This story takes place the next night after The Breeder's Moon (As aforementioned in the story HIS MATE). It deals with the relationship between Matt Bluestone and Elisa Maza as detectives How she deals with being a gargoyle, and how humans deal with her now.

All Gargoyles and characters are copywritten 1996 by Disney and Buena Vista Television. Any characters that appear in this story are their property.
Any characters that appear in this story that have not been seen in the Gargoyles television program are the sole creation of the author. Any resemblance to characters already created is purely coincidental.

NOTE: I apologize to all residents and visitors of New York City. Suffice it to say, I've never had the opportunity to go there myself. I've lived in California my whole life. If anybody has problems with the logistics, the jurisdiction of the police, and the location of buildings I'm sorry. In other words, I used these places cause it sounded good. Now, for anybody who has been to NYC and says: "You can't there from here." I say "YES YOU CAN!"

*         *          *
	Maria Chavez sat down at her desk, determined to get some
work done.  The phone rang.  She debated whether or not to answer
it then cursing softly under her breath, picked it up.
"Commander Chavez."
"Hey Chavez?  This is Elisa Maza."
"Elisa?!  When are you getting back here?"
"Well, you see I had this little accident."
"Are you hurt?"
"No....It's just....well I think I need a little more time off."
"Absolutely not!  I need you here; tonight." Chavez stood up.
"Well, Commander alright but I don't think I'll be much help."
A shadow darkened Maria's door, "Hu, you see...I've got  a 
little problem." finished Elisa as she stepped into Maria's
office; one wing at a time.
	Maria sank back into her chair, the phone dropped back
into it's cradle.  
She shook her head.  
The gargoyle that looked like one of her best detectives 
didn't go away.
"Elisa?"
"Yes?"
"What happened?!"
Elisa gave a hesitant smile. "It was a gift from societies
little prince; Alexander Xanatos."
Maria looked at her with a truly befuddled look on her
face. "Why?"
Elisa shrugged. "He likes me?"
When Chavez didn't crack a smile she hurried on, "Seriously 
Commander, I don't think this is going to work."
	Maria Chavez was nothing if not resourceful. 
"If you think growing wings and a tail are going to exempt 
you from duty, you've got another thing coming."  
She got up and went to the door. 
"Bluestone! Get your sorry butt in here!"
"Commander you can't be serious!" Elisa protested. "I can't go
around in my car like this!  I don't even think I can drive
with these legs."
	Matt Bluestone gave the cursory knock then entered
Maria's office.
"You wanted to see me, Commander?"
Maria watched Matt's reaction to Elisa carefully.  Seeing that 
he wasn't surprised made her frown. "Yes Matt.  As you can see, 
your partner has gone and done something rash.  In response, I'm
going to do something rash." 
She looked back at Elisa and gave her a thin smile.
"You remember Widget?"
Matt blinked in confusion, "Widget?  The station's mechanic?"
Maria nodded. "One and the same.  It appears that he has finally
got the prototype of that skycycle done.  Congratulations, Matt,
you've just been assigned to patrol the clouds with your partner."
Elisa looked at her commander incredulously. "You can't be serious!"
"I am deadly serious Elisa, and I do mean Deadly!  Bluestone, 
you are to report to Widget within the hour.  He'll show you 
how to use the 'cycle and then you and Elisa have a 
case waiting."
	Both detectives looked at Chavez as if she had finally
gone off her rocker.
Maria wasn't too sure weather she hadn't.
"You heard me!  Move!"
Matt lurched to his feet and shuffled to the door. Elisa closed 
her mouth and stumbled after him.
Once the door closed, Maria put her head in her hands and began
to laugh so hard she cried.
	Once outside Commander Chavez's office, Elisa and Matt 
looked at each other dumbfounded. 
"She can't be serious." Matt muttered.
Elisa started down the hall, many of the officer's in blue
stopped and stared at the gargoyle that was once a human 
officer of the law.
	Matt followed her, careful not to be knocked over by
her wings. 
Elisa sighed, "She's serious alright and I think damn mad.
I really didn't go by the correct channels when told her I was
taking time off."
Matt snorted. "The way I heard you tell it, you didn't have a 
choice in the matter."
Elisa nodded then caped her wings. "I didn't.  But I guess 
everything's alright now.  Goliath knows how important being
a cop is to me. He's letting me continue being on the force."
"Letting you?  Sounds as if your heart isn't the only thing 
you've lost to your boyfriend."
"It's more complicated than that Matt." Elisa said softly.
	Matt brooded for a moment then said, "That reminds me,
the other night when Brooklyn got shot, I thought that we were
going to have to tranq. Angela.  She was hysterical.  What's
going on between those two?"
Elisa smiled happily, "They're mates now.  Angela was just
upset because her *husband* had just been shot.  I think
any wife would be."
"And are you feeling like a *wife* toward Goliath?" he asked 
innocently. 
She gave him a sidelong glance, "I refuse to answer on the grounds
that my reply may incriminate me." she said primly.
"Ha!" he snorted.
	An hour later, bedecked in the strangest Buck Rodger's 
looking flightsuit he had ever seen, Matt stood gingerly next
to Widget and his *amazing* skycycle.
"Now this is the throttle.  Remember Matt, this is a very
strong machine but it can be overpowered by the wrong
shift in body weight.  You've got to be aware at all times
where your center of gravity is.  
"Now, why don't you hop on up here. and I'll show you how
to start it."
Mat slid a leg over the seat. 
Widget laughted.  "Don't worry detective, it won't bite you."
"Really Matt.  If you get the hang of that thing then 
maybe I'll get you your own pair of wings."
Elisa walked out onto the garage's roof, wings unfurled.
Matt laughed, "Maza, if I ever get the hang of this 
thing is right. It's so complicated!" 
"It's not a thing, it's a skycycle." said Widget testily.
"Sorry Widget. You were saying?"
	Elisa watched as Matt was shown how to turn the 
skycycle on, how to use the thrusters and gain altitude
quickly.  She remembered that night six years ago on the dam.
Jason had been so filled with hate and obsessed yet he still
was able to handle the large skycycle with quiet precision.
	She shook her head. Those were bad memories; ones
she wanted to forget.  Surpressing them she re-ran the case
that they were about to embark on.
The case of 16 year old Leslie Micheletti.  Leslie lived
with her mother, Laura, in Little Italy.  She had been
missing for over a week and her mother was getting frantic.
There had been no word or sightings from friends.  She
had gone out to the store and disappeared.
Tonight the first place they would go, was to
Laura Micheletti's house and hopefully get a few leads.
	Matt jumped on the cycle.  It roared to life with
a belching of it's jet packs.  Elisa jumped back, wings flared.
"Hey!  It works!"
"I know it works!" said Widget. "Here's your helmet.  Good
luck detective."  He stepped back and watched as Matt
gunned the engine, stepped on the elevator, and rose a 
good three feet off the roof.
"Well." drawled Elisa. "Hope he doesn't leave me too far 
behind.  I can only glide.  I don't want to find out if
I am that good of a flier yet.  Widget, you don't have a
safe driver video for the skycycle do you?"
Widget shook his head. "Don't let him know that I told you,
but the cycle really hasn't been tested thoroughly yet.  I
never took it out further than ten miles.  And as for the
elevators; well lets just say, it's a better level flying
machine than a vertical flight one."
Elisa smiled. "I won't tell him but if he falls suddenly over
Brooklyn I'll have to think of something."
She went to the building's ledge, spread her wings wide, and
soared off into the night.  Matt watched her catch an updraft,
then moved the cycle around and followed her.
	At first trying to control the skycycle took up most
of Matt's attention.  But soon he got the hang of it and was
swinging the cycle in and out of the way of buildings like
an old pro.  He began to watch Elisa, who didn't actually
glide in a straight line but in curves, dips and large arching
circles.  
As a gargoyle, Elisa still retained her human beauty but there
was an added alieness to it.  The gargoyle beauty; the strength
and subtle stubbornness.  All the gargoyles had it from Lexington
to Angela and now Elisa.
	Elisa made a long arching downward spiral; they had
arrived at Mott Street.  She landed lightly on a rooftop and
waited for him.  
Matt looked at the surrounding buildings but didn't find any
thing that was clear enough to allow a landing.  He pointed
to the street and swung the cycle down to the ground. 
Coughing and sputtering he landed the cycle; stirring up the
dirt, dust, and leaves.
He shut the cycle down then slid his leg over the seat.
Elisa, seeing that he ready, jumped from the buildings roof
and landed heavily on the sidewalk.
	Caping her wings she looked up at the buildings number.
"Come on partner.  I have a feeling that this is going to be 
a long night." Matt put his helmet under his arm and started
up the stairs.
Elisa followed silently.
Matt knocked on the door which was opened fairly quickly. 
A nice looking middle aged woman looked out.  Her light blue
eyes ringed with dark shadows; evidence of sleepless nights.
"Yes?"
"Ms. Micheletti?  I am detective Bluestone; this is my partner
Detective Maza.  We're here concerning your daughter, Leslie."
Laura looked at Matt in relief, then darted a quick look at 
Elisa and then did a double take.
"A gargoyle?" she asked.
"I assure you Ms. Micheletti, I was a detective long before I
was a gargoyle.  May we come in?"
Ms. Micheletti gave Elisa another puzzled look then stepped back
allowing the detectives access into her home.
	Elisa looked about the house with great interest.  The 
walls were covered in photographs of family and relations.
One in particular caught her interest.  It was of a teenage girl
dressed to the nines looking shy and demure next to a tall young
man. "Is this your daughter?" she asked.
Ms. Micheletti nodded and came closer. "Yes, that is my Leslie."
"Who's the boy with her?"
"His name is Gerald Kerr.  That picture is from the prom.  They
broke up soon afterwards."
Elisa nodded then turned around. "Tell us a little bit about your
daughter Ms. Micheletti."
Laura sniffed and dabbed her eyes with a piece of tissue. 
"Do you want to sit down?" she asked.
The partners shared a quick look. "Uh, no thank you.  If we could 
see her room?"
Laura started then shrugged. "Of course.  This way." she moved
past Elisa and went to the staircase.  
"Leslie was a junior.  Always, more mature for her age.  Last 
Thursday she went to the market to get makeup and her magazines
and she didn't come home.  I thought, that maybe she went to spend
the night with one of her friends.  But when she didn't call I
began to call them.  No one had seen her."  she stopped at a
door then pushed it open.  
	Elisa entered first.  The room was fairly large with a
desk a nice amorie, a dresser with a mirror on the wall, and
along another wall a whole bookcase filled with books.  She took 
note of some of them; romance, science fiction, and fantasy.
"Go on." she prompted. "Who are your daughter's friends? Who was
she dating?"
Ms. Micheletti wrung her hands.  "Her friends?  Well there's 
Maggie Cates, and Veronica Puchi; those are her really 
close friends. She was dating a guy named Martin Duprix."
Matt cast Elisa a quirked brow.  "How old was he?"
"Martin?  Oh I don't know; older.  I never asked; I didn't see him
much.  He'd come and pick her up and she'd go down and get in his
car and that was that."  
She gave Elisa another puzzled look which Elisa noticed
but ignored. 
	She went to the wicker bookcase and looked at the pictures
on the shelves. Pictures of Leslie and her friends or friends 
smiling at a camera maybe held by Leslie.
"Do you have any recent photos of your daughter?  Any of her 
dressed like she was going out?"
"Yes.  I'd have to go get them-"
"Please." said Matt.
Ms. Micheletti gave both detectives a quick look then turned 
and went back downstairs.
"What are you getting Matt?" asked Elisa.
"Same as those other missing girls a few months ago.  We
didn't have anything to really follow up on."
"No, nothing but a description of an older guy."
"Do you think the mother knows anything else?"
"No.  Hey look."  Elisa went to the desk and pulled from a small
flowered bowl a match book. "*The Velvet Jungle*. Looks like 
we got our first break."
	From the doorway there was an enraged gasp.
"How dare you!  You filthy beast!  I thought you came here to 
help me, now I see that you're just a thieving-"
Matt stopped Ms. Micheletti and shook her lightly. "Watch what
you say to an officer Ms. Micheletti." he warned. His blue eyes 
had gone icy. "Detective Maza was just looking around; trying
to find anything that might help us find your daughter.  
She's not a thief."
	Elisa, who had been startled by Ms. Micheletti's
outburst, now moved around the bed. 
"Thanks Matt but I can defend myself." she said coldly.  
She held out the match book. "Did your daughter frequent this 
club, Ms. Micheletti?"
Leslie's mother glanced at the match book then reached out and
took it to look at it better. "I don't know.  I...maybe Martin
knows it."
Elisa took the match book back and then handed to Matt.
Matt was the one to take the pictures from Ms. Micheletti.
"Thanks, Ms. Micheletti. Do you have this Martin Duprix's 
phone number?"
Ms. Micheletti shook her head. "No.  Maybe...maybe she wrote
it down."
The detectives gave her a bland look; their attitudes had gone 
suddenly cold toward her and she knew it.  She was afraid that 
they wouldn't help her and all because she had accused the 
gargoyle of stealing.
	It was Elisa who looked around the wicker bookcase again,
her tail twitched from side to side. She drew out a thin flower
printed journal.  "Here Ms. Micheletti, would you mind looking in
here for a number or an address.  I'am afraid my *fingers* are a
little too heavy for such tasks.  Matt, take this." she tossed him
a small address book.
Laura Micheletti looked at Elisa over the pages of the journal she
was glancing through.  "Uh, detective Maza?"
Elisa looked up. "Yes?"
"About what I said before, I am sorry.  It must be the stress.
I am so scared for my baby."
Elisa nodded absently. "I can understand that."
"You?  How?  You're a gargoyle!  I mean-"
Elisa held up one of her heavily clawed hands. "I know what you 
mean. But it's like I said before, I was a detective long before I
was a gargoyle.  You don't have to be human to perform an act 
of humanity.  I do care."  
She crossed her arms and looked at the human woman from 
her greater height and realized that the magic that had changed 
her went deeper than her appearance.
"In the gargoyle clan, family is everything.  Children are raised
not knowing or caring who their parents are.  All members of 
the clan are their parents; contributors to the task of raising 
the young.  If my child was missing, I would be just as frantic 
as you are.  I would want to be doing something not be dependent 
on someone else to look for my baby."
Laura Micheletti suddenly felt a kinship with this creature
of the night. 
"I pray that you find her.  I know that you'll find her. 
My faith has been the only thing to keep me going for the
past few days."
"Keep your faith Ms. Micheletti. We'll find her." vowed Elisa.
	Matt coughed softly.  "Come on partner.  We have other
people to see tonight."
Elisa looked at Matt then walked over to him on her back hinged
legs. "Find something?"
"I am not too sure.  But it's a start.  Thank you for the 
pictures, Ms. Micheletti.  We'll be in touch."  he motioned 
to the door.
Elisa followed him out of the bedroom and down the stairs.  She 
knew that he had something; he wouldn't have left if he didn't 
had a solid lead to follow.
	Back out on the street Matt zipped up his leather 
jacket and smiled. "Charming woman." he said sarcastically.
Elisa shrugged. "She's just worried."
"Still...I found Duprix's address and phone number.  It's 
early yet, I don't think he would have started club 
hopping yet."
Elisa bared her fangs in a strange grin, 
"Let's go pay him a visit."
	Martin Duprix lived in an apartment on Central Park
West.
Elisa angled herself over to the roof of the building
then landed with a loud thump.  She grimaced and looked over at
Matt.  He was bringing in the skycylce well then accidentally hit
the throttle.  The engine roared and it hit the roof and attempted
to go through it before Matt was able to back off the throttle
and shut it down.
"God!  I hope Widget isn't up when I take it back."
"For your sake, I hope so too.  Come on partner; there's an 
access door."
	Soon both detectives were walking down a corridor looking 
for apartment 45E.  
"37 E.  42 E."
"45 E.  Let's hope he's home." said Elisa.  Matt nodded in 
agreement then knocked on the door.
Shrill barking was heard from inside. "Get down you little mutt."
"Oh great." Matt muttered.
Elisa caped her wings and waited. 
"I'am coming." the door opened. "Yes?"
"Mr. Martin Duprix?"
"Yes."
"I am detective Matt Bluestone; my partner Elisa Maza.  May we 
ask you a few questions?"
"Concerning?"
"The disappearance of one Leslie Micheletti."
Martin looked at both detectives; gave Elisa a double take
then sighed.
" I've already been questioned by the boys in blue.  You 
don't really think I had anything to do with her disappearance?"
"Do you?" asked Matt.
Elisa growled softly.  
Martin looked at her sharply then stepped back. 
"Let's get this over with; come on in."
	A small white poodle came yapping up to Matt and took 
a bite at his pant leg.  "Hey!" he yelped.
Elisa smiled until the small demonic dog looked at her. 
It barked loudly at the three toed creature that had just
entered it's territory.  
Elisa's tail twitched in irritation and she uncaped her wings. 
"Oh don't worry," said Duprix worriedly. 
"Bobbi won't hurt you."  
Elisa had her doubts.
	The poodle growled took a flying leap and tried to
take a bite out of her wing.  Elisa, who didn't like poodles 
to begin with, reared back and let out a very loud and
threatening snarl.
The poodle skittered back, yapped at her a few more times 
then fled off toward the interior of the apartment.
With the dog gone, Elisa calmed down and caped her wings again.
	Martin Duprix watched this whole exchange with a slight
alarmed look on his face.
"Bobbi wouldn't have hurt you." he repeated.
"I don't trust dogs." said Elisa coldly. "They're hard on
the wings."
Duprix looked at the long draped wings then turned and showed 
them to his living room.  He turned off the t.v.. with a flick 
of the remote then sank down into the sofa.
"Can I get you anything?" he asked.
"Nothing for me." said Matt, "Elisa?"
She shook her head.
Matt sat down then leaned forward. "Let's get this over with 
then, Why were you dating a girl that was sixteen?"
Duprix's eyes widened in shock. "She was sixteen?  She told me
that she was eighteen!"
"I could take you in right now for statory rape.  She was
a minor."
"I never did anything to her!" Duprix insisted. "We went
out; I  showed her a good time."
"Where did you go?"
"To the movies, the museums, ice skating."
"Sure." drawled Elisa.
"We went to see Ms. Micheletti earlier; she said that you
went out to night clubs.  Contributing toward the delinquency 
of a minor is something I can get you on."
Matt glared at Duprix, "We both know you are involved with
Leslie's disappearance talk now and you might be able to make
a deal with the D.A."
"You have no evidence." said Duprix coldly. 
Elisa smiled thinly. "I wouldn't say that.  For the past 
six months there have reports of young women and a few girls
going missing.  No way of getting them out except by ship.
Who knows, it sure is a nice night to go out for a flight
along the docks."
"I think you better leave."
Matt stood up, Elisa walked toward the door in front of him.
She reached up and tore the microphone she used to talk 
to Matt from her neck and let it fall unnoticed to the floor.
	Matt looked at Duprix with undisguised loathing 
in his eyes.
"Leslie Micheletti was a good girl from a good family.  Let's 
hope that they don't have to suffer long."
Duprix's only reply was: "Good evening Detective."
The door closed behind them.
	"Well that was a total bust." sighed Matt.
Elisa smiled. "Maybe not.  Come on."  they walked down the 
corridor to the stairwell.  Elisa put an earpiece in her 
ear and waited.
"He's making a phone call." she announced. "Here listen"
Matt put the piece in his ear. 
"Yeah, it's Duprix.  I was just visited by a nosy cop and
his pet gargoyle.  I want the merchandise moved; tonight." 
There was a pause. 
"Who's running this operation me or Bert?!" he demanded.
A sigh. 
"Alright then.  Just make sure the merchandise is secure; we 
don't need these two Dick Tracy rejects finding anything.
Make sure that they don't." The phone beeped off.
	Matt took the amplifier out of his ear.
"Come on!  We've got to go to the docks or we're sunk."
"Wait a minute.  What about the night club?"
"What about it?  Duprix's in on it, he's got transport.  
If we don't move now, Leslie Micheletti is out of here."
"What does he do with the cash?  Where are the records?  
Who are the buyers?" Elisa put a hand on Matt's shoulder,
"We've got no evidence; just an illegally planted bug.  
What evidence we do have is circumstantial at best."
Matt frowned. "He did say something about not being the 
head of this operation."
"Come on Matt let's go to the Velvet Jungle." She shrugged.
"Who knows, we might get lucky."
	The Velvet Jungle was one of the most exclusive 
night clubs on the posh west side. Only the most interesting 
and unusual were allowed admittance.
Elisa sat on the back of the skycycle, wings caped.  Matt cursed
softly under his breath. "I hope this works."
"Me too." said Elisa.
They swooped out of the night sky scattering the riff raff.  
Matt set the cycle down and slid off.  Laughing, Elisa got off
also.  He tossed the keys to a valet and taking Elisa's hand 
made his way to the front of the line.  
	The bouncer looked at Matt, who was glad for the strange
looking flightsuit.  Then he looked Elisa over.  
It was the wings.  
He reached over and unlatched the rope barrier allowing them to 
enter club. 
Elisa looked at Matt but he didn't return the look.  
	They squeezed themselves into the club and looked around.
The music was loud, the crowd boisterous, the alcohol flowing. 
Matt put his hand to her ear and shouted: "Well, where do you
want to start."
Elisa pointed at a table that was close to a flight of stairs. 
He nodded and they began to make their way toward it.  
	Half way there a man, dressed in a tan business suit 
stopped them. 
"Nice costumes.  What are you an astronaut?" he asked Matt.
"Yeah, Buck Rodgers."
"And you're a gargoyle."
Elisa nodded. "100 percent gargoyle.  Hey, you wouldn't happen
to know Martin Duprix would you?  He told me that if I ever
wanted to pick up some merchandise to show up."
The man looked them both over then shook his head. 
"Never heard of him."
Elisa flipped her hair back. "Never mind then." 
	The guy squeezed past them and immediately disappeared
into the crowd.  She and Matt stood leaning against the railing
watching the dancefloor.
"What do you think?"
"I think we just got noticed."
They were silent and waited.
After about twenty minutes there was a tap on Elisa's shoulder.
She turned.
Another suit was standing behind her. 
"Heard that Martin Duprix referred you here."
"Said that we should only talk to The Man." she replied.
The guy looked them over then nodded. "This way."
	He started up the staircase.  Matt went first as Elisa
still had a little trouble with steps.
They stopped at a door at the top of the stairs.  Their guide 
tapped on it twice then opened it. "Go in." he said.
Matt complied and Elisa after tripping over the last two 
steps followed.
	The room they were shown into was a large office.  
There was only one occupant.  He sat behind a desk looking out 
a window that showed the nightclub.  He didn't even seem to 
notice the two detectives.
Steppling his fingers he finally looked at them.
"Well, I was wondering when you'd figure it out."
Matt shot Elisa a look; she shook her head.  She'd let him do
all the talking. 
"Excuse me?" 
"The smuggling ring.  I know a cop when I see one. The way you
threw Duprix's name around when you came in just made the red 
flags go up. Who are you? I should know the names of the people 
who are going to arrest me."
	Matt was shocked but didn't let it stop him.
"I'am Matt Bluestone, she's Elisa Maza.  And you are?"
"Bertrand Gelluci.  I'am pleased to meet you."
"I am sorry Mr. Gelluci I think there's been a mistake."
"No detective, no mistake. I know why you came here.  I was 
just hoping that you'd come sooner.  It took a sixteen 
year old girl to finally get your attention though."
Matt put his hand to his forehead, "I am confused."
"It's really quite simple Mr. Bluestone.  I am willing to  
surrender myself to you, all my records, all my testimony for
one thing. I get to make a deal with the D.A."
"Why?"
"Why?" He looked at a picture frame on his desk then turned 
it around and showed it to the two detectives. "This is why. 
Her name is Christina Gelluci.  She's my daughter." Matt 
looked at the picture of a baby no more than a month old; 
a pink headband on her head.
Bertrand continued. "She's three months old and the only reason
for me to live.  I am willing to turn state's witness in exchange 
for a reduced sentence and limited press coverage."
"You know what they say Mr. Gelluci; don't trust a gift that 
falls out of the sky." Matt warned.
"They also say, don't look a gift horse in the mouth.  I am 
telling you the truth detective.  If it wasn't for Christina 
I'd never do this.  I want out."
Elisa uncaped her wings and walked toward the desk. 
"Mr. Gelluci, may I use your phone?" she asked.
"Of course, go ahead."
She picked up the receiver and hurriedly called the D.A.'s
office.
	Matt was still having a hard time believing what was 
happening. "You're doing all of this for your daughter?"
Bertrand nodded. "When I started I didn't think about the 
lives I was destroying but now I have a daughter.  It scares me
to think that predators like myself are doing business and think
of it as business. 
	"But they are children for god's sake!  Children just
like my little Christina.  She's so helpless; she counts on me 
for everything.
	"I realized that I am the only one who can help.  
Help take other pigs like myself off the street.  I'll turn over
everything records of buyers, money transactions, contacts, 
everything as long as you get me a reduced jail sentence and 
limited media coverage. "
He looked over Elisa's head and said softly, "I'd like to tell 
my baby what I did in my own time; in my own way.  One day 
she'll be big enough to find out all this stuff on her own,
but I want to keep her an innocent for as long as possible."
	Matt looked at the man who had bartered on broken dreams
and shattered lives and knew that he was legit.
"Do you know where Leslie Micheletti is?"
"Yes.  I can also tell you where they were hiding.  I can also
tell you where they've been moved."
	Three hours later, Elisa and Matt were once again 
on the move.  Elisa had made arrangements with Chavez for 
the quiet removal of Bertrand Gelluci from the Velvet Jungle.
Officers were on their way to Martin Duprix's apartment and there 
were more squad cars heading toward the docks.
	The D.A. had eagerly agreed to Gelluci's conditions.  
As long as they could get predators like Duprix off the 
streets they were happy. Elisa hoped that the rest of the 
bargain could be hammered out to Bertrand's satisfaction.  
	Now, the partners were heading for the docks.  Not 
the same ones that the blue and whites were heading. 
They were headed for the place where the ring hid the girls 
when they felt the heat rising.  Bertrand had told them that 
there would be four men on guard and their leader Jackson. 
	Elisa rode with Matt on the back of the skycycle; it
was faster.  Elisa leaned over and spoke loudly into the 
helmet's side. "We'll have to hurry Matt.  It's only a few 
hours till sunrise." she warned.
Matt nodded then pointed out a warehouse. 
Elisa made a thumbs up; Matt brought the cycle in for a landing.
Tearing off his helmet he looked around then said, "I'll go in the
back; you go in the skylight."  Elisa nodded and watched as he 
slid down the roof.  
	Carefully, she began to peek in the large windows.  At the
first one she saw nothing but darkness.  But at the second one, 
though it was still dark, she could make out cages.  Inside those
cages young women and girls.  
She growled softly.  She scanned the roof and saw what she was
looking for.  The telltale sign of light.  Softly making her way
to the window she looked in.  
There they were.
Three men sat around a table playing cards.  She hoped that Matt 
would be able to take out the other two. 
Suddenly she heard it: "Police!  Freeze!"
	She growled fiercely. This was it!  Uncaping her wings,
she took a running start and crashed through the window.  She 
shielded her eyes and tried to get the hanging lamp as she fell
to the floor.
The men at the table, who had startled and tried to draw weapons
on the lone gunman, suddenly looked up and scattered. 
Elisa landed  with what was left of the light in her clawed fist.
Screaming her battle cry she launched herself at the first
thug she saw.  
He screamed in terror, tried to level the gun at her, then went
down.  Elisa smashed her fist into his jaw and he went limp.
She could feel the rush of adrenaline pumping through her veins
and knew that her eyes had taken on the eerie white light that
enraged gargoyles got.
A shot whizzed past her head. She whirled and leapt toward the
relative safety of the shadows.
	Matt, after crashing the party, ducked behind a large
wooden freight box.  Counting to three he quickly darted out and 
checked out what was happening with Elisa.  The other thugs had
fled, hiding most likely; just waiting to take a shot at an 
officer.  
He crouched low and scrambled for a better angle.
The bullets began to fly.  
He took refuge behind another box then took his shot.
Splinters of wood flew as the gun battle started in earnest.
	Elisa could see the man who had taken the shot at
her.  Growling she dropped to all fours and stalked him.  He
trembled slightly then took aim and shot at her again.  She
saw the flash of the gun and timed her jump; leaping past
the bullets.  Dodging to the right behind a freight box, she
snarled her rage.  
	Using her head and the strength of her new form, she leapt
to the top of the box and made for the shooter in a fashion that 
he wouldn't see her till it was too late.
"Where are you, you freak!" he screamed.
She crouched low seeing him right below her, gauged the drop and
flared her wings in a tight wedge.  
Screaming she pounced.
	The shooter didn't have a chance.  By the time he swung
the gun around, she was on top of him.  Her glowing white eyes 
burning into his terrified ones; her hand with it's sharp talons
thrust his up and away.  
The gun went off.
Using her tail, Elisa clubbed him on the side of the head.  She
slammed her knee into his midriff.  He slumped forward.  Then used
her elbows and gouged him in the back.  He grunted then went limp.
She grinned.
	A bullet exploded the wood right in front of her face.  
Startled she leaped upwards and clung to the freight box. 
She looked back and saw another man running toward her.
'The fourth guard.  Where's Jackson?' she wondered.
She screamed challenge then scampered up the box and disappeared
over it's edge.
	Matt crouched down low as a barrage of bullets began
to make Swiss cheese of his hiding place.  Unless he moved to
a more favorable position he was toast.  He glanced around 
desperately then took his chance.  He rose, took aim, fired three 
bullets in quick succession, and made a break for a new hiding
place.
	Bullets nipped at his feet as he dived into his new 
position.  He rose again and fired.  
Two bullets went wide.  The third struck a shoulder and the 
fourth caught somewhere in the upper chest as the shooter was 
spun and thrown back.
	He took quick inventory of the situation, saw a fourth 
thug who had whirled at the sound of bullets.  He saw Matt 
and fired a few times to make him duck while he dodged for
cover.
	Elisa, crouched on the freight box and saw what Matt 
could not.  A fifth man was making his way behind him.  She 
growled in rage unsure how to handle this.  She could rush the 
guy who had Matt pinned down, or try and take out the guy who was
going to shoot him in the back.
If only she could do both at the same time.
She grinned and moved into a better position.
	Perched on a box which was directly behind the guy who
was engaged with Matt, she waited.  Then screamed her battle cry
rose up and showed herself to both men.  The one behind Matt
forgot his initial target, took aim and fired five quick rounds at
her.  She fell immediately onto her stomach and pushed the box over.
It crashed to the floor, ricocheting into the gunman directly 
underneath it.
	Matt whirled around, and saw the guy who had been shooting
at Elisa.  He knew that he was low on bullets.  He didn't know if
he had enough to hold him off.  
"Don't move." the guy said, centering the gun on Matt's chest.
Matt slowly raised his hands. "And you are?"
"Shut up!" the guy barked. "Drop it."
Matt dropped the gun.
"Tell your pet to get down here or you're dead." 
Matt frowned, "She's not my pet; she's my partner."
The guy waved the gun, motioning Matt to move to a better defended
position.  Matt having no choice, complied.
"It's over." said Matt. "We know everything."
He tilted his head, "Hear those sirens?  Their coming for you."
The gunman smiled "They don't know where to look."
'This must be Jackson.' thought Matt.
Where was his partner?
	Elisa watched silently as the last gunman captured
her partner.  What could she do?
Then she heard the sirens.  So they'd finally arrived.
They wouldn't be in time to help her.
What to do?  What to do?
She knew what she *had* to do.  
She moved quickly around the gunman till she was almost across
from Matt.
She took a deep breath. 'Hope this works.' she prayed.
Roaring her battle cry, she launched herself off the cargo
boxes.
	Matt startled and looked up at the onrushing gargoyle.
Jackson turned to face this new threat.  Matt took his chance and
rushed Jackson.  The gun went off.
Matt slammed into Jackson, grabbed for the gun and thrust it 
upwards.  Jackson was strong and was able to wrench free of his 
hold.  He tried to pistol-whip Matt, but the detective ducked the
blow then brought his right fist up and stuck at the guy's unprotected 
midsection; aiming for his kidney.
	Jackson curled over, his whole body going weak.  Matt made
another grab for the gun.  He hurled Jackson into a wooden crate; 
repeatedly striking the hand holding the gun into the wood.  
The gun fell to the floor.
Matt ducked, picked it up, and aimed it at Jackson.
"Your under arrest."
	It was officer Morgan who put Jackson into his 
patrol car.  "Well done guys." he praised the two detectives.
"Either one of you hurt?"
Matt rubbed his shoulder. "I am not.  How about you Elisa?"
"Nothing that a days sleep won't fix up."
Morgan grinned. "See you back at the barn then Lieutenant."
He turned away.
	Elisa watched as he climbed into his car and slowly
began to roll away.
Matt stood beside her silently then sighed. 
"Well, sure was a night huh, Elisa?"
The gargoyle gave him a tired smile.  "Can't wait to go
home; I'am so tired."
Matt smiled. "Come on, I'll give you a lift."
	They climbed up the ladder to the roof of the 
warehouse that they had captured.  Matt gave Elisa a hand up
the last couple of rungs.  They went to the skycycle; Matt
put on his helmet and slid onto the seat.  Elisa climbed on
behind him.
Suddenly Matt laughed, "I just figured it out.  You changed
into a gargoyle so that I would have to type up the reports
from now on."
Elisa laughed, "Well, my secret's out."
	He started the cycle up, pushed the throttle, and 
stepped on the elevator.  They rose into the lightening sky,
heading for Castle Wyvern.
	
	Matt flew the cycle all the way to the top of the 
Eyrie Building.  Elisa gave his waist a squeeze then shouted. 
"Thanks Matt.  See you tomorrow!"  
Elisa slid off the cycle and he watched as she lightly touched
down and ran across the battlements to her mate, Goliath.
The large gargoyle had turned at the sound of the skycycle.
Seeing who it was he uncaped his wings. 
"Elisa!"
	'It's more complicated than that.' Matt remembered the
words that his partner had told him earlier in the evening.
The smaller gargoyle threw herself into Goliath's arms 
wrapping her wings around his shoulders.  He returned the
sentiment by enveloping her within his own.  As the sun rose,
the two gargoyles where captured in their intimate embrace. 
	Matt smiled, yes, he understood now.
It had taken the whole night, a brush with death, and a bit
of discrimination but he finally got It.
Sitting there in the morning sunshine, he turned the skycycle 
around and headed back to the station.
The End