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Disclaimers;
Joss owns any characters related to BtVS. The Gargoyles characters are owned by the house that Walt built. First rule of copyright law; don?t mess with the Mouse! Author?s Note;
This is a massive Buffy/Gargoyles crossover, which will take place over several episodes. I?m going for a whole season-length event(kinda like Joss usually does), with plenty of character interaction and a major threat. The story takes place a few years after the third
season of Gargoyles (ABC?s Goliath Chronicles series), and during that time, I?m
assuming that Goliath and his human detective partner Elisa Masa have gotten
together romantically. There was plenty of chemistry between them, and
they did finally admit that they had feelings for each other at the end of the
Hunter?s Moon story arc, dammit!
Oh, and it doesn?t happen yet, but somewhere down
the line, Buffy and Willow will get together. That?s the name of the list,
after all!
Rating; PG-13
Archives; Let me know and get the name
right.
Feedback; Puh-LEEZE! Jim_D_Means@xxxxxxxxxxx
Summary;
Follows ?Return?; Buffy isreborn, but her peace won?t last as new allies and new enemies converge on Sunnydale. ======== Defenders of the Night; A Prelude in Five Parts By Kirayoshi ======== Part Four Love Sees Not With the Eyes but With the Mind The Aerie Building, New York City;
It had been a busy week for David Xanatos.
Not that he wasn?t used to busy weeks before. The fact was that in
amassing his vast fortune and holdings, Xanatos found himself swamped in his
work for weeks on end without a break.
Of course, he didn?t complain about that fact of his life. He hated
being idle, especially when his more unusual concerns were involved.
This past week was a prime example.
Three days ago, he had succeeded in saving the life of a young woman he had
never met before, a woman who only knew him through his picture and name inthe
media. A woman named Buffy Summers.
Of course, he knew about the Slayers, and the Council of Watchers.
After all, weren?t both he and senior Watcher Quentin Travers both lower
functionaries of the Illuminati? Fortunately for Xanatos, and for Miss
Summers, Quentin was an even lower functionary than he was.
David Xanatos had said before that he found membership in the Illuminati
distasteful, but at times it did prove useful. He had heard through his
Illuminati connections that Mr. Travers was preparing to have Buffy Summers
hunted down and executed, by Council?s orders, in order for a new Slayer to be
called. Quentin had declared that Miss Summers was tainted by dark magic,
and not truly human. Xanatos had to stop himself from laughing out loud
over the phone; were the Council that superstitious?
It was simplicity itself for Xanatos to ?pull rank? on Quentin, toimply
that the Illuminati had plans for the Slayer. The fact was that the
Illuminati, while aware of the Slayer, weren?t remotely interested; they
generally avoided anything that smacked of the supernatural. So much the
better for Miss Summers, David mused. David had succeeded the desired
result, and Quentin agreed to steer the Council away from Miss Summers.
David gave Quentin a cordial farewell and hung up, a satisfied smile on his
face. It was good to be in charge.
His interest in the Slayer didn?t stop there, however. No, notif the
information he received from his contacts in California was any
indication. The sightings were too clear to ignore; a dark-skinned
she-demon with glowing yellow eyes, bright red hair and huge leathery
wings. And a very reliable source had her sighted near the offices ofthat
damn Wolfram and Hart law-firm. Only one person could match that
description.
Demona.
He had plans to make, and fortunately they coincided with his planned his
business strategy; he had been considering expanding his business concerns into
California. He made a quick phone call, contacting a friend of his inthe
construction business, who suggested a company in Sunnydale. He then made
preparations for his private plane to fly to California. Everything was
ready in two hours. He left his office, and made his way to the
Castle.
The Aerie Building was one of the most bizarre fixtures on the New York
skyline; an enormous tower of glass, steel and concrete, topped by the
Castle. David Xanatos was a man of unusual tastes, and the money to
indulge them. Years ago, he purchased the ancient Castle Wyvern, and
arranged to have the entire castle airlifted, along with the rock upon which it
was built, and placed on the top of this corporate tower.
Castle Wyvern was now home to Xanatos, his wife Fox and their
kindergarten-age son Alexander. And, despite some initial antagonism
between them, he now welcomed some of the castle?s original tenants to live
here, in their original home.
It was one of those inhabitants he wished to speak with. He found his
ally on the parapet, watching over the city. ?Goliath,? he greeted
him. ?You know what?s happening in California??
The Gargoyle warrior nodded. ?I know you diverted the plans ofthe
Watchers Council, and saved the Slayer?s life.?
?That I did. But we have to move quickly. She?s out there
now.?
Goliath didn?t need to ask who ?she? was. He knew.
?Demona.? He reigned in the anger and contempt that always edged his voice
whenever he contemplated his former love and bitter enemy. ?I shalljoin
you, David,? he stated candidly.
?I thought you might,? Xanatos answered. ?So I made
arrangements. There?s room for you on my plane, old friend.?
?Thank you, David. I shall be ready soon.? Goliath climbed onto
the ledge of the castle, and spread his wings. ?First, I have someone to
see.? He leapt from the castle, and caught the air in his wings, soaring
gracefully over the towers of New York.
?That?s a sight I?ll never get tired of,? David mused.
========
She sat on the park bench, contemplating the mosaic in front of her.
Grey and white stones formed a sundial-like circle, the radiating lines
converging on a smaller circle within, which bore a single word;
?Imagine?.
Strawberry Fields was her favorite area in New York?s Central Park.
This was where the late John Lennon often walked, with Yoko and Sean at his
side. Just within sight of her bench was the Dakota Apartment, where John
lived for the last years of his life. The very steps where he was
killed.
Elisa Masa shook her head, disrupting the morbid turn her thoughts were
taking. She was certainly not in a position to feel maudlin. She was
a capable detective for the NYPD, she had her family?s love and support, and
more importantly she had the love of the most noble and loving soul she hadever
known. It was here, in Strawberry Fields, where they shared vows in a
commitment ceremony last year. The New York courts were still uncertain
where the rights of non-humans were concerned, but no one would argue with the
love that she and Goliath had demonstrated that summer night. Especially
when one of the wealthiest men in the world was footing the bill for the
ceremony.
A faint rustle of wings behind her brought her concentration back to the
real world. She recognized that familiar leathery scent in a
heartbeat. ?Hello, Goliath,? she greeted her husband.
?Elisa,? he replied, in a tone of voice that converted a simple first name
into the most cherished of endearments. He gently stepped behind her,his
arms wrapped around her waist. ?It is good to hold you again.?
?I?ll bet you say that to all the female cops you know,? she teased her
beloved as she reached behind her to caress her face. She turned around in
his arms to see him better. His face was as strong and as warm as ever,
but there was no mistaking the concern and resolve etched in his horned
brows. ?So,? Elisa guessed, ?you?ll be leaving for California
tomorrow??
?I must,? Goliath answered. ?If Demona is near the Hellmouth, we all
have much to fear.?
?I know,? Elisa admitted reluctantly. Ever since she first heard
about this Hellmouth in California, she feared that the Gargoyles? ancient enemy
would seek its power for herself. With that power fueling her hatred,
humanity?s days could be counted on the fingers of one hand. ?I just don?t
want you to go. I?ve kinda gotten used to having you around, Big Guy,? she
smiled as she tousled his hair. ?I miss you when you?re gone,
y?know.?
?And I you, my beloved,? he answered. ?Never doubt that you are my
life?s breath. Which is why I must leave. Whatever Demona is
planning near the Hellmouth, David and I must be there to stop her.?
Elisa flinched a little when she heard the name ?David?. After all
this time, she still didn?t fully trust David Xanatos. His past dealings
with Goliath and his clan have always been to the clan?s detriment. But
even she had to admit that he had proven his worth to them in recent
years. Ever since he and Fox became parents, he seemed to have softened,
to have abandoned his quests for more power, for immortality. He oncetold
Elisa that through Alexander he achieved the only true immortality a man may
know. Still, she remembered how Xanatos turned Goliath?s brother
Coldstone into a cyborg, and her own brother into a mutation. She didn?t
quite understand how Goliath could trust him so readily, after all he had done
to him in the past.
Still, if there was one person in the world she could trust, it was
Goliath. When he held her in his arms, gliding high over the towers of
Manhattan, his strength and tenderness calmed her fears every time. She
trusted him with her heart, her life and her soul. If he chose to trust
Xanatos, she would trust his judgement.
?You call me the moment you get there, Goliath,? she insisted.
?Once I awake from stone sleep,? Goliath smiled, ?you may count on
it. And I?ve arranged for Hudson and Brooklyn to look in on you while I?m
gone.?
?You know I can take care of myself,? she protested, not unkindly.
?Yes, but it would put my mind at ease.? That was another of
Goliath?s endearing features, his almost courtly manners. Elisa never met
a man so polite and considerate of her before. And it thrilled her no
end.
?You have to do this, I understand. Just don?t take too long.?
?Believe me, Elisa,? Goliath assured his wife with a gentle chuckle.
?I have no intention of missing Angela?s joining ceremony with Broadway.?
?I?m glad to hear that. I love you, Goliath.? She tilted her
head upward and offered her lips to be kissed, an offer that Goliath gladly
accepted. The contact, as always was war and gentle, with the
promise of passion.
?So,? she asked gently as they disengaged the kiss, ?do we stillhave some
time before you have to go??
?A few hours, yes,? Goliath answered.
?In that case,? she grabbed his hand in hers and led her down the path from
the John Lennon memorial, ?I don?t wanna waste a second!?
Goliath smiled broadly, thanking the living Lord for this miracle of love
that had been given to him. Tomorrow morning, he would be loaded onto
Xanatos?s private jet, as a statue, to be flown to Sunnydale, California,where
eventually he would have to face his most bitter enemy.
Until then, he simply allowed himself to love, and to be loved.
For now, that was enough blessing.
Part Five;
The Course of True Love ?Hey, Buffy,? Dawn smiled as her sister pulled up in front of the school in
the Jeep that their mother once owned. Buffy opened the passenger door and
Dawn filed in. ?How was school, munchkin?? Buffy asked her sister.
?Okay,? Dawn answered. ?We were discussing European history in my
Geography class. We were assigned a five-page essay about the historyof a
famous European landmark, so I?ll be going over the encyclopedias to findone I
like. Unfortunately Frankie Meyer called dibs on Stonehenge.?
?Them?s the brakes,? Buffy quipped as she pulled onto the streetand
started for home.
?I wanted to do something with a history, something spooky.
Y?know??
?You?ve been hanging around Willow and Tara too long,? Buffy joked.
?Maybe,? she answered. ?Oh, and I already did my algebra homework
during study hall. I?ll ask Willow to check them for me later.?
Not for the first time, Buffy Summers had to wonder how she got to this
position in her life. This time last year, she had a family, a boyfriend,
her college classes and a clear line to her future. Then her boyfriend
jetted on her. Her mother died. She was forced to quit college to
look after her sister. And finally, to save her sister from the
machinations of Glory, she had to sacrifice her own life.
And now, she was alive again. She still needed a job, and her future
was less clear than before, but she still had a future. And she had a
responsibility for her sister. She found herself glancing at Dawn, her
sister, her family, knowing that what ever happened from now on, they wouldface
it together. That was worth it all.
?So,? Dawn asked as the Jeep pulled into the driveway. ?You know what
you?re making for dinner??
Buffy pursed her lips in thought. ?Probably a grocery run,? she
admitted. ?Hopefully I?ll still have enough money left in my dresser?? She
glanced suddenly at Dawn, who threw her an innocent _expression_. ?Itis
still in my dresser, right??
?Yes, Buffy,? Dawn answered. ?All one-hundred-twenty-five dollars and
seventy-two cents.?
?Thank you,? she nodded. They got out of the Jeep and walkedup the
front steps. Buffy opened the door for her sister, then closed it behind
her.
The second she entered the house, however, Buffy and Dawn were hit by
pungent cooking aromas. Before they could ask, Willow poked her head out
of the kitchen door, and smiled. ?Hey, Summers girls! Welcome
home.?
?Willow?? Buffy asked. ?What?s up??
?Well,? Willow announced casually, ?I?ve got a pot roast on the stove, au
gratin potatoes in the oven, and a chocolate cheesecake in the fridge. Oh,
and I did a grocery run while you were picking up Dawn.?
Buffy?s eyes snapped wide open. She entered the kitchen and opened a
cupboard door. True to Willow?s word, the shelves were stocked with
assorted groceries; pastas, canned goods, rice, sugar, flour, and other
staples. The fridge was likewise stocked with produce, meat, milk and
eggs. ?I didn?t know what you usually do for groceries, so I madea few
guesses. Plus there was a sale on kosher hot dogs. Sort of my way of
celebrating my first day as a tenant in the Summers boarding house.?
?Willow,? Buffy looked at her best friend with a renewed awe and
surprise. ?You didn?t have to do this for us.?
?I did if I wanted to eat tonight,? Willow smiled. ?Look, I?m working
for Giles at the Magic Box now, so I can afford to pitch in on the food bill, no
problem.?
?Yeah,? Buffy said, ?but all this, plus insisting on paying me rent??
?No big, Buff,? Willow leaned toward the pot roast, sticking a thermometer
into the tender meat, checking for doneness. ?Hey, it?s only two hundred
dollars a month. That?s half what a cheap apartment in California would cost me,
plus I?d still have to spring for food, right? Hey, anything I can do
while you job hunt, it?s not a hardship.?
?Wow,? Buffy was still amazed at Willow?s generosity and easy humor.
?Okay, if you say so. But I want you to save all your receipts, so I can
repay you once I get a job.?
Willow started to laugh gently. ?Will you listen to yourself?
We?re best friends, Buffy. We don?t have to keep score.?
?But it?s not fair to you,? Buffy protested. ?You?ve done all this,
plus hacking into my personal files, looking after Dawnie for me while I?m on
patrol, cooking, buying groceries??
?While all you?ve ever done,? Willow dimpled merrily, ?is giveyour life to
save the world on a regular basis. Not to mention saving my life more
often than I?ve eaten hot dinners. Oh, yeah, I?m way ahead on
points.?
Buffy shook her head, knowing she was not going to win this argument.
?Uh, Buffy,? Dawn suggested, ?maybe you?d better give up now, before she pulls
out the ol? R. F.?
Buffy rolled her eyes again. Resolve Face. The most potent
weapon in Willow?s arsenal. ?Okay, you win, I give up,? she
announced. Then under her breath, she added, ?but I still want that
receipt.?
Willow and Dawn laughed at Buffy?s embarrassment. ?Fair enough,?
Willow admitted. ?Now, scoot, while I finish work on dinner.?
Later, the three girls enjoyed an excellent repast, and were now savoring
their slivers of cheesecake. ?Thanks again, Willow,? Buffy said, smacking
her lips happily. ?You?re a damn fine cook.?
?Thank you,? Willow accepted the compliments from both Summers
sisters. ?It wasn?t any trouble, really.?
?Yeah,? Dawn quipped, ?except that when Buffy tries to cook, theresult
never looks that good.?
?Dawnie,? Buffy glared, ?don?t you have a report to study for??
?G?night, Willow,? Dawn stood up and kissed the redhead?s cheek, then
turned to kiss her sister good night. ?You?ll be up to check in on me
later, right??
?Right, so you better not be spending that time playing Killer
Instinct.?
?Hey,? Dawn defended herself. ?I only play that when Spike?s
here. He?s more fun to beat than the PlayStation. But he always
plays Fulgore. G?night, Buffy.? Dawn rushed back to her bedroom,
leaving the two best friends alone in the living room.
Buffy looked around the room, which hadn?t changed all that much in the
last year. The African tribal masks her mother collected were still on the
walls. Buffy didn?t want to take them down after her mother died; they
reminded her of Joyce?s warm smile and gentle voice.
?You okay, Buffy?? Willow asked.
?Yeah,? Buffy answered, an edge of melancholy in her voice. ?I was
just remembering. When I was a kid, Mom used to tell me stories aboutthe
masks she collected. There was one mask, the thin mahogany one by my
bedroom, she once told me was a guardian spirit. Like a good luck charm,
she told me. She said it kept nightmares away.?
?And you believed her?? Willow asked, her soft voice assuring her
friend.
?Hey, it worked,? she answered. ?At least, until I first found out I
was the Slayer. Then nothing could stop the nightmares. But the
masks still comfort me, y?know??
?I know, Buffy. And I like them too. Makes it seem homey, lived
in.?
?Yeah. I considered taking them down, but I couldn?t. The place
just doesn?t seem right without them.? She sat in a brief silence, her
memories both cheering and saddening her.
Shaking the downward spiral of her thoughts, Buffy asked Willow, ?So, you
hear from Tara recently??
?Only every day,? Willow smiled. ?She called me twice yesterday, and
emails me every night. Usually writes something hot and sexy, just toget
me in the mood for when I visit her, or she visits me. Oh, that reminds
me, she?ll be over this weekend, so if you and Dawn could arrange to be
elsewhere for a few hours on Friday night??
?Say no more,? Buffy laughed heartily, ?I?ll finally get to take Dawn to
see Spy Kids.?
?Thanks,? Willow smiled, her mind already sketching out her evening with
Tara.
?Hey, it?s no problem,? Buffy said. ?What?s family for??
?Family?? Willow mused. ?Hmm?I think I like that.?
?It?s true,? Buffy nodded soberly. ?You, Tara, Xander, Anya,
Giles?you?re the only real family Dawn and I have now.?
?Hey, we feel that way about you, y?know,? Willow answered. She knew
that to be true, especially now after the night she ?came out? to her
parents. One week later, Willow was passing by her old house, only tofind
a ?For Sale? sign in the front yard. She later learned that her parents
had moved, and she didn?t know where they were. Nor did she care; whatever
connection existed between them was gone. It hurt Willow to think that,
but it was the truth.
?Yeah, but sometimes I don?t know if I deserve it,? Buffy answered
sadly.
Willow got out of her seat and joined Buffy on the sofa. She could
see the trace of a tear running down her cheek. ?You okay, Buffy??
?Okay?? Buffy whispered. ?Yeah, now. But just beforethat
night? I wasn?t okay. I just wanted to die. Everything thatever
mattered to me was being stripped away from me. Riley was gone, Mom was
dead, Dawn was in Glory?s hands. Nothing seemed to matter to me
anymore.?
?Buffy,? Willow said soothingly, as she took Buffy?s hand. ?It didn?t
happen that way. Dawn?s okay, and we?re still here for you. And
Riley was a poophead anyway.?
?Yeah,? Buffy chuckled mirthlessly. ?Oh, I got a letter from Graham
the other day. He said that Riley?s pretty much a vegetable now, and
likely to remain so for the rest of his life, thanks to Glory?s
brain-drain.?
?Let?s think about that for a while,? Willow said darkly. Buffy
glanced at Willow for a second and found herself supremely grateful that she
wasn?t her enemy.
?Anyway, after all that happened to me before I was on that tower with
Dawn?? She choked back a brief sob that threatened to overtake her voice.
?I found myself wondering yesterday, if Riley and I were able to work it out, if
Mom had survived, if I hadn?t lost so much before that time, would I havebeen
so quick to jump off the tower??
Willow regarded Buffy with a patient _expression_. ?You weren?t
suicidal, were you??
?Suicidal?? Buffy asked herself. ?No, not suicidal, just
fatalistic. But I may always wonder, did I see my ?noble sacrifice? as an
easy out? I?ll never know for sure.?
Willow nodded sadly as her friend shared the burden of her soul. She
then turned Buffy?s face to her own with a gentle hand. ?Okay, Buffy, I
have one for you. Suppose that everything had happened the way it did;
Riley wussed out, your mom died, all that. Now, suppose that Spike had
managed to stop Doc, and that you were able to save Dawn before she was
cut. The portal never opened, and Glory was destroyed. Now, would
you have tried to kill yourself then??
Buffy looked sharply at Willow. ?No, of course not! Dawnneeds
me, I couldn?t do that to her, I?? She looked at Willow, who?s facebore a
mildly triumphant smile. ?You?re right, Willow. I wouldn?t kill
myself. I mean, I know that my life expectancy is less than most others,
but I wouldn?t try to do myself in.? She gave Willow a watery gaze.
?Thank you.? She took Willow into her arms, and the two friends held each
other, just grateful for that precious contact.
For the first time in a long time, Buffy found herself looking forwardfor
the next day. Whatever happened to her next, she knew that her friends,
her Willow, would always be there.
And for now, all was right in Sunnydale.
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