Gargoyles' reality. Castle Wyvern. Wedding bells.

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Goliath looked out over the large room, his eyes resting on the gathering of the Manhattan clans and their friends and kin. Everyone was there but for their alternate brethren and Lex and Emily. The latter two were watching the event via closed-circuit television from Lex's hospital room, and the former... well, he hoped they were going to be here soon.

Behind him Hudson muttered and grumbled nervously, and he glanced over his shoulder. "Peace, old friend. All will be well."

"Sez the bloke that just hit the wall agin this verra mornin'," returned Hudson with uncharacteristic heat, then sighed and turned away to pace.

Goliath closed the door to the groom's room and walked over to pour the old gargoyle a drink of the wine that David had brought in earlier.

That worthy individual was contemplating the window, his hands folded behind his back. "Claw's new wife is a lovely woman."

"Aye." Hudson knocked back his drink and slumped into a chair. "Part 'o me's wishin' Lucy 'n I had just done as they did."

"No you're not," said Goliath calmly. "You decided on this for Lucy."

"Aye." The old one sighed.

Comments

[elisas-clan.livejournal.com]

It was, perhaps, a bit of a mass transit that brought the two Clans, Manhattan and Labyrinth, of that alternate word to the castle's courtyard.

Goliath and Elisa, with Hope. Brooklyn and Katana, with Nashville and Tachi. Angela and Broadway. Lexington. Hudson Guinevere, looking distinctly uncomfortable, but trying to put on a pleasant face. And new member Icy.

Talon and Maggie. Claw. Malibu, Brentwood, Burbank, and Hollywood, all following in the wake of Delilah, the blue-skinned clone of Elisa.

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It was Broadway who stepped to meet them, his 'Sunday best' human clothing making him look oddly dashing as Chelsea shouted with joy in his arms and lifted the skirt of her fluffy white dress to show them all her frilly underpants.

"Sheesh, hey, stop that." He gently pulled it out of her little hands and smoothed it down over her tail and legs.

She laughed up at him, then squealed and waved her arms. "Chessie hi!"

"Sheesh, she's gonna bust a gasket," came Brooklyn's voice from up on the wall, where he was having a last smoke before going inside.

Broadway just chuckled and looked at Elisa and Goliath. "Hi, guys, just come on in and grab a seat."

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"It's still got nothing to do with 'who you're not yet'," said the human boy vehemently. "You're in a different place, with different stuff going on. And you're a different person. Saying that you're not Demona yet all the time will just teach you to think that someday you will be her, and that's not a given at all."

"Maria, you almost gave me a heart attack!" Brooklyn's eyes were wide.

"I know." The cherry red gargoyle girl grinned, her blond hair falling over one eye.

Chelsea sighed and went to sleep, cuddled close under her 'auntie's' chin.

And Icy looked around and frazzled her tail tuft, feeling afraid and exposed among so many strangers.

[elisas-clan.livejournal.com]

"Wise words," Guinevere said, after a moment. There might be a small undercurrent of "for a human" or there might not. She's not an easy read.

Brooklyn looked back and forth between Maria and his mate. "You know, anything I say here's gonna get me in trouble with somebody, so I'm just gonna keep my beak shut."

Delilah rested a hand only a shade or two darker on Icy's shoulders and gave her a smile. "It is all right. We are here for you."

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She snuggled Hope close with one arm as she gave Derek a narrow look. Then she sidled over and offered him a one-armed hug with a baby in the middle.

[elisas-clan.livejournal.com]

He managed a smile, the look in his eyes communicating that he'd be okay, really. The talk about children had just weighed on him.

"Ah, stupid question time," Elisa said, after he'd broken away. "But ah, do you want us to call you Mom or...?"

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"Are you sure?" Talon frowned.

Smyrna had been studying all the new people all this time, but now she crinkled her muzzle and pointed a stubby finger at the other Derek. "Unca?"

[sewer-gliders.livejournal.com]

Derek smiled at that. "Yeah, I'm sure."

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Hudson did indeed look rather pale as he stood at the front with Robbins beside him as best man. Goliath and the others of the Manhattan clan stood in a fairly quiet row next to them, though Brooklyn was surreptitiously tugging at his collar. A mocha-skinned woman with short white hair and pale blue eyes stood in the officiant's place, grinning encouragingly at the old Gargoyle with teeth that didn't look quite human.

[elisas-clan.livejournal.com]

No one the other-verse Gargoyles knew, at least not at first glance.

But they were all quite happy for this other Hudson, even Hudson himself. He quite doubted that he wound find such for himself... but more than content with his lot in life as elder statesman.

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The wings swept back again and the newly wed couple stood there, Hudson's arms around his wife and daughter as he grinned widely.

"People, I present Lucy Snowe 'n 'er wife, Hudson... oh crud." The pastor facepalmed to wide-spread laughter, then finished, "And their daughter, Jane."

[elisas-clan.livejournal.com]

Laughter carried throughout, followed by thunderous applause.

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"Do we want to know what the Brooklyns are laughing about?" Elisa glanced that way, then turned back to Franklin. "Nope."

"It... I'm sorry." Icy hid her face with one hand, then started again as the robot turned its head toward her. This time she glommed onto Guenevere's arm.

Golitah frowned with concern.

[elisas-clan.livejournal.com]

Goliath put a hand to his head. "I am certain we are all better for not knowing."

Guinevere herself looked decidedly uncomfortable, but mostly for entirely different reasons. The camera was strange, but it was Icy's clinging, the fact that anyone would try and draw comfort from her, that was the most off-putting.

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"Bird...?" Icy blinked. "But it's a piece of gold...."

Elisa's dark eyes twinkled.

And Burbank nodded. "We got married."

[wingsofdestine.livejournal.com]

Guinevere blinked with realization, and then laughed, quickly cutting herself off. "It is a decoration. Like my armlet or my tiara. It is just in the shape of a bird."


Elisa's smile was warm and bright. "Really weird, though, the two sets of us. Like funky funhouse mirrors of each other."


The other Burbank shifted uncomfortably, but said nothing. "I am glad you have found happiness," Delilah said.


Angela smiled at her counterpart at their table. "A child... amazing. My little sister is trouble enough. I could not imagine being a parent already."


"So, ah, where were you six years ago?" Lex asked Emily, blushing. "'cause if the two of you are... Maybe I oughta..." He trails off.

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"Nude, hmm?" Maria chuckled as her Brooklyn gave a whimper and shot her a pleading look. "I'm not a perv, you dope."

She turned back to Kat. "Nice butt?"

[elisas-clan.livejournal.com]

Though it was difficult to tell, Brooklyn blushed deeply. "Look, just before the Gate tossed me there, I was fighting this big monster, Grendel, alongside this Beowulf guy... My clothes got torn to shreds in the process..."

Kat chuckled. "Very nice. Though he is quite lucky that my rookery sister did not run him through."

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"Yeah, helps fer when ya miss the wings 'n the eyebrows." Kendell's eyes danced, then creased slightly as Elisa kicked her in the shin under the table. "Don't wreck my good pants."

Elisa razzed her.

[elisa-garg.livejournal.com]

Elisa laughed. "Look out," she giggled. "I think you're being double-teamed."

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"What? Have you two decided to get along?" Elisa chuckled.

[elisa-garg.livejournal.com]

"Hwa?" Hope babbles, as if to say 'sure, why not?'

Elisa just chuckled as well. "Oh, those two are going to be an... interesting pair."

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"Here, allow me." Goliath scooped Hope out of his wife's arms, then paused to put an arm around Elisa and a hand on her belly, which bounced in greeting. "Hello, my son. Are you having fun?"

Icy watched the big human man's expression with wonder, then sighed and leaned on her fist.

[wingsofdestine.livejournal.com]

"Dancing...?" Guinevere muttered. "But I do not know how..."

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"Pull her out." The hybrid frowned, then bonked her head on the underside of the table as she tried to stand up. "Whoops...."

[wingsofdestine.livejournal.com]

Guinevere hesitated, but grasped Icy about the arm and endeavored to make her come out.

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"Aye." He looked down at his tiny wife, who was as bright eyed as ever.

Lucy smiled back at him. "I'll try not to get any cake on the tux."

"Wha...?" Hudson looked confused as she hopped up and pulled on his hand till he followed.

[elisas-clan.livejournal.com]

And there were amused glances all around as they watched the happy couple.

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"Indeed." Goliath accepted a plate of cake for himself and Elisa and held it at the right level for his wife to eat, glancing toward Icy, Hope, and Hollywood as he did so. "She's sleeping."

[elisa-garg.livejournal.com]

Elisa shook her head. "Poor kid. She's having a lot of trouble adapting to, well, everything."

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"No," said Franklin sadly, rubbing Icy's back as she stirred and sighed. "But I use to be him, so people don't like me much."

"Yeah." Elisa shook her head at Goliath's questioning look. No way was she sharing that memory. Especially not with little kids in the room.

[elisa-garg.livejournal.com]

"I like you," Hollywood volunteered.

Elisa smirked at a nearly identical expression on the face of her own Goliath. "Hey, we decided... fresh start for the both of us. What happened in the past stays there."

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Goliath continued to watch, his hand going up to his wife's shoulder as he did. "The boys... seem to know what to do."

Franklin looked around then, and saw Guenevere watching.

The big clone held out a hand to her, inviting her over.

[wingsofdestine.livejournal.com]

"The clones have come a long way. They've got a lot of heart, if not a lot of brains," Elisa said.

Guinevere hesitated, but eventually got up to join them. "Are you all right, Sister?" she asked.

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"Indeed." Goliath smiled, then glanced around for the newly wed couple and nodded to himself when he saw only Jane snuggled in the crook of Brooklyn's arm as he sat next to Maria and spoke with her.

[elisa-garg.livejournal.com]

Looking around, Elisa found most of her people happily conversing with their counterparts, or otherwise pleasantly engaged. Even Derek, grumpy as he could be sometimes.

"Thank-you, for this. We don't get too many chances like this."

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"Ah, no." He shook his head. "That is not what I meant. I meant that it helps me to stay awake very well."

[elisa-garg.livejournal.com]

She chuckled. "My fault. I can be dense too sometimes. You don't have the monopoly on it."

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"Let me go, I have to go get Goliath some punch," laughed Xanatos.

[elisa-garg.livejournal.com]

"Keep in mind I don't technically have any money," Elisa laughed.

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"I think I'll have a little. We need to toast the bride and groom again anyway." He spun on his heel, stumbled as he sensed Smyrna there, then stepped around her and headed back to the punch bowl with Fox on his arm.

"Why are you still up?" Goliath frowned at the little child, who grinned back entirely too perkily.

[elisas-clan.livejournal.com]

Goliath looked down as well. "Did you manage to get away from Talon, little one?"

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"As did we." Goliath nodded. "I must confess that I'm not certain when he acquired this second machine."

[elisas-clan.livejournal.com]

"Frankly, these days I am more concerned that Nashville will follow in his father's footsteps. Though the end point was quite good... the road to it was rather rocky."

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"Indeed. But I had never stopped to realize how great the differences were."

[elisas-clan.livejournal.com]

He nodded. "The changes are great... but there is still much that remains the same."

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Goliath started and gave her a wide-eyed look.

[elisa-garg.livejournal.com]

Elisa grinned. "Hey, you stick up for family."

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"But... what happened?" He lowered his head in his childlike way.

Icy watched him, wondering why none of the other members of his clan were stepping forward to comfort him. Then she looked up at Hollywood and Guenevere. "He's alone."

[wingsofdestine.livejournal.com]

Elisa hesitated, but ultimately decided on honest. "Something's happening with the baby."

Guinevere was on her feet and crossing the floor as soon as Icy finished speaking. Hollywood was still working out the fine details of what was going on.