This is Halloween, Halloween, Halloween...

[elisas_clan]

It was just after sunset, on October 31, 1996, the night the Gargoyles of Manhattan had been looking forward to for some time.  It was the one of the few nights of the year where they could interact with humans without having to worry about their reactions.  So long as they exercised a certain amount of caution with regards to their wings and tails

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[in_jubilation]

And Lulu from Final Fantasy opens the door.

Wait, that is Jubes in a very convincing costume holding a bag of candy after trick and treating all over the next. "Hey! Ready!"

[elisas_clan]

Angela, despite the icon, is in her Jasmin costume.

"You look wonderful!" she says, then laughs. "Though I am thinking it needs something. Wings, perhaps?"

[in_jubilation]

Jubilee clapped. "That sounds wonderful! What do we have to do?"

[elisas_clan]

"That would be my department," a voice said, then shifted up a couple octaves. "Of course, I'm also the only one in the department. The boss, the cashier, Lola the pretty secretary..."

Angela hid a laugh behind her hand as she turned to see Puck, with Alexander in hand, behind them.

"Now," the fey explained, "this is actually fairly easy. I show Alexander how to do the spell now, and when it comes time to put you two back to normal, I let him do it. Fulfills the terms of my parole and doesn't get me fired."

From nowhere, he pulled out a chart, one half of it a picture of Angela, the other a picture of Jubilee. "Now, your basic transformation spell is fairly easy, but is quite a bit beyond Alex's level just yet. On the other hand, trading "aspects" is one of the simpler forms of magic. Trade Gargoyleness for humanity... or mutanity as the case may be. Easier, too. Makes the changes feel more natural. No adjustment period like Elisa went through."

He rolled the chart up and it vanished. "Now, are you two both ready to

[in_jubilation]

"Awww I have no one here that will be surprised by me." Jubilee gave a playful pout.

"Oh well!" She gives a grin to Elisa and Angela, then poor Puck will find a Jubes has taken ownership of his arm. "To the ball!"

[elisas_clan]

The fey blinked it surprise, then shrugged. Out of deference to the holiday, and perhaps to his meta-sense of humor, he added a Mickey-Mouse eared hat to his usual ensemble. "'twould be my pleasure, to escort the lady fair," he said. "To the ball!"

Which was just beginning to get underway in the Great Hall and the courtyards of the castle, with only a few guests in attendance so far.

There was Goliath, in his Arthurian costume, Lex in pilot gear. Brooklyn and Katana were Han Solo and Princess Leia, respectively. And Broadway was, naturally, Aladdin. Albeit Gargoyle versions there of, of course.

"Well," Angela said, "how do I look?"

Dropped jaws made for such an interesting response.

[in_jubilation]

Jubilee didn't say much, she just stayed at Puck's side for the moment. Respecting Angela's moment in the spotlight.

[elisas_clan]

With no jaw dropped more than Broadway's. "An... Angela?"

"What?" she asked, innocently, "is there something wrong with my costume?"

"No... It looks fine, but you... I... you..."

She went over to him and planted a kiss on his lips. "It is just for tonight. A little trade between Jubilee and myself."

"Gotta admit," Lex said. "You look good." It was more addressed to Jubilee, so he hastily amended with, "Bot of you."

[in_jubilation]

"Jump over the building, huh?" Jubilee repeated, then looked down to the street below. She neared the edge, still al ittle hesitant.

[elisas_clan]

Angela looked down in wonderment. "Oh my... I do not think I ever really realized just how high up we were."

[in_jubilation]

"It is pretty freaky, I am not sure I can do this."

[timedancers]

"Brooklyn," Katana ventured, "Go with them. You can carry Jubilee."

He held up both hands. "But we've got matching costumes and I was gonna stay here for the party with you..."

She shook her head. "Who I am to deny you a night out with your rookery brothers? I am certain you will have more fun with them than here. And I will insure that you have an ever better time upon your return."

He considered this. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

"Recently. Though perhaps not quite enough."

"Guess that solves it," Broadway said.

[in_jubilation]

"Just keep on talking to her, it will keep her holding onto something." Jubilee gave Broadway a hopeful smile. She turned to the man with the cell phone, "Thank you."

The sounds of the sirens was a good sign. Now Jubilee would just have to think of a name for Angela, the human, and a reason for her and Broadway to stay with her.

[elisas_clan]

"It's gonna be okay, Angela. Human doctors are real good. They patched up Elisa just fine..." Broadway went on. "You'll see. You're gonna be as good as new."

The wait on the ambulance wasn't much longer, pulling right up to them and disgorging its paramedics. They had a body board and the rest of the gear at the ready, setting to work.

One was checking her pulse and nodded to Jubilee. "You did good here."

[in_jubilation]

Now for the lies. "This is Andrea Xanatos, she is the niece of Xanatos and we are her hired bodyguards. We need to stay with her. Will that be a problem?"

[elisas_clan]

One had to hand it to Jubilee for thinking on her feet. Broadway knew he wouldn't have been able to come up with anything anywhere near as convincing.

The paramedic seemed to be weighing his options and eventually decided it wasn't worth trying to argue and possibly incur the wrath of one of the world's richest men.

"No," he said. Quickly but carefully, they loaded Angela into the ambulance, getting the basics of trauma care started. "C'mon, get in."

[in_jubilation]

"Why not?" Jubilee queried to Boradway's statement of not being able to come back. "Just ask Xanatos to set her up with a private room with a large window and a special doctor, and no one will be able to tell you if you can come or go."

[elisas_clan]

Broadway brightened at that, ever so slightly. "Guess I'm just not thinking straight. I just feel so helpless."

"Naturally feeling," Elisa reassured him. "I think we all feel that way."

A soft cough indicated that they were no longer alone. The doctor had arrived. An older gentleman, but with the kind of look and demeanor that put you at ease almost instantly.

"Mr. and Mrs... Xanatos?" he inquired.

Goliath nodded, while Elisa added, "Just make it Greg and Elizabeth, please, Doctor."

Goliath looked down at Angela. "How is she?"

"I won't lie to you," the doctor said. "Her injuries were rather severe. A broken arm, several cracked ribs, and a mild concussion, along with several cuts, scrapes, and abrasions. We've stabilized her vitals and set the breaks, and now there's not much more we can do that wait. We'd like to keep her under observation for a few days, just to make sure there isn't anything we haven't caught..."

[in_jubilation]

Jubilee couldn't say much here, as she wasn't the 'parent' of Andrea. She just hoped Goliath and Elisa remembered her advice on the EKG and the private room.

[elisa_garg]

"She will need a private room," Goliath said. "Our daughter values her privacy."

"And that," Elisa pointed to the EKG machine, "needs to stay off." Thank goodness for time spent covering the for the Clan making a good liar out of her. "With her heart transplant..."

"I, ah, understand," the doctor said, making a few updates on her chart.

Elisa fought the urge to sigh. Her step-daughter had been looking forward to this night for some time, and to have it end so awfully... Not to mention the affect it was having on everyone. Angela was a bright ray of--sunshine was probably inaccurate where Gargoyles were concerned, but the sentiment was certainly there--happiness in all their lives. This would be weighing on all of them in the days to come.

And perhaps on Jubilee most of all.