Timedancer: First Impressions by kiatrix [Reviews - 0] 
Timedancer/Charmed: First Impressions Part Three by: J. Daniels email: jdanielsdvm@hotmail.com Disclaimer: I don't own any part of the Gargoyles universe or characters. I also don't own any part of the Charmed universe or characters. They're written here without permission for the non-profit purpose of entertainment. Previously... The two warlocks blinked to the edge of the roof with the appearance of the witches, and Brooklyn paused, crouched and watching them. As Phoebe rushed out of the doorway, the warlock with the wand gestured at her and the explosion erupted under her feet, sending the woman tumbling over the nearby edge of the roof with a scream. "No!" Brooklyn roared, racing towards the edge of the roof. Prue and Piper also ran forward, "Phoebe!" Piper yelled. Both sisters were knocked aside as Brooklyn dove past them off the side of the building. Piper shoved her long hair back over her ears as she leaned forward, her face set in tense lines. Prue also leaned forward, dread etched onto her own features. Below them, Brooklyn dove, wings tucked in tight to his sides, his arms extended forward towards the falling woman. ~ First Impressions, Part Two Brooklyn didn't have much time. The building wasn't that tall. With his wings tucked in against his side to streamline his form, he reached his arms forward towards the falling woman. He grabbed one of her flailing arms, and snapped his wings open with a groan. That really didn't feel good. The abrupt change in velocity allowed him to stop going downwards quite so quickly, and gave him the time he needed to pull Phoebe into the protective circle of his arms before he crashed into the pavement. He was able to protect Phoebe by curling his wings up and twisting around so his back hit first as he crashed into the pavement. After he caught his own breath, Brooklyn groaned and asked in a hoarse pained voice, "Are you alright?". Phoebe was stiff and pale in his arms, her eyes wide. Brooklyn gathered his legs under himself as he stood, still cradling the woman in his arms as he drew his wings back. He bent slightly as he started to lower her legs, keeping one arm under her shoulders in case she was going to faint, "Phoebe?" he asked in alarm. Suddenly Phoebe let out a few short gasping breaths and in a tone both bewildered and gleeful asked, "I'm still alive?" "Yeah," Brooklyn said, relieved. "You know, I'm beginning to think it's a thing with you human women, you're always falling off of buildings." Phoebe grabbed Brooklyn's arm as her legs went weak and she said, "I just fell off of a building." she started to laugh, "I just fell off of a building." she repeated. "Uh yeah. I thought we just covered this topic?" Brooklyn said, glancing towards the building and hoping Phoebe's two sisters would show up soon. He had no idea how to handle hysterical women, of any species. As if on cue, Piper and Prue raced out of the building, "Oh my God!" Piper exclaimed, rushing up to Phoebe and grabbing her from Brooklyn's arm, "Phoebe, you're alive!" Prue did not rush to her sister's side, but the relief on her face was equal to Piper's. Brooklyn released Phoebe, glancing back up at the building and taking a step in that direction. As he started to pass Prue, she shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest, slightly defensive, "They're gone. Once you dove off the building, they blinked out." Brooklyn glanced at Piper and Phoebe, then back to Prue as he said heavily, "They have the Gate. Do you have any idea what they were doing with it?" Prue shook her head, one hand going up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "No, but we can probably find out by examining the altar they left behind. They may want to release whatever is inside." "Even if they just want to use the Gate, that can also be really really bad." Brooklyn said dryly, "Though if they can fix it, it may be worth it." he muttered. Phoebe was saying to Piper, "Did you see that?" Piper nodded her head, "Yes, honey, I saw that." she said consolingly. "He caught me." "Sweetie, he's a gargoyle. I think that's what they're supposed to do." "He's so strong." "Okay Phoebe, now you're starting to worry me." The two sisters had approached Brooklyn and Prue as the two were discussing the gate. Phoebe reached out and touched Brooklyn's bicep briefly. He glanced at her and gave her a smile, the barest upturning at the corner of his beak, before returning his attention to Prue. Phoebe mouthed at Piper, "Yowza." Piper pinched Phoebe and hissed, "Phoebe." Phoebe widened her eyes innocently and smiled impishly. "He isn't even your own /species/." Piper hissed under her breath. "I'd still have a better track record than you." Phoebe retorted. Brooklyn didn't think that the two arguing sisters realized he could hear them, that or they didn't care. Their conversation was an uncomfortable one, if only because it reminded him so much of some of the things he had once considered with Maggie and Pandora. He cleared his throat slightly, drawing Prue's gaze back up to him, "The altar?" he suggested. Prue nodded her head, giving her two arguing sisters a quelling glance before she looked at Brooklyn. She started suddenly and said, "My God, you're bleeding." Brooklyn glanced down at his deeply scored arms and shoulders. The blood was a few shades darker than his own red skin, but the wounds had mostly already stopped bleeding. He glanced back up and said dryly, "Yeah. One of those clowns up there was imitating Freddy Kreuger. Don't worry about it." Prue started to speak, glanced up at the impassive face of the gargoyle, and remained silent. She blinked a few times, brows raising up before she cleared her throat, "Right then." Prue turned and started back towards the building, Brooklyn following. "I'll meet you at the top." Prue said, starting for the door. Brooklyn gave his head a shake and put a hand out to stop Prue. "It'll be faster this way," the gargoyle said as he lifted Prue up, "Hold on." Carefully, Brooklyn slung the woman over his back. She yelped and wrapped her arms around his neck, ducking her head into his hair. Brooklyn chortled. He had always wondered what Eliza had felt the first time she climbed a building on Goliath's back and he had to admit, he always wanted to do this. He sank a talon into the building and started to climb. "Don't drop me!" Prue ordered. Brooklyn just laughed, "Just hold on. We're almost to the top." Phoebe watched the two climb up and then turned and smacked Piper on the arm with the back of her hand, "Are you telling me that isn't just the most amazing thing?" **** Brooklyn carefully set Prue down after he was on the roof. She drew in a breath and straightened her blouse, "Well. That was..." "Lemme guess. Interesting?" Brooklyn said over his shoulder as he walked towards the altar, his wings folded at his back. "Actually..." Prue said, then grinned, looking startled and pleased, "Yes." Brooklyn stopped short of the altar and crouched down, "I have no idea what I'm looking at." he admitted, gesturing lightly with one hand at the wooden stand. Prue walked around both he and it, frowning at the symbols on the wooden structure. "Well, it looks like a divination altar." "A what?" Brooklyn asked. "A divination altar." Prue said again, "The object placed on it is the focus. The spell spoken is supposed to tell the casters something about the object." "So they're trying to learn something about the Gate?" Brooklyn shook his head, "How do we find out what?" Prue glanced at the crouched gargoyle, "Did you hear any part of the spell?" "Yeah, but my Latin is kinda rusty." Brooklyn remarked. "Even if it isn't exact, it may be enough." Brooklyn tucked his chin in, reaching a hand up to rub at his brows, "Uh... one word sounded like library... no, uh. Liberty.. no wait," he snapped his fingers, "Liberatio." Prue said quietly, "Release. I guess that answers that question." "So they're trying to release the prisoner?" Brooklyn grunted, "I somehow don't think that's a good idea." "Neither do I. Let's go." "Go where?" Brooklyn asked, standing back up. "Back to the Manor. We can probably find something in the Book of Shadows." Prue picked up the light wooden altar and started for the stairs, then paused and turned around to Brooklyn, tipping her head to the roof edge with a small wry smile, "This way, huh?" "Yeah." Brooklyn walked over to Prue and put an arm behind her shoulders, crouching to put his other hand under her legs. "We'll be down before you can say abracadabra." he commented as he lifted the woman up. "Abracadabra." Brooklyn rolled his eyes, head shifting with the motion. Prue smirked. He stepped to the edge and dropped off the side, wings opening as he glided down. Phoebe and Piper were sitting in the Jeep, the doors open as the sisters sat with their legs hanging out of the side. Phoebe said to Piper, "Eh eh?" with a waggle of her eyebrows. Piper shook her head and said, "That's just disgusting Phoebe." Phoebe grinned and waved as Prue was set down, "Fun, huh?" she asked her oldest sister. Prue gave a nod and said, "Surprisingly, yes." with a quirk of her eyebrows, "We found out that they're going to try to release the prisoner in the Gate. So we need to figure out how, and where, before they can do it." "What will happen if we can't?" Piper asked. "Very bad things." Brooklyn said dryly. Prue walked to the back of the Jeep, stopping short as Brooklyn opened the rear gate for her. She said, "Thanks." in surprise, and then, "We'll meet you back at the Manor?" Brooklyn nodded and started back to the wall. "Do you ever get tired of that? Wear out? Pull a muscle?" Phoebe asked. Brooklyn turned and looked back at her, then the building, then Phoebe again as he shook his head and said, "No. Not really." Phoebe sat back in her seat and Piper shoved the door shut on her. **** Brooklyn carried the altar up to the attic for the sisters, entering through the newly repaired window. He glanced at it and said, "Fast service. You guys must go through a lot of windows, huh?" Phoebe grinned at him and said, "No, just on reallllly good terms with the handyman." giving Piper a glance. Piper sniffed and ignored her sister as she entered carrying several candles, "Hey, you. Set that thing down over here." Piper told Brooklyn. Brooklyn set the altar on it's base, muttering, "Push-y." before he moved out of the way to sit on the floor, settling down and half curling one leg before him, his other knee bent and one arm resting on top of it. Surreptitiously, he stretched out his aching back, keeping his wings folded but flexing the muscles that connected them to his back, rolling his shoulders. Phoebe went to the Book of Shadows and started to flip through the pages. Piper and Prue started to lay out a pentagram of candles around the wooden altar. Brooklyn drew his wings in again and propped his chin in his hand as he watched. Finally Phoebe tapped the book with her finger, "Here, this should show us what they saw." She took out a piece of scrap paper and jotted something down. Phoebe walked over to Prue as Piper lit the candles then joined her sisters. The three sisters glanced at the paper and chanted in unison. "Without a dry run, they're good." Brooklyn murmured to himself. "Be not bound by time and space, show us what was in this place, around this object we review, show us the vision sure and true." Inside the lit candles, the air turned watery from floor to ceiling, obscuring the altar. Brooklyn leaned forward, "Cool." he breathed. A full moon was riding overhead, shining over a pool of water. It was in a wooded clearing, at the edge of a large tumble of rocks. Phoebe said, "Ooh, ooh! I know that place! We used to have parties there.. and.. uhm. Nothing." she finished brightly, smiling at her sisters. "But the full moon isn't for another three weeks." Brooklyn observed. "How did you know that?" Prue asked curiously. Brooklyn shrugged, "I'm a gargoyle." "So what do we do for the next three weeks?" Piper asked with a frown. "Well, I for one am going to scry for them again." Prue said decisively, striding towards the door. Piper followed her down. Brooklyn pushed himself to his feet and started after the other two. Phoebe twisted her lips as she glanced at the image as it started to fade, the candles flickering out one by one. **** "What I want to know is... why didn't my power work?" Piper asked as she sat down next to Prue, her hands waving around a bit as she stressed the last part of her sentence. Prue held the crystal over the map. The pendant swung in wide circles. Prue frowned and said in irritation, "What /I/ want to know is why /this/ isn't working now? I should be able to do this without Brooklyn this time." Piper shrugged, "Maybe they're shielding it with a spell?" Prue said darkly, "Or it's gone already." Brooklyn ducked his head into the room and said, "Uh, hey. Phoebe was going to get some Chinese. You guys want some?" Prue shook her head and Piper grumped, "It works on Brooklyn..." she missed Brooklyn's surprised look before he ducked back out of the room, "And it works on warlocks. So why didn't it work on these warlocks?" Prue slumped, putting her chin in her hand, the crystal danging down her arm, "Maybe it doesn't work on the Gate." **** Phoebe let out a loud whoop, kicking her legs. Though she was gliding through the air at a rapid pace, she didn't feel afraid. Having a pair of strong arms holding her tightly did that to a girl, she mused. Brooklyn chuckled, his voice a low growl, "Hold on!" as he swooped up, and then did a diving corkscrew roll through the air. **** Piper got up and glanced out the window, then said with a frown, "Hey. I thought Phoebe went to get Chinese food?" "Uh huh. Why?" Prue asked with polite disinterest as she again tried scrying. "Well, she didn't take a car." **** "We're baaack, come get your food!" Phoebe called as she walked into the kitchen from the back door, a large brown paper bag held in her arms. She started to take out the white cartons as Brooklyn ducked in as well, another large bag held in his arm. He used his tail tip to close the door behind him as he said, "I hope this Wonton Soup is as good as it is in New York. Even China doesn't have Wonton like New York." Piper came in and said, "And where have you been?" in a scolding tone. Prue walked in afterwards and said with a little grin, "Just getting food?" Phoebe spread her hands wide and said, "What? I will have you know that Brooklyn and I went out of our way to make sure to bring you two your favorites. And this is how you repay me? There is just no justice in this world." she finished in a mock sad tone, her arms folding across her chest, shaking her head. Brooklyn set down the second bag and said, "Don't worry, I stayed out of sight." Piper looked at both bags, "My goodness, what did you get?" as she came forward to peek into the bags, "There's enough food in here for ten people!" Brooklyn said, "Or three people and one gargoyle." as he pulled out a chair for Phoebe, who sat down in it with a triumphant little smile. Piper looked at Brooklyn, "Oh. Right. Three people and one gargoyle. How silly of me." she muttered as she sat down briskly. Prue pushed off the wall with a grin and joined her sisters at the table. **** The discussion at the table was light hearted for some time, the three sisters sharing some of their more interesting adventures before Prue said, "Pheebs, tomorrow I want you to show me where that glen was." Phoebe muffled with her mouth full, "Couldn't scry it?" Prue shook her head, "No, something is blocking it now." Piper shook her hair over her shoulder and said, "Brooklyn, do you know why my powers didn't work up on the roof?" The gargoyle shook his head and said, "Hey, I just get magically teleported through time, but I don't actually know that much about magic." as he picked up another container. "Just how much CAN you eat, Brooklyn?" Phoebe asked. "Can we not get sidetracked?" Piper asked stridently with a wide eyed glance at her interrupting sister. Brooklyn smirked, "If you think I eat a lot, you should see my rookery brother, Broadway." his expression faltered for a moment, before he then said to Piper, "Could it have something to do with the Gate?" "That's what I think," Prue asserted, "The Gate itself is a magical item that controls time. Even if it /is/ currently broken. Piper can freeze time. It wouldn't make sense that the Gate could be frozen." "Which makes the best way we have of getting the Gate back without any of us getting hurt ineffective." Prue continued broodingly, "I mean, if Brooklyn couldn't get the Gate back tonight when we surprised them, how can we get it back when they'll be expecting us?" Brooklyn put down the carton and said to them, "What about a spell of sorts, you guys are witches, right?" Phoebe spoke in a considering tone, "I can look in the Book of Shadows. Maybe a lost object spell or something." Piper suddenly said, "Brooklyn, you're bleeding on the tablecloth!" The gargoyle glanced down and said, "Uh, sorry Piper. It must have split open again." "I really wish you'd let one of us look at those, Brooklyn." Prue said worriedly. The gargoyle shook his head, picking up one of the paper napkins that came with the food and pressing it to the underside of his arm, where one particularly deep scratch was oozing again, "Trust me, I'll heal." he said offhandedly. There was a knock on the door. Everyone looked. Brooklyn asked, "You get lots of visitors at this time of night?" Prue shook her head and said worriedly, "Not typically." She stood up, smoothing her skirt with one hand as she started to the hallway. She opened the front door to see a tall brown haired man with smiling blue eyes. Prue smiled brightly and said in a tone of mingled pleasant surprise and surprised dismay, "Andy! Andy. Hi." Andy gave his one sided grin to Prue and said, "Now why do you always sound like that when you see me, Prue?" Prue gave him a bright smile and a little quirk of her head, "Like what?" "Like you're happy to see me, but at the same time you can't wait for me to go." "You're imagining things. What brings you by so late?" Prue said, keeping one arm on the door to physically block Andy from coming inside. He looked a little surprised as he started to step forward, to find Prue not stepping back. He fell back a step. "There was a disturbance tonight. Someone reported seeing a black jeep at the scene." "A black jeep, really?" Prue said. "Yeah. For some reason, I thought of you. Now, why is that Prue?" Andy asked, raising his eyebrows. Prue shook her head, drawing in a breath through her smiling mouth, "I.. don't know. We were here all night." Andy stretched one arm up to lean against the doorframe and grinned down at Prue, "Got an alibi?" "You mean, other than Phoebe and Piper? No, not really." **** Brooklyn leaned against the wall, listening in. He had gotten up and moved over as a precaution, in case Prue needed help. Though he didn't think someone who could flip gargoyles through the air with the power of her brain needed help much. Phoebe was standing next to him, trying to lean around him and the wall both. He murmured, "Do they normally talk like that?" Phoebe nodded and said, "Yeah. That's Andy. He and Prue sort of have this thing." "Oh." there was a pause as they listened to the conversation, then Brooklyn said with a snort, "Some thing." Finally Prue got rid of Andy and came back around the corner, stopping in surprise at seeing both Brooklyn and Phoebe watching her in amusement. Phoebe said with a sappy grin, "He was thinking of you." "Yeah, because there was a crime." Prue retorted, then glanced at Brooklyn and said, "Andy doesn't know about us. And he certainly wouldn't understand about you..." starting to explain. A raised red hand halted her explanation, "I get it. I'm... kind of used to it." Prue frowned a bit as she regarded the upraised arm and said, "You're bleeding again." as she turned to head into the downstairs bathroom. Phoebe ducked a bit to look at the scratch on the arm and she said, "Doesn't that hurt?" "It hurts." Brooklyn said, shifting his arm away from Phoebe's probing fingers, "I've had worse." "Why don't you let us take care of it? We don't know what that was that hurt you..." Phoebe said, taking his hand and looking back up at him, "What if you get sick?" Brooklyn shook his head, "It takes a lot to get a gargoyle sick. Our sleep heals us." "Of what?" Phoebe asked, as Prue came back holding a first aid kit in one hand, flipping through it with her other. "Just about anything," Brooklyn replied, then sighed as Prue held up a roll of gauze, "Well, that may be," Prue said pertly, "But you're dripping blood everywhere and we just had the carpets cleaned." **** The next night, Brooklyn woke with a stretch. Phoebe had shifted the vanity... well, Brooklyn had shifted the vanity at Phoebe's request, and he had room to stretch out without risking breaking anything. Phoebe asked from her spot on the bed, "How are your scratches?" Brooklyn glanced at his arms, pulling the bandages off before lifting his arms up and flexing experimentally, "Gone." Phoebe sighed, something of a sappy expression on her face as she stared at him, or more pointedly, his chest. Brooklyn glanced at her and quickly caped his wings, dropping his arms as he said, "Uh, Phoebe?" "Hrm, what?" she said, sitting up straight again. Brooklyn hesitated and then asked, "Mind if I use the attic?" "The attic? What for?" Phoebe asked, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and standing up. "It's easier to glide from the attic than it is having to climb up to a roof." Brooklyn explained, heading for the bedroom door. "Glide? Where are you going?" Phoebe asked in interest as she followed him out of the room. "Piper and Prue are out, I thought we could watch a movie until they got back." Brooklyn hunched his shoulders a bit, stopping in the hall before he said over his shoulder to Phoebe, "I just need to get out for a bit. Stretch my wings. I'll be back." Phoebe gave an uphappy little nod of her head and watched as Brooklyn went into the attic. **** "Phoebe, Brooklyn, we're back!" Prue called as she stepped into the house, Piper following behind with several bags of groceries on her arms. Piper muttered, "I hope he doesn't stay long, because there was our grocery money for the month." Prue shut the door behind Piper, as the burdened woman started down the hall to the kitchen. Phoebe called out from the living room, "I'm in here!" Prue stepped into the living room, "Where's Brooklyn?" she asked. Phoebe was curled on the couch, legs tucked beneath her and a magazine open on the end table. "He went out." her sister said easily. "He went out? Where? Alone? Phoebe." Prue said disapprovingly. "What?" Phoebe asked, looking up with a small frown, "I'm not his keeper Prue. He said he had to go out and stretch his wings." "When will he be back?" Prue asked, sitting down across from her sister, resting her elbows on her knees as she leaned forward. "He didn't say." "When did he leave?" Prue closed her eyes. It was two hours past sundown. She half anticipated the answer. "Sunset." Phoebe said with a wince. Prue leaned back in the chair and said, "The last thing we need is for someone to spot him." "What, spot who?" Piper asked as she came into the living room. "Where's Brooklyn?" There was a knock on the door, startling all three sisters. Prue sighed and said, "I doubt Brooklyn would knock at the front door. I'd better go see who it is." **** Brooklyn eased into the attic, closing the window behind him. The glide had restored him to better spirits, as did the two muggings and one attempted break in he had stopped. He had seen a man approach the house from the front door, and recognized the timbre of the voice. It was Prue's Andy. Brooklyn inched out of the attic, closing the door with a quiet 'tick'. He moved to the stairs, leaning slightly to the side as he listened, out of sight of the front door. ".. large red creature." the man's voice said, "And all three attacks happened nearby." "So you're here because you think I'm a large red creature?" Prue asked with artful disbelief, skillfully twisting the conversation. "No! I.. look Prue, this thing is dangerous, whatever it is. I just want you to be careful. Stay inside." "Thing? Andy, it's probably just some drunk in a Halloween costume." "I don't know Prue, you hear some weird things coming out of New York..." "This isn't New York, Andy." "Prue, ... oh, forget about it." He heard the man move away from the door and the door shutting. The soft sound of a woman's sigh reached his ears. He winced. Nice going, Brook, he chided himself. You go out for some fresh air and now Prue has to lie to her boyfriend, even more than she already does, about it. He pushed away from the wall, moving down the stairs and catching sight of Prue leaning with her back to the front door, a resigned expression on her face. He knew that look. He wore it often enough. The look of someone doing what they hate, because they have no other choice. She caught sight of him on the stairs and said, "Brooklyn." in a flat voice. He winced, he knew that tone too. "What ..." she shook her head, "were you doing?" Phoebe came out of the living room, followed by Piper, now that they heard her talking to someone else. "Brooklyn!" Phoebe said happily, then glanced between Brooklyn and Prue. Her lips pursed into a silent 'Ooh'. She knew that look. Piper grabbed her arm and said, "C'mon Pheebs. Help me with the groceries." Brooklyn edged down the stairs to the first corner landing, then crouched there. Prue folded her arms over her chest, looking at him with one arched brow. He reached up and scratched at the top of his head with his talons as he said, "Prue look... I saw them and... well, I can't NOT do something." "You're a large mythical creature in San Fransicso. Don't you think you should try to keep a slightly lower profile than beating up people?" Brooklyn glanced back up at Prue and said shortly, "I'm a gargoyle. Can you see someone in need of help and ignore them because you need to keep a low profile?" Prue pressed her lips into a thin line and then sighed, looking down at her folded arms. She glanced back up with a toss of her head and said, "No. But we blend in a little easier than you do. Maybe you should stay in the Manor." "For three weeks straight?" Brooklyn asked, "If I didn't get cabin fever, you guys would probably kick me out." He attempted to give Prue a winning grin, "I hog the remote. And do nothing but watch ESPN." Prue sighed and said to him with a faint smile, "Well, maybe not entirely. But next time, take one of us with you." Brooklyn started to shake his head when Prue cut in sharply, "Hey, my house. My rules." Brooklyn gave a shrug by way of answer and jumped down to the main floor, "Right." **** "We aren't crime fighters, Prue!" Piper said hotly as she continued to chop vegetables, "I am not going out there, with him, to play cop." Phoebe offered brightly, "I'll go." A good part of her honestly liked Brooklyn's company. And strong arms. Strong arms was always a bonus. But she thought it was more entertaining watching her sisters try to figure out if she was serious with her flirting, or not. Prue hissed at her sisters, "Keep your voices down. He's in the sunroom, not Canada." "He can't possibly hear us from in there." Piper retorted, scraping the vegetables into a large pot. **** Brooklyn wondered if he should tell them that he could. Then decided not to. If nothing else, their banter was funny and in a way, reminded him a little bit of himself with his rookery brothers. **** The next sunrise, Piper hustled into Phoebe's room, her arms full of linens. Brooklyn, about to move to his now habitual corner, paused as she brushed past him. "Here," she said shortly, laying one bed linen on the ground. "This will make it easier to clean up in the mor... evening." She glanced at Brooklyn, who was eying her, and Phoebe who looked surprised as well. Piper flapped her fingers at the gargoyle, "What are you waiting for? If you turn to stone right there, instead of on that sheet, I will ... I will ..." she paused, trying to find a threat dire enough, "I don't know what I will do, but you won't like it." Brooklyn smirked a bit, "Yes ma'am." He stepped around Piper, hunching down onto the linen sheet. The two sisters watched as the gargoyle transitioned from living creature to stone. Piper shook her head and then fluffed out the other linen sheet, letting it drape over his head. Phoebe squinched her face up a bit and said, "Isn't that kind of disrespectful?" "Hey, you aren't vacuuming up flint chips. I am." Piper gave the sheet one adjusting tug, "Deal with it." Piper retorted as she turned and left the room. **** A few nights later, Brooklyn sat at the foot of Phoebe's bed on the floor, his wings caped over his shoulders, forearms resting on his knees. Phoebe sat behind him on the bed, brushing his hair. Brooklyn would occasionally roll his eyes up, before looking back to the black and white movie playing on the television. He still wasn't quite sure how Phoebe managed to talk him into letting her brush his hair while they watched 'Kill it Before it Dies'. Phoebe absently ran the brush through Brooklyn's wild mane of hair, and then she said to him, "This is my favorite part." Brooklyn said wryly, "This movie is worse than 'My Best Friend is a Vampire'." Phoebe yanked on his hair and Brooklyn protested, "Ow, hey! That's attached to my head." as he hunched his shoulders protectively. **** Downstairs, Piper was saying to Prue as she settled down with a cup of tea, "I don't like how attached Phoebe is getting." Prue glanced up from the notepad she was scratching ideas onto, "What?" she asked in confusion. "To Brooklyn. I mean, he /seems/ alright." Piper said grudgingly, "He hasn't eaten Kit at least. The worst I can say about his house manners is that he doesn't care if a steak is a filet mignon or a T-bone." "What about the blood?" Prue asked teasingly. "Don't get me started on that. I still haven't gotten it out of the tablecloth yet. But that wasn't his fault, exactly." Piper retorted, but then continued, "C'mon Prue, she acts like Brooklyn is ... is ..." Prue glanced back down at her paper and said, "You're worried about nothing. Brooklyn isn't even human." "My point exactly!" Piper said, one finger raising up in emphasis, "I mean, what if.. how would.." Prue glanced back up and laughed at Piper's expression, "Calm down Piper, they're just friends. Besides, once we get the Gate back for Brooklyn, he'll be gone." "Sometime, sure. But you heard him, he doesn't get to decide when to leave. What if he's stranded here? I can't keep cooking like this!" **** A few nights later, Piper and Phoebe were walking down the street. Piper was ticking off something from a list and Phoebe was saying animatedly, "Maybe we should check the potion first..." "Nah uh. Not at the price we just paid for sundew. I'm just glad we were able to get to the shop tonight. I think we're done with the gathering part though." Piper said as she started to fold the paper up into her purse. Suddenly a voice spoke up from their side, "Well well well, a pair of little witches." Both Phoebe and Piper turned to the alley. A hand was wreathed in flame, barely outlining a smiling masculine face in the darkness. The hand reared back and threw the fireball. Phoebe said, "Piper!" in alarm and Piper threw up her hands. The ball seemed to freeze in place for a moment, then began to slowly move again. The warlock laughed, "Oh, that's a charming power. I can't wait to rip it from you." his voice turning savage. The two sisters exchanged a glance and then ran, as the fireball popped out of it's molasses like movement and flew through the air. Phoebe pointed, "There, there!" and pulled Piper down an alley with her. "An alley? Phoebe, are you insane?" Piper protested, as the two sisters ran down the narrow alleyway. "No, on the other side should be ..." they stopped short, surprise registering across Phoebe's face, a calm look of 'of course' on Piper's. "A dead end." Piper said flatly. "Uh.." Phoebe said hesitantly, "Wrong alley?" her voice apologetic. The sisters turned. The warlock sauntered down the alley towards them, his fingers lighting up again. A cruel smile played on his face and then with a silent snarl, he hurled the fire down towards the two witches. A red shape dropped down in front of the women, the fire impacting with its presented right shoulder. Phoebe and Piper both screamed. Brooklyn flipped his wings back and squared off with the warlock, half crouched and tail lashing, eyes blazing incandescent white. "Leave them alone," Brooklyn's low angry voice growled out. The warlock's eyes widened and he reared his hand back again, flames forming on his fingers. With a snarl, Brooklyn raced forward, accepting the blast of fire on his chest as he barreled into the warlock. If he dodged, it may hit the two women. The two crashed into the street, the warlock pinned underneath the heavy gargoyle. Brooklyn reared his own hand back, claws curled into a fist. He brought his fist swinging down and it crashed into the pavement, the heavy crack of his fist impacting echoed briefly. The warlock was no longer under him. Brooklyn scrambled to his feet. The warlock blinked into place behind the gargoyle, his hand glowing again. Phoebe screamed, "Behind you!" Brooklyn dropped flat, the fireball shooting over his head. He spun around, launching himself once more. He again hit the warlock, this time his momentum carried them against a wall. The warlock hit the wall with a meaty thud and a groan. He grimaced and then blinked away again. "You know, that is /really/ annoying." Brooklyn snarled, twisting about again. The warlock seemed to be gone. Phoebe ran up towards Brooklyn, Piper following more slowly. "That's it?" Piper asked incredulously. Brooklyn glanced up at Piper, his eyes still inhumanly bright. "What, that wasn't enough?" he growled out. Phoebe said in concern, "Oh ouch. Does it hurt?" reaching a hand out for the charred skin of Brooklyn's shoulder. The gargoyle jerked away, moving back from the woman as he said in a low voice, "Yeah, more than a tickle, less than a bazooka." his tone flat, "Look, maybe we should get going. Jerks like that usually come back with friends." Piper grabbed at Phoebe's arm and said to her, "He's right." "But Brooklyn..." Phoebe protested. Brooklyn stepped away and reached up for the nearest wall, wincing as his injured shoulder and chest took his weight. Piper pulled Phoebe away and said to her under her breath, "He'll be alright. We're the ones that almost died. Let's go." **** Back at the manor, Brooklyn leaned against the center island in the kitchen while Piper delicately blotted at his charred and oozing shoulder. Phoebe was rummaging around in the bathroom, despite Brooklyn's insistence that he didn't need any medication for the burns. He gritted his teeth as Piper tortured him and said under his breath, "Seriously, this hurts more than just leaving it alone." Piper paused and glanced up at his face, then said to him, "You saved our lives tonight, Brooklyn." His uninjured shoulder shrugged up once, "Hey, no problem. Without you guys, I'm stuck here until those bozo's release the prisoner in the Gate, and then who knows what'll happen. But I doubt it's a first class ticket home. Besides, I gotta earn my keep somehow. You won't let me help with the housework and for some reason, you also won't let me go shopping with you." Piper smirked and said, "It has something to do with you being a large red gargoyle." Brooklyn grinned, in part in response to Piper's smirk and in part because the conversation distracted her from her well intentioned torture. "So," he started, "It's because I'm red?" Piper snorted, "No." "Really, you should take me. I give great opinions." Piper gave him a curious look. "'Yes, that looks great. No, it doesn't make you look fat. Yes, it brings out the color of your eyes.' See? I'm the perfect shopping buddy. Besides, just imagine how many bags I can carry at once." Brooklyn lifted his uninjured left arm by way of demonstration. Piper laughed and said, "Sure, tomorrow night, let's go to Macy's." in the lightest tone that Brooklyn had heard from her yet. Phoebe came running in with a jar of cream, "Found it!"... she paused and said, "What's so funny? What did I miss?" |