon. As it slid down, the shadows cast by Goliath and his clan moved from left to right. When the tip of the sun vanished she stepped back as the usual cracking of stone skin drowned out the other sounds of the city. As the gargoyles burst from their stone sleep, they stretched and roared the new evening. In the process, hundreds of tiny stone shards lay on the terrace of the clock tower while the rest tumbled out into empty space.

lisa had always wondered if the little bits of stone had ever hit anybody who had been unfortunate enough to be standing there. Her thoughts of the matter were dismissed as Goliath jumped down to greet her, as did the others.

"Are you guys ready for dinner tonight?" Elisa asked as they started towards the door leading into their home. She, like the rest of them, always looked forward to visiting the professor and Venus.

"Aye." Goliath said, his voice hinting at his lack of enthusiasm.

When he tried to follow the others inside Elisa placed her hand on his arm to stop him. When he turned around, she had a queer look on her face.

"Is something wrong?" She asked.

"There is nothing wrong." Goliath answered.

"I know you better than that, Goliath." the young detective said, frowning. "When I mentioned dinner, you seemed to want to be someplace else. I thought you had grown to accept the professor and Venus' relationship."

"I have nothing against them, or their… marriage." he said, crossing his arms.

"So, what's the problem?"

Goliath stepped past her and leaned on the stone railing where he had been in stone sleep a few minutes ago. "My rookery sister seems to have adopted an aggravating hobby these past few months."

At first Elisa was puzzled as to what Goliath was talking about. Since the night of Scott and Venus' wedding, things had gone smoothly between them and the clan. Venus often joined them on their patrols, which Goliath always seemed pleased with. The professor normally always came by to visit them in the clock tower at least once a week unless he was away on business. Hudson had taken a real liking to the professor when he had been shown the vast array of swords Scott had in his possession. Even the trio enjoyed being with them unless there was a new movie in the theaters.

In a rush it came to her. Venus seemed to take pleasure in asking Goliath when he and Elisa would "get serious", as Venus had often commented. Elisa herself did not mind, finding it sweet that she was trying to nudge them together. As for Goliath, her attempts seemed to annoy him more than anything, but then again, it was not difficult for him to get annoyed at anything.

"Venus is only trying to be helpful." Elisa said, chuckling under her breath.

"It grows tiresome after a while." Goliath replied, not amused at how easily Elisa dismissed Venus' antics. He wanted to say that with Venus it had been easy, but he knew that if he said that, Elisa would no doubt feel pushed away.

"Just let it go, Goliath. Smile and be the loving older brother you're supposed to be."

"We are the same age." Goliath replied.

Elisa stared at him for a moment before laughing. "I was being sarcastic, Goliath. Man, you're too serious about everything."

For the first time since he awoke, she saw a tiny smile crease his stony face. "If Venus does happen to mention something about us… getting together, just give her a simple answer."

"What answer would that be?" He asked, suddenly curious as to a method of avoiding his sister's attempts at matchmaking.

"I don't know, say something like 'It will happen when it happens'." she replied, rubbing her chin. "Make it sound like it is not your top priority in life."

He nodded. "You would have made an excellent advisor in my time."

"Thanks, I guess." Elisa replied, not certain if it had been a compliment.

Goliath turned from the railing and walked inside the clock tower; Elisa was close behind him. Upon entering they saw Hudson and the trio waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

"Is everybody ready to leave?" Goliath asked.

"Aye." Hudson replied, smiling.

They filed past Goliath and Elisa back outside to the terrace. As always Goliath took Elisa in his arms before leaping off into the night. The others followed seconds after, their winged forms outlined in the night sky as they made their way to Wards Island. They made their way over the tops of the buildings, always careful to avoid being spotted.

As they soared out over the river, they could see the moon's reflection in the rippling water. Soon after, their destination came into sight, the sole house on the entire island could be seen easily from the air. Several miles away stood the Manhattan State Hospital. Cupping their wings, they made a slow circle around the manor before touching down on the second-floor deck in the back of the house. They were astounded when the professor told them about his idea to build it. It was mainly for their benefit, to make it easier to land and take off again, without the risk of tearing his walls apart with their talons. It was also where Eric and Cassandra had roosted during the day, the marks from their feet easily seen in the wood.

The two large sliding doors were already open, so they let themselves in, as the professor and Venus had told them before. They knew the house well enough to find their way downstairs to the living room. Their large feet made little noise on the carpets as they walked. They waited outside while Elisa stepped inside to find the professor sitting on the couch reading a newspaper.

Scott looked up and smiled. "Ah, you're right on time. Where are the others?"

"They're waiting in the other room." Elisa replied, noting how odd it was that he was alone. "Where is Venus?"

"She's around someplace." The professor said as he placed the paper on the coffee table. "But dinner will not be ready for another half hour, so there is no hurry."

He got to his feet and beckoned Elisa to follow him into the other room where Goliath and the others were standing. "Welcome everybody. Dinner isn't ready yet so I hope you don't mind waiting."

The Clan shook their heads.

"Where is Venus?" Goliath asked as he took a quick gaze around the room.

"Probably still getting ready for dinner." Scott replied in a nonchalant tone. "She tends to fuss over her outfits, I'm certain she will be here soon enough."

At this strange behavior Elisa and the gargoyles could only look at each other in puzzlement. This did not sound like the professor they had all come to know. They had never seen the newlyweds apart from one another. It was odd, but none seemed more affected than Goliath since it was his own blood kin. He seemed as if he would say something but a quick glance from Elisa made him keep his mouth shut.

"Well, let's not stand around here all day, why don't we go into the dining room to wait." Scott suggested, waving them towards the hallway.

Without a word, they followed him down the hallway and into a side door to the dining room. The table was already set with enough chairs to accommodate everybody present. Scott motioned to the table and took one of the chairs at the head of the table. The others, still puzzled by the strange way the professor was acting, took their seats.

"Please wait here while I see how dinner is going." The professor said, getting to his feet. "I shall be back in a minute."

When he stepped from the room Goliath waited another few seconds before getting to his feet. "Is it me, or does anybody else sense that something is not right?"

"You can say that again." Brooklyn added, shaking his head. "I don't think I've ever seen them in different rooms, not seeing them together looks kinda weird."

"Aw, you guys worry too much." Broadway said, wondering when the food would arrive.

"Yeah, maybe there's a reason why the professor is acting so weird." Lexington said, leaning back.

"Perhaps." Goliath mumbled, wondering if he should go and look for Venus himself.

After a few minutes the professor returned, only this time he was smiling and seemed to be in a cheerful mood. Balanced in one hand was a platter loaded with mini pigs-in-the-blankets. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes, as will Venus. Please, help yourself to some appetizers." he added as he placed the platter down on the table.

Broadway grinned happily at the pile of appetizers and immediately grabbed a few. Since each one had a toothpick sticking out, it made picking them up easier. After taking five, he sat down and began eating. The others took some themselves. In the hands of a gargoyle the little tidbits looked like ants in their large hands.

As they ate, the professor noticed a shadow appear in the hallway, which made him smile. He needed to make certain that nobody was looking in the direction of the doorway, so he asked about their last patrol. Goliath, as he normally did, began to talk about their attempts to uncover a secret weapon dealing ring that Dracon was running. Scott listened intently as Venus quietly stepped into the room, he had to force himself not to chuckle.

Goliath and the others failed to notice Venus as she approached the table, her footsteps were completely silent. She sat at the far end of the table and waited quietly as Goliath finished his story.

"I am sorry I missed it." Venus said, smiling.

The entire table, taken completely unaware of her entrance, turned in one single motion. When their eyes fell upon Venus, they were unable to find words to describe what they saw.

Venus Mercure sat before them looking as if they were all caught in some bizarre dream. Their rookery sibling, Goliath's blood-kin sister, sat before them not as a Gargoyle, but as a human.

She still had her facial features, as well as her raven black hair with thin eyebrows. Her once dark eyes were now light brown with white pupils. Everything else looked as human as the professor and Elisa. She was also a bit shorter than her gargoyle form, standing only slightly taller than the professor. Everything about Venus was alien compared to what she looked like in real life. Even as a human, she was every bit as lovely as she had always been. Her outfit consisted of faded blue jeans and a white cotton T-shirt.

It was strange to see her as a human, wearing normal human clothes and sneakers.

"Cool!" Lexington and Brooklyn said in unison, smiling at the human Venus.

Broadway was in the process of putting another piggy in his mouth. Now he was sitting there, the tiny bit of food halfway to his gaping mouth. The look on his face was total bewilderment.

Goliath, however, did not think the same as Lexington. "What sorcery have you done now? A human?" From the tone of his voice, he was not thrilled about his sister's change.

Venus chuckled. "You are so predictable, Goliath, I knew you would have this reaction. Yes, I have used my powers to give myself the appearance of a human."

"Appearance?" Hudson asked, tilting his head. "Ye mean that this form is nay real."

"No, it is only an illusion." Venus replied, not letting Goliath kill the mood. "We found that if you look at me with a camera, you can see my true form."

"Why would you want to look like a human?" Goliath asked, hoping Elisa and the professor would not take offense.

"To do things most humans take for granted." Venus replied, all eyes on her. "Go out among them, to be able to visit a store or dine in a restaurant." At these facts the trio nodded; this being their biggest desire.

"This world is full of fascinating things, Goliath, even more so during the day." Venus continued, taking one of the appetizers. "Would you not want to do such things?"

Goliath seemed to think it over for a few seconds before staring down at the table. "Aye, to be able to do things like that would indeed be fascinating. But the fact remains, we are gargoyles, no amount of magic can hide that."

"I am not trying to hide what I am, I just want to be able to go out and do things among other humans." Venus said, placing the bit of food in her human mouth.

There was a dazzling flash of multicolored lights from where Venus was sitting. A few moments after it dissipated, when it did, they saw Venus sitting there, back in her gargoyle form.

"As you can see, any form of interruption causes the image to become broken." Goliath's sister said, sounding slightly annoyed at what happened. "I still need to perfect it."

"Are you able to do it to others?" Brooklyn asked, suddenly interested in what it would be like to walk among humans.

Venus shook her head. "No, I am barely able to maintain the image of myself. The effort takes a lot of power and concentration so I am unable to maintain it long."

For a while nobody seemed to think of anything to say, so they ate in silence. It was not until Jacob brought out the main course that the silence was broken. The old butler set down three large dishes of homemade chicken pie, still steaming from the oven. Brooklyn hid a smile when he noticed that one of the dishes seemed to be placed in front of Broadway.

As Jacob began dishing out the food, he spoke to each, asking how much they wished. When all had been served, he smiled and left the same way he had entered.

"I can see why ye'd have such desires, lass." Hudson said, eyeing the steaming food of his plate. "I can assure you that we all have had such wants, so I understand."

Venus smiled as she placed her napkin across her lap. "Thank you, Hudson, I intend to see all that this new time has to offer."

Goliath seemed to want to say something, but a nudge from Elisa convinced him otherwise.

"Well, this looks quite good." Elisa commented, trying to draw attention back to the reason they were all here. "It would be a shame if our hosts went through all this trouble just to let dinner get cold."

The professor nodded. "Indeed, please, everybody dig in and enjoy."

With that the group began eating, with more than one comment about how good the food was. Jacob returned a few times to refill their drinks, which consisted of either water or cola. Elisa still marveled at how the professor and Venus lived simple lives. They had no worry for money, yet they dined no different than she would.

Here and there they spoke about what was going on in the city. Goliath and the others spoke about the various patrols and crimes they had stopped. Venus spoke about how much she was learning from the professor. She enjoyed the fascinating things she was learning about archaeology. Everybody listened with genuine interest, even Goliath seemed impressed with what his sister was doing.

"That sounds really cool!" Brooklyn said, trying to picture Venus wearing an Indiana Jones outfit; or even better, Lara Croft. He soon found out that thinking such things turned quickly to desires. "It is hard to imagine finding stuff that's older than we are."

At this the entire group chuckled.

"Well, it pays the bills." Scott said, pushing his empty plate away from him. "Now, is everybody ready for dessert?"

If the food had not impressed them enough, then the bowls of chocolate mousse completed the circle. Both Venus and the professor assisted Jacob in bringing it out, else it would have taken the old butler several trips.

***

The cab driver refused to answer any of his questions as they drove out of the city. Brightly lit streets soon turned into dark, two-lane roads that led away from the large metropolis. He had not heard anything from Demona since she had left his apartment a few nights ago. It was not until he had gone home to find the taxi parked in front of his building that his question was answered.

e did not think much of it until the driver got out and asked his name. When he gave it he said that he was there to take him to Madame Destine. James could think of no other person who would want to pick him up other than Demona, or Xanatos. He asked the driver to wait a few minutes so he could go upstairs to drop off his briefcase. The driver shrugged, saying that the meter was running, and he could take as long as he wanted.

The real reason was that he wanted to take precautions before getting into the taxi. He had retrieved a small 9mm pistol he kept locked away in the back of his closet. He slipped it into a shoulder holster and donned his coat, making certain to fasten it so the holster would not be seen.

With that, he went back downstairs to the waiting cab and climbed inside. He had no sooner closed the door and the driver drove off, cutting off a small compact car in the process. A sharp shrill of a car horn told of the driver's surprise. The taxi driver did not seem to notice and continued driving.

His mind began to wander when they pulled up before a large black iron gate barring their way inside. When James peered out the window, he saw a large, three-story stone manor sitting atop a small rise in the distance. The lack of any lights gave the structure the look of something out of a high budget Dracula movie. He jumped when the driver let go with his car horn, three long loud blasts. A moment later the iron gates swung open, allowing them onto a gravel driveway. Without a word the driver stepped on the throttle and hurried inside.

A few moments later the car stopped before what looked to be the front entrance. James opened the door and stepped out, taking a moment to ask the man how much the trip was.

"Already taken care of." The not-to-good smelling driver said in a gruff voice.

James shrugged and stepped out of the car, which immediately drove off back down the driveway and out the gates. He waited a moment as the gates swung closed, an eerie feeling in his gut made him feel uneasy. When he finally approached the front door, he was met with the face of a stone gargoyle set into the door. The well carved image seemed almost alive as he lifted the iron knocker set into the gargoyle's lower jaw.

The sound echoed hollowly several times before he heard a latch being undone from within. The door opened silently to reveal the familiar form of Demona, still dressed in the same loincloth and halter-top as before. The light inside seemed to make her body glow softly, her open wings silhouetted behind her.

She seemed to stare at him for a moment, as if she had no memory of who he was. A moment later her lips curled upward slightly in a barely noticeable smile. Moving aside, she waved her arm to indicate he could enter. When he stepped inside, she pushed the door closed, resulting in the loud clicking of a heavy lock.

"Welcome to my home." She said, her voice seemed forced, as if she resented seeing him. "Follow me."

Without another word she turned and walked away, looking back to make certain he was following her. As they walked, he looked around at all the strange objects she had collected. Most of it seemed to have come from Celtic times, consisting mainly of spiked maces encased in glass and most likely quite valuable.

She led him into a large foyer where he saw a large portrait of a regal man wearing a Scottish kilt and a crown. When he asked who the man was, she looked up at the painting and grumbled the name "Macbeth". He decided not to inquire further and continued following her, this time up a stone staircase.

At the top they emerged in a short hallway with only three doors. One was set at the end of the hall while the other two were halfway down, opposite each other. Like the rest of the manor the lighting was not very bright, allowing only enough so that one could not bump into anything. She stopped at the halfway point and turned toward the left-hand door. When he caught up to her, she looked at him for a moment, her face seemed to have softened quite a lot, making her look almost innocent. She slid a panel open next to the door to reveal a numeric keypad. Using her talon, she typed in an eight-digit code, whereupon there was a beep followed by a click.

After closing the panel, she opened the door and stepped inside. When he followed, he was presented with a stunning array of ancient artifacts, all of them looking almost new. James was not very good at identifying such things, but he guessed that this collection was from Scotland. He could see an assortment of plaid colors displayed in glass frames, each pattern with a family Clan crest below it. To the left and right of the frames were assorted weapons, no doubt belonging to the Clan depicted. He could see different types of broadswords, dirks, and a few pointed maces.

All these she seemed to ignore and move over to another display, one seemingly set apart from the others. Like the others it had its own Clan pattern and family crest, and like the others he did not know which family it was. The crest consisted of a huge dragon in flight, its wings encompassing a man wielding a sword. Unlike the other displays this one had its own overhead lighting, making it seem like a person's family shrine.

"Do you recognize this family?" Demona asked, turning to face him while standing next to the display. When he shook his head, she frowned in irritation. "I am not surprised, most of you humans do not seem to remember much of their own history."

"I'm not a historian, Demona." James replied, slightly irritated at her berating words.

His words did not seem to change her opinion of him, she simply sighed and looked down at the glass case. Within were other items seemingly of a more personal nature. There was an unadorned iron helm, polished so that it gleamed in the light. Next to it was a broken short sword, the blade snapped off just above the cross guard. Neither the broken blade nor the hilt seemed to be of any real craftsmanship. The cross-guard was made of iron inlaid with brass while the handle was wrapped with a plain leather cord.

Other items included a small leather pouch with the name "Mistra" stitched into the material. There was a pair of soft leather gloves, one of which had a dark brown stain covering most of it, resting on an unadorned dagger. Most of the rest seemed to be homemade trinkets such as jewelry or other such adornments. What caught his attention was another item, recently added.

The leather-bound journal which had belonged to his ancestor rested lovingly on a dark blue piece of satin material. At this his eyes widened in shock when he realized who all this must have belonged to.

"I was wondering how long it would take you." Demona said, crossing her arms over her ample chest. "Your ancestor was one of the few humans I ever… trusted." To herself she said. "And you look too much like him."

James stood in front of the display and ran his fingers over the glass. It had been one thing to have the journal of his ancestor, but to see things he had owned; it was beyond anything he ever dreamed.

"I wish I had known this stuff existed." He breathed, marveling at the display. "If there were only a picture of what he looked like."

Demona stared at the floor for a moment before going over to another display. Opening the glass case, she reached in and removed a small brass mirror. There was no looking glass within, just a well-polished metal surface. When she handed it to him, he gazed at his bronzed reflection. The first thing that came to his mind is that he had not shaved yet today.

"You lack his beard and mustache, but aside from that, you are looking at him." Demona said softly, her fingers lingering a moment longer on the handle with his.

"You have to be kidding." He said, not believing he had inherited his long dead ancestor's looks. "Too bad my looks never caught the attention of a lovely female gargoyle." He added, handing the mirror back to her.

As she went to replace it from the case, she felt a smile appear on her lips. But since she was facing away from him, she was grateful he could not see it. "Sure, he looks like Robert, but he is not him." She said silently, placing the brass mirror back in its place. "So why do I feel the same?"

he shook her head angrily, not wanting to dwell on the feelings that were starting to overtake her. The only reason she had sought this human out was for employment, not to relive a dead memory. When she returned to the case with the journal, she opened it and withdrew the small leather book.

"I have spent the past few nights reading this." She said, running a talon over the unadorned leather cover. "I know more about Robert MacGregor now than I did back in the tenth century. For that I should thank you." With that she held the journal out for him to take. She would have liked to keep it for herself, it was her nature, but seeing James seemed to make it feel wrong.

He looked at the journal for a moment, then at the pained look that was barely perceivable on her face. When he did take it, he held it for a few moments before replacing it in the case. Demona looked at him in stunned amazement when he closed the case and backed away.

"It belongs with the rest of these things." he said, smiling at the effect it had on Demona. "From what I can see it would be better cared for here than in my possession."

Her mouth worked, but she was unable to find any words to say what she was feeling. When he stood before her, she saw his face and once again saw the human she had loved so long ago. It was not until her vision became watery that she realized that at some point she had her arms around him. She knew this was grossly wrong and could not even remember doing it, but his arms around her gave her comfort.

"I cannot do this." She said to herself, unable to break away. "I am only thanking him for leaving the journal with me… that is the reason."

It was James who seemed to start to break away, but instead of releasing her his hands slid up until they touched the center of her wings. The feeling was so immediate that she sucked in a long breath, it was something she had not felt in years. That was enough for her to finally slip out of his grasp, but the area he touched still tingled. The last thing she wanted to think about was having sex with him, the thought made her grimace.

"Is this the reason why you brought me here?" James asked, wishing he could hold her again.

"Mostly, yes." she replied, rubbing her arms. "We still need to discuss what you will need to start my request."

"Xanatos said he would leave me to work in private." James replied, shaking his head. "You seem uneasy at having me in your home, so why did you not wish to discuss this at the lab?"

The mention of Xanatos letting anyone work for him without being watched made her laugh. "You do not know him as I do. I would be wary about him; he has more ways to get information than most government agencies."

She turned and walked towards the door leading back into the hallway and waited. When he stepped out, she closed the door, which made a metallic click a second later. He was half tempted to ask what was behind the other doors but figured it best not to pry into her personal affairs. They went back downstairs, only this time she led him into a living area. There was a large couch, armchairs with a large screen television dominating one entire wall.

He noted that if she lived here by herself then she must be constantly busy cleaning. Everywhere he looked he could not find any kind of dust or other sign of neglect. "She could have a service who cleans, but with all these priceless things I would be nervous."

She sat on the couch and pointed to a spot a short distance from her. He wanted to chuckle at her obvious desire to keep some distance between them, but he kept quiet. Once he was seated, he waited to see if Demona would say anything. After a few moments of watching her fidget, he decided to break the silence.

"I will not take your money, Demona." He said in a casual tone.

"What?" Was all she said, shocked. "Are you insane?"

"Demona, as I said before, with what Xanatos is paying me I have no need for your money." James said, leaning back in the soft cushions. "And what you are asking me to do sounds very interesting. Since I have access to whatever equipment I need, it should make the job easier."

"I still don't understand." Demona said, frowning at the human's odd decision. "All your kind seems to be interested in is wealth, you are no different." She said with a look of disgust.

"I am human, yes, but not all humans are what you think." he said, shaking his head. "You dwell too much on things that scarred you in the past. Certainly, you must not hate all humans."

"Perhaps there are a few." she replied, still frowning. "But those were only for my personal benefit, and I had no intentions of befriending them."

"Like myself?" James said, staring at the large television.

Demona looked as if she was going to answer, but when she looked over at him, she did not know how to answer. She did not want to get too close to him, yet he was friendly towards her and enjoyed her company.

"You…" She began but found her throat closing. "You are not like other humans I have known. I don't hate you, but you make me feel… awkward."

"That's a start." He replied, smiling. "I appreciate you being honest with me."

She felt as if she wanted to scream, or even grab and shake some sense into him. "Why is he doing this? This is not what I had planned." She said to herself.

"You told me how you and my ancestor met." When she nodded her acknowledgement, he continued. "I would really like to know how he died."

Demona visibly stiffened for a moment and turned her head away from him, masking the sad look in her eyes. The memories that flooded her mind were all too clear about what had occurred so long ago. She did not want to relive the tale, but her mind was dragged, kicking, and screaming, into the past. It was a battle she had no hope of winning, her emotions were too strong.

"It happened several months after we had first met. I had decided to accept his offer to learn this new fighting technique." She could picture it in her mind as if she were watching a movie. "It was awkward for me to take instructions from a human, and I resisted strongly at first. He was quite persistent, even when I had become angry and threatened to give it up. The human had a way of making me feel as if quitting was a weakness, a thing I had no intention of giving in to."

"In the weeks that followed I had learned much from him, much to the amazement of my clan members." An image of Goliath watching with distaste from the battlements made her want to chuckle. "At some point we had moved our location to the beach some distance away from the castle."

Scotland - 981 AD – Castle Wyvern

The sun had long since disappeared beyond the western horizon, leaving the clear sky filled with the brilliant pinpoints of the ever-mysterious stars. It was not too often that she left the walls of the castle, but when Robert invited her to walk with him on the beach, she did not refuse. At first, she thought it was to continue her training, but as they walked, she found it odd that he was not talking.

With the full moon overhead, one could clearly see the slow, rolling waves of the ocean. As each wave slapped the smooth sand, it foamed before sliding back into the sea with a soft hiss. The sand was still warm from the sun beating down on it all day, heated by a ball of unimaginable fire that she was sure she would never see. She found the warmth rather pleasing.

Robert dressed in his normal civilian clothes which made him look different, more relaxed as they walked side by side. Neither spoke, but both seemed pleased to be together, away from the bustle of the castle.

As they rounded a sharp bend, they noticed a large flat area atop a high cliff where the moon's light seemed to shine upon its surface. He looked at her and pointed to it, to which she nodded, her clawed feet leaving dragon-like prints behind her.

He asked her to kneel on the edge facing the ocean, poised as if looking at something far out to sea. When she asked him why and he said he wanted to take down a memory. Not knowing what he meant, she did as he asked, waiting patiently.

Robert remained on the beach and removed a leather-bound book from a pouch on his belt as well as a plugged ink well and a small, feathery quill pen. He found a piece of driftwood and sat down upon its worn surface. Opening the book up to a clean page, he looked up at her and began sketching on the parchment.

For a long time, he sat there, looking up for a second before continuing with his drawing. At one point she thought it would take forever for him to finish and was grateful when he finally did say he was done.

"Come, little Angel," he said, waving her down. "See how I have captured your beauty?"

She stood and hurried back to him, taking leaps and bounds that were short for a gargoyle but would have broken a man's legs. He blew on the ink to dry it some more and showed it to her. It was beautiful, the way he captured the background with her in the foreground and the moon's light from above.

"It is wonderful, Robert," She replied softly, smiling. "You seem to be skilled in several arts."

He smiled back and put the book into his pocket, along with the other implements as well. Taking him by the hand, she led him back onto the rock and sat upon the edge.

The wind had picked up a little and the sea was slightly rougher, her hair undulating between her wings. As the waves struck the rock it created a fine mist that would cascade in the air before them.

"Robert," she said quietly as he sat next to her. "You are the only human I know who's ever befriended a gargoyle the way you have me, at least recently. You have taught me many things, not just fighting, but other... things, as well."

From the soft tone of her voice, he got the general idea of what she was talking about. He tried to think of something to say but was unable to do anything but take a deep breath. She was a lovely creature, perfect in every way, and he respected her for it. But...

Reaching up, she touched his cheek and gently ran her clawed finger down his neck. She leaned towards him; her mouth parted in a thin smile. He seemed nervous and took her hand into his to stop her from going any further.

"What is wrong, Robert?" She asked, not sure of why he stopped her affectionate advances. "I thought you... cared for me?"

"Aye, I do." He sighed, rubbing her hand. "More than ye can imagine, but your heart already belongs t' another."

"My heart belongs to whoever I want it to," She replied, trying to sidle up next to him. "I wish you would have it."

Robert let go of her hand and turned his head. "You are very beautiful, aye, and I'd accept ye in a second."

"But...?" She sighed, knowing what he was going to say. "You're a human, and I'm a gargoyle. Who cares? We can leave the castle and go elsewhere, just you and me."

He shook his head and tried to hold back the dampness that formed in his eyes. "I wish I could, more than anything. But I canna leave my position at the castle, and I canna ask ye to leave your clan.

"Plus ye already have someone, Goliath as he is called, and gargoyles mate for life." He said, wiping his nose. "I already lost someone close to me and I do not want that to happen again. Please forgive me."

She swallowed hard and tried her best not to let her emotions overpower her. For a moment she felt like throwing her arms around him but decided not to. Thick foot-talons dug into the rock with anxiety. They were good friends, and she did not want to jeopardize that aspect of their relationship. Deep in her heart she felt a growing feeling of love for the human and wished he would think of her as more than a friend.

Wiping a tear from her own eye, she took his hand into hers and said that she understood, but the words coming out of her mouth meant nothing. "Does he not understand?"

He smiled and put an arm around her, pulling her close. She sniffed and leaned into his warm hug, the little hands on the tips of her wings running through his hair.

"We will always be friends, aye." he said, inhaling the scent of her hair. "In combat we shall fight side by side, and I shall guard ye with my life."

She wanted to cry on his shoulder, but her pride and his wishes kept her from doing so. "I would give my own life to save yours, Robert. Anyone who makes an attempt on yours will regret it."

"Come now," He whispered. "It is time we get back to the castle, tarried from our duties for too long we have."

That was the last thing she felt like doing; the setting was perfect, and she enjoyed the warmth of his embrace. She would give anything to win his love, even at the cost of her own life.

He was worth dying for.

"Perhaps in time," she told herself. "He will think of me as more than a friend."

*

Her training continued the following evening as it had been for several weeks. Because of her strength and agility, she was able to quickly master the moves he taught her. At one point even the prince himself took time out of his duties to watch the odd pair practice along with Mentor and a trio of hatchlings.

It was not until a week later that they found themselves walking along the battlements together. She cherished every moment she could spend with him, even if he made no advances towards her. As they gazed out at the landscape before them, they spied a single rider on horseback galloping toward the front gate.

The man on the horse was screaming for them to open the gate and allow him in. Apparently, the gate wardens knew who the man was and allowed him inside. Curious as to what was happening, Angel picked Robert up in her arms, something she enjoyed, and glided down to investigate.

A tired and dirty guardsman slipped from the saddle and was held upright by another guard. When Angel landed, she released her passenger and watched him take charge. The guard was part of a small convoy who had been assigned to a trade caravan on its way to the castle. He said that a group of bandits had attacked the convoy. The other guards were fighting back but there were more bandits than guardsmen. His commander had sent him ahead to the castle for help.

"Get twenty men with horses here, now." Robert ordered, turning to one of the gate wardens.

When the exhausted rider said he would go, Robert as well shook his head and ordered the man and his horse to rest. The poor horse was soaked in sweat, white froth lathering from the mare's mouth.

"I will go with you." Angel said, admiring the way her instructor had taken charge. "I will get some of the clan as well."

"Gargoyles protect." Robert said, smiling. "You shall be welcomed among us."

She returned the smile before hurrying off to where her kind normally gathered. The men and horses that Robert had wanted passed her, causing her to move faster. When she saw Goliath and some others walking along the south wall, she hailed them. Several gargoyles, including Goliath and Mentor, took wing and glided down to her.

"What is it, my Angel?" Goliath asked.

"A human caravan is being attacked by bandits a few miles down the road." She replied, turning to face the way she had come. "Robert and some guardsmen have gone to help."

She noticed that the mention of Robert's name caused him to frown. "Do they need our assistance?" Goliath asked, tilting his head to one side.

His question took her by surprise. "What kind of stupid question is that? I thought we were here to protect the humans?"

"We are here to protect this castle, not what happens elsewhere." he answered, shaking his head. "You said they have sent men to help, if they had needed us they would have asked."

"Well, how typical of you, Goliath." Another voice from the group, a female.

Angel looked to see Goliath's sister step though the other gargoyles. The female, whom everybody knew was Goliath's blood-twin sister, was not smiling as she normally was.

"You have no say in this, rookery sister." Goliath said, frowning at his sister's interference.

By now she knew Robert and the others were well on their way to the caravan, which started her worrying. She looked at Goliath for a moment, a look of disgust on her face before turning and hurried off on all fours towards the wall. Digging her talons into the granite she quickly scaled to the top and soared away. When she looked back, she saw, much to her relief, that Goliath's sister and four others were following behind her.

She felt as if she should wait for them to catch up, but the thought of Robert fighting without them sent shivers down her back. The human was not helpless, being a skilled swordsman in addition to the martial arts, but she still feared for his safety. It amused her to suddenly realize that she cared for Robert more than she did for Goliath.

It hit her as being only one thing, love. She did not know if he loved her back, but she told herself that she would not rest until she knew.

The sounds of yelling and the clashing of swords brought her back to reality. Without realizing it, she had veered away from the road and had almost passed the fighting. Banking hard, she spiraled down until she could see the two groups of humans. She saw Robert immediately and was relieved to see him still on his horse, his sword poised over his head.

Stealing a quick glance at the enemy she did not recognize their dress. They wore thick fur leggings and heavy coats made from sheepskin. Each was armed with a single short sword with several thin daggers tucked in their belts.

Bellowing her attack cry she rammed into the nearest bandit, knocking him to the ground. Before the man could regain his footing, she lashed out with her talons. The man screamed as they sliced four deep gashes down his side. Dark red blood soaked his sheepskin jacket and ran freely over the ground. Her next punch sent him slamming into a tree, upon which his back snapped like a twig.

She barely had time enough to notice the other gargoyles, who had followed. Their protective instincts kicked in and soon enough there were more gargoyles and swordsmen than bandits. When she heard Robert yell, she turned just in time to watch him tumble from his horse. The poor animal was squealing in pain from three arrows lodged in its neck.

"Robert!" She cried, watching in terror as the animal reared, continuously slamming its hooves to the ground.

It would not have terrified her so much, but Robert was lying in the path of the terrified beast. Shoving one of her own kind out of her way she dove and yanked Robert away. The horse bucked again before collapsing to the ground.

"They have archers!" Robert yelled, hoping the others would hear him. "There is no caravan, this is a trap!"

His warning came too late for one of the gargoyles. A young male screamed in pain as a feathered arrow struck his thigh. When this happened everybody scattered and took whatever cover they could find.

"What do you mean this is a trap?" Angel asked, trying to use her own body to shield him.

"I do not know." He replied, looking to the trees where the arrows had come from. "But I fear the soldier who warned us at the castle is in league with them."

Angel stared into his eyes, the impact of what he said easily sinking in. "The gates were open to let him in, if he had others with him…"

"They could get into the castle." Robert spoke, finishing the sentence for her. "Men, we must get back to Castle Wyvern! The one who was allowed inside is with these rouges!"

Suddenly there came the sounds of several more voices from the woods. There were men shouting angrily as more arrows began to fly in their direction. A minute later a dozen more men ran from the woods to engage them.

"These people must be mad!" Robert grumbled. "Even if they beat us, they would never be able to take the castle."

"My Clan would easily tear them to pieces!" Angel said, her eyes suddenly glowing red with anger.

Robert looked into her glowing eyes and smiled. "We make a good team, little Angel."

His words caused her to turn away from the battle for a moment. She stared into his face for a long moment and marveled at the determined look in his eyes. Before she knew what she was doing she grabbed his collar and pulled him into a deep kiss.

She had almost forgotten what was going on until he stiffened and threw her aside. The hurt that flashed on her face lasted a mere moment when she realized why he had done it. There was just enough time for her to see the man hovering above them, a long dagger clutched in his hand.

Her body could not seem to respond to her will fast enough and what she saw seemed in slow motion, as if in a dream. Robert had almost gotten to his feet but the man with a dagger was faster. In a flash the seven-inch blade slid between Robert's ribs. Angel heard herself scream in terror as Robert went to his knees, his right hand clutching the hilt along with the bandit.

When she saw the blood running freely down his chest, she bellowed in anger and lunged. Using both hands she lashed out at the attacker, each swipe removing large sections of flesh. The man was dead long before his lifeless body hit the ground in a bloody heap. So concerned was she about Robert that she did not even see the two dozen additional gargoyles drop from the night sky. She did not hear the new screams as her clan members made quick work of the remaining attackers. All her attention was on the man kneeling on the ground before her.

She went down on her knees and did her best to help Robert to the ground. Tears blurred her vision as she stared at the dagger buried in his chest. Blood had soaked his entire shirt as well as the glove he had wrapped around the hilt. From the dark color at the amount, she knew that it had probably punctured his heart.

"I knew ye could tear a human apart, but I never thought to see it, aye." he said, forcing a smile to his lips.

"Why did you do it?" she asked, knowing he had pushed her away else she would have been struck in the back.

"Could not have my Angel struck down in such a cowardly manner." Robert said, his voice now a whisper. "You are far too young and lovely to die now."

Her bottom lip startled to tremble at his kind words. "You cannot leave me now, I will not let you go so easily!"

"I fear it is beyond even your stubborn will." he said, closing his eyes for a moment. "I have something for you, in my left pocket. Get it for me?"

She could only nod, reaching with care into his pocket and removing a small leather bag. The name "Mistra" was stitched into the soft brown leather, tied closed with a thin leather thong.

"Open it."

Pulling the knotted thong open she emptied the contents of the pouch into her hand. Two hoop earrings of pure gold tumbled into his palm. The shiny metal glinted in the moonlight as they clinked together.

"I want you to have them."

"Did these not belong to your mate?" She asked, to which he nodded. "I cannot accept these."

"Please take them, one last little token from a man to a lovely woman." He said, his free hand pulling the blood-soaked glove off.

When his bare fingers touched her face, she smiled and cupped them with her own hand. She closed her other hand over the earring. "I will cherish them for the rest of my days, this I promise."

"Thank you."

By this time several of the gargoyles and the few remaining guardsmen were watching. She did not care about anybody now, except the man lying before her, the human she loved.

"I…" She began, but the words caught in her throat.

It was then she felt his arm go slack in her hand, the weight pulling his hand away from her face. Dread filled her when she realized that he had slipped away. Inhaling deeply, she let loose with a bellow that echoed through the surrounding woods. Night birds roosting in the trees were sent squawking into the night sky.

Still clutching the earrings, she pulled the dagger from his chest, flung it to the ground and threw herself atop him. She had no idea how long she cried before Goliath's sister finally knelt next to her.

*

"I never got to say how I felt" Demona screamed, her fist shattering the table in front of the couch. "He died over a bunch of thieves trying to raid the castle."

James jumped at her sudden display of anger, his mind racing with what she had told him. It had almost been as if he had been watching it in person. Every detail and word spoken was about a relative that had lived more than a thousand years ago. When he looked at Demona, he could tell that she was angry, but with that anger he also saw a deep sadness.

"I think he knew that, Demona." James said as he got to his feet.

She whirled to face him. "What?"

"I said, I think he knew how you felt about him." he said, sighing. "From what he had written in his journal, and the story you told me, it's clear that he did indeed love you."

When she opened her mouth to speak, she suddenly burst into tears. For the first time in years emotions overwhelmed her, and she was powerless to control them. Deep inside, she did not want to control them. The memories she kept locked away suddenly breaking free in a torrent.

"Why did he not say it then?" she asked, turning away so he could not see the pain in her eyes.

"I honestly don't know, Demona." He replied with a shrug. "He must have had a good reason."

Demona heard James walk up to her, so she turned to face him, tears still blurring her vision. He reached into his back pocket and removed a white handkerchief and, without asking, wiped the tears from her cheeks. Her first instinct was to pull away and lash out, but she did not have the strength. She closed her eyes and allowed the human to dab at her eyes, which she found strangely comforting.

"I'm sorry I caused you to relive painful memories." He said, returning the handkerchief to her pocket. "If you wish to be left alone, I will return to my apartment."

"Alone." She said softly, hating the word that had followed her for centuries. For some reason she had no desire to be left alone now. His presence seemed to make her feel at ease, even if she knew it was against her nature. "No, you need to remain a while longer."

When he did not say anything, she sat back on the couch, draping her wings like a leather cloak. "What else do you need from me, professor?"

"Pardon?" James asked, clearly puzzled at her query.

"I hired you for a service, do you not remember?" She replied, inwardly amused at how quickly he forgot. "Will you require me for anything?"

"Well," he said, trying to think of anything that would keep them together. "I will need to take blood and tissue samples from you for analysis." When she nodded, he continued. "The other thing I will need to do is monitor the process of your stone sleep state."

"How will you do that?" She asked, interested in what he would do.

"I have access to the most sophisticated scanning equipment available." He answered proudly. "I will attach a series of sensors to your body to monitor your internal activities. I also want to see if a sample of your blood will solidify when you turn to stone, and vice versa."

What he said made sense to her, so she nodded her understanding. "Well, I will have to return to Paris for a short time first. I will need to settle some things there before I can remain here for any length of time."

The thought of her going away for so long caused his insides to shift around. He consolidated himself by knowing that when she returned, he would be seeing more of her. Demona looked up at him, her soft green eyes drawing him towards her as sugar attracted a fly.

Demona, however, was not thinking quite the same thing. She was able to see much of Robert within him, but something about his eyes seemed to catch her attention. She was not certain if it was deception, attraction, or desire. Whatever the reason, she would not make the same mistakes with him as she had with Robert MacGregor.

***

James leaned back in his chair as the Cray computer once again flashed the line "Components unable to exist together, formula failed, error code 442." He was really starting to hate the scientists who thought they were making progress with outlandish formulas such as these. It had not been quite a week since he started working for Xanatos and already he was starting to regret his decision, money, or no money.

"This is ridiculous!" He said aloud, although there was nobody around to hear him. "I can't work with such mundane information."

He shook his head and wheeled his chair over to the first Cray terminal to see what it had come up with. A shapeless blob was rotating slowly in the upper left corner of the screen. To the right were several lines of code that listed everything that was found within the blob. He noted that for such a simple organism there seemed to be a lot to its genetic makeup. When his eyes went to the lower half of the screen, he was met with a flashing message that made him want to scream.

ORGANISM SCANNED...
DATABASE ENTRY FOUND: CITRIC FUNGUS

"And this pertains to this project, how?" He asked the computer, knowing well that it would do no good.

He got to his feet and pushed the chair under the table which contained the row of Cray computers. This was getting him nowhere except confused, which only resulted in him being short tempered. Stepping to the windows overlooking the parking lot, he gazed down at the vehicles that filled it. Since it was well past noon time there was nobody walking around the parking lot. For some strange reason he gazed up at the cloudy sky and started wondering what Demona was doing.

She was in Paris and had told him that she would be there for at least a week before returning, saying that it would give him time to work on Xanatos' project.

"Well," he said to himself. "A lot of good I've done so far."

In truth he found himself missing Demona, although he was not entirely certain why. She had not shown any real interest in him personally, except for the few times she accepted his feeble attempts at comforting. Suppressing a soft chuckle, he strode back to the computers and one by one reset them. Each system beeped once before starting the boot process, finishing with the "Xanatos Enterprises" logo and system menu,

"Enough of this jerking around." He said as he sat at the first system. "To do this right I am going to have to start from scratch. Access to some of the greatest minds!" He said, grumbling. "All the good ones are locked from outside access."

When Xanatos said he would have full access, he had hoped it would have been the likes of Sevarious, Phobos, Straussmore and others. He soon learned that any access to the top scientists were restricted and accessible only by his employer. If anyone could have helped his research, it would have been those people. In some small way he was not really surprised, but it bothered him.

Frowning in frustration, he instructed the computer to remove all the information associated with his project into a backup section of the server. When the progress indicator flashed "copy complete" he tagged the entire directory and wiped it from the system.

"That's about what it's worth." he said to himself, smiling as he began a new entry.

The first thing he did was encrypt the file so that only he would be able to unlock it, then move it to a password protected directory. With that started he stood up and walked over to a row of four steel cupboards with glass fronts. Opening the second one to the left, he removed a syringe and an empty slide. From the first cabinet he removed a rubber tie band, alcohol wipe and bandage. As he sat down at the tables, he began to think of the next steps he would need to take, the blood sample being only one. He would need to use the MRI scanner, for that he would need help, after that he would need access to the DNA sequencers.

But even throughout his mental checklist his thoughts always edged back to Demona. He knew he would not be able to get her out of his mind, no matter what he did. At this thought he laughed and prepared his arm to extract the measure of blood he would need.

***

For the uncounted time since she had arrived back in Paris, not once did she regret not being a human during the day. It was infuriating trying to manage a business from her London Penthouse using nothing but the telephone and a desktop PC system. She had no idea what was really going on at Nightstone Unlimited and whether the employees were doing their assigned jobs. She sat heavily on the couch, leaving the glass of wine untouched on the table before her. She began to think of something to do, whether there had been anybody she needed to *visit*.

When the image of James MacGregor came into her head, she stifled a scream of frustration and took it out on one of the cushions. Even after the hapless pillow had been rendered a useless pile of torn silk and fluffy feathers, she still had the urge to tear something apart. As the delicate white feathers settled on her legs she growled and started to get up when the phone rang.

The sound of it caused her to jump as if something had kicked her backside. She had to let it ring four times before she had calmed down enough to answer it without sending it hurtling into a wall.

"Yes." Was all she said, a hint of anger in her voice.

"Miss Destine, this is your front office." Came a woman's voice, whom she recognized as her own secretary. "We have done everything you asked. But I find it odd that you are transferring your office location to New York City." Her heavy French accent overpowered her English.

Demona felt her anger build up once more, but she kept her voice as calm as possible. "Where I make my office is not your concern. I just want to make certain everything is in order while I am away."

"How long will you be in the United States?"

"I do not know, for an indefinite period I would think." Demona replied, wondering if she would fire the woman. "I have people here that can take care of things in my absence. If I am needed, you have the number of my New York office."

"I understand, madam." The secretary replied. "Enjoy your trip."

Without saying anything else Demona hung up the phone and started pacing around the living area. She had originally thought it would take a lot longer to square things away here. The human scientist would not be expecting her to return for several more days. If she were to return sooner than expected he might interpret it as wanting to return to him, which is the impression she did not want to give. Stepping into the kitchen, she looked at the refrigerator and wondered if she should eat something. She did not feel hungry but waiting around was driving her nuts.

For lack of interest, she left the kitchen and returned to the living area. She turned on the television, flopped down on the sofa and started channel surfing. Most of the stations here in Paris were boring, but when she saw a show in Scotland she paused. The announcer's voice could be heard in the background, explaining all the wonderful places to visit and how friendly the people were. As the scenes changed, she saw towering mountains, endless green plains, and quaint old villages where the inhabitants still followed the old ways.

When they started talking about the private beaches and the ocean, she could not help but think of the evenings she and Robert had spent together. On the television they showed a bright sunny day, warm breezes and people playing in the ocean. What she saw was a quiet evening alone with a human she missed more than anything in the world. As she pictured the way he looked, an idea suddenly came to her. It started out as a tiny tugging at the back of her mind, like a mosquito looking for a place to land. Her mind was telling her to go and visit the past, to walk the beach once again as she did more than a millennium ago.

"Robert." She said softly as a warm tear rolled down her cheek when she thought of the rock they had sat upon. "If only I could have told you how I felt."

"So go." A tiny voice echoed in her mind.

For some reason she nodded at her own inner voice and switched off the television before grabbing the phone. She dialed her office and waited as the line rang twice before being picked up. The voice on the other end was the secretary she had spoken with earlier.

"Nightstone Unlimited, front office of madam Destine." The French accented woman said.

"It's me." Demona said, knowing the woman would know her voice. "I need you to check on flights departing for Scotland for tonight."

"Yes, madam…" The secretary replied. Demona could hear the woman typing on her computer. "It will take a minute or two to search."

"Very well." Was all she said as she continued to listen to the secretary typing on her computer.

"There are three flights leaving for Scotland tonight." The secretary said. "The first leaves in forty-five minutes, the next is at nine thirty and the last departs at eleven fifteen. Would you like me to book you on one of those flights? There are first class seats available on them all."

"No." Demona replied, tapping a deadly talon to her chin. She knew taking a public flight would be too risky. "Have my private jet fueled and ready to depart for Scotland in two hours. Farewell."

Demona dimly heard her secretary give her own farewell before hanging up the phone. She knew there would be no way possible to get a seat on a plane in her Gargoyle form. She cursed again not being human during the day, it was something she never thought she would miss.

She had to time things right if she wanted to arrive at her destination before sunrise. Turning to stone while in flight would be problematic, even aboard her private jet. Stepping into her bedroom, she grabbed the heavy hooded cloak she always wore when forced to move around in the open. Her pilots were used to sometimes seeing her wearing it so it was never questioned. As she sat on the edge of her bed she tried to think of anything else she might need. Leaning over, she opened the top drawer of the nightstand next to her bed. Inside were assorted items she generally had while flying around in her current form. Grabbing a small flashlight, she clipped it to her belt along with a thin leather wallet that contained credit cards and cash.

Grinning slyly, she stepped out onto the terrace and leapt out into the dark Paris sky. As she banked towards the direction of the airport, she caught a quick glimpse of the Eiffel Tower. The towering structure, which she had once found interesting back when it was being constructed, had long since lost its luster to her. Most everything else about Paris held little interest to her, at her age there was not much she had not seen or lived through.

Ignoring the city, she continued to the airport, where she dropped lower so their radar would not detect her presence. Her private jet would already be waiting at the private terminals reserved for V. that Nightstone Unlimited owned and operated.

***

Goliath, Hudson, and Brooklyn slid easily between the buildings; their blurred forms mirrored on the skyscraper's large office windows. Broadway and Lexington were going to meet up with Venus at Ward's Island before rendezvousing with them at the docks. Elisa, using some of her contacts on the street, had discovered that Dracon was indeed smuggling firearms in from overseas. The detective and Matt were already on the scene, waiting in the shadows to ensure that Dracon and his men did not run before they got there.

As the distant ocean came into view they slowed and gazed around at the many warehouses. Although there were many lights around the warehouses the entire area looked dark and sinister, like something out of an old spy movie. From overhead they heard a familiar voice trying to get their attention.

Looking up they saw Venus gliding several feet above, followed closely by Broadway and Lexington. "We got here first, Goliath, I guess that means we win." She said, chuckling.

"This is not a race, Venus." Goliath said, shaking his head at his sister's playfulness. "We are here for a purpose."

Venus looked slightly annoyed. "I was only kidding, Goliath. Sheesh, do you not ever let up?"

"Nope." Broadway said, grinning. To which Lexington also chuckled.

Goliath, if he had heard them, did not comment, but instead motioned to a large warehouse to their left. Their keen eyes picked up the tiny Ford Fairlane parked behind a large stack of crates, hidden from any lights. Waiting next to it were two familiar figures, Elisa and Matt.

Cupping their wings, they went into a slow dive, circling wide once before touching down a few feet away from Elisa's car. The detective smiled, while Matt only nodded.

"Dracon and his goons haven't moved from the warehouse since they got here." Elisa said, stealing a quick glance towards a large gray warehouse a block away. "We saw the drop off boat pull in a few minutes ago loaded with several wooden crates."

"I think you know what's inside them." Matt said, frowning. Broadway narrowed his eyes as he stifled a hiss through his clenched teeth.

Venus looked at Broadway for a moment, then towards Elisa as she recalled the story about what happened. Inwardly she shuddered, thinking about how horrible Broadway must have felt knowing he had almost killed her, even if it had been an accident. When Goliath started talking, she pushed the thought from her mind and concentrated on what her brother was saying.

"Elisa and Matt will go and silence the men still at the drop off boat." Goliath said, crossing his arms over his wide chest. "Venus, you take Broadway and Lexington and enter through the roof.

"Hudson, you go in through the rear entrance while Brooklyn and I confront Dracon from the loading dock." The gargoyle's leader uncrossed his arms and clenched a fist in anger. "I do not want any of these men to escape!"

The group nodded before breaking off into their assigned parties to their given destinations. Brooklyn looked up at Goliath and smiled.

"Good night to crash a party." the young gargoyles said, chuckling.

"Indeed." Goliath said as he unfurled his wings before he and Brooklyn scaled the side of the warehouse. As their talons pierced the metal wall it made a teeth rattling tearing sound. The sudden sound motivated them to hurry their ascent, less the noise alerts their quarry.

*

Venus was the first to touch down on the roof of the warehouse, followed moments later by Broadway and Lexington. She looked back and motioned them towards the large windows set on the roof several feet before them. As they made their way forward Venus could sense their human targets below them. From what she could *feel* they had no idea what was about to happen, she smiled at this useful ability. When she peered down though the dirty glass, she saw several men standing around a pile of wooden crates.

"The one wearing the tan suit is Tony Dracon, the leader." Broadway said, pointing down. "The tall black dude is his right-hand man, goes by the name Glasses."

"Who are the others?" Venus asked, making certain she would not miss anybody.

"No idea, never seen them before. I guess they are either the people buying the weapons." Lexington answered, scratching his head. "Or they're the ones who will go and sell them on the street."

One of the crates was open, revealing neatly stacked laser rifles, one of which Dracon was holding. Broadway growled at seeing the weapons but made no move, instead looking to her for instructions. She knew they were not used to having her in command instead of Goliath or Hudson, but they respected her authority.

"We wait for Goliath to make his move." She said, only loud enough so they could understand her. "Be cautious when we enter, I wish none of you getting hurt by those…" She gestured to the weapons. "Things."

Lexington nodded and waited for Goliath and Brooklyn to make their move.

It happened so suddenly that all they heard was a loud crash, followed by a stack of crates crashing to the floor. Dracon and his men looked around before hustling to grab at the weapons. Venus leapt into the air, crashing through the glass as she threw out her wings to slow her fall. She heard the other two follow suit but did not look up, else she would lose her targets.

Goliath could be seen leaping up from behind the tumbled crates, pinning one man to the ground. Brooklyn was close behind, bowling one over with his body before slamming his fist into the face of another. Both men went down before they could release the safeties on the weapons they were holding.

Venus saw Dracon turn and bolt towards the rear of the building, followed closely by his right-hand man, the one Broadway called Glasses. She let Broadway and Lexington do what they would while she followed Dracon. It was this man they wanted most, and she was determined not to let him, or his cronies, get away.

Growling loudly, she leapt over a small stack of bailed wool, when she landed, she ran on all fours. Dracon and Glasses separated, each going in opposite directions, but Venus continued after Dracon himself. She knew that Hudson was back there someplace and would undoubtedly catch the other man.

Without warning, Dracon suddenly spun around and pointed the weapon directly at her. As he shouldered the weapon she skidded to a stop, her talons digging into the concrete floor, then ducked to the right, but his reflexes were quick. There was a flash of red light, then a searing pain as the laser sliced through the membrane of her left wing. She screamed in pain and was unable to dodge a large metal rack. The force of her body sent the large object tilting backwards for an instant before falling back to its original place. From above there came a torrent of small plastic drums, some of which pummeled her body, causing her more pain.

Although she was not aware of it, Dracon had stopped long enough to gloat over his small victory. She dimly heard the man laugh for a moment as he stood over her, grinning.

"Well, looks like the lovely lady is in a bit of a dilemma." Tony spoke, smiling. "Let me give you some help."

Venus looked at him and hissed, baring her fangs as Tony turned the rifle around so the butt was facing her. Raising the weapon, he smiled and struck her forehead, there was a sharp pain. It was all she remembered before she slipped away into darkness.

"Venus was hit!" Broadway shouted as he wrapped a length of steel pipe around three of Dracon's men.

Lexington and Brooklyn turned to where they had seen Venus run, only to see Goliath holding Dracon high in the air. The gun he had been holding, bent beyond hope of ever being used again, was in his other hand. His eye was blazing white as he stared at the spot where Venus had fallen. All they could see was one of her legs and a wing protruding from the mess that had fallen atop her.

"What's wrong?" Dracon said, a smug grin on her face. "Your new friend does not know the ropes? Guess she's going to have a nice headache when she wakes up."

"Silence!" Goliath shouted as he watched the others remove the debris from his sister's body.

When Hudson came hurrying forward, he was carrying Glasses by the back of his coat. One of the large man's lenses was broken, showing a swollen eye underneath. Since the man was out cold it was not hard to figure out what Hudson had done to subdue him.

Elisa and Matt came running from the loading docks and seemed about to relate their story when they saw the situation.

"Oh no!" Elisa gasped, taking Dracon into custody after Goliath dumped him on the floor.

In a short time, they had uncovered Venus, noting the long tear burned through her wing membrane as well as a badly bleeding gash on her forehead.

Matt pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it against the gash, then inspecting her wing. "That cut on her head concerns me, but I would be more worried about her wing injury."

"She does not turn to stone as we do." Goliath said as he gently took Venus in his arms. "Come, we must get her home so she can be tended to."

"What about them?" Lexington said, pointing to Dracon and his men.

"Don't worry." Elisa said, still holding Dracon. "I will radio this in and get a wagon here to pick them up. You worry about getting her home."

Goliath nodded and hurried away, taking care not to jostle Venus too much. With the others' help they managed to get her to the roof, whereupon Goliath took her again and leapt into the night air.

The rest of the Clan followed moments after.

It seemed to take a lot longer to reach Wards Island than they thought, no doubt slowed by Goliath carrying Venus. When the lights of the professor's mansion came into view they descended slowly, circling twice before landing on the upstairs terrace. Lexington hurried forward and opened the large sliding glass doors. The little gargoyle hurried on ahead, saying that he would inform the professor.

Goliath set her gently on the deck, trying his best to make her as comfortable as possible. They did not need to wait long for the professor to arrive. Their human friend hurried through the doorway, almost out of breath from running; Lex was only a few paces behind. When he saw Venus lying on the deck, unmoving, he knelt and demanded to know what happened. Goliath was not certain if the professor was angry or afraid, possibly both.

As they told him what had happened, he slowly inspected her injuries, cursing to himself when he saw the bleeding gash and the damage to her wing. Jacob arrived a few minutes after carrying a first aid case. The gargoyles stepped back as the two humans cleaned and dressed her wounds. Neither Scott nor Jacob knew exactly what to do about the burn on her wing. The laser had cauterized it so there was no bleeding, but the long, gaping hole concerned them.

"Let's get her into bed where she can be more comfortable." The professor said as she gently brushed some wisps of hair from her face.

They stood back as Goliath once again picked up his sister, then followed the professor to their bedroom. Hudson held the others back, saying that they would only be in the way.

Scott watched as Goliath gently set Venus down on their bed, the mattress sagging slightly under her weight. He had gotten rid of the old waterbed as it was both too small and uncomfortable for two people. Goliath stepped back and allowed the professor to kneel next to her, his hand gently touching her face. Jacob nodded and motioned for Goliath to follow him out, to which the gargoyle did not object.

She had no idea how long she had been out, but the throbbing in her head brought back the memory of what had happened. When she opened her eyes, she was met with a dim, and quite blurry view of her bedroom ceiling. A moment later her vision cleared so she tilted her head to the side, to which she noticed Scott.

"I am home." she said softly. When she tried to touch her head, Scott reached over and stopped her.

"Don't touch the dressing now, sweetie." He said, frowning. "Do you remember anything that happened?"

"A little." she said, wincing at the throbbing pain in her head. "We were combating with Dracon and his henchmen when the human ran. I chased after Dracon, but at one point he turned and fired at me so I dodged. I remember a burning pain in my wing, striking something, then Dracon slamming that weapon at my head, then everything went dark."

"Yes, your wing is injured, and you have a bad cut on your head." Scott said, a hint of unpleasantness in his tone. "Goliath carried you back here. When I learned about what happened I thought the worst."

She noticed the look of concern on his face, the hint of his anger could also be seen. "I am getting slow in my old age."

Her apparent poke at being funny did not work.

"Age has nothing to do with it, Venus." The professor said, sitting on the bed next to her. "Do you have any idea how frightening it was to see you lying there? Lexington came barging into the workshop saying you had been shot."

She did not like the tone of his voice; it only made her headache worse. "It is a danger that can happen, no matter how hard I try to avoid it. I am not a hatchling, and do not need you to lecture me on such things."

"I am terrified of losing you, Venus." he said, sighing as he stood up. "After so many years of being alone, now I have somebody important in my life. I have no desire to go back to my single life again."

"I will not stop doing what I was raised to do." She said, understanding how he felt.

"I'm not asking you to." he said, looking down at her bandaged head. "I know very well how you feel about such things, and will never ask you to stop. But please, at least try to avoid getting shot and having your pretty head bashed in." The last sentence he said with a soft chuckle as he took her hand.

She found herself chuckling softly, but the action only made her wince in pain. When she tried to get up, he gently pushed her back down onto the bed.

"You're not going anywhere for a while." He said, trying to act cross with her. "You need to recover, and it will be a while before you even think of flying."

"Why?" Venus asked, wondering how bad her wing was. "I felt the pain in my wing, but how bad is it?" She felt her voice waver, the thought of not being able to fly terrified her.

"It's not serious, but bad enough that you have a long tear in the membrane of your left wing." Scott said, reassuring her. "But it will take time to mend, that means you're grounded until it heals."

The thought of being grounded made her feel sick inside. She felt it would have been better if she had lost an arm than to lose the ability to fly. Sighing, she closed her eyes and tried to ignore her aching head and sore body.

"Here." Scott said, sitting down next to her again. "This will help with the pain and make you relax." He held two small white capsules in his hand, in the other was a glass of water.

With his help she was able to lift her head high enough so she could take the medication and swallow the water. It was the first time she had ever taken them as she did not trust the things, but with the pain she decided to try it. If it helped take the soreness away, then she felt it would be worth it.

"Is there anything else you need?" Scott asked, setting the half empty glass on the nightstand.

"Nothing right now." She replied, placing her hand on his thigh. "I am sorry for scaring you."

He placed his hand atop hers, squeezing gently. "I love you." Was all he said.

"I know you do." She replied, smiling. "I love you too."

In a short time, she felt the medication begin to work. Her eyes became heavy, and she felt her body start to relax as she slid into darkness. Scott waited until her breathing slowed before leaving the room.

Not far down the hallway, he saw Goliath and the others waiting. He had no doubt they were waiting to know how Venus was doing. Closing the bedroom door, he went to inform them of her condition.

***

Demona was finally clear of the airport as she flew over the surrounding city, not slowing until she reached the countryside. As she took in the lay of the land she felt as if somebody, or something, was watching her. She continuously scanned her surroundings but never saw anything. Glancing over her right shoulder, she noticed the Grampian mountains and knew she needed to start heading west. In time the distant horizon started becoming familiar to her, and with it came the memories.

Images flooded her mind, both good and bad, from the time she was a hatchling until she fled Scotland. Before she knew what was happening the view below her was very familiar. She had no idea how long she had been flying, but it must have been quite a while since she saw the hollowed-out area where Castle Wyvern once stood.

She circled it a few times, recalling the times she had returned to check on Goliath and the others; frozen in sleep, then headed southeast. As the dark brown stretch of beach came into view, she dipped lower until she could hear the ocean lapping against the beach. Pulling up, she circled a few moments before settling down on the beach.

The sand felt warm and soft beneath her clawed feet, bringing back all too familiar memories. Closing her eyes, she pictured the time when she and Robert had walked on this very beach. Without realizing it, she started walking, following the same path they had taken on that wonderful evening. With each step she heard the soft crunching of sand.

When she opened her eyes, she spotted the rock cliff on which she and Robert had shared. It did not look much different than it did over a thousand years ago. There were more trees and bushes above the beach, and the area around the rock cliff was only slightly more buried than she remembered. But aside from that everything was just as it was over a millennium ago, save for the human who had shown her a brand new world.

Numb to the tears filling her eyes she bounded on all fours until she reached the rock's edge. She was about to dig her talons into its side, but something made her stop. Doing that seemed to revolt her, almost like she was shaming the memory by damaging something she held dear. Pulling back her hands, she glanced to her right and saw the irregular path leading up to the top.

When she took the first step onto the path, she felt a soft wind blow past her from the ocean. It was slightly cooler than the air but she found something soothing within it. Inhaling the salty air, she continued onward and did not stop until she reached the summit. In front of her was the face of the cliff, calling out to her like a long-lost lover. Holding back a sob she started forward, with each step it felt as if the rock was a magnet trying to hold her in place.

The last time she was here, a millennium ago, she was kneeling on this very spot while Robert was sketching her. Later that evening she had revealed how she felt about him.

As she stepped up to the edge, she peered down at the ocean below. The ocean swells crashed against the base of the cliff. Everything seemed exactly like it had been, only Robert was not here with her. Unable to hold back, she collapsed into a sitting position and cried. Her shoulders and wings shuddered with each sob.

"Why did you have to die?" She screamed at the moon high overhead. "Damn you, Rebel Flower! Why did you hand him over to me?" Her eyes were so full of tears that the sky and moon were only a watery blur. "Damn you, Robert, for capturing my heart."

Once again, the wind began to blow, causing the damp air below to wash over her. She felt and tasted the salty water of the nearly invisible spray. Wiping the dampness from her eyes and face she swung her legs over the edge and leaned back. When she did, she felt a bunch of tiny indentations in the rock beneath her right hand.

At first, she paid it no mind, as the surface of the rock was far from smooth. But as she slid her hand away the roughness disappeared, and she felt smooth rock. When she glanced down, she saw what she believed was an etching in the rock. For a moment she became angry as to who would do such a thing to her private memories. Her anger turned to curiosity when she saw what looked to be an arrow pointing towards the edge of the cliff.

She figured it had been done a long time ago as the edges were smooth and worn away by the elements. It puzzled her as to why somebody would carve an arrow pointing out over the ocean.

"Compass direction?" she said softly.

Swiping her hand over the arrow she looked back out over the ocean, but she could not get it out of her head. Growling softly, she pulled her legs back up and spun around so that she was on her stomach. Peering down at the face of the cliff she saw nothing out of the ordinary, except for a small ledge about halfway down. It reminded her, quite painfully, of the ledge she had taken refuge on when the Vikings had sacked the castle and killed most of her clan.

It did not look very wide, perhaps only enough to allow one person to stand on it. Tilting her head, she began wondering if there might be more to this arrow than she thought. Rising to her feet, she threw open her wings and leapt off the cliff. An updraft caused by the breaking waves below stopped her from plunging into the ocean. Soaring out over the open sea she spun in a wide circle and began to glide down to the ledge, halfway down the cliff face. From what she could see there was an opening just beyond the ledge.

Moments before she struck the cliff, she cupped her wings and touched down on the narrow ledge. She immediately dug her hands into the rock to stop herself from toppling over backward. When she regained her balance, she discovered that there was indeed a narrow opening beyond. Crouching down, she slowly made her way inside, taking care to avoid any loose stone overhead.

She suddenly came across what looked to be a hastily constructed wall of stones. Several had fallen loose, revealing a tunnel that continued further inside.

"Why would somebody go through the trouble of blocking the opening?" She said, picking up one of the fallen stones.

For a few moments she stared at the wall, wondering if she should continue, which would mean tearing the wall down. She did not think anyone would mind, not that she cared. "Perhaps there is something hidden further in?"

Grinning despite the situation, she reached down and began pulling out the rest of the stones. Because of her strength she met no resistance and within a few minutes the open was large enough to allow her though. Caping her wings under her arms, she slithered through the opening. After she was though she noticed that there was not as much light this far inside. She still had no trouble seeing, as her keen gargoyle sight was far better than a human. Still, she reached to the back of her belt and unclipped a small battery powered flashlight.

When she turned it on she saw that the walls of the tunnel were smoother than on the other side of the wall. She could see chisel marks where it had been widened to allow for easier passage. It was also not as damp here, no doubt thanks to the wall. The other thing she noticed was that she could almost stand upright. There was no doubt that this tunnel was carved to a human's height.

"But why is it here?" She asked herself, trying to remember anyone mentioning tunnels around the castle but she came up empty.

As she continued, she placed one hand along the wall while watching the floor for any pitfalls. After she had walked for several minutes was grateful to have brought the light as it was almost pitch black. She found herself wondering if she should turn back and abandon her spelunking as she had not found anything. However, she felt as if something was urging her to continue onward, for what reason she did not know.

Shaking her head, she pressed on, all the while panning the light around before her. Just when she thought there would be no end to the tunnel she stumbled into a vaulted room. There was a slight drop where the tunnel floor met the room, causing her to stumble forward. She was able to break the fall with her hands, but the light went skittering away from her. The beam spun around several times, shining along several strange looking objects, large and rectangular.

Cursing softly, she got to her feet and brushed the dirt and dust from her arms and legs before walking towards the flashlight. When he picked it up, she pointed it to one of the large objects and saw at once that it was a stone sarcophagus. She felt her heart leap into her throat when she realized what the other objects must be as well.

She had stumbled upon an ancient human tomb.

As she swung her light around, she noted that there were about ten sarcophagi in the room. They were arranged so that they were three across and as many long, but the tenth seemed different. It was set away from the others, resting on a small pedestal and seemed more elaborate than the rest. The others were simple stone coffins, their only ornaments being either a family crest or the name of whoever was entombed within.

When she approached the one by itself, she noticed that the entire stone coffin was etched with many different scroll patterns. She was no beginner when it came to archaeology, but she was not able to place the scroll work. Moving closer, she concentrated on the lid itself, hoping there would be a name or family crest.

The surface was thickly coated with dust, telling her that it has been here undisturbed for uncounted years. Using her free hand, she brushed the thick dust from the surface, exposing the surface beneath. She blew the rest away with her mouth before shining the light on the coffin lid.

At the end which she figured was the head, she did notice a family emblem with some Latin text etched below it. Because of the tiny light she was not able to see the entire crest, but what she did see made her scream, forcing her to take several steps back. It was one she herself had back at her New York manor, locked away. Aside from her there had only been one other person allowed in, James MacGregor.

The crest carved on the coffin lid was from the house of MacGregor. If that was not enough, she had caught a quick glimpse of the name below it: Robert MacGregor. The tiny flashlight slipped from her hand as she fell to her knees, stunned at what she had found.

She had never been able to find out what they had done with his body after he was killed. At the time she was so heartbroken that she fled the castle for several days to mourn. When she finally returned, she told herself that she did not want to know where he was buried. With her dabbling with the Archmage and his magic, she did not want to get any bizarre ideas.

It was so amazing that she was not even able to cry, only shiver as if Robert himself would rise from the dead. For several minutes she was unable to move, being only able to stare at the coffin. The flashlight had fallen so that the narrow beam shone upon the side of the coffin.

She reached out and grabbed the flashlight before getting back to her feet. Her first instinct was to leave this place, but the fact that she had found Robert's resting place held her back. Bowing her head, she once again approached the stone coffin. When she reached it she shone the light on the surface again, this time on the text. As she translated the text her eyes filled with tears.

'I will never forget you, my Angel, and I pray you never forget what we shared. You were the shining light in my darkest hours, your beautiful face was that of a Goddess, and as a Goddess, I worshiped you as no mortal man could. Farewell, my Angel, I love you with all my heart and I pray that somehow, we will meet again.'

The first thing that came to her mind was confusion. She was touched deeply by what was written, but she could not help but wonder who else would have known what to write. Robert could not have told the carver since he was dead, unless he had made earlier arrangements.

"But why?" she said softly, sniffing. "Did he know he was going to die soon? Who else would have known this?"

Her questions were met with silence.

With her left hand she traced the text with her finger, feeling as if by doing that she was touching him once again. Resting her hand on his family crest she smiled and touched her forehead to the side of the coffin.

"I love you." She said it was a single tear rolling down her cheek before dropping to the dusty floor. "I will never stop loving you."

For a while she did nothing except remain silent, feeling the cold stone of Robert's coffin against her forehead. She had no idea how long she had stood there, but she felt there was still something to do. When she pulled away, she sighed softly, then placed the flashlight on a nearby coffin so that the beam shone on Robert's.

Shaking, she placed her palms against the lid of the coffin and gently pushed. She heard a soft grating sound as the stone lid slid a few inches sideways. Holding her breath, she gripped the coffin lid and gently lifted it away, not yet looking inside. She had no intention of destroying the lid, so she carried it to one of the other coffins and gently set it on top.

When she returned to Robert's coffin, she waited a few moments to give her own silent prayer. As she looked inside, she saw a heavy white burial cloth within. Embossed on it was again the MacGregor family crest, done in richly colored thread. What caught her attention more was the hidden form beneath it. She fought the strange sickening sensation she felt in her stomach.

"He's gone." She said, tears blurring her eyes. "There is no reason for me to be afraid."

She could see her hand shaking as she reached down and gripped the edge of the shroud. As slowly as she could she peeled the shroud away, revealing the body underneath. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the skeleton within. She looked away for a few moments, breathing heavily as tears streamed down her cheeks. When she felt more composed, she swallowed heavily and turned back.

Robert was dressed in his leather armor, though it was faded and rotted with age, with his arms crossed over his chest. His skull stared at the ceiling, the empty eye sockets and permanent grin gave her the shivers. Still, as she continued to look, she remembered that this was the man whom she had once loved.

She was pleased that he had gotten the burial he deserved, one of the few humans who welcomed the company of her kind. Another thing she started wondering about was what had happened during the burial. "Were there gargoyles there as well to see Robert put to rest?" She asked herself, then felt bad that she had not been there to see him off.

"He must hate me." she said, sniffing to clear her nose.

"No." A faint, hollow whisper came from behind.

Dropping the burial shroud she spun in anger, full and ready to tear apart whoever was there. She was barely able to hiss when her eyes fell on an apparition standing a few feet away. The image wavered for a moment before becoming more solid, in a manner of speaking. This time she was not able to hold back the scream that emerged from her mouth at what was before her.

Robert MacGregor, looking just as he did before his death, stood there. The only difference was that his form was transparent, and when he spoke his voice sounded deep and hollow, as if he were speaking from a pit.

"I had wondered when you would return." he said, smiling.

"No…" Demona said, shaking her head and backing away. "NO! This is not happening!"

"But it is, my Angel." he said, walking towards his stone coffin. "Have no fears, I will not harm you. How could I do anything bad to the one I loved."

She felt the cold touch of the wall behind her, letting her know that she could not back away further. The image of Robert did not attempt to approach her, but instead looked down at his own skeletal remains. She watched as he tilted his head, then smiled.

"I have lost weight." He said, his laugh sending chills down her spin.

"I am seeing things." she said, turning her head and closing her eyes. "It's this place, it's having too strong an effect on me."

"Trust me, little Angel, you are not… seeing things." Robert said, turning his gaze away from his coffin. "For so long have I waited and hoped to set eyes upon you once again."

"You can't be here." Demona said, trying her best not to show she was scared. "You were killed more than a millennium ago."

The image of Robert wavered as a look of shock shone upon his face for a few moments. "Has it been so long? What has happened that you are still of flesh and blood? What of the castle, and the others of your kind?"

Demona whistled softly between her teeth, wondering how to answer his questions. "That would be a lengthy story, to be certain."

Robert laughed, his ghostly form gazing around the crypt before looking at her again. "I have time."

For a moment Demona found herself chuckling at his comment, it would be like him to joke about such things. Hoping her flashlight had enough power to keep the darkness away she leaned against his coffin and told him all that had happened after his death.

***

Xanatos watched in wonder as Owen shook his head before getting back to his feet. It was the third time he had gotten the better of him, which was unusual when they spared. David took a moment to adjust his belt before confronting Owen.

"Well, judging by the way I am wiping the mat with you there must be something on your mind." Xanatos said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It is nothing, mister Xanatos." Owen replied, smoothing out his own Gi. "I foolishly allowed my mind to wander when I should have been focused. It shall not happen again."

"This is unlike you, Owen, and it disturbs me." The billionaire said, frowning. "Perhaps you need some time off."

Owen shook his head. "That will not be necessary, mister Xanatos. I assure you that I am well."

"Really?" David said, smirking as he lunged a punch towards Owen's midsection.

The major domo reacted instantly, catching Xanatos' arm before flipping him over backwards. His employer grunted as he landed heavily on the mat. When he looked up he saw Owen looking down at him.

"Okay, I believe you." Was all David said.

*

Venus sighed as she made her way downstairs to the foyer, trying not to look at her injured wing. It had been several days since the incident with Dracon, but at least the headaches had finally gone away. What she had hated most was spending two days in bed, only getting up to use the bathroom. She had not remembered much about what had happened, no doubt from when Dracon had struck her head. Not since she had been injured fighting Xanatos in his Steel Clan suit had she felt so horrible.

When she reached the bottom step, she stopped and listened to see if she could locate her husband. If he was sticking to his normal routine, he would be in his workshop. Making her way there she pushed the door open and stepped inside. As she had thought, he was standing over the large, sandstone tablet that he had been working on for a few weeks.

He looked up and smiled when he heard her enter. "Hello there, sweetie. How are you feeling?"

"I feel a lot better than I did a few days ago." She replied, standing next to him.

"How's your wing?"

At this question she sighed, her wings drooping to go with her mood. "It irritates me to no end."

"It's sore?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

"No." she answered, shaking her head. "I am irritated that both you and Jacob have joined together to keep me grounded."

"You know that trying to fly this soon could tear your wing even more." Scott said, crossing his arms.

She returned his answer with a tiny frown. "I feel that I will go insane if I remain on the ground."

Scott grinned, which Venus did not seem very thrilled about. "You will not go insane, Venus. Sometimes we all must endure things we don't enjoy." He said, then thought for a moment. "Do you think I enjoy leaving you alone for days or weeks while I am away in some other country?"

"I understand what you do." she replied, shaking her head. "I would also understand if you enjoyed being on your own for a time."

Her answer felt like a slap in the face, to which he visibly recoiled from. "I hate every minute of it." He said in a heated tone. "But you're twisting my question around. You hate not being able to fly, I hate being away from you. We all do things we hate, so you will just have to get used to it."

She was not certain if it was the tone of his voice, or the way he said it, but she felt like kissing him. "I should be angry for what he said to me, but I am unable to." She added to herself. Instead, she shook her head and smiled. "I suppose you are correct, but it is still annoying."

"Well, now that we both know you are not going insane, are you up for doing some archaeology stuff?" When she nodded, he pointed at a small stack of faxes on his desk. "Those are copies of some Egyptian texts the museum faxed me. I would like you to translate them."

he nodded before picking up the stack. "When do you need them finished?"

"There's no hurry." Scott replied as he turned his attention back to the large sandstone tablet. "I told them it would take a few weeks, so you have plenty of time."

With that, she went over to the bookcase and pulled some textbooks from the large collection they had. After she had put the items on his desk she went over to a small work table and gathered up her own personal notebooks. When she had them, she sat down behind the desk and began leafing through the faxes, sorting out the easier ones first.

He watched her from the corner of his eye for a few moments and smiled. She was an excellent student, and it pleased him that she no longer needed his help to get started. With that he turned his attention back to his own work, which was starting to puzzle him.

At first there did not seem to be anything out of the ordinary when he first looked it over. It was not until he started cleaning it that the bizarre language emerged. He easily recognized the Egyptian symbols, but they were mixed with others that were not. It was these odd symbols that puzzled him, since they were clearly not Egyptian. What was worse was that the ones he did know seemed as if they were done by somebody who only had a basic knowledge of the language.

Running his hand through his hair, he scratched an imaginary itch on the back of his neck. It was a habit he did when he was presented with something that bothered him, normally when he was unable to figure something out. When he started humming "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts" in an aggravated tone, it was enough to get Venus' attention.

"That difficult?" Venus inquired, trying not to smirk.

"Huh?" He said, not even realizing what he was doing. "Oh... You can say that. This tablet was either done by a brilliant mind, or by somebody who had lost it."

"What do you mean?"

"Come, take a look for yourself." Scott said, standing on one side of the tablet.

She stood up from the desk, walked over and looked at the area he had cleaned. Like him she could pick out the Egyptian parts, but the other hieroglyphics were of a type she had not seen. Tapping a talon against her cheek she used her other hand to touch one of the unknown engravings. For a moment something seemed to flash across her vision. It lasted a split second, but it was enough so that the image caught her mind.

"Have you considered Mayan text?" she asked, pulling her hand away. "For some reason that sticks in my head."

"Mayan text?" He replied, clearly puzzled. "That sounds very far-fetched since both civilizations lived on opposite sides of the world." For a moment he tapped his chin. "But it is worth investigating, considering the strangeness of this." he added, waving to the sandstone.

He went over to the bookshelf and scanned the many volumes before pulling one out. Opening it to a marked section he laid it on the table next to the tablet and almost burst out swearing in several different languages.

"Impossible!" He said, louder than he probably needed to. "This must be some sort of cruel prank. This is so far out of whack from the norm that I am now doubting its authenticity."

"Can you have the date checked?" Venus asked, knowing that it could be done by carbon dating.

"It appears I will have to." He replied before sitting in one of the chairs in front of his desk. "Well, won't that be great if I paid ten grand for a fake."

She stood behind the chair and gently started kneading his shoulders with her hands. "You cannot know that for certain. Wait until you have it tested before jumping to conclusions." To herself she added. "And if it does prove false, I will see to it that this Lennox person refunds the money."

"Well, it's too late to call the lab now." Scott said, enjoying the shoulder massage. "I guess I can't do anything more on it tonight."

"You should go and relax for a while." Venus said, bending down to kiss the top of his head. "I will continue with my work and join you for dinner this evening."

"Yes dear." He said, snickering as she sat down behind the desk. "Any idea what we are having tonight?"

She shook her head. "Jacob has not told me, nor have I asked."

"Whatever it is, I am certain it will be good." He said, getting to his feet. "I don't think I've ever disliked anything he's made."

"I have to agree with you." Venus said, trying poorly to look serious. "Now, off with you so I can get some work done."

He laughed, bowing at the waist before leaving her alone in the workshop. When he closed the door, she leaned back for a moment to stare out the skylights overhead. The slow, rolling clouds and waning daylight above made her desire to be soaring through the air. She knew he was not grounding her to be mean, nor to control her. He feared her causing further injury, because of that she could not be mad. In fact, she felt just the opposite, she felt even more loved because of it.

Shaking her head, she pulled her thoughts from the clouds and began concentrating on the work Scott had asked her to do. She opened the topmost notebook and flipped through the pages. Her flowing handwriting filled both sides of the pages. Now and again, there were pictures she had drawn, done quite well according to her husband. In some of the margins there were also senseless doodles that she had done, which had nothing to do with archaeology.

Finding a clean page, she picked up a pencil and began copying the first page. She was at the point where she no longer needed to look at a translation table, everything was in her head. The letters and words came easily to her now, and she progressed quickly. She felt confident she would have the first fax page translated before dinner.

*

Scott discovered that Jacob was not to be found in the kitchen, but a peek in the stove revealed pork chops simmering. Smiling, he closed the oven and roamed around the house for a while, wondering where his butler was. There was nothing he really needed, except perhaps somebody to talk with. There was something he had in mind for Venus, and he wanted Jacob's thoughts on the matter.

At one point he passed the door that led to the basement and found it slightly ajar. Puzzled, he opened it to find the lights turned on.

"It's not the usual day for him to do the laundry." Scott said to himself.

Curious as to why, he made his way down the steps to the concrete floor below. He did not often come down here as it was mainly used for storage with a laundry room off to his left. He was going to check there when he heard some odd "thumping" noises coming from off to his right.

Puzzled even more, he followed the noises until he came upon a sight he had not seen in ages. He found Jacob stripped to the waist, wearing a pair of blue and yellow boxing shorts and red boxing gloves. His butler was dancing around a punching bag hung from the ceiling. Every so often he would jab at the bag once or twice, dodge to the side as if avoiding a punch before repeating the process again. It was not often he saw Jacob wearing only shorts, but he was amazed at just how muscular the old man was. Sweat was trickling down his back. Scott had forgotten that Jacob did some minor boxing in his younger days, but he did not think he still worked out.

As he watched Jacob dance around, he noticed some shelves on the wall containing a few small trophies. Other items were framed pictures of Jacob, much younger, standing in a boxing ring facing some unknown opponent. Others were of him standing next to a woman, which Scott knew as his late wife, Gretchen.

After another minute Jacob gave the bag one last punch before stepping back. It was then he seemed to notice Scott for the first time.

"Sorry, sir." the old butler said, seeming a little embarrassed. "I was unaware you needed something."

Scott held up his hand and shook his head, smiling. "Do not stop on my account, Jacob. There was nothing pressing, I was just curious as to where you were."

Jacob stepped over to a small bench and grabbed a towel that was resting atop it. Placing the towel around his neck he untied the gloves and hung them on a nail driven into one of the shelves.

"Once in a while I get the urge to go a few rounds with the old bag." Jacob said, smiling. "Helps keep me in shape."

"I wish I had seen you when you were in the ring." Scott said, motioning to the pictures. "You seem quite the fighter."

"Yes, it was one of my favorite pastimes back home." He replied, chuckling as he picked up a random picture. "This was when I fought Double-Fist Bruiser, one of the few men I nearly lost to."

When Scott looked at the picture, he was startled at just how much larger the other man was. Blonde haired, cut short and weighing what he guessed almost three hundred pounds. Jacob looked like a teenager in the picture, weighing probably the same amount now as he did back then.

"Were you that crazy back then?" Scott asked, clearly amazed that Jacob had been victorious.

Jacob chuckled and placed the photo back where it was. "I was much younger and a little foolish. But, if you will excuse me I need to check on dinner."

"Of course." Scott said as he followed the butler upstairs, making certain to turn off the lights before closing the basement door.

"Where is Madame Venus?"

"In the workshop." Scott replied. "I kind of hit a block on the project I've been working on. Venus was looking for something to occupy herself, so I gave her some translating to do."

"She seems to have picked up on archaeology quite well." Jacob said as he and the professor stepped into the kitchen. "You must be very proud of her."

"I am." Scott said, remembering how lovely she looked sitting at his desk. "She was the thing I have been searching for all these years. I didn't know how shallow my life was until I met her."

Jacob nodded as he began to search the lower cupboards for some canned vegetables. "You two were meant for one another, sir. I saw that the first time you looked at her."

Scott was about to say something but decided on a different course of action. "Has Venus ever mentioned to you when she was born?" Scott asked as he began setting the plates. "Or hatched, I suppose."

"I have never heard her mention it." The old butler replied, shaking his head. "Is it important?"

"I had thought of giving her a birthday party." Scott answered, chuckling. "But without knowing the date that will be a little difficult."

"Perhaps asking Goliath, or even detective Maza, would aid in your search." Jacob suggested.

The professor nodded as he went to retrieve the silverware from the drawer next to the sink.

***

Her roar echoed throughout the burial chamber as she broke free of her stone slumber. Hundreds of stone shards rained down on and around the stone coffins around her. When she opened her eyes, she was met with total darkness. Realizing where she was, she reached over and grabbed the flashlight from the coffin where she had left it.

With a quick press of a button the device shot a beam of light which illuminated the far wall. When she lowered it, the beam came to rest on the now closed coffin of Robert MacGregor. However, resting atop the lid was the white burial shroud, neatly folded and as clean as the day it was made. When she approached it the MacGregor family crest could be seen, looking as it had the day it was stitched. Reaching down she picked it up, careful not to cause it to unfold. Tucking the shroud under her arm she ran a hand over the top of Robert's final resting place.

The words he had said before she had been forced into stone sleep were etched into her memory. "Even If you throw your heart away, there will always be somebody there to pick it up again. Something as simple as a kiss, can be worth more than anything in the world."

She had no idea what he meant, only that she felt relieved that she was able to finally tell him how she felt. The last thing she had said before turning to stone was that she loved him. Robert simply nodded, giving her that special smile, the one she knew was just for her.

With that had come sleep.

Bowing her head over his coffin one final time, she turned and started up the other passageway she had seen earlier. After a minute of walking, she discovered why the area had been undisturbed, a cave in had completely blocked the passage. She was relieved at seeing this, knowing that this place would probably never be found. Turning around, she walked back to the tomb and back through the tunnel in which she had originally entered.

After wriggling her body back though the opening she had made the night before, she took the time to block it up again.

"It will have to wait until I can come back and seal it for good." She said to herself as she placed the last stones in place. The last thing she wanted was for somebody to find this place. The idea of anybody desecrating Robert's resting place infuriated her.

When she made her way back to the top of the cliff, she only spared a moment to look at the area. Inhaling deeply, she leapt off the cliff and soared upwards on a thermal current. Since there was no other reason to remain, she decided to return to her private jet and return to Paris. There she would see to a few things before finally returning to New York.

To him.

*

As she sat down on the edge of her bed she laid back and stared at the ceiling. Stretching out her arms, her right hand brushed against the burial shroud she had brought with her. The fabric was soft to her touch, not unlike when Robert used to hold her. The thought of being touched seemed very appealing to her now. She could not remember the last time she had ever been intimate with somebody. The thought of getting so close to a human, even when she was in human form, repulsed her.

For a long time, she only lay staring at the arched ceiling high above her. For over a millennium she felt alone, but it seemed even stronger now than it had been in the past. She could not explain it, but when she started thinking of James back in New York it felt as if something was tugging her back there.

Sitting up, she grabbed the phone and dialed her secretary at Nightstone Unlimited. After a few rings her secretary answered.

"Nightstone Unlimited, Madame Destine's office."

"It's me." Demona answered. "I want my private jet fueled and ready to depart in one hour. I am returning to New York tonight."

"Of course, Madame." The secretary replied. "I will make the preparations right away."

With that, Demona hung up and began gathering a few things she would take back with her. The foremost was the burial shroud that Robert had left her. She never usually had to worry about packing much since she had a home in both New York and Paris. In less than a half hour she was ready to go. The last thing she grabbed was the hooded trench coat that she would wear when boarding the plane. Her pilots were not normal ones, they knew how to get out of the country without being tracked. One thing she could not do in her condition was deal with customs and immigration.

Making certain everything was in order and locked, she leapt off the balcony and headed back to the private airfield.

***

James got out of the cab after it pulled up in front of his apartment building. He had been working long hours at the Gen-U-Tech building and finally started making progress. The easiest way he found was to use himself as the specimen, or rather his blood and tissues. The only thing he needed to figure out was how to improve the way antibodies dealt with an injury. He had access to a ton of research data on the Xanacorp network computers, but nothing he found had answered his question.

By the time he reached the door to his apartment he felt the beginnings of a headache. It did not help that he had not eaten anything since this morning either. Rubbing his temples for a moment, he unlocked the door and stepped inside. As usual the only source of light came from an overhead stove lamp. Closing the door behind him he tossed his keys on the kitchen table and went to the refrigerator to see what he had for leftovers.

Sighing softly, he pulled out a sealed bowl of fried rice and another with some chicken Chow Mein. From what he could see he really needed to go food shopping soon, else he would have nothing left to eat.

He shoved both containers into the microwave to heat them up and strode into the living room. When he turned on the lights everything was in its usual, boring place. Stifling a yawn, he went out onto the balcony and gazed out at the city for a few minutes. Eventually he heard the microwave beeping, so he stepped back inside, leaving the sliding door open to let in a breeze. He was feeling lazy and did not even take the time to place the food on a plate. Gathering a fork from the drawer he sat down on the couch and switched on the television.

As he started forking rice into his mouth, he heard a soft thump from the balcony. When he turned to see what the noise was he was startled when Demona stepped inside. Her large feet made soft padding sounds as she approached, draping her wings like a cloak.

"You look like one of my kind frozen in stone like that." She said, a small quirk of a smile appearing on her lips.

It was then he realized that he was staring at her, a forkful of food hovering motionless halfway to his open mouth. He was not certain if it was her presence, or the almost calm and comfortable look on her face as she crossed her arms beneath her breasts.

"Welcome back, Demona." He said, placing the fork in the container before getting to his feet and bowing slightly.

His odd way of greeting her made her want to laugh, but she wisely kept it in check. She did not want him to know that she was glad to see him again. "Glad to see him?" She said to herself, wondering why that was. "I must be losing my mind!" Also, to herself.

"How is your new job with Xanatos going?" she asked, sitting down on the couch without being asked first.

He hesitated for a moment before sitting himself, trying to sit as close to her as possible without seeming too forward. "It is getting a little easier, but when I first started, I had almost regretted undertaking his project idea."

"Oh? Why is that?" She asked, still wondering why she was acting as if she was his lifelong friend.

Chuckling softly, he told her about all the false leads he had been given and all the headaches it had caused him. The project had never actually been worked on to any extent before it was handed to him, and the ones who did work on it were idiots. It was not until he had erased everything and started from scratch did he make any kind of progress.

"A few days ago I took some of my own blood and tissue samples." He explained, lifting his sleeve to display a bandage. "I scanned them into the mainframe, and it is currently breaking everything down. Once that's done, I can start introducing simulated injuries to the cells and get a map of how they deal with it."

Demona tapped a talon on her chin as she pondered what he was telling her before speaking. "So, you plan to use the map to figure out how to speed up the process." She was pleased at the look of amazement on his face. "Interesting idea, I would like to see what you come up with."

For a moment he was not certain why she was acting so strangely. When they had been together the last time, she seemed to like him one moment, then push him away the next. He was certain that any moment now she would find a reason to get upset and want to break something.

Demona remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"Have you given any thought to my request?" She asked, looking at him and wondering why she could not bring herself to simply reach out and demand an answer.

"Well, as I said at our last meeting, I will take your project." He replied, smiling at how she looked almost innocent, not the moody creature he had met before. "Actually, it won't be too different from what I am doing now, the procedure will be almost the same."

"What will you need from me?"

"For the most part I will need your body." He replied, not thinking about how his reply would be taken.

If the comment affected her, it did not show, instead she nodded and glanced at the containers of food on the table. "I have made arrangements so that I can remain in New York for as long as I need."

"Would you like some?" James asked, moving to the food.

"I never touch the stuff." She replied, making a face. "What's the sense of eating something, only to wind up wanting to eat again an hour later?"

For the first time he noticed how nice her voice was when she was not throwing a fit. It was almost musical in a sensual sort of way, soft, yet not sounding as if she were timid. As before he could not help but notice just how lovely a creature she was. Her muscular, yet feminine body was curved in all the right places, not to mention her skimpy outfit. He found himself wondering just what was holding up the left side of her halter top. He was being drawn into her emerald green eyes and smooth face when he realized that she had asked a question and was waiting for an answer.

"I have no idea, it's just something I've always liked eating." He replied, regaining his composure. "I do not have much to eat at the moment, but if you are hungry, I can arrange something."

His invitation caught her by surprise as she had not expected him to invite her to dine with him. She had never actually had to prepare her own meals, being wealthy meant not having to do such mundane things. Very seldom had anyone offered to prepare something for her. She found herself liking his offer but hesitated to accept as it would show too much interest in him.

"I am not hungry." She answered, deciding to lie and decline the offer. "My kind do not require that we eat as often as you humans do, spending half of our lives in stone helps."

"Interesting… Perhaps when you are in stone form your body somehow draws on ultraviolet rays to nourish you." James said, rubbing his chin while staring at the ceiling. "This is something I will have to study… If I could figure out what causes the stone process…." Now he was mumbling to himself, seemingly oblivious to her sitting next to him.

"Professor?" She said, watching him as he started mumbling about blood cells and direct sunlight. When she spoke again, she put more authority into her voice. "Professor?"

Again, he did not seem to notice her trying to get his attention, his own now focused on altering skin cells to reflect sunlight instead of drawing on it. "Of course, I can simulate the process using a sample of your skin tissue…" By now he had gotten up and was pacing around, requiring her to turn her head to keep an eye on him.

"What will this cost me?" she said, nearly shouting.

It seemed to work, but only enough for him to stop and look at her for a few moments to reply. "Cost? Nothing, Xanatos is already providing me with all the equipment. I can use the MRI scanner to map your entire body…" Once again, he started rambling on, but by now he had gone into a realm of science even she was unable to follow.

He was almost starting to look like a bird of prey the way he was walking around the room, circling her. His intent on solving her problem made her want to reach out and yank him back onto the sofa with her. The thought made her grin wickedly, mostly because the thought of it seemed slightly evil. She waited until he was behind the couch before reaching over and grabbing his arm.

The action had the desired effect of catching him off guard as she pulled him over the back of the couch. With a loud yelp he tumbled over backwards until he was sitting the wrong way, staring at the ceiling while his legs dangled over the back of the sofa. When he managed to figure out what happened all he could see was Demona's face gazing down at him.

"She's so incredibly beautiful!" He said to himself, the thought of science had now gone from his thoughts.

Not saying a word, he acted like he was trying to get into a normal sitting position. But when he knelt on the sofa to sit, he pressed his face to hers, his mouth covering hers. He felt her entire body go rigid as stone as a muffled grunt escaped her throat. He figured that if she was going to kill him for doing this, then it would be a nice way to die.

When she felt his mouth on hers her first instinct was to pull away and gut him like a fish. She prepared herself, raising her right arm, talons bared to strike, but an echo of Robert's voice stopped her. "Even If you throw your heart away, there will always be somebody there to pick it up again. Something as simple as a kiss, can be worth more than anything in the world." Still, she wanted to shove the human away, wanted to plunge her talons into his soft flesh, but she instead closed her eyes and parted her lips. This was a sensation she had not felt in some time, a real kiss, and she was enjoying it. A small moan escaped her mouth as she slid one hand around to his back, trying to pull him closer.

As the moments passed, she began working her mouth like a fish gasping for water. When he placed a hand on the side of her face she started to lean back, her body moving as if to lie down. She knew this was going too far but she wanted it to continue, she wanted to feel desired, to be touched in ways she once thought beyond her grasp. Just when she thought his hands would touch her more intimately, he pulled away, slowly breaking a kiss she did not want broken.

When she opened her eyes, he saw him looking into her eyes as his hand slipped away. She almost wanted to plead for him not to stop but it was he who spoke first.

"I thought for certain you would tear me apart for trying that." he said in a breathless voice.

Returning to a sitting position, she leaned forward, trying to slow her own breathing. "Nobody has ever tried it before." In secret she found herself liking what he did. It was fast and spontaneous, and she had all but been helpless when she did not fight it. "Perhaps next time I will."

He was not certain what she meant by that, so he kept his mouth shut, but the temptation to kiss her again was very strong. Instead, he smiled and got to his feet. "Well, when can you be available to start? I still must work on Xanatos' project, but I can do yours at the same time since it's not too different."

Demona leaned back and seemed to think about it for a moment before answering. "How long will it take for you to… examine me?"

"Well, the scan process itself will take several minutes and you can only wear the paper gown." He replied, rubbing his chin. "Normal clothing will interfere with the scanner." At this she only nodded, which he seemed to find odd since she seemed like the type to oppose that sort of thing. "I can do it tomorrow evening around eight o'clock. Everybody will be gone by then."

"Very well, professor." Demona replied, getting to her feet. "I will come in through the window as I did the first time." She said, grinning at the memory but he only nodded. "Now it is time for me to leave."

"See you tomorrow night, Angel." James commented, bowing slightly at the waist.

The name caused her to pause for a moment as she started towards the sliding door. She had not heard that name spoken to her since she had met Goliath after he had been released from the sleep-in stone spell. The urge to spin around and demand he never speak it again nearly overwhelmed her. But when she turned to shout, he had a look and smile on his face that made her want to rush into his arms.

"He looks so much like Robert." She said to herself. "And those eyes of his, he looks at me like a predator." What was scary was she found herself liking it… a lot.

Nodding, she forced herself to go outside, to which he followed not far behind. As she leaned against the metal railing, she turned her head just enough so she could see where he was standing. Allowing herself a tiny smile she leapt onto the railing and spread her wings. "I will be there." She said as she jumped off, then added a softer "James" instead of "human", or "professor".

She had no idea if he heard her and had no intention of sticking around to find out. Catching a warm updraft, she soared higher and did not look back as his balcony shrank from sight.

"He kissed me!" She said aloud, shaking her head in wonder. "And I *let* him… I even enjoyed it." The next thing she knew she was laughing, but not in her normal maniacal way, but with actual joy.

***

"Finally!" James exclaimed as he watched several white blood cells attack the virus he had introduced through the microscope.

Earlier that afternoon he had finally finished mapping the process of how the damaged tissue was dealt with. He had taken some white blood cells that he had infused with high levels of antibiotics. The results looked very favorable, but it was still not enough in his opinion.

"There has to be a way to speed up the process without killing the cells in the process." He said to himself as he continued to monitor the cells. He had done that earlier this morning and the result was utter failure. The cells had been aggressive enough, but they did it in reverse and made the problem worse. When the process was finished the dead cells wound up contaminating the entire sample.

Standing, he went over to the table mounted laptop computer. He had disconnected it from the network and used it only for data analysis and storage. He had an idea that Xanatos, if he wished it, could access anything in the mainframe. The last thing he wanted was for somebody to poke around into his work, especially when he started on Demona's project.

Another thing he had done was sweep the place for any cameras or listening devices. He had not found anything, but he still felt as if he was being monitored, which gave him the willies. Still, there was not much he could do about it if he was unable to locate the bugs. The other precautions he took were to encrypt the files and store them on a removable hard drive and not the system drive. He would then take the data home with him and store it in the safe hidden in his closet.

The intercom next to the door startled him when it buzzed. Clearing the screen of any important information he enabled the Gen-U-Tech spinning logo screensaver and went to answer it.

"Yes?"

"Professor MacGregor, this is the medical wing." A woman's voice came after he released the speaker button. "We have you down for using the MRI scanner later this evening. Is that correct?"

"Yes, I need to run some tests for a project David Xanatos wants me to work on." He replied, lying as to the real reason. "Will it be free?"

"Of course, we have you booked, but it is odd that you need it so late in the evening." The woman's voice replied. "I doubt there will be anyone around at that time. Is there a particular reason?"

James thought for a moment before answering, no doubt she would write down the reason on the scheduling form. "I have a cousin coming in to assist me as the scan subject, she was only available for later this evening."

"Very well, professor. We will leave the system running after the medical staff is finished with it." The voice answered. "Good day." A soft click indicated that the woman had closed the connection.

Shaking his head, he went back to the computer, sat down, and continued entering the results of the test he had been running. Later he would have to delve deeper into the other areas of genetic research to see if he could find anything else to aid him. He needed to at least double the speed, but in a way that would not kill the cells or damage the tissue.

When he finished with the entries, he saved the information and looked at the clock. It was after seven and realized he had not eaten anything since this morning. The mere thought of food caused his stomach to start grumbling. He growled softly and wondered why he never just brought something in with him to eat.

"Guess I can order something or run to the commissary downstairs." He mused to himself as he walked to the large open windows. He did not feel like Chinese tonight, or anything too spicy. "Maybe just a pizza will do until I get home, if that ever happens." he added, chuckling.

Sitting down next to the row of computers, he picked up the phone and dialed the number to his favorite pizza place. The person who picked up announced the name and asked what he was ordering. He decided on his usual deep dish pizza with meat toppings and said as much. The man asked if it was a pickup or delivery, to which James answered delivery.

"It should be ready in about twenty minutes." The man replied, the sound of people could be heard in the background. "What is the address?"

He gave them the address to the building, adding that he would have to tell the guard at the front gate to be allowed inside. The man said "okay" and hung up.

*

Hanging up the phone, he decided to access the mainframe and start searching for more information. Sitting down, he logged in and began browsing the files, concentrating mostly on Anton Sevarius.

From just outside the window, clinging to the side of the building, Demona listened to what James was saying. She suppressed a chuckle when he ordered a delivery pizza and peeked in. He was seated at a computer researching data, she could not make out exactly what. She was about to climb through the window when a sly idea popped into her head. Smiling wickedly, she scaled down the wall and leapt onto the parking lot.

There was nobody else around that she could see, but to be safe she kept to the shadows. It was also then that she noticed that there were no vehicles at all in the parking area. She figured that James was still taking a cab to and from work, to which she chuckled.

"He is making good money working for Xanatos, and he still takes a cab." She said softly, shaking her head. "Not accepting money from me. He is strange… for a human."

For a time, she stood and waited, making certain to keep watch on the front gate. Sometime after she saw a car approach and stop, to which the guard in the booth stepped out. The guard exchanged words with the person in the car for a minute before nodding. When the guard opened the gate, the car entered and stopped near the front entrance.

Making certain not to be clearly seen, she caped her wings and kept her tail tucked behind her and approached the car. As the man got out, he reached in and removed a large red bag, probably with the pizza.

"Over here." She said, keeping to the shadows.

The delivery man, or boy from the looks of him, was startled for a moment at hearing her voice but recovered quickly. "Did you order a deep dish pizza with meat toppings?"

"Yes." She replied. "How much?" When the boy started walking towards her, she held out her hand and told him to stop.

This caught him completely off guard and he asked what for, to which she repeated the question as to the cost. "Ummm.. Fifteen dollars and eighty-five cents."

"That is an outrageous price." She reached for her belt and pulled out a thin money folder. Reaching in she withdrew a twenty-dollar bill, most of which were hundreds. Folding the bill a few times she lobbed it towards him, where it landed on the ground next to his feet.

"Place it on the ground before you, pick up the money and keep the change." She said, wondering why she was not simply tearing him apart.

He did so, with a perplexed look on his face the entire time. Picking up the money he quickly got back into his car and left. She went and grabbed the pizza box and scaled the wall again, heedless of the holes she was making. It would have gone quicker if she did not have the pizza in one hand, but she made do.

Upon reaching the window to James' laboratory she carefully peeked inside to see where he was. He was still seated at the computer so she silently crept inside. Once she was on her own feet, she held the box in one hand and stepped up behind him.

Without saying a word, she poked his shoulder lightly with a talon and watched with joy as he shot up three feet into the air. The computer chair he was seated on topped over as he yelped, nearly tripping on it in the process. When he saw her standing there, laughing openly now, he clutched at his chest as if he were having a heart attack.

"Demona!" he said, breathless. "You nearly scared me to death."

"Here is your pizza, sir." she said, holding the box up and bowing gracefully. "In my opinion it is overpriced."

With deft hands he took the box she offered and set it on the table next to the computers. The thought of eating had fled his mind completely, he was now concentrating on slowing his heart. When he felt as if he would no longer collapse, he straightened himself and smiled.

"I was not certain what time to arrive, professor." She said, looking around the brightly lit laboratory. "When can we begin?"

By now he realized that Demona's mood changed like the weather, most often she seemed cranky or upset. Last night must have been one of those rare times when she let her guard down. Something must have happened since she did not retaliate when he kissed her.

"Well, I can take a blood sample from you." He replied. "For the tissue sample I will need to use the biology lab, I don't have the equipment to do that type of extraction."

"Extraction?" she exclaimed, back away. "How much do you need?"

At her reaction he chuckled, earning him a glare. "It only takes a few moments and I doubt you will even feel anything. Once I have them, I can scan them into the computer and use the data to do simulations."

"Anything else?"

"Not right away," he answered, shaking his head. "Eventually I will need to examine you when you turn into stone. Is there anything at all about what occurs while you are sleeping?"

Caping her wings, she leaned her backside against the table and began rubbing her chin. "We do dream, like you humans do, but aside from that, we are helpless." When she realized what she had told him she clamped her mouth shut and felt like kicking herself.

"Interesting…" He said, righting the chair before sitting in it. "If you were to lose a part of yourself, say an arm or your tail, does it eventually grow back?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Okay, I will have to put that information into the file." He mumbled as he once again took in her body. "If you are ready, we can begin."

"Aren't you going to eat first?" she exclaimed, motioning her hand towards the pizza box. "Or did *I* throw away twenty dollars?"

When she empathized that she had paid for the pizza, plus the stern look on her face reminded him that he had not eaten.

"Want some?"
She wrinkled her nose at the pizza as if it was something he had pulled from the raunchiest sewer. "I do not eat such mundane things, professor, it is beneath me."

He looked at her for a moment and shrugged as he opened the box and began eating. While he indulged himself, she walked around the laboratory and seemed to inspect the different equipment and computers. When she reached the computer all by itself, she gazed down at the data on the screen. He had left it open with the word processor running, it had his notes for Xanatos' project on it.

"You can look them over if you want." He said, swallowing a bite of the pizza.

"You trust me?" she said, staring at him intently.

"Not entirely." He replied, earning him another glare but it seemed as if she found it intriguing. "I use high encryption and never store important things on the system itself."

She sat before the computer and nodded. "I am impressed with your safety measures, professor, but I must warn you that I have methods of my own."

"Of that I have no doubt, Demona… I have accessed Xanatos' internal systems in the past, so with your resources I imagine you could too." He explained as he finished his third slice of pizza.

"You mean his inner computer core?" Demona asked. Her respect for him being able to do so went up a few notches. When he nodded his answer, she found herself smiling. "Very impressive, professor."

"Thanks. It was how I first discovered you and your kind were here." James explained as he started on his fourth slice. "Your background was encrypted, unlike the others, so your info was very limited."

His talents were piquing her interest. "Did you manage to get anything else from the computer core?"

"A lot of data concerning other projects he was working on. But his encryption system is even more complex than mine." He said, frowning. "I was only able to get project names, but I still have everything on my portable computer."

She no longer really cared about what was on James's computer, what she saw was apparently only notes anyway. The fact that he could have stuff she did not was tantalizing to her; she found him even more interesting now.

Fixing him with a seductive look she asked. "With my resources I could probably help you with that data."

"Sure." He answered, not even seeming to take the time to think. She found this strange and had no idea what to say.

"Just let me know when you want it." He said, closing the box to the half-eaten pizza. "But there is one catch."

"So, he's human after all." She said to herself. "And what would be this 'catch'?"

"Easy, I want to be there with you. Naturally I am also interested in seeing what those files contain."

She had thought he would want some form of payment, or other information in return. His request was not unreasonable by any means, but she wondered how they could work that out. "Do I take him to Nightstone in Paris to analyze the data, or one of my private hideaways?" All this she asked herself, but she figured this could wait a while.

"I think something can be arranged, professor." she said, nodding her head and smiling at the thought of possibly getting something good. "But if you are finished, I think we should get started on those tests."

He nodded and stood. "If you will follow me."

***

David and Owen stood in the elevator as it made its way down to the lower sections of the Eyre building. The elevator made a barely audible hum as it began to slow its descent. After a few moments it halted, and the doors slid silently open. Both stepped out into a brightly lit white hallway with doors set at intervals along the way. They had been here before, several weeks earlier when David had shown Owen his newest idea: Project BioClan.

"Mr. Xanatos, do you realize just how much this endeavor of yours is costing?" Owen commented as he walked beside his employer. "And you have not even said why you want these… androids."

"Simple, Owen. You see, my Steel Clan robots are useful things to have, but they lack the ability to think for themselves." David said as they approached a door at the end of the hall. "Not to mention they look like, well, steel robots."

Owen lifted an eyebrow before opening the door for Xanatos. "They seem to have served you well in the past. Why now? Are you still set on going after Goliath and the others? I thought you had decided to leave them be."

Xanatos shook his head and stepped through the open door, the majordomo followed close behind. "No, not for Goliath and his clan. I wish to have my own personal clan of Gargoyles, ones who will obey and not run off."

"I still do not see your reasons, sir." Owen replied. "But it is not my place to question them."

David only nodded as he continued down a set of stairs before emerging in a large, vaulted laboratory. The entire place was filled with high-tech computers along with five large glass tubes: all empty. In the center of the room were five gargoyles, frozen as if in stone, but flesh. Owen's eyes widened at the sight of them as Xanatos stepped closer.

Waving a hand towards the gargoyle to the very left, he smiled. "Meet the BioClan, Owen. The latest in bio-mechanical engineering. Fully functional androids with artificial intelligence, learning sub systems and surrounded by living tissue."

The major domo approached the one Xanatos stood next to. It was not as large as Goliath, but it was well muscled with short blonde hair and bronze colored skin. It wore a simple loincloth with an unadorned belt. Two rows of tiny, pointed horns ran from the center of its forehead to the temples. He was square jawed with both knee and elbow spurs. Its huge bat-like wings were draped over his large shoulders. It looked like it was asleep, its slightly oval eyes closed, but there were no signs of life in it.

"Do they have names?"

The billionaire shook his head. "Not yet, I am hoping they will attempt to choose their own when I bring them online."

If Owen had not known they were androids, he would have sworn he was looking at five living Gargoyles. There were three males and two females, including the first one Xanatos had shown him. Like the first they all looked as if they were sleeping, wings draped over their shoulders.

The second android, a female, had long brown hair that touched her backside. This one had the same body build as Demona, but with dark red skin. She had an almost human looking face, only her pointed ears and skin tone said otherwise. Her slim body was well proportioned with firm, well rounded breasts, and slim waist. She had no knee spurs but did have them on her elbows. Her outfit consisted of a dark green halter top and matching skirt that stopped just past her hips. A light blue silk scarf was also tied around her waist with the ends hanging loosely down her left leg.

The next one was also a female, slightly taller than the second with shoulder length black hair and almond shaped eyes. She had a pretty face with full lips, high cheekbones and two small sharp horns on her forehead. Owen was not certain; her build was remarkably like Venus, only with smaller breasts. When he looked at David the man only grinned, saying nothing. Her outfit was a simple one-piece sleeveless, off-white cotton dress with thin shoulder straps. The bottom section stopped just above her knees, giving her an innocent "farmers daughter" look.

After her came the fourth android, a large male with no hair and a long beak, not unlike Brooklyn's. He was about the same size as Goliath, with a matching build but this one's face had a close resemblance to Arnold Schwarzenegger. Deadly looking spurs adorned both his knees and elbows, but it was the torn jeans that gave him the dangerous look. He wore no top, his well-built chest looked puffed out and hard as steel.

The last was also male, about as tall as the second female with a lean body. He had strange, off-white skin with long silver hair that stopped below his shoulder blades. He had round eyes, thin lips and slightly sunken cheekbones that gave him an evil look about him. Unlike the others, who looked like normal gargoyles, he was different. He had a row of three elbow spurs running up the back of his arms, each one arched back and razor sharp; the knee spurs were the same.

Owen was not certain about that one and asked Xanatos why it was different from the rest.

"Well, he was actually the first one to be created." David replied as he stood next to Owen. "I suppose you could say he was the prototype model, but he has all the same functionality as the others."

"What about flight?" Owen inquired. "I see no jet packs, just ordinary wings."

"They are built into the base of the feet." David replied, smiling. "Unlike Goliath and the rest, my BioClan robots do not need to jump from a high place. Once the BioClan are airborne the jets close and they rely on their wings to keep them aloft."

"Fascinating, sir. I do think you have outdone yourself this time. The females are quite… exquisite."

"Thank you, Owen, I am rather pleased with them." Xanatos replied, then chuckled. "As to the females, well, yes they look very attractive."

David waved Owen over to the first female and before Owen could protest, grabbed her top and lifted it to expose her bare chest. The major domo looked away for a moment before he realized why his employer had done what he did. When he took a closer look, he noticed that even though the female had breasts, they were only smooth skin and nothing else. Owen looked dumbfounded, if that were possible, at Xanatos, not certain what to say.

"They are engineered only to look anatomically correct." David explained as he replaced her halter top. "But that is where it ends. None of them have the extra… features… that the living kind have. I might insist on perfection, but even I have limits."

"Of course, sir, I would not have thought otherwise." Owen replied, quickly regaining his composure. "If I might interject something, Mr. Xanatos, I do believe you have an appointment with the museum curator shortly."

"Oh! Thanks for reminding me, Owen." Xanatos replied. "I had almost forgotten about that. Come, we best not keep her waiting."

Owen only nodded and followed his employer out, stealing one last look at the BioClan before exiting. There was a look of doubt in his eyes but whatever his thoughts, he kept them silent.

*

Xanatos steepled his fingers, and with a fascinated grin he watched as MacGregor and Demona left the laboratory. He was very proud of the new surveillance system he had installed. It was too small to see with the naked eye unless you knew exactly where it was. Plus being so thin that you would have to look at the wall perfectly level to notice the slight bulge. There were five such cameras installed in MacGregor's laboratory, all positioned in such a way that everything could be seen. Each camera even had a small wireless microphone built in, letting him hear everything that was said.

MacGregor was good, but David did not get where he was today without knowing how to outsmart his own employees. The one thing that did bother him, although only slightly, was that the professor took the data home with him. Not that it really mattered, the cameras saw everything, even the computer he had separated from the network. What really did annoy him was learning that the man he hired managed to gain access to private files in the past. He will have to have Owen investigate that and try to find out what MacGregor had stolen.

"Still, I could use that to my advantage if the good professor decides to turn on me." he said to himself, chuckling. "And what are you up to this time, Demona? Hiring my own scientist for a project of your own, this is something I must know."

Whatever it was, it had to do with her genetic makeup since MacGregor wanted tissue samples and an MRI scan. At least he seemed to be making some progress on the project he had hired him to create. He snickered at how aggravated the man had gotten trying to sort through all that junk information that he had tossed together. The one thing Xanatos wanted was to watch the process from scratch, not borrow from another person's research.

He was about to turn the screen off when he saw the huge double doors in his office open. A moment later Owen stepped inside, closing them behind him.

"Yes, Owen?"

"Mr. Xanatos, the curator from Metropolitan Museum of Art is here." The majordomo said in his bored, monotone voice.

"Ah, yes." Xanatos said, switching off the screen. "Send her in."

"Of course, sir." Owen replied, nodding before opening the door and leaving.

A few moments later a young woman stepped in, average height and very pretty. Long, dark brown hair with blond highlights and deep green eyes were her prominent features. She wore a light green blouse with a vest that was slightly darker and a purple silk skirt stopping just above her knees.

Tucked under her left arm was a large manila envelope that bulged considerably. She wore an air of authority and radiated intelligence; he could see it in her keen eyes.

"All business with this woman." David said to himself as he motioned to a padded chair, to which she took. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss… I am sorry, your name escapes me."

"Calissa… Calissa Leigh." She replied, her voice soft but not timid. "I am honored that you have agreed to meet with me, Mr. Xanatos."

"It's me who is honored, Miss Leigh." He replied, standing to shake her hand. "And what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

Calissa cleared her throat and placed the envelope in her lap before speaking. "Well, Mr. Xanatos, I am aware that you have in your possession many priceless works of art. I was hoping you would agree to lend some to my museum for a new exhibition we are planning. We want to display items from the three top archaeological companies in the United States."

"You mean like the time I donated the legendary Eye of Odin to your museum?" He answered, faking a slight frown, and knowing that he had borrowed it back when he first tested his exo-suit. "If I remember correctly, it did not remain there very long."

The glare she gave him was so cold that if he had a glass of water in front of him it would have frozen solid. It only lasted for a moment, though, as she remembered why she was here.

"Mr. Xanatos, I must apologize once again for that incident." she said, switching from her glare back to business-like. "But you must realize that even with the latest in security technology in place, nothing is completely foolproof.

"Rest assured that something like this will not happen again. We have recently upgraded our system and hired more security personnel." she added, folding her hands over the envelope in her lap.

"Who are the other two you were considering?" David asked, certain he already knew the answer.

"Well, there is you, and we already signed on Professor Scott Mercure." She answered, patting the envelope in her lap. "And the other is Professor Harold Reinhart."

He nodded, not at her choice of candidates, but at the fact that he had been right. "Yes, they are very well known and respected men. As you may know, Professor Mercure started out by working for me."

She nodded. "Yes, I've known him for several years. But I implore you to consider donating some of your artifacts to the museum. If it's a question of money, we can come to some sort of arrangement."

"They want to buy my trust." He said to himself, then to her. "I do not think I could accept money from the museum. As long as you can guarantee that my property will remain safe, I will agree."

The smile that appeared on her lovely face would have warmed his heart if he had let it. "You do not know how much this will mean to the museum! I cannot thank you enough, Mr. Xanatos."

He stood up again and smiled. "A pleasure, Miss Leigh. Now if you follow me, I will show you around so you can let me know what catches your eye." If he had been alone, he would have been chuckling. He had no intention of showing her his personal gallery, as the Eye was there, nor was he planning on borrowing them back.

As she got to her feet, they shook hands again. Xanatos motioned towards the double doors, to which Owen appeared. Calissa wondered how the man knew when to enter, she did not see Xanatos call or page him. Owen held the door open for them as they stepped out.

"Thank you, Owen." David said as the major domo started to slowly close the door. Moments before it would have clicked shut it stopped of its own accord until Xanatos and the woman were gone. Owen waited another minute before going into his employer's office. Once inside he went to the video monitor and began the playback of Professor MacGregor's laboratory.

As he watched the interaction between the professor and Demona, he allowed himself a small smile. "So, it begins." Was all he said before turning the screen off and leaving the office.

***

Venus felt the cool wind blowing over her face and through her long, raven hair. Inhaling the sweet air, she gazed up at the moon, slightly hidden behind some wisps of clouds. She could see several stars glistening in the sky, tiny pinpoints of light she knew were billions of miles away. With a heavy sigh she turned around and sat on the balcony railing. The urge to leap off and soar through the night sky was so overpowering she felt as if she would scream.

Unfurling her left wing, she took it into her hands and inspected the ragged tear. It was healing quite well, the edges red and tender as the membrane was slowly closing. She wished she were able to heal it using her own powers, but every time she tried, nothing happened. With great care she ran her talon over the rest of the membrane, feeling how smooth and thin it was. When she thought about it, it seemed bizarre that something so delicate could keep her in the air.

Letting her wing slip from her grasp she draped them over her shoulders and went back into the house. The lights in the upstairs hallway were turned down so that there was only enough to see where she was going. As she passed her old room she stopped, opened the door, and went inside. When she switched on the lights, she saw that everything was as it should be. The bed was made up, the soft blue comforter she had enjoyed so much was still there. Even though they had been married for a while now she still blushed when she thought about the first night she had gone to his room and never regretted it.

Folding her arms around her body she went over and sat in the window seat where she so often used to spend her early days. All the colorful pillows were still arranged the way she had left them. When she looked through the glass she could see the pool, glistening under the moon. She loved her new life and would not change it for anything in the world, but there was still something missing.

When she closed her eyes, she could picture this room turned into a nursery. A tiny crib against the far wall, with a squirming hatchling nestled within. She could see herself nursing the baby, with her husband looking over her shoulder at their child. The thought made her smile, but when she opened her eyes, she saw the same old room she used to occupy. Standing, she picked up a pillow and walked over to the large full-length mirror. Inhaling deeply, she slipped the pillow under her light sweater and looked at herself in the mirror.

The bulge in her belly now looked as if she were carrying a developing egg. It stuck out just enough so that she seemed as if she had been carrying for five months. One more month and she would have laid it, but the thought of having to wait ten years saddened her.

"What about a human father?" she said to herself, running a hand over her fake swollen belly. "Would it even be an egg, or the same as a human birth?" Even still she felt a tear slide down her cheek, either way would be wonderful to her. "By Oberon," she said aloud. "Is it even possible?"

"I wish I could answer that question, Venus." Came Scott's voice from the doorway, soft and loving.

When she turned to look at him, she did not even feel embarrassed at having the pillow tucked under her sweater. The way he looked at her said that he felt the same. She flashed him a tiny smile and looked at herself in the mirror again. As she did Scott walked over and stood behind her, then reached forward and ran his left hand over her belly. Having him so close to her made her feel loved, and happy that he did not find her ugly because of her protruding belly.

"You would look even more beautiful like that." he said, pressing himself close to her. "I wish there was a way to figure out what to do."

"What about that David Xanatos person?" she said, placing her hand atop his. "He seems to have many resources." His body tensed for a moment at the mention of his old employer's name.

"I do not think that would be a good idea." Scott replied, sounding as if the mood had been broken. "Even if he did decide to help, he would want something in return. Have you forgotten that he tried to kill you?"

She shook her head, knowing that their past encounters with the billionaire were not good ones. "Aye, I know. I suppose we will have to keep trying the old fashion way." The last part she added with a sly grin, to which he chuckled.

A week later…

Outside the bank, Elisa and Matt crouched behind her vehicle as random gunshots whizzed from the bank windows, shattering the otherwise still silence of the night. The shots would sometimes hit a nearby police car, or echo into the air.

Several police radios were being used as multiple transmissions crackled to life. Matt reached in and grabbed the mike in their car.

Not too far away a news team was set up behind police lines and were filming the entire robbery, even though one of their reporters had already been shot with a high-powered rifle.

He was no longer reporting.

"Base, this Matt Bluestone," The detective said, pressing the mike's side button. "Where's that swat team, we've got a shoot-out down here! Reports confirm that they have hostages."

"Swat team on route..." Came the reply. "E.T.A. fifteen minutes, hold your position until then."

"Ten, four," He replied, tossing the mike back through the window. "Heck of a way to end the late shift, eh, partner?

"Isn't it convenient for thieves that we have twenty-four-hour banking. Just another typical New York City night."

Elisa stole a quick look into the air. In her mind she knew what was coming. A shot rang from the bank, grazing the hood of her car with a loud spang. Her thoughts were dragged back to reality by it and she crouched down further. That was going to kill her insurance premiums.

"Hey!" She shouted. "That's original paint!"

Matt shot her a look of surprise. "You have a lot of respect for those hostages, don't you?"

Elisa simply shrugged her shoulders and looked into the sky. She knew there would be a SWAT team coming, only it wasn't made up of crack policemen.

Matt looked up and shook his head. "By the time the team gets here it'll be time for breakfast."

"Yeah," She mumbled, knowing full well that the news media alone would bring the Gargoyles here. "At least this time we aren't dealing with multi-million-dollar energy weapons or any of Dracon's particle beam guns."

Within the bank were four masked men. One was stashing money into brown bags behind the tellers' windows. Another was pointing a gun at the employees who were huddled into a corner. The last two were watching through the front windows, taking a shot now and then to keep the police from rushing in.

"Hey!" Yelled the one holding the hostages. "Will you hurry it up?! We need to leave, fast!"

The man looked up from the teller's window and told him to keep his mouth shut. He jumped over the counter and went into one of the offices.

One of the men keeping watch heard a soft noise from somewhere above them, almost like rustling leather. Cocking his gun, he looked up to see five hulking creatures falling out of the air, all teeth and fangs and horns. He screamed and began shooting wildly at the monsters, not one bullet connecting with anything substantial.

Goliath roared as he landed next to the man, his feet smashing spider-web cracks into the marble floor. Baring his fangs, he grabbed the assault rifle and with little effort crushed it. He quickly seized the shooter by the front of his coat and heaved him towards the other one holding the hostages at gunpoint.

Hudson needed to move out of the airborne man's path and the two thieves connected, both crumbling to the floor. Goliath looked to see Brooklyn and Lexington stalking the one in the office, and Broadway was growling at the other lookout. The men were so terrified that they didn't even try to open fire. When his prey tried to turn and run, Broadway grabbed the man's collar and punched him in the face. A loud, dull thunk was heard as his fist made contact, not encountering much resistance as it struck the criminal's nose. The poor soul fell from his grasp into a heap on the floor.

They had just enough time to see the last guy flying out the office door into the far wall. Brooklyn stepped out, slapping his hands together, a look of satisfaction on his face. Lexington was right behind him.

"There's a penalty for early withdrawal," Brooklyn said, smirking down at the man sprawled out on the floor.

"Come," Goliath said sternly. "Let us leave here so the police can take them into custody."

One by one they leaped into the air, dug their talons into the wood and climbed to the ceiling, leaving a long series of claw marks in the wall. A large glass skylight that had been their access was now their exit.

As the last one scrambled through the opening the hostages slowly broke away from each other and gaped. The bank manager shook his head and went to the front door to get the police.

Elisa, seeing the man emerge from the door screaming for them not to shoot, knew what had happened. By instinct she looked up to see Goliath and the other gliding away from the building.

She muffled a low laugh and stood up.

***

James was smiling as he watched the damaged tissue visibly begin to close before his eyes. When he glanced through the microscope he watched the cells, recently infused with Demona's own cells, move at blazing speed. It had been only a few days before he had decided to try something different. He had noticed the odd cells when he was decrypting the genetic makeup of Demona's blood sample. The first thing he discovered was that when the blood was outside of her body, it did not solidify as her body did at sunrise.

Upon closer examination of the gargoyle cells, he had managed to separate the immune system. That way he could study the actual organism that caused her to heal so rapidly while she was still fresh. It was unlike anything he had ever seen in his life, a completely new type of microscopic cell. It had taken almost two weeks to study the procedure of how they functioned, but it had been worth the work. From what he could tell the gargoyle immune cell would seek out any form of damage or disease. If it was something like a disease or infection it would latch onto it and would not stop until it had been completely absorbed. On the other hand, if it was actual tissue damage the cell would not attack, but instead bond with the tissue and replicate brand new tissue at blazing speed. He thought it was like actual reproduction, the cell mating with the tissue and giving birth to new ones.

"This is amazing!" he said, jumping up from his chair.

But in that same moment something else occurred to him, would he be able to replicate the process. His moment of triumph melted away as he ran his fingers through his hair before sitting again. Harvesting gargoyle cells was fine, but unless he could synthesize them, he would need a constant supply. He doubted Demona would be willing to continuously give blood to further Xanatos' project. To make things worse, he had not even told Demona he had spliced her cells with his own. Knowing how easily she could be angered he had decided to wait to tell her, at least until he could figure out if he could even make it work.

He was somewhat lucky as he already had three vials of the combined cells in the small refrigerator unit. It was not much to have, but with some more testing and refinement he could have his super healing serum.

"Now I have to figure out a way to synthesize them." He said to himself, storing the current data to the removable hard drive. "I have the feeling if she found this out, I would not live long to enjoy my discovery." This he also said to himself.

Some time ago he had performed an MRI scan of Demona's body and internal organs. He chuckled for a moment as he remembered how much she protested the paper hospital gown after she had put it on. The other thing she grumbled about was getting the injection to help the scanner pick up the areas that had poor natural contrast. After several minutes of complaining and hesitation he had finally gotten her into the MRI. Since he needed to do a full scan, she had been forced to remain in the tube for several minutes. The outcome, however, was worth it when he saw how many high-quality pictures he had gotten.

When he took them back to his laboratory and began looking them over, he marveled at how close a gargoyle was to a human, at least internally. Aside from the extra limbs and skin coloring most of the internal systems were the same. The only thing he could see was that a gargoyle had denser muscle tissue, especially near their wings, which would account for their great strength. He also had no doubts that their bones were as hard as steel, as he saw when Demona dug her claws into solid concrete.

In the following days, he often found himself in the laboratory alone. Occasionally Demona would stop by to see how he was progressing. A few times she had even brought him something to eat, although she never ate with him. Just a few days ago, during one of her visits, she had slid her arm around his neck when she looked down at the screen he was working on. He closed his eyes and remembered how good it felt feeling her arm on him, her firm chest pressed against his back. He had been so interested in what she was doing that he had momentarily forgotten what he had been working on when she asked him.

Putting the memories of her off to the side, he moved the chair down to the next Cray computer. Calling up a DNA breakdown program he cross-linked it to an untested "search & replicate" program. He fed Demona's blood data into it and set the program to scan and duplicate the sample using all known scientific resources. When he was finished, he started the program and waited for it to give him a breakdown time. The computer began the procedure before displaying a digital counter in the lower left corner of the screen:

18 HOURS: 23 MINUTES: 10.543234 SECONDS

When he saw how long it would take, he whistled through his teeth and got up to let the computer work.

Another thing he had not had the chance to do is examine her in stone form. Between working on Xanatos' project, and making time in the evening for Demona's, he had never gotten around to it. They had planned on doing so tomorrow evening at her manor. It would not be difficult to borrow the equipment he needed. Demona had even commented that if he needed anything else she would not hesitate to acquire it, although she had not specified where, or how.

For now, there was not much he could do except call it a night and go home. Hanging his white lab coat next to the door he was about to open it when the buzzer sounded. He was so close to the door it made him jump backwards and wait a few moments before opening it.

When he did, he found David Xanatos and his aid, Owen Burnett standing in the hallway. They were not the most interesting people he felt like talking to now, but the man was signing his paycheck.

"Greetings, professor." the billionaire said, smiling. "I hope we are not coming at an improper time."

"No, of course not, Mr. Xanatos." James said, standing aside to allow them in. "What do I owe the pleasure?"

"I am curious as to how you are progressing, professor." David said as his gaze swept around the laboratory. "I would check in more often but running such a large corporation takes up much of my time."

James nodded. "I imagine it does, Mr. Xanatos. But please, allow me to show you what I have done so far."

Trying not to look as annoyed as he felt, he showed Xanatos what he had done thus far, making certain to leave everything out about Demona. He was not certain just how much his employer understood, but he never asked questions about his research. James was not certain if this was done deliberately to try and catch him off guard, or the man figured he was moving forward with the project.

Either way it still made him feel uneasy about having Xanatos and his aid there. The man's aid, Owen, gave him the creeps more than Xanatos himself. He just followed the billionaire around, saying nothing, which made him feel even more uneasy. He was about to show him his notes when Xanatos noticed the computer with the rolling counter being displayed.

"Damn!" James said silently, suddenly remembering what the system was doing.

"This is interesting." the billionaire said, rubbing his chin. "What are you trying to replicate?"

Again, James swore to himself, seeing his new career being flushed down the toilet. "Oh, that? I am trying out a new program which takes molecules and attempts to find a way to duplicate them artificially."

"You are trying to synthesize something?" Owen said for the first time since their arrival.

"Correct. Since the program is still in early testing, I am putting it to the test to see how accurate it is." James explained as he placed his hands behind his back. "If it does work then I can eventually use it to synthesize the finished project."

Xanatos watched the screen for a moment before nodding. "It's nice to see my employees taking some initiative for a change. Just how much longer do you think it will take before you have it finished?"

"That is difficult to say, Mr. Xanatos." The scientist answered. "I am making some good progress, but with this sort of experiment I cannot give you an exact date."

Xanatos nodded and turned away from the screen. "Well, I suppose that is to be expected. Oh, I forgot to tell you that the Gen-U-Tech building will be closing for a week. This Friday will be the last day." The look of MacGregor's face made him want to laugh. "Do not be alarmed, I do this every six month to give everybody some time off."

James let out a visible sigh of relief at hearing the news. "Only three days. If that happens, how will I explain this to Demona?" He said silently, then to Xanatos. "That is a very kind thing for you to do, Mr. Xanatos, but what about working on your project?"

"I imagine it can wait a week. Besides, you've been logging a lot of hours here." The billionaire commented, shaking his head. "It is not healthy, and you can use the time off, so I have to insist."

James chuckled at how he must sound, almost begging to be allowed to work. "I am sorry if I seem forward, I get that way when I am working on something."

David shook his head. "Not a problem, professor. Owen, I think we've taken up enough of the good scientist's time."

"Of course, sir." Owen said tonelessly, his face as expressionless as always.

The majordomo opened the door for his employer and waited until they had shaken hands before stepping out. After closing the door, he fell in step with Xanatos and waited for his employer to speak.

"The good professor must think I'm an idiot." David said, chuckling. "I knew when I looked at the screen that those were gargoyle cells."

"Yes, I saw that myself." Owen replied, adjusting his glasses as they approached the main elevator. "He is splicing them with human DNA cells to enhance the tissue rebuilding process."

"I guess we have Demona to thank for that bit of help." Xanatos said as they waited for the elevator to arrive. "I hope he gets it working."

"That is what you are paying him for, sir." Owen commented as the doors hissed open. "But what do you need this enhanced healing for?"

"Why, for the BioClan of course." He answered as they stepped into the elevator. "Nanotechnology is very expensive and tricky, so I am opting for a more natural way of having them be self-sufficient."

Owen glanced at him for a moment as the doors slid closed.

***

The clouds rolling past the moon cast long, hazy shadows over the clock tower. From the small doorway at the base of the clock, light shone through an open doorway. For anyone who happened to be passing by they would have probably found it strangely out of place, but being at the top of the New York police station, few would ever have known.

Goliath and Brooklyn swooped downwards towards the lit doorway, pulling up only so they could land on the concrete platform. Draping their wings over their shoulders they stepped inside and made their way down to the main living area. Hudson looked up from the television and nodded from his recliner, giving Bronx a slow head scratch in the process. Broadway was no doubt in the kitchen preparing their evening meal while Lexington was engaged in some noisy computer game.

"How was the patrol, lads?" Hudson asked as he shifted his bulk to a more comfortable position.

"Very quiet this evening." Goliath replied, smiling. "I for one am glad for it."

Brooklyn nodded as he made his way towards Lexington. "Yeah, just the way I like it."

Goliath had planned on spending some time in the library during the flight here, so he headed in that direction. He was almost to the trap door when it opened, and Elisa poked her head though.

"Hi, guys." She said as Goliath gave her a hand climbing the rest of the way though, not that he needed to. "How are things on the old home front?"

"Quiet." Goliath replied, giving her a tiny smile, he hoped nobody else could see. "Are you finished with your shift?"

"Yeah, just punched the clock before coming up here." She replied, looking around at the others.

"Why would one want to… punch a clock, lass?" Hudson asked as he rose to meet their visitor.

"It's just an expression." she replied, chuckling. "It means that I finished work."

"Ah." Hudson said before making his way towards the kitchen. "You humans have so many odd terms for things, it boggles an old warrior's mind."

The others chuckled but said nothing.

"Are you planning on going home, or do you have something else planned for the evening?" Goliath inquired, unfurling his wings.

"Well…" She said, turning towards the open doorway at the top of the stairs. "It's a nice night and I haven't seen the city from above in a while."

Goliath smiled and bowed at the waist. "The lady wishes an evening glide over the city. So be it."

As she followed him up the stairs the others watched them go, knowing well enough not to make any comments, they left that job to Venus. When they emerged onto the platform Elisa strode towards the railing and gazed out over the city. Goliath stepped up beside her, laying both hands on the stone railing.

"Is there something on your mind, Elisa?" he asked, seeing her far away expression.

"Huh?" She said, pulling her mind out of the cloud it had been in. "Oh, no. Was just admiring the view."

"It is very stunning." He replied. "Especially on a clear night. Come, let us not waste it." He smiled and picked her up.

Leaping onto the railing, he jumped out into the empty night air and descended slightly before an updraft lifted them higher. The clock tower quickly shrank behind them as they made their way towards the river. He slowed his glide and allowed her to shift so she could look around. She never tired of seeing all the activity below her, the many lights that infested the streets and towering buildings.

"Is there any place in particular you wish to see?" he asked, raising his voice slightly so she could hear him over the wind.

She shook her head. "Not really, unless you feel like visiting Venus and the professor. If not, then feel free to indulge yourself."

"I have been wondering how she is doing since the incident with Dracon." He said, looking out over the city. "Perhaps we can stop for a short time and then perhaps see a… movie." The last part he said awkwardly, as it was unusual for him.

Elisa nodded and felt him turn towards Ward's Island, the muscles in his arms and chest tightening as the wind held him aloft. She glanced down to see the river appear below, a slow-moving blackness void of buildings. As they started to descend, she could make out a few boats cruising the river, their tiny navigation lights reflecting off the water. It was a short-lived moment as once again land came into view, grassy banks soon giving way to trees.

After another minute the professor's manor came into view, so familiar now that it no longer amazed her at its size. Goliath went into an unexpected dive, causing her to yelp in surprise. For a moment she thought she heard him chuckle under his breath but when she looked at him his face held no expression.

Goliath headed to the rear of the house, swung around, and set down on the second-floor balcony. After putting Elisa down, he waited for her to ring the doorbell that would alert whoever was inside that they were there. Unlike the normal doorbell this one had a different chime so it could be recognized easily.

The sliding doors were already open, but they did not want to simply walk in unannounced. It did not take long for Jacob to arrive, where he smiled and greeted them in his usual friendly manner.

"I hope we are not intruding, Jacob." Elisa asked.

The old butler shook his head. "No madam, they are both in the living room watching television. Please, come in and be welcome."

They followed Jacob inside, down the main staircase and through the house. When they approached the living area Jacob stepped in first and announced their presence. Elisa found it amusing that the old butler should make such a fuss over them.

"Why are you keeping them in the hall, Jacob." Came Scott's voice from within.

Before Jacob could say anything, the professor appeared in the doorway, a warm smile on his lips. He was wearing a faded blue T-shirt, blue jeans and white stockings on his feet. Anyone who did not know the man would never have guessed he was a wealthy archaeologist. A moment later Venus' head popped from around the corner, her playful smile as warm as ever.

"Do not just stand there, Goliath, escort your lady in." Venus said as she tugged the professor back inside.

Goliath raised an eye ridge and said nothing as Elisa took his hand and led him inside. The living room was still the same as they remembered, a long couch with a coffee table, a large bookcase against the left wall while an entertainment center took up most of the forward wall. Elisa glanced at the television and saw a show she knew only by reputation: Wishbone.

Scott picked up the remote control from the table and turned the television off. "Please, have a seat."

Elisa nodded and took a chair next to the bookcase, but Goliath only glanced around for a moment and remained standing. Venus looked at him for a moment and shook her head, but the smile on her lips said that she found it more amusing than upsetting.

"Thank you for having us, professor." Elisa said, leaning back and smiling. "We happened to be in the neighborhood and decided to swing by for a little visit."

Goliath nodded. "Yes. I was curious as to how your wing is faring."

Venus smiled and unfurled her wings, making certain not to strike anything in the process. Dipping her left wing she showed them the area where Dracon's laser had sliced open the membrane. There was still a small opening, but it was mostly healed closed, but a soft reddish line marked where it had once been.

"Well, I suppose it helped that my husband and his butler cohort conspired to keep me on the ground." Venus said, trying to look dejected and hurt, but she looked too playful to have succeeded.

"In this I have to agree with them." Goliath said, nodding towards the professor. "Trying to take to the air with a torn wing is very dangerous, you should know that."

Venus snorted. "Now you sound like my husband. Goliath, I swear that if you do not sit down, I will knock you on your backside."

During the entire conversation Elisa did not say a word, opting only to sit and listen. She still found it weird hearing Venus call the professor her husband. Seeing the two of them together seemed odd, but they made up for it with their love for each other. It was not until she heard Venus threaten Goliath if he did not sit that she snickered. Goliath glanced at her for a moment before gingerly taking the chair on the other side of the bookcase. When he sat he seemed to be waiting for the chair to crumble under him. But after a few moments it did not even emit so much as a creak.

"There, the chair is still alive." Venus said, laughing softly. "You are too stiff and uptight, learn to relax a little." She enhanced her lecture by sitting next to the professor and leaning back before sliding her arm around his shoulders.

"So, what have you guys been up to lately?" Scott asked as he touched his wife's hand with his own.

"Same old thing, professor, working the night shift." Elisa replied, chuckling. "Not much has gone on since we stopped Dracon, to which I must admit I am not complaining."

Goliath nodded. "Indeed. Brooklyn and I went on patrol tonight and found nothing."

"Looks like things are starting to change in this city." Venus commented, glancing at her brother for a moment. "Perhaps one day the humans of this city can no longer have to worry about… bad apples, I think the saying goes."

"Wouldn't that make for a dream come true." Elisa commented. "But then I would be out of a job." The remark caused them all to laugh, including Goliath.

Jacob appeared again carrying a tray with four glasses and a bowl of Chex Party Mix, the cheddar kind. The professor thanked the old butler, who smiled as he set the tray on the table before leaving the room again.

"Please, help yourself." Venus said, waving towards the tray.

Goliath glanced at the bowl of party mix, wondering just what all the assorted things were. Elisa smiled and took a handful, offering some to Goliath as she knew he would not get any for himself. He accepted the mix in one large hand, thanked her and began studying them again. When he looked up, he noticed Venus shifting the things around in the bowl with a talon, apparently looking for something.

"Venus, leave some of those for the rest of us." Scott said as he grabbed a handful.

Venus hurriedly grabbed a few of the brown rye chips and sat back, smiling. "I like that kind more than the others. I wish they sold just those by themselves."

"If I ever find any, I will be certain to buy a lot of them." The professor replied as he continued eating.

"So, brother of mine who is too proud to get food by himself, what else have you planned for tonight." Venus asked as she peered into the bowl in search of more rye chips.

Her question caused him to frown slightly as he growled softly under his breath. It was Elisa who answered. "Just wanted to get some night air, and perhaps see a late-night movie."

The professor raised an eyebrow at the detective and nodded slightly, but Venus grinned from ear to ear. She was about to say something when Scott gently nudged her side. When she glanced down at him, he shook his head, signaling that she should leave it be. Venus sniffed softly, taking the hint, and only nodded saying she thought it a nice idea. Goliath had seemed ready to argue with Venus, but when she did not start going on about having a relationship with Elisa, he looked stumped.

"Well, it is kind of late." Scott said, glancing at the clock. "Do not feel compelled to stay, we would not want you to miss the movie."

"To be honest, we do not even know what's playing and when." Elisa replied, looking a little embarrassed. "It was going to be hit or miss, I suppose." She finished with a grin.

"I would not hear of it." Venus interjected as she got to her feet. "Do not move, I will retrieve the paper containing the news. I have seen a section about movies and the places they are showing."

Before anybody could object, she hurried from the room, nearly going on all fours in the process. Elisa and Goliath looked at Scott, puzzlement showing clearly on their faces. He only looked at them and shrugged.

They waited in silence for a few more minutes until Venus returned carrying the newspaper. The professor and Elisa smiled as she rifled through the many pages, wrinkling it more than anything else.

"This is not a very good way to bind a paper." She commented as a few pages fell to the floor. "Here it is." Dropping the pages on the table she handed a single page to Elisa.

"You did not have to go through the trouble, Venus." Elisa said as she looked at the listings. "But this will make it easier, thank you."

"I agree as well." Goliath said, his mouth creasing into a tiny smile. "And I also thank you for your assistance."

"Well, according to the paper there are several starting in about a half hour. Hey, they're showing those newly enhanced Jaws tonight, I haven't seen that since I was little." Elisa said, nodding before putting the paper on the table.

"What is this Jaws?" Goliath inquired.

"It's a story about a huge killer white shark that terrorizes the waters of Martha's Vineyard." The detective replied, wriggling her fingers to make it sound scary. "It's a Steven Spielberg classic."

The professor laughed. "I remember seeing it when I was a young boy. It was a long time afterwards before I could go near the ocean again. It was interesting because I grew up two hours away from Newport, Rhode Island."

"I must see this Jaws you talk about." Venus said, tilting her head.

"Perhaps you would like to accompany us?" Goliath intoned, much to the amazement of everyone.

Scott looked at Elisa for a moment, although he already knew she was hoping to have Goliath alone. When she glanced at him, he nodded slightly and winked, to which she smiled. "I am not up to going out to a movie tonight. My evening is to spend it with Venus." He said as he picked up a glass of punch.

Venus looked at Goliath and nodded. "I agree, and because I want him to once again try to give me a hatchling tonight."

There came a sudden fit of coughing as the professor lost the quantity of punch he had in his mouth. Leaning forward, he put the glass on the tray and tried to wipe the excess he had running down his chin. The front of his shirt and jeans were stained bright red as if somebody had slit his throat. The entire act of him performing this show made Venus giggle with delight.

Goliath looked at his sister for a long moment, pondering what had caused her to say such a thing. When he looked at Elisa she was trying hard not to chuckle, the effort turning her cheeks red. "Perhaps it is indeed time we go; else we will miss the… start of this Jaws."

Elisa nodded as she and Goliath got to their feet. "I am glad your wing is healing well, Venus, and wish you luck."

"Yes." Goliath said in a low tone. "I look forward to having you back on patrol again."

Venus and Scott escorted their guests back upstairs and out onto the balcony. Venus hugged both Goliath and Elisa while the professor shook their hands. With that Goliath scooped up Elisa, leapt onto the reinforced railing and leapt off into the night.

Once they were out of sight they went back inside and closed the sliding doors behind them. Scott commented that he was going down to the workshop for a little while to work on the sandstone before going to bed. Venus had already started to walk towards their bedroom when he headed towards the stairs.

"I thought we were going to bed." She said, folding her arms beneath her breasts.

"I'm not really tired right now." He replied. "I will go and clean up downstairs before going to the workshop. You do not have to wait for me."

She was about to ask if there was anything wrong, but he had already started downstairs. Jacob passed him on the stairs on his way up but Scott did not say anything. When the old butler reached the top, he seemed puzzled to find Venus standing there by herself.

"What did I do?" She asked Jacob.

The butler shook his head. "I do not know, madam, but something is bothering him. I can tell by the way he is walking and the look in his eyes. Did something happen while Goliath and Detective Maza were here?" He thought for a moment. "I noticed a fresh stain on his shirt."

"I am not certain. When I mentioned to my brother and Elisa about trying to have a child tonight, he seemed startled and spilled some of his punch." She replied. "Is it because of his shirt that he is bothered?"

Jacob shook his head. "No, he no doubt feels embarrassed at your mention of trying to have a child in front of Goliath and the detective. Something like that is often kept private between a couple."

"That is a strange notion, keeping something like that a secret." Venus replied, shaking her head. "It is a thing of nature that is done by all living things. Why is it that humans do not think so?"

"We humans are a strange creation." The old butler replied, smiling. "When it comes to having children, we are hesitant to announce it out loud."

"I did not realize that." She replied, looking towards the stairs where Scott had vanished. "We were among friends and did not think it was improper."

"Even with friends, madam, there are some things that should be kept private." Jacob answered, patting her arm. "Do not let it bother you. It is not the end of the world, and he will not dwell on it very long."

"So, I have made him angry at me?"

"Not exactly, he just wants something that special to be kept between you and him." Jacob answered, seeing that she was becoming bothered.

"But you know."

"Yes, I had an idea even before you said something. At my age you know what goes through a newly married couple's mind." He said, smiling.

Venus smiled at him, but she still felt bothered that something she felt was no big deal could be taken so seriously. "I guess I do not know as much about humans as I thought I did."

"We all learn as we go, madam." The butler commented as he started down the hall to make his usual check of the rooms.

The now slightly confused gargoyle watched the knowledgeable old human walk away. When she started to go downstairs, she stopped herself and instead headed towards their bedroom. She was not angry with her husband as she felt she understood his motives, but she still found it strange.

Demona's New York Manor:

James finished connecting the sensor pad wires to the portable vital signs monitor and was performing a self-diagnostic when Demona stepped into the room. She was not too keen about having them placed on her body. James glanced up from his work and smiled, as always in awe of how lovely she looked.

"How do you wish to do this, professor?" She asked as the computer made different beeping noises.

"Well, normally the person is lying on a table." He replied. "But in this case, you can remain standing as you normally would. Take these pads and place them on your chest, abdomen, neck and back."

She took the pads he offered and glanced at them for a moment before handing them back. "You know where they are supposed to go."

James shrugged and after applying a little Vaseline on the pads, he pressed them to her skin. He did not think much about it until he attached the one above her left breast. As the pad touched her, his fingers brushed against her skin, it was warm and soft.

She looked down at where he had his hand and felt a tiny smile touch her lips. There was nothing special about the touch, but she rather enjoyed feeling his fingers on her. When he pulled away, she watched as he started pressing buttons on the vital signs monitor. A moment later it began beeping as it picked up her heart rate, pulse and breathing.

James rubbed his chin as he glanced at the digital display. "Well, your heart rate is higher than a human, as is your pulse and your breathing seems normal."

"Well, it will be sunrise in a few minutes, and you will be here by yourself." Demona said, touching the pad on her chest. "Remember what I said about wandering around my manor." He nodded. "And if you want anything just take it from the kitchen." She was really starting to like him, but she still felt uncomfortable leaving him alone in her home, and with her helpless in her stone sleep.

James only nodded as he connected the small printer and storage device to have a printed and recorded backup. After checking the monitor once more, he stepped back and looked towards the window. The night was just starting to give way, a dim glow on the horizon telling him that sunrise was approaching. Turning back, he watched as Demona crouched down, assuming what he figured was her normal sleeping position. She looked as if she were going to pounce, one hand reared up behind her while the other curled in front of her. The snarl on her face made him blink as he got a good look at her sharp fangs, the expression on her face was showing anger.

As the window got brighter, he smiled a little and felt brave. "Has anyone ever told you how lovely you look?"

His comment caused her to lose her original posture. Her poise shifted from crouching to partially standing up, her facial expression softened to a surprised, but pleased look. She was about to say something but never got the chance. As the sunlight streamed through the window he watched in amazement as her body stiffened. Her once lovely bluish skin turned colors until it solidified into solid gray stone. The vital signs monitor started beeping noisily as all the reading went right to zero. If it had been attached to anything living, it would have indicated they were dead. When he checked the paper, he noticed a slight spike just before everything went flat line.

"Slight rise in all vitals before turning to stone." He mumbled as made a note of the time and date next to the spike. "Could be to produce some sort of hormone to activate the process." He told himself that next time he was in the lab he would look more closely at the MRI scans.

Stepping up to her stone form he tapped the side of her face. "I wonder what kind of stone this is?" He wished he could get a sample, but it would mean taking a part of her. "Maybe she won't miss a small piece from her clothing and a bit of hair?"

Looking around, he saw the packaging the monitor and other equipment came in and he found some small, clear sample baggies. Nodding, he reached out to her loincloth and snapped a small section from the front hanging flap. He placed it in a baggie, marked it and then went to her long hair. Being extremely careful, he broke off a small piece from the base where it stopped just past her wings. Once bagged he placed them in his pocket and smiled.

"Sorry about that." He said, running a finger down her frozen cheek. "All in the name of science. Hope you do not mind, but I think I will go to the lab for a while. Don't worry, I will return well before sundown."

Smiling at the thought of talking to a statue, he looked her over one last time, checked the monitor and went in search of the telephone. When he found it and dialed for a taxi, he figured that perhaps it was time he had his own car. Giving the location of his pickup, he hung up the phone and headed for the front door. Since Demona's manor was alarmed, he needed to find a way to keep the door from closing, else he would be locked out. Fishing his wallet from his back pocket he removed a credit card and fingered it for a moment.

"Need to make certain it sticks." He said to himself, then remembered the Vaseline he used to attach the probes to Demona. When he had some on his finger, he smeared it on the face of the card and pressed it against the slot where the deadbolt would go.

Hoping his credit card would handle the pressure he stepped outside and gently closed the door. There was a soft click, but it sounded as if it did not complete the lock. He tested it by pushing the door, to his satisfaction it opened easily, and no alarm seemed to have been set off. Resetting the lock, he closed the door again and nodded before walking down to the front gate to meet the taxi.

When he was back at the laboratory, he checked on the computer he had left running. It was still counting down and had not seemed to be tampered with or interrupted. Nodding, he went over to the microscope and began inspecting the fragments he had taken from Demona's stone form. Since he was not a geologist, he was not certain of what he was seeing so he scanned the image into the computer.

Placing the baggies in his pocket again he went over and had the computer search for the chemical composition of the stone. The system worked silently, displaying several hundred lines of search code in the lower window. In the main window different compounds were being displayed so fast he was unable to watch for long as it made him dizzy.

After several minutes the computer chimed, and it was finished. When he looked at the screen, the computer showed three different compounds. The biggest was granite, but it was mixed with two others, zinc, and a small amount of copper. He found it an odd mixture, but that was what the computer had come up with. Sending the data to the removable drive he wiped it from the system and went to a locked cabinet on the far wall.

When he unlocked and opened it a puff of frost emerged from the refrigerated compartment. Reaching in, he withdrew a small vial filled with a dull, red liquid. Holding it up to the light he swirled it around and smiled. Within was a combination of Demona's blood and DNA mixed with human tissue. If his figures were correct this was the first working sample of the project Xanatos had him working on. Of course, his employer did not know he had gotten this far, but James was not going to present it so soon. He was quite happy with the money he was making from Xanatos and wanted to continue receiving it.

It was crude at best and needed to be refined further, but his tests proved that it did indeed work. The cell composition was still too high to be used safely as they reproduced faster than the human body could handle.

Closing the door, he went over to the table where he ran the sample tests and grabbed a new Petri dish containing fresh gel. Placing the vial in a rack he opened the dish, then the vial and used a glass tube to remove a small quantity of the liquid. He placed several drops on the gel before replacing the cover on the Petri dish. Leaving the vial in the rack, he placed the dish in a small heating oven and set the temperature low. His reasons were to see that by applying heat it would either slow or speed up the process.

He hoped it would slow it, thus giving him a way to weaken the mixture, making it safer to use. Leaving the heater, he opened an overhead cabinet to retrieve some more vials so he could withdraw more of his and Demona's blood. In the process, he bumped into a large empty beaker and before he could catch it, fell to the counter and smashed.

Cursing loudly, he set the vials in the rack and while doing that noticed a cut on his hand. Before his fingers were away from the vials, he pulled back to inspect his hand and upended the entire rack. He gasped in horror as the open vial of healing liquid fell to the counter, spilling the contents everywhere.

"No!" he shouted, trying feebly to wipe some of the precious liquid back into the vial. In the process he wound up getting more on his fingers and hand than in the vial.

It was also when he felt small, tiny pinpricks where his hand had picked up several tiny shards of glass. Backing away, he looked down at his hand, to where the cuts and the liquid merged. Suddenly forgetting all about the accident and broken glass he hurried over to the sink and ran his hand under the water. He washed the blood and serum from his hand and immediately poured alcohol on the wounds, followed by some iodine. He glanced at his hand for a moment, the cuts were tiny and no big deal. He was more concerned about getting the serum all over them.

Hoping for the best, he bandaged his hand and put on a pair of latex gloves before cleaning up the mess. He cringed at seeing the spilled experiment, but there was nothing he could do. Luckily, he had two more vials in the refrigerator, but he still cursed himself for being so clumsy.

Once he had the mess cleaned up and tossed into the disposal bin marked "hazardous" he slumped down before the computer. He was starting to think that coming here was not such a good idea.

"Well, nothing I can do about it now." he said to himself as he got back to his feet. "Might as well return to Demona's place."

He glanced down at his bandaged hand one more time before going to call for another taxi.

"This is stupid… I am going to buy my own car."

After he had phoned the taxi service, he made certain to take the removable hard drive before leaving. When the taxi arrived, he instructed it to take him to a new car dealership nearby. The driver nodded and drove off.

*

Demona bellowed as she broke free of her stone sleep. Hundreds of tiny stone shards fell around her body as she stretched. When she looked up, she noticed that James was nowhere to be seen, but the probes were still attached to her. The monitor was beeping away, still spitting paper from the printer. She waited for a few moments to see if James would appear, which he did not. Pulling the probes from her body she went in search of him.

It did not take her long to find him in the kitchen, and from the smell, was fixing dinner. As she got closer, she had to admit that whatever he was preparing did smell quite good. When she emerged in the doorway to the kitchen, she saw him standing before the stove. His back was to her, but she saw him slowly mixing something in a small pot, another larger one was bubbling on a rear burner. Spread out on the center island were an assortment of sliced vegetables and a bowl of some strange looking mixture smelling slightly of eggs and potatoes.

She also noticed the oven was on and that was what she was smelling, what it was exactly, she could not determine. Without making any noise she crept up to the center of the island and sat in one of the high stools behind it. Placing her arms on the top she crossed them over one another and leaned on them, her tail swishing on the floor below. She leaned forward and smiled slightly, tilting her head to one side as she watched him work. There was no reason she could find as to why she was doing this, except perhaps because she really was interested in him.

When he turned around to get at something on the island, he saw her sitting there and jumped. "You certainly know how to sneak up on a person."

"It's how I have stayed alive all these centuries." She replied, flashing him a quick smile. "You seem to have made yourself handy while I was sleeping, professor. What is it you are making?"

"Well, you have a well-stocked kitchen, so I decided to make something that even you might like." He replied as he dumped a bunch of sliced vegetables into the large boiling pot. "Barbecued spareribs with pineapple slices, boiled vegetables and white rice."

Demona raised an eye ridge, impressed with what he had made. "You seem to be able to do more than just poke and prod me with your tools. I think I will keep you around for a while longer. That is unless I do not like whatever this is." She said, pointing to the bowl on the island.

"That is one of my specialties, potato salad." he replied, chuckling. "I am surprised you did not know what it was."

"Well, as I have said before, professor, I do not often have the pleasure of preparing my own meals." She replied, sliding off the stool. "I pay people to do that for me, and what they prepare is usually extravagant."

He shook his head. "Which is why you find things like Chinese and pizza mundane foods. Well, if you stick your pretty nose up at this then you are as stubborn as they come."

The way he spoke to her made her want to lash out, and she would have if he did not turn back to the stove. It was not often somebody spoke to her in that manner, then turned away before she could retaliate. The more she thought about it the more it made her stomach tingle.

"He's not afraid to speak out to me." She said to herself, placing a talon on her lower lip as she smiled. "He is brave, for a human."

As she made her way around the island, she trailed her talons along the smooth marble top. He did not turn to face her, so she stepped up beside him and looked down at the pots. She hesitated for a few moments before placing her hand on his shoulder. When she did that, he turned his head and looked up at her, the smile on his face brought back the memory of when he kissed her.

"You are very kind to do this for me." She said, feeling strange at giving him an honest compliment. "But why?"

"Because I'm hungry, and I thought maybe just once you would sit down and have a meal with me." James answered as he stirred the vegetables before removing the small pot with the rice. "You allowed me to stay here while you slept, so I wanted to return the favor." He dared not tell her about him borrowing some stone samples from her and going to the laboratory.

As if she had somehow read his mind she looked down at his bandaged hand. "How did you manage that?" she asked, waving her hand towards his injured one.

"Got a little carried away earlier while cutting the vegetables." He said, shaking his head and praying she would believe his lie.

"Is it bad?" she asked, concerned.

He shook his head and smiled as he turned the heat down. "No, just a minor thing. Should be healed in a few days."

Demona nodded and flashed him a tiny smile before removing her hand from his shoulder and stepping away. "How long until it is finished?"

"Another five or ten minutes I should say."

"Very well, I shall help you by setting the…" She was about to say 'table' when she glanced over to the dining room and saw that everything was already done. For a few moments she was speechless, marveling at him going through the trouble of trying to please her.

This was something new to her and she liked it, for once somebody was doing nice things for her. When she turned to say something, she was presented with his back as he was still hovering over the stove. Closing her gaping mouth, she bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling. She would not start crying over this, no matter how wonderful it was and how much she liked it, she would not give in. Doing so would be a sure sign of weakness, and she was not weak.

Just to make certain he did not see the expression on her face she strode into the dining room. There were two place settings on opposite sides of the ancient oak table, which she had acquired in England sometime in the year sixteen hundred and eight. Both settings had a complete set of pure silver utensils dating back three hundred years during a trip to Germany. The plates themselves were from around the Ming dynasty; she had acquired them from a reluctant merchant in China. The old man did not want to part with them, but she had perceived by simply taking them.

She grinned and wondered if James knew just how much money was sitting on the table. Still, it had been very kind of him to go through all of this just to please her. When she heard him step into the living room, she turned to see him carrying two bowls. One was filled with steaming vegetables, now soaking in some white cream sauce and the other containing white rice. He smiled as he hurried past her, making certain he did not bump into her as he set the items on the table.

Dry washing his hands he dashed back into the kitchen, earning him a strange look from Demona. It looked as if she wanted to laugh but was not certain if it would have been appropriate. In the kitchen he opened the oven and removed the tiny boneless ribs that had been simmering in barbecue sauce for the past two hours. The smell washed over him, and he had to fight the urge to sneak a few from the pan. He set the pan on the stove, making certain everything was turned off before scooping it into a shallow glass serving platter.

"I will be there in a moment." He spoke. "Need to go wash my hands."

If she heard him, she said nothing, so he went into the adjacent bathroom and closed the door. He rolled up his sleeves and removed the bandage on his hand and nearly gasped in shock.

There was not a single mark where he had once had several cuts caused by the broken beaker. He looked closer and was not even able to find where the cuts had been, not even a scar remained. Running a finger over the area where the injuries had been he marveled at how smooth the skin was.

"It works." He breathed, resting his hands on the sink to support himself. "I unwillingly tested it on myself." The other thing he remembered was that it had been too strong for normal use, that thought made him nervous. "Well, I am a scientist and sometimes there are risks."

With that said he washed his hands and redid the bandage so Demona would not become curious. Adjusting his shirt and nodding to himself in the mirror, opened the door and walked out. Everything was just as it had been when he stepped into the bathroom, including Demona standing in the dining room.

When she saw him come out she smiled for a brief moment before losing it and trying to pass it off with a nod. He found it cute and stepped into the dining room, Demona never taking her eyes off him. Feeling a little perky he stepped over to one of the chairs and pulled it out, then motioned for her to sit. His actions got the desired results he had hoped for when she looked shocked.

After hesitating for a moment, she slowly stepped up to the chair, started to sit and was waiting for him to pull it away. When it did not move, she sat lower and felt it slide under her, placing her closer to the table. Snaking her tail through the opening in the back she felt dumbfounded and a little helpless. When she looked up at him all she could manage was a soft "thank you" and a pleasant smile.

James only nodded and went to take the seat opposite her. "Ladies first." He said, motioning towards the food.

"Lady?" She said, flashing him a quirky smile.

"Well, okay then, Gargess' first."

She answered him with a pleasant laugh, feeling something good growing inside her. When she heard herself, she had almost forgotten what it was like to laugh without destroying something after. "What am I doing?" She asked herself, but now she did not care because she was enjoying herself. Taking a quick look at the food lying on the table before her she smiled and took a little of everything.

When she had taken her share, he smiled and took some of everything himself. It was then that a thought came to him. "I forgot something."

Demona was about to pick up her fork when she stopped. "What have you forgotten?"

"Something to drink." He replied, feeling a little embarrassed.

She gave him a soft, musical laugh and stood up. When he tried to do the same, she shook her head. "Remain where you are. You have done much, so I shall remedy this problem."

He stood up slightly as she smiled and strode from the room, making a show of sliding her tail back and forth like a serpent. After a minute she returned carrying a dark bottle with a faded brown label and two crystal wine glasses. From the amount of dust residue on the bottle he guessed it was old.

"Looks older than I am." He said playfully as she set the bottle and glasses on the table before him. When he picked it up he glanced at the label and saw only a date and nothing else, written in a Celtic style script; 1942.

Demona noticed the look on his face and smiled. "Slightly."

It took him a few moments to work the cork loose, followed by a low "pop" from the bottle. He set the bottle back down and sniffed the cork. It had a strong fruity scent that he could not place. Nodding silently, he took the bottle and filled each glass halfway.

With that finished, he put the cork back in the bottle and together they started eating. Both ate in silence as neither of them could find something to discuss. Demona was very impressed with the food and was not bashful about taking more. She even enjoyed the potato salad, commenting that she had never had anything like it before. The wine was smooth, full-bodied and was unlike anything he had ever tasted before.

When both were finished, Demona, having eaten more than he, leaned back in their chairs.

"I can't remember the last time I had a home cooked meal like that." she said, picking up the napkin she had in her lap. "It was excellent… Thank you for taking the time to do this."

"You are welcome, Demona." he said, smiling as he stood and began gathering the dishes. "I haven't done anything like that in years."

She stood and helped him, although she knew it was not something she normally did. When they had everything placed into the dishwasher, she closed it and started it. Without saying a word, she motioned with her chin to the door leading back into the main manor. He followed without question, not speaking until they were back in the room with the vital signs monitor.

Not bothering to give the monitor a second glance, Demona went over to the couch and sat. He was not sure if it was the way she sat, or the way she slid her tail up and around her leg, but he knew not to bother with the monitor. When he walked past the device she smiled, seemingly pleased at his choice, and sat down next to her.

"James." She said softly, using his first name. His head snapped around to look at her so fast she thought he would get whiplash. "What do you see in me?"

The question took him by complete surprise, not certain of what she meant. "What do you mean?"

"The way you treat me," She began, exhaling softly. "You are kind to me, treat me like you would any human, and do not seem threatened by my appearance or demeanor."

"Can I be honest with you, Demona?" he asked, to which she nodded silently. "I think you are the most remarkable, breathtaking and loveliest creature I have never seen."

Her breath caught in her throat at what he said as she felt the muscles in her chest tighten. "Don't be foolish." She managed to say, though it came out as a whisper. Thailog had never even said such things to her, and he had been the closest thing she considered a mate.

Shaking his head lightly he slid closer until his leg touched hers. "Believe me, Demona, I've felt this way since the moment I saw you. Do you think I would have refused your money had I not felt this way?"

"I…" She stuttered, biting her lip. "You humans are strange and often unpredictable." Even though she spoke, there was no force in it, nor was she aware that her tail had curled around his leg.

"Yes, we are."

Lifting her left arm, she reached out and before she could stop ran her talons gently down the side of his face. She knew this was going in a direction she wanted to avoid but her body was not cooperating, nor was her brain. A distant voice was screaming at her to stop, to end it before it went too far but she ignored it. She felt herself pulling him towards her, his eyes seemingly devouring her entire being and the feel of his hand on her thigh. When she felt his mouth against hers, she closed her eyes and pulled him towards her, not even caring at feeling his hand move from her thigh to the side of her breast.

All she wanted was him.

***

Venus smiled as she walked down the aisle of the grocery store, still amazed at all the items. Scott was beside her; his job was pushing the carriage, already half filled with different items. Now she was examining the vast assortment of canned soups. He found it amusing that something he thought so ordinary could be an adventure for her. It was even stranger seeing her walking around in her human guise in plain sight.

She still had the same features as her gargoyle form, just slightly shorter as she had decided to be the same height as him. Her outfit consisted of a light blue cotton shirt that was buttoned in front and an off-white silk skirt that stopped above her knees. As a human he found her stunningly beautiful, but he enjoyed her true form a lot more.

Earlier this afternoon they had discussed her trying to go among the population in her human form. Scott found it risky, and dangerous, if she somehow lost her hold on the magic. Venus replied that she had been practicing for several weeks and was confident she could do it. Since his biggest desire was to please her they decided on something easy, grocery shopping. Normally it was Jacob's job, but they decided to give him a break. Of course, she knew Scott hated to drive, but one flash of her smile and he was not able to resist.

His mind was pulled from the clouds as she placed a dozen cans of Spaghetti-O's with meatballs. "Jeeze, Venus, you like them that much?" he said, chuckling.

"Of course, they are good and very quick to prepare." She answered before turning to look at the soups some more. "On occasion I get hungry at night and do not want to bother you or Jacob, so this makes it easier."

"That's a good idea. Oh, do you need more fruit?" He asked, as she took some cans of chicken noodle soup. "If so, they are at the end of this aisle."

Placing the cans in the basket she tapped her lower lip. "Yes, I am almost out of oranges… Oh, and cherries, so I can knot the stems with my tongue." This she added, knowing he found it a turn on when she did it.

"Works for me." he replied, chuckling. "Lead on, brave shopper, our larders are bare." When she laughed it was like listening to a soothing song, rich and melodious.

As they continued, she placed her hand atop his as if she was helping to push, but all she wanted was to touch him. Going up and down the isles, they each took the things they needed, and even things they did not because one or the other simply "liked" it. By the time they reached the registers the cart was practically filled. When it was totaled up Venus' eyes went wide with shock, but she kept her tongue so as to not look out of place. The grand total was well over two hundred dollars.

After it had been bagged and placed back in their cart, they wheeled it out and placed everything in the trunk. On the way home she asked if there was any place they could go after returning home.

"I imagine we can." Scott replied, smiling as he watched the wind toss her hair around. "Any place in particular?"

"Let us return to the place where we acquired my first clothes." She answered as she played with the overhead blind. "Macy's, was it?"

"We can do that." He agreed.

When they returned home Jacob helped them carry the groceries inside and put them away. The professor commented that Jacob did not need to trouble himself, but the old butler shook his head. "This way I know where everything is." He added, which got a laugh from Venus. After finishing they told Jacob of their plans to go out again, which he thought was a nice thing to do.

After needing to use the bathroom, Venus practically dragged Scott back outside and into the car. He snickered at her sudden desire to be out in view of the public, doing what most humans took for granted. It made him happy to see her having so much fun, and watching her reactions was a show by itself. He took her to one of the large shopping malls where he knew she would

have more fun.

They strode down the large open hall, filled with people and booths selling everything from cellular phones to plush toys. Lining each side of the hallway were more stores of every type and style. Venus stopped and could only stare in wonder at it all. As was normal there was a constant stream of music coming from speakers no matter where you went.

"So many people in one place, and all manner of places to purchase things." She said, looking like a child who had been given her weekly allowance. "Where do we start?"

"They have a Macy's store here, so let's go there first and see what we can find for you." Scott said, smiling when he felt her take his hand.

Together they walked and stopped for a moment now and again to examine something in a store window or kiosk. As they continued walking around the mall they stopped and looked at several other stores. One of which sold strange joke items and a large variety of adult based merchandise. Venus found this quite amusing and bombarded Scott with questions about everything. Most of the items he could answer her, but some he either was too embarrassed, or repulsed to bother with.

By the time they reached the center of the mall the professor was carrying four different bags. Two were from a store selling music and videos, Macy's and a candy store made for the other two. Glancing at his watch he found it to be almost one thirty, which was no doubt why his stomach had started complaining.

Venus must have either seen him look at his watch or heard his stomach as she stopped and smiled. "I am hungry. You?"

"A little." He replied, nodding. "Do you want to go to a restaurant or see what they have at the food court?"

"What is a food court?" she asked, tilting her head. "A place where food is judged, like those shows on television when people stand before a…" It took a moment to think of the word. "Judge?"

He chuckled. "No, it's a place where many small food counters are located. It offers a quick way to get a bite to eat with different selections."

"I would like to try this… food court."

"Then I shall take you." Scott answered. "If the lady will kindly follow me."

She laughed softly as he playfully stuck his nose in the air and made it look like he was sniffing. Shaking her head, she smiled lovingly and followed close behind, surprised he was not trying to shove people out of the way since he treated her like a princess. It did not take long before her keen nose picked up the aroma of several different types of foods. The assortment of smells was so overwhelming that she had no idea exactly what was being prepared.

When they arrived at the food court she halted in mid stride as the sheer size of the place. The shopping mall had seemed large enough, but this made it to be at least half the size of their home. High above were huge glass windows where one could look up at the sky. Most of the center was taken up by dozens of tables, counter bars and hundreds of chairs. The aroma she had detected was coming from more than two dozen different counters offering everything from burgers to Vietnamese food.

"This is remarkable." She breathed, touching his arm lightly. "So many places to choose from. You were speaking the truth."

"Well, I think I already know where I am going to eat." Scott said, eyeing the Kentucky Fried Chicken counter. "I haven't had KFC in years."

Venus chuckled and shook her head. "You and your fondness for chicken, but I do not feel like chicken."

"Well, there are a lot of other places for you to check out." He said, reaching for his wallet to give her some money. "Here you go. Look around and I am certain something will catch your interest."

She took the money and kissed his cheek. "I will look for you after I have found something."

He nodded and headed off to the Kentucky counter, still carrying their bags. Using her nose, she went off to the right and walked down the length of the counters. She did not see anything that caught her interest, except perhaps the Sabarro counter. Making note of it, she continued onward, not stopping until he found herself before a Pizza Hut counter. The different selections of pizzas on the glass counter looked wonderful, especially the stuffed crust one.

When she stepped up to the counter, she felt a little nervous when she was greeted by the teenage waitress. It was the first time had been out in public and somewhat by herself, now dealing with a human. She smiled, thinking it very foolish and ordered a small meat-lovers pizza with the stuffed crust. The woman nodded and entered the order, then asked if she wanted something to drink.

"Yes." Venus nodded, smiling pleasantly. "A large Dr. Pepper please."

When the woman nodded, Venus turned to see if she could locate her husband. He was still standing at the Kentucky counter as there was somebody ahead of him. By the time she got her meal he was placing his order, so she paid the woman, got the change, and went to find a table near to where he was.

She sat down and watched him as he waited for his food, waving to him when he turned to look for her. He smiled and paid for his own food when it was placed on a tray before him. When he sat down with her, they began eating, every so often chatting about nothing.

"Thank you for showing me all this." She said as she picked up her soft drink. "Such places amaze me, especially walking among other humans and doing the things they do."

"You deserve such things." He said before biting into a chicken wing. "This will open a whole new world for you. Now when I go away chances are you can come with me."

Her head snapped up at his comment, it had been something she had not thought about. "Go with him!" She said to herself, smiling at the thought of not being left alone anymore. "I think I would like that a lot."

"May I ask you something, Venus?"

"Of course." She replied. "You know you can ask anything of me."

Scott chuckled at her comment. "When were you born?" Elisa had not known, and nether Goliath nor Hudson could remember, adding that such things were not needed among their kind. "Which month, to be precise."

The question puzzled her. "You mean when I broke from my egg? It is something we usually do not know." She replied, wondering why he would want to know. "Why would you wish to know this?"

He smiled and shrugged, trying to make it sound as if he was trying to make idle conversation. "I was only curious."

His idea had been to give her a small party, complete with cake, unfortunately not having an exact date would make it difficult. Venus, unaware of what his intentions were, leaned back as she finished the last of her soft drink, sighing softly at her empty tray.

"We should do this more often." She said, looking around the area. "There are so many selections, I will eventually try them all."

"Well, then you will need an allowance." he said, chuckling.

"A what?" She asked, wondering what he meant. "I do not think I need you to allow me to come here."

"Huh? No, no…" He replied, at first not understanding what she was getting at. "It means you will need money. An allowance is money given to somebody."

Venus leaned forward and frowned slightly. "I do not understand. Why would you simply give me money? I must earn it somehow."

"Earn it?" he said, shaking his head. "Venus, you are my wife so everything I have is yours, including money."

She shook her head and chuckled. "Such strange times you humans live in. In my time male and female humans, unless you were highborn, did not share things equally. It was usually the male who ranked above the female."

"Perhaps, but today men and women are equal in most things." Scott replied as he picked up his and Venus' empty trays. "Even in the military, it's pretty common to see enlisted women."

"You would not have seen that at Wyvern Castle." she said, shaking her head at how impressed she was. "Females of my kind were equal to the males, but in the eyes of the humans, we were just beasts for their protection."

"I would never think of you in that way." he added as he got to his feet to empty the trays.

She shook her head and rose. "You have given me so much. My only wish was that more humans were like you and detective Maza."

He did not know what to say, so he simply nodded as they headed off to find the closest trash bin. As they walked, he tried to figure out a way to give Venus her own credit card or ATM card. It would be easier than giving her money each week and thus would not have to depend on him. His thoughts were interrupted when he felt Venus touch his wrist, then relieved him of half the bags. When he looked over, she was smiling and humming a soft tune that he could not make out.

***

Later that same evening, at Demona's mansion:

Demona frowned slightly as she readjusted her halter top so that was covering her chest again. She had not thought she would allow it to go as far as it did, and it had been dangerously close. It had not taken her long to fall willingly into his tender advances, caresses, and kissing. She had not even protested when his hands began exploring other regions of her body. Several minutes had passed before she was able to get her thoughts under control.

She would have sworn he would have gotten angry, or even protested when she gently pushed him away. To her amazement, he did not press her further and pulled back, she even said she was sorry. That had struck her more strongly than anything else, apologizing to a human, of all things.

"You're not angry with me?" she asked as she sat forward, brushing some of her hair from her face.

"No. Why should I be angry?" James answered as he looked down at her on the sofa. "It is your body and your decision what is done with it. I have no interest in trying to force you into doing something you are uncomfortable with."

She shook her head and chuckled as she watched him gather up the equipment. "For a human you keep getting stranger the longer I am with you."

"Well, we humans are flawed in many ways." James replied as he looked at the printouts before folding them away. "I think I would rather be a gargoyle."

"That would be an interesting thing to see." Demona replied, not certain if she should feel honored or insulted at his comment. She figured that either way having him as a gargoyle would make things easier on her. "Having a gargoyle with your intelligence would be welcomed in my life."

If he had been looking at her, she probably would have noticed a sudden gleam in his eyes at her comment. "To be one of her kind? To have the strength and ability of flight." The silent thoughts of it sent a thrill down his spine, then aloud. "That would be something." He knew it could be possible, but the hard part would be to work on it in addition to Xanatos and Demona's project.

When he had the equipment packed Demona helped him place it next to the front door. She looked at the door for a moment, then back to the living room where she had almost let him have her and bowed her head. She told herself it was foolish, but she felt that she would miss him when he left. It was not as if he was moving away, he was only leaving before sunrise, and she would probably see him again in the next few days.

"I have no idea what I am going to do during the week Xanatos is shutting Gen-U-Tech down." James commented as he reached for his coat hanging next to the door. "I don't do well on vacations since I get bored quickly. Not to mention not having anything to do."

"There is no way to sneak into the laboratory?" Demona asked, folding her arms beneath her breasts.

He shook his head. "None. Everything will be locked down and all the security codes will be changed. I tried to arrange it so I could continue working but Xanatos will not budge."

"Sounds like him." she replied, frowning. "He can be as stubborn as they come, but he does have his uses."

"Aye, if not for him I would never have met you, nor have access to the equipment." He replied as he picked up the phone to dial the taxi service. It only took a few moments for him to make the arrangements before hanging up. "Well, today is the last day I can work in the lab so I will try and get as much done as I can."

She nodded, then leaned forward to plant a soft kiss on his lips. "Tell you what, come by here again Sunday evening, after sundown."

"Why?" He asked, smiling playfully.

"I have an idea that could work in both our favors." She replied, grinning evilly. "But you need to bring that data you collected from Xanatos computer core."

He chuckled. "Very well, Demona, I will see you again soon." He bowed slightly, kissing her hand before picking up the large suitcase containing the equipment.

Demona found his manners and demeanor quite satisfying, to which she acknowledged him with a nod and sincere smile. He opened the door and stepped out onto the covered porch. As he walked down the gravel drive to the front gate she stood and watched him. Leaning on the door frame she rested her head on the wood and sighed, knowing he had worked his way into her heart.

*

James was able to get a few hours' sleep before he had to get up to go to the laboratory. He had no interest in eating breakfast this morning, instead gathering up some things for his lunch. Today he had no intention of leaving the laboratory for any reason and working until the last minute. At the end of the day, he would be able to go and get his new car at the dealership.

As he made his way downstairs, he started wondering what Demona had in mind for Sunday. She had not gone into any details, aside from wanting him to bring Xanatos data.

As he waited for the bus to arrive, he thought about Demona letting him get closer to her last night. He remembered feeling her soft skin, her mouth, and hands as eager for him as he was of her. What had surprised him was when she had decided to stop, but he had been sincere and truthful when he said he was not upset.

"She is a very strange lady." he said softly as he heard the bus coming up the street.

When he reached the laboratory, everything was still in order. The computer was still working on the formulas and the storage fridge was still locked. What concerned him was what had happened to his hand, and the fact that it had healed so fast.

The first thing he needed to do was take a blood sample and have it analyzed. Chances are the cells that caused his hand to heal would be overpowered by his normal immune system and killed, but he would take no chances.

Removing the necessary components from the glass cabinet he drew a small amount of blood from his arm. Placing a small amount on a slide he slid it under the high-powered microscope and placed the rest to analyze into the molecule scanner. When he peered into the eyepiece he saw only normal human blood, which made him breath a sign of relief. It was not until the scanner began beeping that he felt his heart skip a beat. The computer only did that when it found something unusual in whatever blood sample it was analyzing. It had gone nuts when he used it to scan Demona's blood sample as gargoyle blood was unknown to the system.

When he brought up the results on the screen, he could see right away the tiny traces of the new cells there. They were few, but if they survived this long without getting bombarded by his normal immune system then they were certain to multiply. It was the one other reason the serum was not yet ready; the cells were supposed to die off when finished, but they had not. There had not been time yet for him to search for a way to alter the effect.

Leaning back, he glanced down at his hand again, flexing it as if doing so would fix the problem. Since they were already in his system, he wondered just how far they had gone, and their reproduction rate. If what he thought would happen did happen, then in a short time his own blood would be completely replaced by mutated gargoyle blood.

"Well, I did comment about wanting to be a gargoyle." He mused, laughing without humor. "Problem is, can I survive the process?" The thought of what he might have to endure sent chills down his spine. "Just how much of me will this effect?"

That thought only added to his worry. Suddenly he did not feel like working any more today, but he knew he had to continue. Turning from the analyzer he sat down at the stand-alone computer and began a new file entry.

NEW FILE ENTRY….
PASS ENCODED…
SYSTEM FILE: HUMAN-GARGOYLE METAMORPHIC SEQUENCES
COMMENT: "Demona's Love Reborn Project… Purpose, experimental research to attempt to harness the abilities of the species known as Gargoyles."

He saved the file and stared at the screen for a time. Without meaning to he had already started the project, how it would end was anyone's guess. What he was not aware of was that another set of eyes was watching him.

*

From the luxury of his office, Xanatos watched the monitor with a wide, satisfying smirk on his face. Using the control pad, kept in the drawer of his desk, he was able to manipulate the camera lenses. When he saw what had happened to the professor, he could not believe his eyes. At first it bothered him that MacGregor already had an early version of the serum. Even though the professor had commented that it was not ready, it was the fact that he kept it from him that irked him.

Now, because of a simple accident, MacGregor had inadvertently tested the serum on himself. From what Xanatos could tell from the computer screens, the stuff was already spreading though the professor's bloodstream. He would have to inquire to Sevarious about what could happen if a human was infected with Gargoyle DNA.

"So, professor." David said softly, smiling as he watched James typing on the computer. "You want to become a gargoyle, do you? This should prove very interesting indeed. " He even allowed himself the pleasure of a soft chuckle, just to add to his good mood.

***

Calissa waited patiently at the main entrance of the museum for her three major contributors to arrive. There was already a large mass of people waiting to enter, held at bay by several New York police officers. She was thankful that the night air was cool, otherwise she would have been sweating to death in her long, light green evening gown.

Professor Mercure had been the easiest of the three to donate several rare archaeological items for tonight's exhibit. Not unlike Xanatos, who had brought up the incident involving the Eye of Odin, or Rineheart, who agreed only if the museum paid a non-refundable lenders fee for his "donations". All three had agreed to make an appearance tonight and give a short lecture on their work, and on the items they donated. Out of the three she was most looking forward to hearing Professor Mercure's lecture. Not only did she find him a fascinating and brilliant archaeologist, but for some time, she secretly had a crush on him.

"Too bad he's already married." She said to herself, remembering being introduced to the raven-haired beauty.

Looking down at herself, she hoped she would still be able to catch his eye, married or not. Her gown was cut low in front, showing some cleavage without being too flashy, held up by thin shoulder strings. The back was wide open, ending a few inches above her backside. The lower section was ruffled around her waist with a false silk scarf that hung down on one side. The rest swirled around her legs and feet, which were covered by soft leather shoes.

Aside from the dress, she had no other cosmetics as she hated wearing the stuff. It was not something she wore often, opting more for her normal outfit of a tank-top, skirt and sneakers. Still, she felt pretty and hoped Scott would think so as well.

A smile creased her lips when she saw a gray limousine pull up to the sidewalk and stop. An usher waiting there bent and opened the door, bowing to whoever was inside. Her smile turned into a slight frown when Professor Harold Reinhart stepped from the vehicle. The man was old enough to be her grandfather, not that she would want him as one. His hair was gray with a little black left here and there, his beard was of the same color.

As he stood, she sighed impatiently as he stood around as if he were a celebrity and looked agitated when only a few news reporters took his picture. His reputation as a shrewd and tight-lipped businessman was apparently well known if reporters did not bother with him. He leaned on a long wooden cane topped with a miniature of a gold Egyptian burial mask. His suit looked as if he had kept it from the sixties, tan and very boring. When he looked up and saw her standing there, he smiled and approached.

She did not really wish to speak with him, but it was her duty, so she faked a sincere smile and allowed him to kiss her hand.

"It is a pleasure to be invited to your fine museum, madam Leigh." He said in his slightly Brazilian accent.

"The pleasure is mine, professor." Calissa answered, nodding. "There is a gentleman just inside who will show you to your table. Thank you again for allowing us to show off your fine treasures." Of course she did not mean a word of it since it had cost her museum money to obtain them.

The man nodded and continued past her, the butt of his cane making an audible click on the concrete.

It was not long after Reinhart's limo left that a jet-black limousine arrived at the curb. When the usher opened the door and bowed, she smiled pleasantly as Scott stepped out, dressed in a fine cut black, three-piece suit. She felt the impulse to wave to him but did not, especially when he placed his hand into the back seat. Her smile faded only slightly as Venus Mercure stepped out wearing a stunning lavender colored dress. Calissa was grateful that it did not look anything like hers, else she would have probably screamed.

Venus' outfit was a strapless evening gown with bead work around the bodice, hem, and waist. The beads were tubular, silver-crystal that formed trailing flowers down the front and back. No skin was showing except her shoulders and neck. Around her neck she wore a lovely gold necklace with a lavender stone setting. Her raven black hair was pulled back and done up to form two hanging loops down the center of her back. There was also a thin gold chain draped around her head with a small ruby dangling on a thin chain above her forehead. Calissa's own dark, brown hair was done up in a single French braid, somewhat tight as the back of her head felt pinched.

The woman was the picture of every man's dream, and Calissa began to admire Venus. When she had met Venus in Scott's home she seemed like a down to earth woman, dressing in clothes no different from hers and had a pleasant, playful manner.

Calissa could not place it, but Venus looked like she was very nervous about being here. The poor woman had probably never been to anything like this and was not used to the spotlight. Scott took Venus' hand and together they ascended the steps towards her. Unlike Reinhart, Scott and Venus got a lot more attention from the photographers. The officers needed to keep the reporters back so the pair would not be molested.

"Welcome, professor, Venus." Calissa said, nodding to the pair. "I am so pleased you both could make it tonight." When the professor kissed her hand, she felt chills go up and down her spine. "If you step inside, there is a gentleman who will show you to your table, and thank you for allowing us to show your artifacts."

"The pleasure is all mine, miss Leigh." Scott replied, smiling. "Always a pleasure helping out with your museum."

"You have a beautiful dress, miss Leigh." Venus said, smiling pleasantly, she slid closer to her husband. "I look forward to touring your museum."

Calissa nodded. "Your dress far outdoes mine but thank you for the kind comment. If time permits, I would be honored to show you both around myself, although I think your husband already knows his way." she added with a soft chuckle.

"That would be wonderful." Venus answered, nodding.

With that, the pair filed past and continued towards the main entrance. Calissa turned and watched them go, still marveling at just how well the two of them seemed to fit together. She was so caught up with watching them that she almost did not hear the third limousine, Xanatos', pull up to the curb.

When she turned, she saw the billionaire's majordomo step out from the driver's side and walk around to the rear door. It was then that she noticed that the usher was not able to open the door. The blonde man spoke a few words with the usher, who then nodded and stepped away. Owen opened the door himself and nodded as David Xanatos rose and stepped onto the sidewalk. He gazed around for a moment, then offered his hand to somebody inside.

A woman took his hand and stepped out, his wife. Fox Xanatos, the redheaded star who had been part of the well known television series, The Pack. The woman was dressed in an elegant, long evening gown the color of blood. One side was cut from her right thigh to her foot and showed an ample amount of her leg. The only jewelry she seemed to be wearing was a golden Egyptian necklace that looked as if it belonged in a museum.

Like Scott and Venus, they got just as much attention from the media and onlookers; perhaps even more. The officers once again had to keep the public back as David and Fox made their way towards her.

The billionaire was wearing his trademark brown suit and black leather shoes. Xanatos bowed slightly and kissed her hand as well, commenting on how lovely she looked. When he kissed her hand, it almost felt like a live black eel had touched her skin. Suppressing the urge to shiver and pull her hand away, she nodded and smiled back.

"Welcome to the Metropolitan Museum, Mr. and Mrs. Xanatos." She said, relieved when he released her hand. "There is a man just inside who will show you to your table, and thank you for donating your pieces."

"The pleasure is all mine, madam curator." David said, nodding, Fox smiled without a word, offering nothing more than a slight nod.

With that, they continued through the front doors. Calissa sighed and absentmindedly wiped her hand on the side of her dress. Even still the feeling of Xanatos' touch was there. With any luck there would be some alcohol wipes somewhere in the dining area.

With her three major contributors present, she turned and walked into her museum. Soon after the other guests would be allowed in, patrons who could afford the four-hundred-dollar admission fee. Since they had agreed to contribute to the exhibit, Reinhart, Mercure and Xanatos did not need to pay. She had the feeling, however, that if Scott kept with his usual practice, he would donate a sum of money.

"The man is too kind and generous for his own good." She remarked to herself as she made her way to the main viewing area.

Already the museum staff had gathered around the three contributors. She chuckled when she saw only a handful speaking with Harold Rineheart. Scott and Xanatos, however, always had a multitude of people around them. The main display was in the forward chamber, closed off with uniformed officers standing at the ready. The air was festive, and the servers were walking around with their trays of wine and tiny sandwiches. As she made her way towards the main doors leading to the exhibit other guests began to arrive. These were the museums dedicated patrons who donated money on a regular basis, the exhibit was closed to the public until Monday.

When she arrived at the entrance, she climbed a small, raised podium with a wireless microphone. When she tapped on the mike a hush fell and all turned in her direction. She waited a few moments in case there were some late arrivals. When the front door usher appeared and nodded, she knew everybody was present.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Metropolitan Museum of Art." She intoned, her voice carried by speakers built into the walls and ceiling. "Tonight, we have a special exhibit to reveal, generously donated by our three distinguished guests."

Everybody knew who the three men were and clapped their approval.

"Beyond these doors…" Calissa said, waving a hand behind her. "You will see things that were once kept for private viewings only, rarely seen by anybody."

Once again there were claps and nods of approval from the audience. When it died down, she smiled and motioned for the three men to stand beside her. Although Rineheart tried to be first, they all arrived at the podium at the same time. Calissa, against her better judgment, allowed Rineheart to go first at speaking.

"Ladies and gentlemen." He began, smiling. "It is a great honor for me to be here tonight. As the lovely curator has said in the other room there are things from my private viewing room that is certain to amaze you."

Calissa tried not to snicker at the older man's lousy attempt at making him appear the star.

"Myself, along with these other two men." Rineheart continued, motioning only slightly to Mercure and Xanatos. "Have agreed to allow you, the average public," This little statement got more than a few frowns. "View our personal treasures."

Less than half of the gathered audience clapped as he nodded and stepped back to allow Xanatos to go next. The multi-billionaire smiled warmly and gazed out at the crowd as if sizing them up.

"As my college has just long windily told," This line got several laughs from the audience. "We three have agreed to donate certain items for you entertainment. I do hope you enjoy them and feel free to ask any questions during the presentation. Thank you for coming."

Calissa herself applauded his short speech along with the others. When she stole a quick look at Rineheart, she smirked at the subtle aggravation he was trying to hide. Last up was Scott, or the professor to her in public, who nodded to Venus, standing next to Fox.

"Very short and to the point, Mr. Xanatos." Scott said, smiling as he looked out at the crowd. "First off we must all thank Ms. Leigh here for taking the time to put all of this together." The crowd applauded loudly.

"Second, I would like to thank my lovely wife for being there for me." He looked down at Venus, who in turn seemed to blush and bow her head shyly. "And lastly I must thank you all for your wonderful contributions to the museum, and for taking the time to come here tonight."

As he nodded and stepped back, he received just as much praise from the audience as Xanatos. Venus looked up at him and smiled in a way that made his heart melt. When Calissa stepped back to the podium she smiled and spread her arms wide.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if you will follow me." she intoned, waving towards the large doors.

The audience complied, except for Venus and Fox, who waited for Scott and David. Rineheart made his way to keep in front of everybody and be the first of the three to be there when the group entered.

Xanatos shook his head as they watched them begin to file inside. "He's quite pompous, isn't he?"

"You mean Rineheart?" Scott replied, sidling close to Venus. "He's been a thorn in my side for years."

"I heard you two had a pretty good argument some time back" Xanatos commented as he laced his fingers behind his back. "He took you to court, if I remember correctly."

Scott sighed and nodded. "Yeah, we were both on the trail of a Mayan statue that was said to be worth several million dollars.

"The party that hired me to find and bring it back to them did not know that Rineheart also wanted it." He continued, bothered by the discussion. "When I got to it first, preventing Rineheart from getting it for his private collection, he tried to sue me."

"Whatever did become of that suit?" Fox asked as she pulled a strand of her red hair behind her ear.

"It was thrown out of court." Scott replied, smiling at the memory. "Rineheart threw a fit at being shot down again, we've been rivals ever since."

"I do not understand." Venus said, frowning slightly. "Why would such a man be allowed to do such things? Archaeology is a field of research and studying the past, with finding artifacts only a small part of it all."

"Well put, Venus." Xanatos replied, nodding. "Men such as he seeks only to profit from such things. If he can make an extra buck, he would sell his own mother to do so."

"I do not think I like him at all." Venus said, huffing softly in irritation.

"Not many people do." Her husband replied.

"Oh, and I have to comment on your new…" David began, looking Venus over. "Outfit. I am quite impressed."

Venus narrowed her eyes and flashed him a sly look. "Yes, I am rather pleased with it."

Xanatos nodded and turned when they saw Calissa walking in their direction. Her light green evening gown flowed around her legs as she walked.

"Are you going to let that blowhard Rineheart steal the entire assembly." she asked, grinning as she stole a quick glance at Scott. "I can think of better company to spend time with."

The small group nodded and did not protest when Calissa led them into the exhibition hall.

*

Later that evening, Calissa kept her word and gave them the private tour she promised. She was pleased with how the evening had gone; the exhibit seemed to be a great success. As she had strolled in and among the people most of them promised that the museum would receive generous donations.

Away from the crowd, the threesome found the quiet of the museum halls peaceful. The first thing she showed them was the Egyptian display section where Scott had donated several pieces throughout the years. Venus was amazed at all the different objects to be seen. Often, she would ask a question and either her husband or Calissa would answer, depending on who knew the answer.

When they reached the second floor Venus found herself needing to use the restroom. Feeling slightly embarrassed she asked Calissa, who smiled and gave her directions to the nearest facility. As Venus hurried off Scott watched her go while Calissa watched him.

A few moments after Venus vanished Scott turned back to Calissa and noticed her staring at the floor.

"Is there something wrong?" He asked, wondering what could be wrong when the evening had been a success.

"I don't know exactly." She said softly, looking up into his eyes. "Perhaps I shouldn't say as you will think me foolish."

"Since when have I ever thought you foolish?" Scott replied, chuckling.

She smiled slightly and shook her head. "Never, but there is something I have been wondering for a long time."

"That is?"

"When you look at me, what do you see?" She asked, her cheek growing slightly red.

The question caught him off guard and he found himself not sure how to answer. "I see a woman who is doing well for herself."

She snorted humorously, then chuckled. "Not that, silly. I mean as a woman; how do you see me?"

Scott looked at her in her lovely light green evening gown, dark brown hair with her green eyes and smiled. "I see a very lovely young woman. Why do you ask?"

Calissa seemed to want to say something but instead shook her head. "It's stupid."

"I somehow doubt that."

"Okay, I will just come out and say it." she said, inhaling deeply before continuing. "I've had a huge crush on you since we met five years ago. There, I said it."

Scott blinked and for a few moments had no idea how to react. She was indeed a beautiful young woman, and he did like her, but he had not expected this.

"All that time I kept hoping you would take notice of me." She continued, turning away so he would not see how red her face was. "You are very handsome, smart and fun to be around."

"Calissa, I…" Scott began but turned to see Venus standing just around a corner. From the calm look on her face she had heard what Calissa had just said.

"Your wife is very lucky. She probably has no idea how much I envy her."

"I think I have a pretty good idea." Venus said in an even tone as she stepped into view.

When Calissa turned to see Venus standing there she looked as if she wanted to crawl under a rock and die. Covering her mouth with her hands she gasped in amazement before bowing her head.

"Now not only do I feel like an idiot, but I also look like one as well." Calissa added in a soft voice. "I didn't…"

"Do not be alarmed." Venus said, much to Scott's amazement and relief. "I cannot fault a woman for finding a man attractive, even if that man is my husband."

Calissa looked up and seemed startled, and surprised, that Venus was not lecturing her on her actions. Instead, Venus smiled and stood next to her husband.

"When I saw you there, I was waiting for you to beat me within an inch of my life." Calissa said, smiling softly.

"Such a thing would be childish, I think." Scott said, looking at Venus for a moment. "I would never do anything to hurt her."

Venus nodded, seeming impressed with what he had said. "I had a feeling you felt something for him. Most of the evening you spent either looking at him, or finding any excuse to talk to him." She added, chuckling softly.

"Thank you." Calissa said, breathing easier. "I still care for him, but I would never try to sway him away from you."

"I know." Venus replied, nodding. "I trust Scott with my very life and will do anything to protect him." She almost let slip the reason why she had the urge to protect him, but it would have sounded odd to Calissa.

"You two look like you belong together." Calissa said, crossing her arms beneath her breasts. "I don't know how I know this but seeing you two together just feels right."

Both Scott and Venus smiled at her observation, not daring to tell her the truth.

"I think it is time we returned to the others." Scott said, taking Venus' arm in his before offering the other to Calissa. "Don't you think?"

Calissa smiled warmly and slid her arm though his as they made their way back to the exhibition hall.

TO BE CONTINUED...