Fic; Defenders of the Night; Prelude(2/2)

["JDMeans" <Jim_D_Means@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

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 is reborn, but her peace won't last as new allies and new enemies converge on Sunnydale.  


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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 hadnever met before, a woman who only knew him through his picture and name in the 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 becalled. 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, to imply 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, not if 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 glowingyellow eyes, bright red hair and huge leathery wings. And a very reliablesource had her sighted near the offices of that 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 in the 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 allyon 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 of the 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 shall join you, David," he statedcandidly.

"I thought you might," Xanatos answered. "So I made arrangements. There'sroom for you on my plane, old friend."

"Thank you, David. I shall be ready soon." Goliath climbed onto the ledgeof 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 livedfor 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 had everknown. It was here, in Strawberry Fields, where they shared vows in a commitment ceremony last year. The New York courts were still uncertain wherethe 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 abandonedhis quests for more power, for immortality. He once told 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. AndI'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 still have 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 fromthe 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 inthe 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 history of a famous European landmark, so I'll be going over the encyclopedias to find one I like. Unfortunately Frankie Meyer called dibs on Stonehenge."

"Them's the brakes," Buffy quipped as she pulled onto the street and 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, hercollege classes and a clear line to her future. Then her boyfriend jettedon 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 would face 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. "It is 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 walked up 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 thekitchen 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 made a few guesses. Plus therewas a sale on kosher hot dogs. Sort of my way of celebrating my first dayas 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 costme, plus I'd still have to spring for food, right? Hey, anything I can dowhile 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 give your life tosave 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, the result 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 about the masks she collected. There was one mask, the thin mahogany one by my bedroom, sheonce 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 to get me inthe 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 to find 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 connectionexisted 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 thetrace of a tear running down her cheek. "You okay, Buffy?"

"Okay?" Buffy whispered. "Yeah, now. But just before that night. I wasn'tokay. I just wanted to die. Everything that ever mattered to me was being stripped away from me. Riley was gone, Mom was dead, Dawn was in Glory'shands. 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 atWillow 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 portalnever opened, and Glory was destroyed. Now, would you have tried to kill yourself then?"

Buffy looked sharply at Willow. "No, of course not! Dawn needs me, I couldn't do that to her, I." She looked at Willow, who's face bore 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 forward for 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.