Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or locations from Gargoyles, those belong to their owners.

Author's note: This story takes place the summer following "The Journey", and though it ignores the comic's continuity, I'm using Fang's real name, revealed in Bad Guys #2.

Chance Meetings

Chapter 28

by Remtar85

Talon could not deny that he was apprehensive. Claw overhearing everything was not something he would've expected to happen, and he mentally chided himself for being so careless. Now his good friend was clearly quite angry at him for keeping him in the dark about the details of Fang's escape and whereabouts. Walking down the hall, Talon opened the door to the room he shared with Maggie. It wasn't as private and quiet as the cell block, but it would do for this conversation. Talon entered with Claw right behind, the tiger-man closing the door behind him, then crossed his arms over his chest, looking at Talon. His facial expression clearly read that he was waiting for Talon to explain himself.

"What can I say? I'm really sorry about not telling you, Claw. I just... damn it, I... it's just so damn difficult," Talon said with a sigh of frustration at himself. "Is Daniel okay?"

Claw, remaining completely stoic, reached forward, a note in his hand that he had already written back in the cell block. Taking it, Talon read what it said. "I figured out a long time ago, no thanks to you, that it was Daniel who freed Fang and kept him at his apartment. I'm not mad at him, he's just a boy looking out for his father, even if that father is Fang of all people. But you, Maggie, Elisa, Goliath's clan, why did none of you tell me?"

Talon's eyes were wide upon reading this, his relief over Claw not being harsh with Daniel taking a backseat. "You knew, all this time? Why didn't you tell me?"

Claw remained stoic as he took his note pad and wrote on it, showing it to Talon. "Because I feared you'd snap at Daniel, be harsh with him, scare him off, and in turn scare Fang off. And don't say you'd never do such a thing, Derek, because I've seen just how impulsive and temperamental you can be. I was waiting for Daniel to feel comfortable enough to tell me, so we could all come together, talk about it, and come to a solution. I'm sure you knew about Daniel and Fang before I did, so why did you not tell me?"

The panther-man remained silent, his eyes not meeting Claw's for a few moments even after having finished reading the note, because Talon could not deny that Claw was right. Had Talon not known about Daniel helping Fang-information he got thanks to Goliath's clan and just the sheer luck of Fang deciding to go to Xanatos's castle so quickly after escaping, with Daniel in tow-learning the truth would have made him act harshly and impulsively... just like he had during the time he believed Goliath was responsible for his mutation. This only made Talon start to feel worse than he already did.

Steeling himself, Talon looked back at Claw, nodded, and at last replied. " You're right," he said in a low voice, then took a breath and began explaining. "The others didn't tell you at first because we wanted to keep an eye on Daniel, see if he could lead us to Fang's whereabouts. We were afraid that if he suspected you knew anything, he'd tell Fang and then he'd just try running away elsewhere and we'd never find him-or worse, put Daniel and his family in danger. You've always been great with the kids here, but it seemed to us that you'd gotten really attached to Daniel. Sort of like a father-figure to him, because he hadn't had one at home for years.

"So when we found out that he was Fang's relative and that he was the one helping Fang out on everything... I decided we shouldn't tell you and asked the others to not tell you either. They didn't like the idea, but decided to respect my decision. After the trauma from your mutation, and having Fang intimidate you into doing bad things, and everything else that's happened since, the Quarrymen and all, I didn't know how you'd react," Talon finished explaining, a bit lamely, and he knew that's exactly what he sounded like.

Claw took a deep breath, his stoic expression turning into a frown as he wrote down a new message on his notepad and showed it to Talon. "So that's what it is. I really am that goddamned fragile to you, and you feel like I need to be coddled like a child. Or you think that I'm a wimp who can't handle the slightest bit of bad news."

"No, it's not that!" Talon denied the accusation, prompting Claw to not write, but mouth out "Then what?" to the panther-man, who by this point was stressed and frazzled. "I don't know how else to say it, Claw. I... just... you're family and I love you, but I feel like I barely know you! I made a decision based on what I know of you and I'm sorry it was the wrong one! I feel terrible about it!"

Claw was taken aback by Talon's sudden confession. Then a very low, rumbly growl was heard from deep in his throat as he wrote again, a frown on his face. "I would've thought you knew me enough by now. Like you said, we're family."

"I mean before your mutation, Claw," Talon said, looking emotionally drained by now. "You know everything about me and about Maggie. And thanks to Daniel, now you know plenty about Fang too. But I don't know anything about you before you got mutated. And after the experiences we've had, what else was I supposed to think?"

Claw frowned once again, writing down rather furiously, to the point that, making a mistake in his writing, he exasperatedly tore off the page, quickly crumpling it into a ball and tossing it aside before writing once more. It took several moments, but the tiger-man managed to get through without messing up again. He then showed Talon what he had written with an accusatory glare.

"You're supposed to fucking trust me, because I've done enough here for you and for everybody else to earn that trust! To trust me that I've become more confident, more self-assured, that I've begun to move past the trauma of this mutation enough to be able to handle some possible bad news! The reason I don't talk about my past is because I did something that I regret so much that I don't want to talk about it with anyone. Maybe someday, but not now! It wasn't murder or rape or anything like that, but it's something personal that I'm ashamed of and I don't want to share until I feel it's the right time!"

Talon read this, remaining silent for a few moments, then looked at his fellow mutate, feeling quite ashamed now himself. "You're right, Claw. I fucked up, badly. I made a huge mistake and dragged everyone along with me. You're right in that I need to trust you more, but also, I need to respect you more. I'm so sorry."

Claw took another deep breath, not frowning anymore, but still stoic. Once more, he wrote, this time doing so more calmly. "I appreciate that, but I'm still angry about this. I need time to clear my head and settle down. For now, I'm going out."

Having shown Talon that note, the tiger-man turned around, opened the door, and walked out. Some people were nearby, and though he didn't know if they overheard Talon talking to him, Claw didn't pay it any mind, continuing to walk away. For his part, Talon remained in his bedroom... and after a few moments of silence, he growled and punched the wall, angry at himself for having hurt his friend like that. He understood why Claw did not tell him about having figured out that Daniel helped Fang escape and was hiding him at his place, whereas the panther-man realized that he had no excuse or good reason to not tell Claw about it. Leaving the notes written by Claw on the bed, Talon left the room as well, in search of Maggie and Elisa to tell them all about it, while vowing to himself that he'd make this up to Claw however he could.

Claw had left the hallway and was making his way towards the Labyrinth's entrance. The last time he had been genuinely angry, it had been the night Fang had escaped, anger that he felt out of a sense of responsibility in keeping Fang from causing trouble and hurting others. He knew he needed to clear his head, and he couldn't think of any other way than going out to fly for a while. Just as he was about to reach the entrance, he heard someone call out to him, and turned to see Daniel in the company of Hollywood and Burbank. The child excused himself to the clones, saying goodbye to them and making his way to Claw.

"Where are you going?" he asked, to which Claw replied by pointing upwards and spreading his wings, flapping them a bit to indicate he was going out to fly, which made Daniel look a bit crestfallen. "Oh. Did the talk with Derek go that bad?"

Claw took the notepad and pen from his waistband, writing down, "Let's just say we need some time to let things cool down. I need to clear my head."

"Can I go with you, then?" Daniel asked. "Someone told me that Tyler left with Broadway, so he'll probably go straight home. Is it okay if you can take me home?"

Claw gave the boy a bit of a smile and nodded, then started walking again with Daniel following. The tiger-man had always liked children and been very good with them, and they liked him in return. He remembered what Talon had said back in his room and he realized that Talon was right; he really had grown attached to Daniel. Claw found it very ironic that such a good kid he had grown attached to was the son of one of the nastiest guys Claw had ever met. He figured that he and Daniel would have to talk about Fang, probably sooner rather than later. And as the two reached the surface and took to the skies, Daniel decided to talk again, even though he knew Claw couldn't properly respond while holding him.

"I'm really sorry I caused so much trouble, Claw," Daniel said as he clung to the mutate. "I hope you and Derek can mend things after this. Especially after the talk he and I had, you heard it. He and I are okay with each other now, and I don't dislike him anymore."

Claw couldn't help but smile at this, giving the boy's back a couple of gentle, reassuring pats, and Daniel continued speaking. "And I did mean it. Once Dad comes back from that trip, he's gonna quit working for Demona. He's really changed, Claw, and I wanna show that to you guys. Especially you and Derek, because I know how much of a jerk he's been to you both. But we don't have to talk about it now, we can wait till we get to my building."

Claw nodded in agreement, admiring and secretly envying Daniel's devotion to his father, finding himself agreeing with Talon's statement down in the Labyrinth; Fang really was a lucky guy to have a good son who'd go to such lengths to keep his mutated father safe and happy. Daniel said no more during the rest of the trip, and before long, Claw landed smoothly on the top of Daniel's building, setting the boy down.

"Okay, now we can talk," Daniel said, looking a little anxious. "So, Derek said he's gonna give my Dad a chance to show he can be a good guy. Will you do that too, Claw?"

Claw took his notepad, writing in it, showing it to the boy and lighting up his hand with electricity to provide better illumination to read it. "I'm not going to deny that Fang's one of my least favorite people out there. But he does seem to be behaving better when he's around you. So, I'll give him a chance too."

"Thank, you, Claw!" an excited Daniel exclaimed, looking relieved. "I'll make sure he keeps out of trouble, I promise. But..."

Claw made a curious face with an eyebrow raised, indicating that Daniel could go ahead and say what he wanted to say. "But... are you and Derek really gonna be okay? I get that you'd be mad he didn't tell you about me and my Dad. But you guys've been together for so long. I feel like it's kinda my fault that there's this tension between you now."

Claw sighed, getting down on one knee, putting a big hand on Daniel's shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze. He then wrote down another note. "I'm happy that you care about him now, Daniel. But Talon and the others lying to me, not trusting me to react properly to things, it made me both upset and angry, so it's probably going to take some time to deal with this. I'm 43 years old, not some baby that needs coddling and protecting."

Daniel read this and did a double take. "Wait, you're forty-three? I thought you were around the same age as Dad and Derek!"

Claw couldn't help but grin, shrug sheepishly, and chuckle in amusement at the child's reaction. It was the first time Daniel had heard any kind of laughter from Claw, and it sounded deep and guttural, almost like a mix of cough and growl-which rather surprised Daniel, especially because it was the first time he had heard Claw making any sound beyond the occasional sigh. Unbeknownst to Daniel, this was also the first time Claw had revealed his actual age to anyone.

"Wow. No wonder you're so good with kids, you must really have experience with them," Daniel said, to which Claw shrugged again and nodded. "But yeah, I understand what you mean. They should've told you, and I should have too."

Claw shook his head, writing again, Daniel able to see what Claw was writing due to the mutate remaining down on his knee. "No no, not you. You were just looking out for Fang, so-"

Claw was unable to finish writing, because as he was doing so, the door leading from inside the building to the rooftop opened. Daniel gasped audibly, both his and Claw's eyes opening wide, the surprise resulting in Claw fumbling with his notepad and pen, both of which fell onto the rooftop. It was Carmen who had opened the door, also gasping in surprise at the sight of a winged tiger-man with her son. A panicked Claw scrambled to his feet to try to run away, but Daniel recovered from his surprise and firmly grabbed one of his big hands, getting dragged along by the mutate for a few feet.

"Wait wait wait, Claw, that's my mom!" Daniel said hurriedly to stop his large friend from fleeing. Claw stopped mainly so he wouldn't accidentally hurt the boy by dragging him like that, then looked over at the woman standing there, who besides her initial reaction, did not look that surprised at the sight of him.

"That's my mom, Claw, she knows about you guys," Daniel said again as his mother closed the door to the building and walked over.

"Hello. You're Claw, right?" she asked, to which the mutate sheepishly nodded in response. "I'm Carmen."

"I told Mom about you guys after she found out about Dad," Daniel explained to Claw. "But I haven't told her or anyone where the Labyrinth is. Neither has Dad. He's kept the secret too."

"Daniel's been pretty protective of your home," Carmen said, giving both boy and mutate a friendly smile. "It's nice to meet you, Claw. Thank you for looking after my son whenever he visits. He's told me a lot of good things about you."

Looking more relaxed now after the tension of being surprised, Claw gave Carmen a polite smile and a courteous nod. It was clear that being around Fang made her get used, to some extent, to having a mutate around, so beyond the initial surprise of finding him there with her son when opening the door, she wasn't uncomfortable with his presence. This made the mutate relax and feel glad he could meet Daniel's mother.

"But what are you doing up here, Mom?" Daniel asked.

"Well, I didn't know when you'd be back, and I had nothing to do, so I came up here to wait for you," she explained. "You've said that Claw always brings you home because it's faster and safer. I just wanted to meet the person who looks after you when you go down there."

"Oh. Okay then, here he is. Tyler says he's like a cool uncle everyone would like to have, and he's pretty much right about that," Daniel said cheerfully, Claw looking flattered.

"Where is Tyler, by the way?" Carmen asked. "Did you take him home already?"

"No, we got separated in the Labyrinth," Daniel replied. "I'm pretty sure a gargoyle I became friends with took him home."

"Mutants, gargoyles. My son's life has gotten so crazy," Carmen chuckled, shaking her head in slight disbelief, then turned to Claw. "So, Claw, how would you like to come inside and have some coffee?"

"Really?" Daniel asked with hopeful eyes while Claw looked surprised at the offer. "He can come into the apartment?"

"I don't see why not," Carmen said. "Richard's at work till eleven, so there's plenty of time. Besides, I'd like to get to know you better, Claw."

Looking sheepish once again, Claw nodded in positive response. He at first tried to opt to go down the fire escape as discreetly as he could and go in through the window, but Daniel pointed out that Fang already had some difficulty squeezing in through the window as it was, and Claw was larger than Daniel's father. So with Carmen and Daniel leading the way, Claw followed along inside the building, down a couple of floors, mother and son keeping a lookout for any other residents of the building coming or going, aided by Claw's sharp hearing. A few minutes later, Claw was safely inside the apartment.

For a little over an hour, Claw spent time with Daniel and his mother. Using a spare notebook of Daniel's, he was able to communicate properly without having to use up more of his notepad. The adults enjoyed some coffee and cookies and got to know about one another, with Daniel adding to the conversation. Learning of the trauma Claw suffered from his mutation, Carmen respected his privacy in regards to certain things, which Claw greatly appreciated, whereas he got to know some more about her than the things Daniel had told him over time. Eventually Carmen declared that her husband wouldn't take much longer to be back home and Daniel should be heading to bed. Daniel promised to return to the Labyrinth next weekend, the two friends bidding each other a fond farewell, and Carmen escorted Claw back up to the rooftop.

"Thanks for keeping us company tonight, Claw. I really liked getting to meet you," Carmen told the mutate, who smiled and nodded in response. "And don't be a stranger. You can visit us again anytime, so we can get to talk more. Danny should let you know about Richard's schedule so you can know the best nights to drop by."

Claw looked very flattered at this and wrote a quick little note of thanks and a good night to Carmen. She also wished him a good night and waved at him as he flew off, then headed back inside the building. Carmen had found Claw to be a charming gentleman and lamented that Fred wasn't like that, as it would certainly make things easier for herself and Daniel whenever he was around. For his part, as he headed for home, Claw's mood was considerably brighter. Being invited into Daniel's home and getting to know his mother had been a wonderful experience for the tiger-man, especially because Carmen made him feel welcome and clearly trusted him with her son's safety and well-being, and this greatly warmed Claw's heart.

He was in a cheerful mood by the time he got home, and not even some arguing between Talon and Malibu over the clone sneaking off without permission to hang out at Xanatos's castle dampened Claw's mood. Instead, he found it rather amusing how Talon and Malibu's bickering seemed more like a father harping on his teenage son for staying out past curfew. Eventually Maggie and Elisa intervened as the voices of reason, making the mutate and the clone stop bickering and start discussing things properly and in a calm manner.

As he witnessed this, Claw thought to himself. Though he had been quite angry, maybe he didn't need to stay angry at Talon and the others for who knows how long over keeping things from him. He had made things clear to Talon, and decided to trust the leader of the Labyrinth with respecting Claw's wishes from now on. It would certainly not do Claw any good to stay angry, and letting his friends make up for their mistake would be the mature and responsible thing to do, so he figured it was best to just give one another some space and let things calm down and return to normal naturally, with everybody doing their part to make things better. Claw then headed towards his bedroom, with the comforting feeling that things would be okay again.

To Be Continued...

Author's Extra Note: Hey everyone. Not much to say this month, just that taking care of Mom after her accident where she broke her left arm has been a full-time job and then some, and continues to be. Still, trying to find as much time as I can for writing, and now we've gotten through that awkward talk between Claw and Talon. So while those two try to work things out, we'll be going back to Fang in London next time. Take care, everyone, and as always, thanks for reading.