On the Path of Vengeance - By Princess Alexandria

Day 1 - Wednesday - July 15th

          Owen had walked with Trini to her rooms.  Fox was there and smiled warmly as she showed off the work that they'd done.  They had created a doorway in the wall between two guest rooms, giving Trini twice the room she'd had before.  She had a nice bathroom with a large shower and a large tub, a new computer desk area blocked off from the living room by the entertainment center, the large desk came complete with computer, and the living room grew, along with the TV.  In the expanded area she had a huge closet, a very large bedroom, and a sunroom with a hot tub.  It was now larger than her apartment had been, and she didn't have a kitchen taking up space, just a wet bar near the entry.  Once Owen left, Fox moved to sit on the couch, and Trini could see that she'd just been waiting for them to be alone.

         "Fox"  Trini sighed.  She could see from the rigid way that Fox was sitting that she was mad.  Trini was too tired for this, but she'd promised explanations tonight.  "I missed you."  She moved to sit on the other couch so that she could face her a bit.  Fox didn't look approachable enough to kiss just yet. 

         "Demona?!  How the hell did you end up with Demona in Oregon?"  Fox's eyes were sharp and focused on Trini.  She felt like Fox would be able to see through any misleading statements or lies when she looked at her like that. 

         "I invited her to come with me to Seattle.  When we found the..." Trini started to explain.

         "You invited her?!"  Fox yelled.  "What you thought it would be a good idea to invite a dangerous killer with you on a vacation?"  She shook her head.  "What the hell were you thinking?!"

         "I was thinking that she shouldn't be alone right now!  She's having horrible nightmares."  There, it's out there.  Trini slumped down in her seat and watched Fox's shocked expression.  More quietly Trini spoke, "They raped her Fox.  I killed them because they were raping her."  She felt the tears falling down her face.  "She tells me that I saved her from hours of that."  She took a shuddering breath.  "She doesn't trust anyone with this.  I'm the only person she'll talk to... and I don't know what to do.  She's hurting so badly..."  She looked up at Fox, "It was me they'd planned to rape, I remember that from the train."  She had to stop talking and took some deep breaths to prevent herself from sobbing.  "I don't know how they ended up raping her instead."

         "Trini," Fox spoke gently, "did your memory come back?"

         Trini looked down, "She put a spell on me so I could sleep.  I can't remember any of it while the spell is on me."  Trini could actually feel Fox getting tense.  She looked up to see Fox's eyes were full of anger.

         "She put some sort of spell on you?!"  Fox's voice was rising.  Trini could see Fox thinking all sorts of horrible things about what type of spell Demona would use.

         "Just something to block the memories so I could sleep.  She noticed I was exhausted."  Trini stared at the pile of papers.  "I don't dream at all... and it's better than the nightmares."  She only had a few more nights of that before the spell was gone.

         "I want Puck to look at you and see what type of spell she used." Fox stood up.

         Trini's heart started to beat faster as she moved to block Fox's way out.  "No... I told her that you wouldn't tell anyone about the rape.  If they find out about this spell they'll want to know why she put it there.  I told her she could trust you."

         Fox looked incredulous, "She knows you're telling me this?"

         Trini looked down at the papers, "You have the coroner reports.  You would have found out anyhow."  She looked up into Fox's blue eyes, "She was so upset when I told her that you'd figure it out.  I told her that you wouldn't tell anyone."  Her voice got softer, "I told her that you weren't heartless, you wouldn't use this against her."  Please prove me right, Trini begged silently.

         Fox appeared to calm down a bit.  "Trini, you don't remember this rape.  She could be..."

         Trini's head whipped up and her eyes burned red, "She can't be lying about this!  I know what you all think about her, but... she is not lying."  She reached out to the pile of papers and shoved them towards Fox angrily, "Check... these bastards raped her... they raped my friend!"  Her voice was rising, "I couldn't protect her!  I told her I would and I couldn't.  You should hear her nightmares... its horrible!"  Fox watched Trini with wide eyes as Trini paced in front of the couch.  In a weaker, pained voice she added, "She needed me, I couldn't leave for weeks without her.  She doesn't have anyone else."

         Fox picked up the papers and quickly found the coroner reports.  Trini could see that it had pictures.  "I don't want to see what I did... not yet.  I'm not prepared today."  She moved to grab some of her bags.  "Come get me when you're done reading."  She carried her luggage into the bedroom quietly, knowing that Fox was looking to find out that Domi had lied.    

         Trini hung up her clothes and started to hang up the boxed clothes, just trying to stay busy.  She could hear Fox shuffling through the papers every once in a while.  She didn't really have a lot of clothes so that didn't take long to do.  She glanced around her bedroom.  It was so spacious, and had a huge bed, like Fox and David's.  The hot tub looked very nice.  Fox was spoiling her.  She looked into the closet that was about the size of her old bedroom.  The clothes that Fox had bought her had doubled her wardrobe, but she still was nowhere near filling this closet.  All of the money that Fox was spending on her was making Trini feel... strange.  She should ask her to calm down with the gifts.  It was just too much.

         She heard Fox getting up from the couch and took a deep breath as she set the box she'd planned to go through next down.  "So?"  She said while turning around to look at her.

         Fox leaned against the doorframe wearily.  "They raped someone."  She said softly.  "I... don't know what to say."  Trini sat down ungracefully on the bed, and Fox moved to sit beside her.  "I never thought something like that would happen to her."

         Trini looked up.  "It did."  She said weakly.  "I... hope that you can keep this to yourself.  I promised."

         Fox looked at Trini with sympathy, "I will... I still don't like that she put a spell on you."

         "She's going to take it off."  Trini looked into Fox's face, "She needs some of my memories, I told her she could take it off." 

         Fox tensed up, "You're letting her use magic on you again?  Trini... it's horrible what happened to her, but she's still Demona."

         Trini shook her head, "She's not Demona with me.  She doesn't act like everyone says she does when I'm there."  She sighed, "Besides, she said that there were six men... Two are still out there.  She has the files of Quarrymen members, and needs me to help identify them."

         Fox's eyes widened, "You're going to help her hunt them down?  What do you think she'll do when she gets them?!"

         Trini's eyes hardened, "I'm thinking she'll torture them for a bit and then kill them.  They deserve it."  She looked into Fox's eyes, "They were monsters.  Do you know what they did?!  After I was shot, and everyone thought I was dead, they propped my body up against the wall so she could see it while they raped her."  Trini watched Fox's face go pale.  "She already cared about me... I've heard her scream in her sleep about that."  Trini swallowed, "If she wasn't going after them, I would."

         "Oh God." Fox whispered as she put a hand over her mouth.  They sat in silence for a while.

         "We're going to undo the spell Friday night.  I won't be back until Saturday." Trini stared at her hands.  "I'll spend the night remembering that day and probably spend the day trying to identify the men."

         "I'm not comfortable with you doing this Trini." Fox said softly, but there was no command in her voice.

         "Neither is she."  Trini looked up to see that she'd managed to surprise Fox again.  "She's afraid the memories with hurt me.  I... don't care.  I can't let them get away with this."

         "I want to go with you, to make sure that the spell she uses does what she told you it would." Fox said firmly.  Trini wanted to just say no.

         "Fox, she didn't even want you to know it happened, she doesn't want anyone to know it happened.  I'm not so sure she'll want you in her house for this."  She could see Fox getting ready to argue.  She spoke more gently, "I'll ask, but if she says no, I don't want you to try and force it.  She won't hurt me."

         "Why are you so certain of that?" Fox tilted her head a little as she studied Trini.

         Trini wanted to tell her that Demona loved her, but they'd already dealt with so much tonight.  "I am... I just am."

         Trini got up to get them something to drink from the wet bar.  Fox had already stocked it for her.  "I really like what you did with my rooms."  She glanced around at the nice furniture again.  "You didn't need to."

         Fox gave her a small smile.  "I just thought that you could use more space.  The other rooms were meant for guests that only stayed a little while.  You'll be living here."  She took a sip of her drink and walked over to the computer.  "I hope you like it, I wanted you to have an office, but you said you sometimes wake up to write for a while, so... I put it in here."  Trini could see that the computer was far better than her old laptop. 

         "Thank you."  Trini said while watching the pleased look on Fox's face.  "You don't have to keep buying me stuff.  I hope you know that."  She moved closer and finally hugged Fox to her, "I love you... not your money.  I don't want you to forget that."  With the close contact it hit Trini how much she'd missed this woman.

         Fox turned in her arms to look at her seductively, "Do you want to show me how much you love me?"  The desire in her eyes made her look a bit like a predator. 

         "Honey, I would, but I'm afraid I'd pass out.  We didn't get much sleep last night."  Trini found herself having to cover a yawn at that moment.

         "We?" Fox pulled back to stare into Trini's eyes.  "What were you and Demona doing?"

         "We went gliding and MacBeth ran into us."  Trini noticed that Fox was uncomfortable with something.  "After he was dealt with we had to change hotel rooms.  He'd found ours."

         "How long was Demona with you during those two weeks?" Fox was watching Trini's face carefully.

         "She arrived on the Fourth and left the same day I did."  Trini didn't notice Fox's eyes narrowing.

         "Where did she stay?  With you in your apartment?" Fox asked while taking a sip of her drink.

         "Well, we were in my apartment for a few days, then we were hotel hopping." Trini's eyebrows drew together trying to figure out what Fox was after.

         "You had a one bedroom apartment, didn't you?"  Trini's eyes widened as she realized what Fox was trying to find out.

         "We usually slept in the same bed, that's what you want to know, isn't it?" Trini said softly, "One night we tried to sleep apart, but her nightmares kept me up.  If I slept with her I could stop them before they got too bad.  It... was painful to listen to."  Trini could see that Fox was having a hard time accepting that.  She sighed.  If this was hard then the rest of the story would be harder.  She wasn't going to get to sleep anytime soon.

         "You slept with her?  How did you stop the nightmares?" Fox moved to sit on the couch again.

         "I held her and said comforting things.  I did a lot of holding her during that time."  Trini took a deep breath.  She could read the questions in Fox's eyes.

         "Did you have sex with her?" Fox asked quietly.

         Trini knew she could say no and it would be the truth... but not the whole truth.  She wanted to be completely honest with Fox for a change.  "We didn't have sex... but we did other things."  Fox looked like she'd been slapped.  Please don't cry, Trini pleaded mentally.

         Fox's eyes hardened, "What did you do?"  Trini was suddenly frightened of what Fox might do.

         "We hugged and kissed... I..." Trini looked down, but Fox put her hand under Trini's chin to make her look back up into her eyes.  She was a little scary looking with her eyes burning into Trini like that.  "helped her with a shower after she'd gotten pretty dirty and touched her wings and wing joints... I rubbed the base of her tail.  I wanted her so much in that shower, but I didn't want to hurt you."  Trini was upset to hear her voice... she was getting aroused just talking about this, and she knew that Fox could hear it.  Fox's eyes were so intense, so... oh God... Trini felt her desire spiking.  Common sense was leaving her, "She'd rub around my scars and touched my ears.  She often caressed my tail, even when I was driving... it felt so good."  She stared into Fox's eyes, waiting for her response. 

         Fox stood up suddenly and grabbed Trini's arm to drag her into the bedroom.  "I can't believe you!  That bitch?!  You want that bitch?!"  She roughly tossed Trini onto the bed.  "She'd probably try to kill you if you had sex with her, she does that to her lovers!"  Fox hissed at her and ripped Trini's shirt open.  "I will not share with her!"  Trini's heart was pounding in desire and fear.  Fox's eyes were very intense and angry as she leaned down to kiss her hard and frantically.  Fox shoved her bra up and roughly kneaded Trini's breasts.  She arched into the punishing, almost painful touch.

         "Fox... yes please..."  Trini whimpered and squirmed.  "Yes... rough... I need it rough."  Trini was shocked at this aggressiveness... Fox wasn't having sex as much as claiming and taking.  There was no tenderness in this.  Fox unbuttoned Trini's pants and lowered them just enough to shove her fingers inside of her. 

         "Wet... so wet..."  Fox growled.  "For me or her?"  Trini didn't answer, so Fox moved to stare down into her flushed face to hiss at her, "Are you wet for me or her?!"  Her fingers continued to piston into Trini rapidly.

         "Oh God... Fox... yes... please."  Trini was panting in wild passion.  It was so good.

         "Answer me!" Fox screamed at her.

         "Both..."  Trini felt tears falling down the sides of her face.  This was too intense.  She could see Fox's eyes widen in anger.  "Punish me."  Trini pleaded.  She wanted more of the rough animalistic claiming that Fox was doing. 

         Fox's eyes hardened, "I will."

         Trini was panting hard as she rolled over and stared at Fox's form beside her.  That was unbelievable.  She felt some pain between her legs, because Fox had been far from gentle, but she'd heal soon, and even the pain had felt good.  She'd never expected this reaction to her confession.  She didn't know what to say or do in response to how thoroughly she'd been taken.  Fox didn't seem to want her to reciprocate.  Fox's voice sounded upset, "I'm sorry Trini... I should never have been that violent with you."

         Trini moved closer, "I can take it... you know that."

         The slightly haunted look in Fox's eyes worried her, "You shouldn't have to heal from what I do to you."  She glanced at the bruises on Trini's breasts and sighed.

         Trini realized that Fox needed some comforting.  She moved closer to her and kissed her gently on the lips.  "I love you."  She smiled softly at her, "It felt good.  I wouldn't want it to be like that all the time... but I needed it."  She stared into Fox's eyes, "I needed it like that this time."  They didn't mention Demona again as they fell asleep shortly before dawn.

         Trini woke up at ten thirty alone in the bed.  She could hear Fox in her living room, flipping through those files, that was probably what woke her.  She got up and put on her robe to go see what Fox was doing.  Fox was leaning over the coffee table writing notes.  Her hair was still wet from a shower, and Trini hadn't even heard it running.  "Morning." Trini said softly as she went to grab a drink out of the mini fridge. 

         "Morning."  Fox looked up at her.  She looked weary.  "I think I have you pretty well covered.  I'm just checking to see if there is anything I missed."

         Trini sat down on the other couch and tried not to look at the open file.  "I'm sorry that you have to do this."  She sighed as she opened her juice.

         Fox closed the file, after Trini could tell she noticed that Trini didn't want to see it.  "I want to protect you.  I love you."  Fox stared into her eyes, "I can see how you might want to help her... but I really don't want you spending time with her.  I don't want you involved in more murders."  She glanced down at the pile of papers, "It would look bad if someone were killed like this in New York.  It would bring the investigation here.  I couldn't stop that."

         Trini's heart rate increased, "I'll just help her identify them.  I think she wants to deal with them herself."  She spoke more quietly, "I won't abandon her now.  Fox... I can't."

         Fox went quiet for a while.  "I don't know what more to tell you Trini.  You know what she's done, you know that she's been trying repeatedly to kill everyone... everyone, Trini.  She's insane and manipulative."
         "She's not a lost cause." Trini spoke quietly, "She's not.  She talks to me... I can't tell you what she says, because she's trusting me not to tell her secrets... but she isn't the monster that the clan talks about."  She could see Fox's eyes sharpening as she got ready to argue that.  Trini beat her to it, "She's done horrible, unimaginable things... I know that.  I'm just..."  Trini couldn't tell Fox about why Demona did those things, about the abuse she'd experienced in her long life.  She sighed, "She is my friend, and I won't give up on her."

         "Did you ever wonder why she's talking to you, why she trusts you?" Fox leaned back onto the couch and stared at Trini.

         "She told me.  I understand better than the others."  Trini stared at the wall for a moment to collect her thoughts.  "I think that when she heard what the humans did to me she realized that I could understand her pain.  Even after I told her that I didn't want to hunt them down and kill them she still felt connected.  I've also never judged her, I know better than to do that."

         Trini looked back to see Fox's concern in her eyes, "What did they do to you?"

         "My wings.  I told her about how I lost them... about the experiments that the doctors did to me... about the torture." Trini swallowed hard as she watched Fox pale and her hands clench.  "They tortured me Fox... just to see what it would do."  More quietly she added, "I was only four."  She knew that Alexander was that age now.

         "Oh Trini." Fox whispered.

         "She's trying to talk me into hunting those doctors down.  She wants to help me kill them." Trini told Fox, and from the look in Fox's eyes, she could see that the woman wouldn't mind if she did that at all.  "My stepfather screwed me out of my inheritance, and she hired a lawyer to get it for me.  My step-brother's uncle has been sexually harassing me for years, and on the fourth of July he got very aggressive about it.  She bought his company and fired him.  I saw that she lost money on that deal, just to do that.  Of course I had to talk her down from murder, but she did that for me."  Trini kept talking as she watched Fox silently absorbing this information.  "She's protected me in so many ways, ever since she met me."  She stared into Fox's eyes, "She even stayed to fight MacBeth when he found us rather than leave me unprotected.  You know about MacBeth don't you?"

         Fox's eyes were wide, "Yes, he's the only one that can kill her."  She stared at Trini, "Why is she doing this?"  She sounded so confused.

         "She considers me clan..." Trini's voice got quieter, "She loves me."  She wasn't going to keep secrets from Fox anymore if she could help it.  "I love her too."

         Fox paced back and forth in the living room silently.  Trini watched her with a bit of fear in her eyes.  She'd been brutally honest, and that hadn't worked too well for her in the past.  Fox finally stopped moving and turned to face Trini, "I don't think she's capable of love."

         "She is... She loves Angela, me... and in her own way Andrea, even though she is human."  Trini sighed, "She's growing, but no one wants to see it.  She was changing even before I met her.  The Demona you all know wouldn't have a human friend.  In spite of what she says, she cares about Andrea a lot.  I can tell."  She stared into Fox's eyes watching the subtle changes in expression.  "You've met Andrea, you can't tell me that Domi could find any way to use her, she's just a friend, not an ally or a pawn."

         Fox thought for a while before muttering, "Maybe she's trying to impress Angela with a human friend.  She could just be trying to get to her daughter."

         "Fox... you know that isn't true.  She doesn't even talk with Angela anymore.  There would be no way to let her know about Andrea." Trini shook her head at Fox's fishing for some reason to doubt what Trini was telling her.  "Domi doesn't have the patience to pretend to have a friendship for as long as a month, never mind a year.  She's known Andrea a year."

         A knock on Trini's door stopped the conversation.  Fox glanced at the door and then started to gather the files.  Once she walked into Trini's bedroom with them Trini went to see who it was.  Elisa was standing in the hall, looking a little awkward.  She smiled once Trini opened the door, "Hi." 

         "Hey Trini." Elisa fidgeted a little, “Can I come in?”

         Trini stepped back to give Elisa room to enter.  She was feeling pretty self-conscious about being naked under her robe, and the fact that Fox was there.  It was like rubbing in the fact that she was with Fox now, and she didn't want to do that to Elisa.  She could see Elisa looking around as she led her into the living room.  They sat on the couch, and Trini could hear Fox was getting dressed, "Fox should be out in a moment."  She told Elisa quietly, so as not to surprise her.  Still, the look on Elisa's face left no doubt that she didn't like the fact that Fox was there.  She covered it quickly, but Trini knew that Elisa didn't approve of her being with a married woman.  She changed the subject, "I want Delilah to join this clan.  She wants to do it too."  She could see that Elisa wasn't too surprised with that.  It made her next request easier to make, "I was hoping that you could try and sell the idea to Goliath."  The bedroom door opened and Fox came out fully dressed to sit on the chair.   

         "Well I could talk to him, but I can't guarantee anything.  Delilah is..."  Elisa went quiet while she thought.  Trini was getting tense with this attitude that Elisa had about Delilah.  "unnerving to him."

         "He better get over it.  I did."  Trini's eyes flashed red for a moment.  "She wants to be here.  She doesn't fit in with the clones, she's far more intelligent than they will ever be."  She didn't mention Talon's mistreatment to Elisa, because the detective would get defensive.  "I told her she could live here, and I would prefer that be as part of the clan... but I'll just move her into my apartment if I have to and we'll have two clans in the building."  She saw Fox sit up straighter with that.  "I can't imagine how she'd feel knowing that the clan upstairs was too small minded and prejudice to accept her, but I know that I'd be pretty hurt and angry.  I don't want her to feel that."

         "Well, I would be willing to get her an apartment here if she needs it.  One with a lot of sunlight." Fox chipped in.  She knew the real reason that Trini was so desperate to get her friend out of the labyrinth.

         "Thanks Fox."  Trini smiled at her lover.  She turned back to Elisa, "She tells me that the clan is treating her okay, that they are warming up to her.  She's happy here."

         "Well, I have seen her spending time with Angela and Lex."  Elisa conceded. 

         "Her and Angela are sisters."  Trini smirked, "They share a mother."  She could see by the slightly surprised look on Elisa's face that she'd never considered that. 

         "I'll talk to him."  Elisa said softly.  Trini smiled at her, grateful that she didn't need to resort to making Elisa feel guilty in order to get her cooperation.  "That isn't why I came here though."  Elisa glanced at Fox, and then back at Trini. "Are you still planning to tell the clan you're gay?"

         Trini glanced at Fox as well, "I think I need to.  They're just wasting time focusing on me, and I hate the attention."

         "I didn't know that you were thinking about doing that now." Fox sat up in her chair.  Trini could tell she was concerned.

         "The males are being too... smothering.  I want them to stop.  I won't mention anyone but me."  Trini told Fox. 

         Elisa nodded that she understood.  "Well, are you planning to do it tonight?"

         "Maybe not tonight, but If I don't want to dodge Brooklyn and Lex while I'm here I need to do it soon."  Trini's tail swished around nervously until she noticed Elisa glance at it.  She stopped it then.  "I guess I could just tell everyone at once and then go hide in my room."  She looked up at Elisa, "You'll warn me if they plan to do anything drastic?"

         Elisa looked exasperated, "They aren't going to try and force you to breed."  Trini flinched at that, and she could see Fox's concern.  Elisa didn't even notice, since she was so insulted that Trini had suggested such a thing, "Gargoyles wouldn't do that."  Oh, yes they would... Trini thought to herself, remembering Zack.  She saw Elisa trying to calm down, "I'll be there tonight... for moral support."  She got up, clearly looking uncomfortable with Fox.  "I'll see you later."

         Once Elisa was gone Trini walked back to the living room, and to Fox.  "She's wrong, a gargoyle would force it."  She said quietly.

         "Why would you say that?"  Fox's concern was in her voice as well as her eyes.

         "I didn't tell Demona this, but one of the gargoyles in the Oregon clan wanted to keep her prisoner and force her to breed on the Breeder's moon.  After what she'd been through... I didn't think she'd need to know that her own race would do that to her."  Trini sat limply on the couch. 

         Fox sat down beside her.  "No, I guess I could see why you wouldn't tell her that."  Fox looked into Trini's eyes, "Love?  You think you love her?"

         "I do love her."  Trini sighed.  "I love you too.  You know that."

         "And you love Elisa." Fox said bitterly.  "I may have been willing to share with the detective, but I don't want you with Demona.  I know what you think, but... she's dangerous."  Trini could see the ultimatum in Fox's eyes.  She really meant it.  "I can understand you wanting to help her find her rapists... go ahead and do that.  Tell her I will be there though, because I am not leaving you alone with her."  Fox got up and started to walk out.  "I promised Alexander I'd take him out just the two of us.  We haven't done that in a while."

         Trini felt deflated, what had she expected, approval?  Of course Fox wouldn't want her with Demona, it had been so stupid of her to hope that she could have them both.  She took a shuddering breath as the tears started to fall.  Fox was going to make her chose.  She didn't see Fox turned back to look at her with worry and compassion in her eyes.  She was not abandoning the gargoyle.  She took another deep shuddering breath as she realized that Domi had been right to tell her to keep her job a secret.  That may be the only contact they had for a while.  She'd stay faithful to Fox, she loved her and didn't want to lose her... but she wasn't leaving her friend when she needed her.  She had wanted to be so much more than friends with Demona... so much more.  She felt like her heart was breaking.  She didn't even acknowledge the door as it closed softly behind Fox.

         Trini didn't feel up to leaving the room, so she mechanically started to unpack more boxes.  After doing that for a while there was another knock on the door.  Trini glanced at the clock to see it was one.  "Come in"  She called out.  She was a little surprised to see David.  "Hey."  She smiled at him.

         "Hey yourself."  He smiled charmingly.  "I heard we were both stood up for lunch, do you want to go with me?"  Trini looked down at her baggy jeans and t-shirt. 

         She gave him an assessing glance.  The man was dressed in a nice suit.  "I'm hardly dressed for it.  Do you have time for me to change?"  She stood up and started to move toward the bedroom.

         "Sure, I'll just snoop through your things while you do that."  He smirked.

         Trini laughed, "That's good incentive to rush."

         "I thought so."  He smiled as Trini shut the bedroom door and hurried to get ready.

         After she was dressed she moved to the bathroom to fix her hair and tape her ears back.  She left the door open since that was all she was doing, so of course David was leaning in the doorway shortly after she pulled out her tape.  "That doesn't look comfortable."  He said softly as Trini taped one ear back.

         Trini glanced at his reflection in the mirror, "It isn't, and taking it off is painful, but it's what I have to do."  She sighed, "At least I can still pass."

         "I heard that your ears are a sweet spot." David was studying her ears closely, making Trini blush.

         "They are." She told him.  She didn't feel as embarrassed talking to him about this sort of thing as she thought she would.  "So you can imagine how much ripping the tape off hurts."  She smirked as she looked down meaningfully at his crotch.  It wouldn't be like that, but... she liked to tease him.  When she looked back up he was making a sympathetic face.

         "So, I was thinking I could take you to a nice restaurant.  I'm taking a long lunch, we can relax and take our time."  He stopped leaning on the door frame when Trini finished with her hair.  "You get ready much faster than Fox does."  He gave her a half smile.

         She smiled "There is only so much I can do.  This is as good as it gets."  Her voice held a bit of her insecurity about her appearance.  David studied her quietly.

         "You don't even see it.  You have women and men throwing themselves at you and you still have no idea how beautiful you are."  He said softly.  "I think that's one of the things that Fox loves about you." 

         Trini smiled shyly at him, "Let's go, I'm hungry."  A little more quietly she added, "Thank you."

         David drove them to the restaurant, rather than taking the limo.  The restaurant was very nice, definitely on par with the places that Domi had taken her.  "It was nice of you to invite me."  Trini told him, after they'd ordered.

"I just want to get to know the woman that has enchanted my wife."  He smiled at her and winked.  Trini blushed lightly.  "So, tell me what you like to do for fun."

Trini had to think for a moment.  "I listen to music and dance, club dancing... I don't know the formal dances.  I read a lot.  I like to go to the movies.  I play computer games once in a while."  She glanced at him and could see that list wasn't long enough.  "I write... I find that fun."  She really couldn't think of anything else.

"Do you know how to play chess?" David asked while motioning to the waiter that he'd like a refill of wine.

         "No.  I never learned, it looked a little boring." Trini grinned at him, "It's your favorite thing to do isn't it?"

         He smiled, "Yes, and it isn't boring."  He looked a little thoughtful.  "Aside from work, which I love, I sometimes like to spar, dance, and I know the formal dances, not club dancing, play chess, and go to plays."

         Trini smiled at him, "Fox is going to teach me to fight."  She didn't add that Domi had already started her lessons. 

         "She is very good at that." David took a sip of his wine. 

         The rest of lunch went by pretty quickly.  Trini found herself being able to relax and just talk with David.  They didn't have much other than Fox in common, but that was more than enough.

         On the drive back David's face took on a serious expression.  "I don't know what kind of trouble you are in, but I hope you know that you can come to me if you need help.  You have me and Fox."  Trini turned quickly to look at him.  "I know something is up, Fox has been a little too secretive lately, and she's been talking to friends she never talks to."  Trini's heart started to beat a little faster.  Fox had been keeping her secret, which was nice to know, but fooling David wasn't something she'd been able to do very well.

         Trini spoke quietly, "Thank you, but I think it's pretty much taken care of now."

         "Does it have anything to do with that pile of lies you told the clan about your trip to Canada with Demona?" David asked, startling Trini.  "I'm good a reading people.  You lied beautifully, I was impressed."  Trini was really uncomfortable with how perceptive David seemed to be. 

         "I really don't want to talk about it."  Trini said softly as she turned to stare out the side window.

         She could hear David sigh, "That's what I thought."

         They got back home by three, and Trini changed back into her grubby clothes to continue unpacking.  David went back to work after politely walking her all the way to the door.  She had everything unpacked and put away by dinnertime at seven.  She really had gotten rid of a lot of stuff in the move.  Dinner with the Xanatos' was pleasant enough.  Alexander had just found out today that Trini would be living there, and he was thrilled.  That was a nice feeling.  It seemed that all of Fox's family accepted her.

         Fox came back to Trini's apartment with her after dinner.  Owen came with them.  "I thought you should know that I am working on creating a copy of your box.  The clan will be after Demona to get it back, so we need a decoy."  Trini was impressed, that sounded like a good idea.  She invited Owen to sit, but he remained standing.  "I was hoping that whatever alliance you seem to have with Demona will extend to a little acting on her part.  They need to get it from her."

         Trini could see Fox tense when Owen talked about an alliance.  "She'll do it."  Trini had no doubts.  "But I don't want her getting hurt, the plan you come up with better keep that in mind."

         Owen raised an eyebrow, but nodded.  "Another thing that I think you should be aware of.  The leader of the Oregon clan tried to call the clan this morning, he forgot about the time difference.  He is planning to call as soon as the sun goes down in Oregon tonight.  They want the box back, and he wants to talk about Demona."

         "Shit!"  Trini felt some fear.  Alexandria had been covering for her.  Erik would do no such thing, because he hated her.  She looked up to see both Owen and Fox studying her.  "I was stupid and used my real name when I was there, along with a lot of strong threats.  Erik hates me, probably more than he hates Blue... ah, Demona.  He's going to mention me."  She sighed, "I suppose it's too much to hope that he already outlawed my name like he did my father's."

         "What?" Fox leaned forward, "What are you talking about?"

         "Erik made a law or something.  No one there is supposed to talk about my father or say his name.  They all try and pretend he never existed.  It is so stupid..."  Trini growled.  She didn't notice the gleam in Owen's eye after that.

         "Don't worry too much about being exposed tonight."  Owen actually smirked.  "I have work to do.  I'll let you know when I have the decoy box ready for Demona."

         "Okay."  Trini glanced out the window.  It would be sunset in an hour.  She could feel Fox's eyes on her.

         "You said you did magic while you were there.  What happened?" Fox asked her, so Trini turned back to look at her.

         "They were all attacking Demona, but they thought I was human, so they ignored me.  I saw someone throw a boulder at her, and she was too busy to see it.  I blasted it to pieces, then I pretended that I knew how I did that and held my hand up like I was ready to do it again."  Trini sighed.

         Fox looked lost in thought, "The first time I used magic it was a blast like that.  I did it to protect Alexander.  I still can't do that on purpose."  She glanced up at Trini again, "I'm working on getting permission to have you train in magic with Alexander and I.  I wanted to just do it, but Owen thought that we should mention it so that Oberon didn't think we were trying to get away with something.  It takes a while to get answers from Avalon, because there is a serious time difference."  At Trini's blank stare she smirked, "Time moves much slower on Avalon.  If we went there for a day, we'd have been gone for days."

          Trini decided to not rush up to the castle when the clan woke up.  She didn't really feel up to telling them about being gay just yet but wasn't up to listening the Brooklyn and Lex trying to impress her.  She was going up later, so she was around when Erik called.  She turned on her new computer to see what type of software she had, and it hadn't even finished booting up when someone knocked on her door, she got up cautiously to answer it, praying it wasn't one of the males.  Her prayers weren't answered.  "Lex, how are you doing?"

         He stood in the hallway looking a bit nervous.  "I've been fine." 

         "Come in."  Trini stood aside to let the small green gargoyle enter while she suppressed a sigh.  This was one of the two gargoyles she was trying to avoid by staying home.

         "How was your trip to Seattle?"  Lex smiled at her, seemingly more comfortable now that he'd been invited in.  Trini could see that he was glancing around, trying to take in everything about her apartment all at once.

         "It was fine.  I ended up going through a lot of stuff."  Trini noticed his expression of joy when he saw the computer.  He rushed over to it.  "Fox bought that for me.  I was just getting ready to see what software I have."

         He looked at her, "You spend a lot of time with Fox and Xanatos don't you?"  She could see that he didn't approve, this grudge the gargoyles had against them was ridiculous.  They lived in their home and couldn't be very civil.

         "Yes, they're my friends."  More than that, but let's not freak the little gargoyle out, Trini thought to herself with amusement.

         "oh."  He said quietly.  He glanced around the office space a bit.  "So what do you like to do on your computer?"

         "Well, I write..."  Trini grinned at him, "I also play some games and browse the Internet."  Glancing at the computer and the gargoyle barely containing himself from touching it she said.  "Go ahead, you can tell me what it has."  She smiled as he leapt into the chair to do that.  He was almost like a kid around computers, and he wasn't hitting on her, which made him easier to be around.  She offered him a drink and stood back watching him inspect her machine.  It was loaded with software, she could see that easily.  Not all of it was standard, and she could tell by Lex's expression that he was impressed.

         They talked about her computer for a while, and the types of games she liked to play before Lex finally got to the reason he was visiting.  "I overheard Goliath and Elisa talking."  He looked up into Trini's eyes, "Elisa is trying to talk him into letting Delilah join our clan.  I figured that it was your work, because Elisa doesn't really spend any time with her."  Trini nodded.  "Delilah told me why you wanted her to stay here."  Lex's face got really serious, and Trini realized that Delilah had more than one friend now.  She hadn't even told Trini about Lex.  "I'm glad that you're sticking up for her."  He added more shyly, "I'm glad that you talked Goliath into letting her stay here while you were away."

         "You like her?!"  Trini was shocked, she was under the impression that the clan didn't see Delilah as a female, let alone as a potential mate.  Lex blushed and grinned guiltily.  Trini realized that the Lex she'd met tonight was much nicer than the version that had been hitting on her constantly.  He was being himself, and Trini knew why now.  He wasn't after her anymore.  "Does she know?"

         "No, I..." Lex stammered.  "haven't told her yet."  His blush intensified.

         "Do you think she likes you?" Trini hoped so, since this was the first person to express and interest in Delilah.  He would probably be a better mate than Brooklyn for her, and now that Trini heard what unmated gargoyles go through on the Breeder's moon she wanted Delilah to have someone.

         He grinned goofily, "I think so.  We've been spending a lot of time together on patrol."

         "So you haven't been pestering her like you and Brooklyn did to me?"  Trini said a little sternly.  She wanted Lex to treat Delilah right.  His eyes grew wider and he shook his head no, "Good, that doesn't impress any female."

         "Is that why you didn't come up to see us?" Lex stared at her like he was just now seeing her.

         "I hated it.  I decided to just stay away."  She could have been more diplomatic, but she wanted Lex to understand that it wasn't the way to treat a female.  "That sort of behavior makes me feel like I'm not a person, like I'm just some sort of toy the boys are fighting over.  If you treat Delilah like that..."  She growled, a deep gargoyle growl that startled Lex.

         "I won't."  He said quickly. 

Trini started to smile, her friend was finally getting the appreciation she deserved.  "Did it sound like Elisa was making any headway with Goliath?"  If not she was going to send Lex up there to help. 

"I don't know.  She probably will." Lex said hesitantly.

Trini looked at him, "And if Goliath knew that she had a potential mate, wouldn't that increase her chances?"  She could see Lex pale a little and it irritated her, "She deserves a mate that isn't afraid to protect her, she's had a bad enough life.  If you aren't willing to do that, I don't want you anywhere near her!"

"No, no, I'm going."  Lex stood up to go see Goliath.  He smiled back at her, "She said you were her clan.  That's why I came to you.  That and to apologize for how I treated you."  His face became more serious again, "I had wanted to tell her first, but... you're right.  Goliath needs to know, or I might lose my chance."  When he left Trini's body relaxed, and she laughed, having Delilah stay here had worked out better than she'd hoped.  She really hoped that this worked out for Delilah, because otherwise Trini was going to have to make finding her friend a mate one of her priorities.  She'd hate to do that like Goliath had tried for Brooklyn and Lex.  She also knew that she'd be extremely picky, her friend deserved the best.  Now that she saw the real Lex, maybe he wasn't too far off.

Trini glanced up at the clock again.  It would be sunset in Oregon in about an hour.  If she wanted to hear the call, she'd need to go up and be hanging around when it happened.  She was just going to have to trust Owen.  He'd said that she wasn't going to be exposed tonight.  If she was being outed as Demona's friend tonight, she'd rather be very far away. 

She noticed Elisa sitting very close to Goliath.  It still hurt, but not as sharply.  She stared at the couple since they didn't notice her.   Elisa looked happy with him, that was good, but she missed her.  Fox was right, she was in love with three women... and it was a problem.  Elisa had moved on, but Trini could see a flash of love on the detective's face when she noticed Trini, just a flash before she covered it up again.  That hurt, knowing that Elisa still had feelings for her... because they couldn't act on them.  She smiled weakly and went to sit down on the chair nearby.  The only gargoyles she saw were Delilah and Lex outside.  Hopefully that meant something.

"Trini?" Elisa brought Trini's attention back to her.  "Were you going to do it tonight?"  It... coming out.

Trini could see Lex and Delilah talking, she tilted her head to bring Elisa's attention to it.  "I might not need to right away anymore.  Lex is making a move on someone else.  The arguing is over.  I can dodge one gargoyle much easier."  She smirked as she saw Delilah's face.  She was happy.

"Lex and Delilah?" Elisa sounded surprised, but Trini didn't take her eyes off of the gargoyles.

She murmured quietly, "I hope he's good enough for her."

"Trini?"  Something in Elisa's voice drew Trini's attention back to her.  Elisa looked a little flustered, "I'd like to... can we have lunch together next week and talk?  Just talk?"

"Sure."  Trini studied Elisa's face, trying to figure out what she wanted.  She couldn't tell.

"I can pick you up and we can eat at my place."  Trini's eyes widened at that.  "We need some privacy.  I just need to find out which day I have off."  She added more quietly.  Trini realized that when Elisa dropped by to visit her earlier she'd wanted to talk about something, but Fox's being there stopped her.

"Okay, let me know which day when you get your schedule." Trini said softly.  When Goliath came back to the couch with a drink for Elisa, Trini grabbed a magazine off the table and started to read it.

 Day 2 - Thursday - July 16th

          Trini hadn't even gotten to an interesting article in the magazine before she heard Delilah notice her, "Trini!" the gargoyle yelled happily and pounced on her.  Trini's eyes widened in shock when Delilah reached down to pick her and hug her tightly.  "Thank you... thank you so much."  She said tearfully.  Trini wrapped her arms around Delilah and was relieved when the white haired gargoyle lowered her so that her feet actually touched the ground again.  She spoke more softly, but still very rapidly, Trini could see that Elisa and Goliath were hearing all of it.  "You... I love you.  I get to stay!"  Her smile and happiness filled Trini's heart.  "Lex... he asked me out."  She whispered and Trini could see the tears in the gargoyles eyes.  "I never thought anyone would want me."  Trini pulled Delilah into a hug and watched Elisa's shocked expression at the gargoyles words.  "I'm a clone... I didn't think anyone would ever..."

         "Oh, honey.  You are Delilah, and you are a wonderful female."  Trini leaned back and brushed the hair out of Delilah's eyes.  "Anyone would be lucky to have you."  She smiled and leaned forward to kiss her cheek.  "It doesn't matter where you came from, I'm just glad that you're here.  Lex... I hope it works out, you seem to like him?"  She started to walk with Delilah further away from Elisa and Goliath.  She didn't even think that Delilah noticed them there.  She turned and mouthed Thank you to both of them.  Elisa and Goliath both smiled.  Delilah and Trini spent the next half an hour talking about what the gargoyle thought about Lex and Trini was relieved to hear that she wasn't just interested in him because he asked her out.  She'd liked him for a while, and they spent time together doing things while Trini was gone.  Lex had apparently had to go on patrol tonight and was now finding Angela to switch places with her, because she was covering for him so he could talk with Trini and Delilah.  Trini hoped that no one returned before Erik called.

         "Trini?  I don't know anything about dating, males, or sex." Delilah said quietly.  Trini looked into her eyes and realized that Delilah wanted advice... from her!  Trini was far from the best person to ask, but then... she was Delilah's best friend. 

         "I'm not the best person to ask."  Trini glanced over at the door to the library, wishing she could ask for help from Elisa.  "When's the date?"  She sighed.  She was going to have to step up and cover this information.  After her talk with Demona, she probably knew more than Elisa or even Angela did.  Great, did that mean she'd eventually end up giving Angela the talk?  She didn't want to do that.

         "Friday.  We're going to a movie."  Delilah smiled.  Trini smiled back, but a movie seemed a little brief.  Lex couldn't take Delilah out to eat, but maybe Trini could work something out for him.  She'd talk with him later.

         "You available tomorrow night?  We could combine our movie night with talking about this." Trini asked and could see Delilah's face falling.

         "I'm supposed to patrol." She said clearly disappointed.

         She smiled at Delilah, "Give me a second, and I'll clear your schedule.  Stay here."  Trini turned and walked over to Goliath and Elisa.  They noticed her enter the room immediately.  "Goliath, I need Delilah tomorrow night.  She says she has patrol."

         "She's a part of the clan now, she needs to do her patrols." Goliath said firmly.

         Trini sighed and spoke more softly, "Fine, then maybe you can talk about sex and dating with her while you two are out on patrol.  She needs to hear details, not the stuff you'd tell young kids."  She smirked when she saw him blush, "Or you could reschedule her patrol so that I can deal with that for you."  She wasn't shy when she said things to protect others.  She would never say any of this to Goliath otherwise.

         "I'm sure I can get someone to switch with her."  He said quietly.  Trini nodded a thank you and turned to go back to tell Delilah the news.  "You do know it's different for a gargoyle?"  Goliath asked, freezing Trini in her tracks.  She took a deep breath and turned to face him again.  She could see Elisa getting a little pale as she talked with Goliath about sex. 

         "Yes.  I think I know enough to give her the basics."  Trini said slowly, "I... I'll take care of it."  Whatever she doesn't know, she can ask Demona.

         "Alright then."  Goliath looked a bit uncomfortable.  "If there is anything I can do..."

         "We should be okay, thanks."  Trini mumbled as she went back to the other room to talk with Delilah. 

         She could hear Goliath whisper to Elisa, "She's mated before?  Did you know about this?  Brooklyn won't be pleased."

         Elisa's voice was a little steely, "It's none of Brooklyn's business.  She doesn't want to breed Goliath, I've told you that a hundred times."

         He sounded completely puzzled at that, and unwilling to hear it.  Trini glanced at Delilah and gave her a look to let her know that she wanted her to be quiet so she could eavesdrop.  "But... she needs to, all gargoyles need to breed on the Breeder's moon.  There are so few females.  She just needs to spend time with Brooklyn to feel more comfortable with him."

         "It won't make a difference."  Elisa sounded pretty angry.  "Leave her alone." 

         "Elisa, my dear... this is a gargoyle's most important night we are talking about.  She... she'll change her mind, you'll see.  She's very strong willed, and I really think she'd be good for Brooklyn, but if she really doesn't want to mate with him... I know of several clans that are short females."  Trini sighed heavily.  He was talking about whoring her out as a breeding cow.  It was completely sick.  She walked over to Delilah, who was looking at her with a bit of concern.

         "Well, I freed up your Thursday so we can spend time together." She smiled, but knew it looked weak.

         "What's wrong?" Delilah reached out to pull Trini down on the couch beside her.

         "Goliath... I overheard him talking about me.  He's determined to find me a male to breed with."  She said quietly.  Delilah's eyes burned and she looked about ready to go and yell at him.  "Maybe after I tell him it will get better.  Maybe."  Trini said hopefully, but... if he wasn't listening to Elisa... did he even really care what she wanted.

         Delilah and her talked about movies and music until Trini heard Owen's voice in the other room.  She walked out to see that Goliath, Angela, and an angry looking Elisa were the only other people there.  "Goliath, I have Erik on the line.  He wishes to talk to you about the box and Demona."

         Trini could see everyone's eyes widened at that.  "Thank you Owen."  Goliath stood up.

         "You can take it in my office if you wish.  You can use the speaker phone if you want." Owen offered, "He did wish to speak with the clan... it's a shame that most of the clan is out."

         Goliath glanced around again.  "Trini did you want to be included?"  He seemed to assume that Delilah and Angela would go with him.  Trini noticed Owen shake his head subtly no. 

         "No, you go ahead.  I'm not clan." Trini told him.  Delilah gave her a sympathetic look before following Elisa, Goliath, and Angela into Owen's office.

After the clan was gone Fox poked her head in and waved her over.  "We have the surveillance equipment in Owen's office on.  Come on, before they get started."

         Fox lead her into a room with monitors all over.  On the largest monitor Trini could see Goliath, Elisa, Delilah, and Angela seated around a table, with a speakerphone in the middle.  The placement of the camera made it possible to see everyone's face.  Fox closed the door behind them and grinned at her mischievously as she turned a switch and sound flooded the room.

         "Erik, I wish to express my regret at what befell your clan." Goliath said diplomatically.  "We are working on a way to retrieve the magical item from Demona."  Trini found a chair pushed against the back of her legs, she turned and thanked Fox silently as she sat to watch this unfold.

         Fox moved a chair beside her, "They can't hear us in here."  She told her quickly, before Erik spoke.  There was a bit of a pause between when Goliath finished speaking and Erik spoke.

         "It's Demona's mate that has it.  You need to find that bitch." Erik spoke a little too loudly.  Trini watched all the people seated around the table recoil a little in shock.  Trini noticed that Fox did as well.  

         "They were pressuring her to mate, I... lied to try and stop them." Trini said softly as she glanced at Fox.

         "Surely you are mistaken.  Demona has no mate." Goliath said, with a slightly guilty look on his face when his eyes met Elisa's.  Trini was drawn back into the screen.  Angela looked a little stunned that her mother might actually have someone.  Elisa was staring at the speakerphone as if she could see Erik in it if she tried hard enough.

         Again that long pause before Erik spoke.  "Oh, that perverted female has a mate, it's that unnatural freak that brought her here."  Trini flinched at being called that.  She watched the puzzled look on Goliath's face.

         "I thought it was a female that worked with Mother." Angela said too softly for Erik to hear.  Goliath's eyes burned white.

         Elisa spoke up firmly, "Are you saying that Demona has a female mate?"  They all waited tensely.

         Trini murmured, "I can't believe that Demona is being outed first.  Of all of us... her?"

         "What do you mean?" Fox asked her.  Trini was about to answer when Erik was back on the line.

         "Yes... unnatural, the both of them.  Can't believe... two females that could breed..."  His signal was really broken up.  Fox moved quickly to a control panel and started to fiddle with something.  "That freak stole the box, she was clearly in charge... she seemed so quiet, but it was her calling the shots.  She probably had some sort of spell on Demona, because I just can't see a female wanting to be that perverted."  Trini watched Angela completely freeze up and stare blankly at the speakerphone.  Elisa looked like she was starting to blush as her eyes darted around nervously.  Goliath looked beaten, he slumped back in his chair.  Delilah was glancing at Elisa occasionally.

         "It has to be some sort of trick." Goliath wasn't addressing Erik, he was speaking to the people at the table.  "She's many things... but she's not that."  He sounded disgusted.  Trini sighed, coming out now was going to be hard.  She noticed the look on Elisa's face... she was as shocked by Goliath's reaction as to the news.  "It's wrong... just wrong."

         "Not as nice as you thought he was Elisa?" Trini whispered in concern, "No wonder you didn't want him to know."  She watched the anger on his face... he was turning red.

         Angela spoke loud enough for Erik to hear her, "You think this female had a spell on my Mother?"

         When it took a while for the answer Trini could see everyone at the table was impatient.  "Why is it taking so long?"  Trini knew that Fox had something to do with that.

         "Erik's part is being filtered for your name.  Owen is also trying to filter out anything else that could lead to you."  Fox said absently while staring at the screen.  Trini wanted to know how that was possible, but she didn't want to miss any of this.

         "Yes, she was a very powerful sorceress.  She held my entire clan hostage with her magic." Trini shook her head at that.  She didn't have any magic left when she'd held them hostage.  "I didn't realize that she was your mother dear... I'm sorry."

         "Erik wasn't too observant.  How could he miss that, she and Angela look so much alike." Trini whispered to Fox.

         Goliath's loud angry voice interrupted Fox's response.  "It's a trick... I won't fall for it.  Demona is trying to upset me."  He sighed and tried to calm himself.  "We will get that box back for you Erik."

         "Thank you... I don't know what it does, but I don't want that... female to have it."  Erik's anger was clear, and Trini got angry at him.  He had no right to try and take that away from her, he knew it was hers.  "I would be willing to send a few of my people to help out if you want."

         "No, that is alright.  We can handle this ourselves." Goliath said calmly.  Trini release a breath in relief.  All of the Oregon clan had seen her, so a visit from any of them would be bad news.  After that the conversation turned to polite talk for a little while before Erik hung up.  During that time she watched the faces around the table.  Delilah looked lost in thought, and Trini realized that both of her 'mothers' had expressed an interest in a female, her specifically.  Angela was looking lost and confused.  Angela and Delilah left, and Goliath's eyes started to burn white again as he spun to talk to Elisa about Demona.

         "I don't want to hear this."  Trini stood up.  The phone call was over, that was what she needed to hear. 

         "Why not?" Fox was studying Trini's tense form, Trini could just feel the eyes on her.

         "Elisa is sitting there probably having to hear him rant about the unnaturalness of two women together."  Trini felt tears in her eyes as she looked at Fox.  "What Elisa and I had was beautiful... I don't like that he's making her feel like it wasn't.  It's bad enough I'm her dark secret, I don't want her to be ashamed that we ever made love."

         Fox reached out and turned off the screen and the sound.  "Was she a good lover?" Fox asked quietly.  Trini looked into Fox's face, studying her.

         "Yes.  I was her first woman, but she was a very good lover."  Trini sighed.  She hoped that she wasn't giving away too much detail. 

         "I thought she would be." Fox smiled softly as she stood up from her chair.

         Trini peaked into her bedroom and it looked like Fox was asleep.  David was being really great about giving them time together because they'd been apart for weeks.  She'd taken a long time in the shower.  She quietly pulled out her cell phone and went to the living room to make a call.

         "Trini?" Demona's voice sounded so pleased that she'd called.  Trini sat down on the couch and stared out into the night sky.  She had huge windows that went from the floor to the ceiling.  They had an hour before sunrise.

         "Hey Blue."  Trini spoke tenderly.  "I hope your flight home was better than the one to Seattle."  She smiled softly.

         "Yes... no human brats running around." Demona said briskly.  "How did your talk with Fox go?"  Trini now wished she'd called earlier, of course she'd want to know about that.

         "She won't say anything, she..."  Trini sighed, "She still doesn't feel comfortable with me spending time with you, and she's demanding to come Friday to make sure your spell is what you said it was."  She could feel Demona's tension through the phone lines.

         "Trini... about that spell." Demona started and Trini could hear in her voice what she was thinking.

         "No... I won't let you back out of that spell."  She said harshly, then her voice got softer, "Honey... I won't let anyone get away with hurting you like that."  She paused, "If you don't want Fox there... I'll tell her.  It is up to you, I won't let her push it.  I know that I'm not comfortable with her being there, so... completely up to you."  She didn't want to let Demona know what an argument her decision might cause.

         "I was looking forward to some time just the two of us again, and I... I know she's your lover Trini, but I just don't want her in my home." Demona was sounding so diplomatic, like she didn't want to offend Trini in any way.

         "Fine.  You don't need to worry about it.  I'll take care of it." Trini told her.  "I have some more bad news... two actually."  She'd leave out Fox's demand that she not spend time with Demona, because she was going to ignore that and the gargoyle pretty much knew that she'd do that. 

         Demona spoke a little wearily, "I'm getting tired of bad news."  Trini wished she were there with her so that she could hug her.

         "Well, the clan has decided to get that box that you didn't steal away from you.  I have Owen working on figuring out what it is.  He decided to make a copy that we could give to you so that the clan can steal it from you."

         "Well, that should work, that's not so bad as long as they don't destroy my home or office while they do it." Demona told her.

         "Good.  I..." Trini took a deep breath, "Erik just called the clan.  I know you didn't want Angela to hear it like that, I'm so sorry."  Trini felt so bad.  It really felt like her fault.

         "What do you mean?" Demona's voice sounded a bit tense.

         "Erik told Goliath, Angela, Delilah, and Elisa that you had a female mate."  Trini said softly.  "Goliath is pissed."

         "How did Angela take it." Demona asked, sounding so nervous.  "Is she okay?"

         "She looked confused.  I was spying on them.  I think she wants to believe that I cast some sort of spell on you." Trini pulled her legs up on the couch and waited for Demona to speak.  She was quiet for a long time.  "You could tell her that if you want.  You could pretend that I..."  forced you, Trini thought sickly.

         "No... no, I love you.  I'm not going to turn that into something sick like that." Demona said forcefully.  Trini felt another wave of love for her gargoyle.

         "I love you too."  She said tenderly. 

         "Maza was there?" Demona sounded a little shaken about that. 

         "Elisa has no problem with me." Trini felt that was enough information.  She knew that Demona hated Elisa, so giving her the type of ammunition that knowing the detective had been with her would be just too tempting to not use. 

         "Did you tell the clan you're gay?" Demona sort of changed the subject, by focusing on Trini.

         "No... I'm not sure I should now either.  Goliath said some really mean things.  I can deal with Brooklyn for a while.  Lex has moved on to Delilah, so I just have to dodge one male." Trini felt like she'd chickened out.

         Demona's voice took on a lecturing tone, "Trini... you are going into season very soon, before Angela or Delilah.  We don't know, you might be forced to deal with all three of them.  We need to see about your pheromones."

         Trini felt her face becoming pale, "You don't think that they'd..."

         "No, no I don't, but they may get very aggressive." Demona hurried to comfort her with words, "I've known those males since they hatched.  They wouldn't rape you.  It's happened before with other males, but not those three."

         "Thanks... I was worried." Trini said softly.

         "I need to get ready for bed." Demona said softly, she was clearly reluctant to hang up.  "I'll see you on Friday."

         "Good night."  Trini told her softly, "take care of yourself."

         "If you change your mind about doing the spell it would be okay.  I could get them another way." Demona told her.

         "How, by killing all the Quarrymen?  Some would slip by, and we'd never know if you got them.  No, we do that spell... I'll be okay." Trini was getting a little nervous about this, since Demona was beginning to not want her to do this.  What was the gargoyle trying to hide from her?  "I'm not comfortable with mass murder like that.  I... I need to know we kill the right ones."  She added more quietly.

         "If we undo the spell..." Trini could hear some reluctance in her voice, "I'd have to talk with Fox.  She'd need to know what you were going through... I don't want you to go through that alone, you live with her."

         "You want to talk with Fox?"  Trini was pretty stunned with that.  "When?"

         Demona sighed, "I just thought of this.  I should have..."  There was a long pause.  "Dammit... bring her with you."

         Trini's eyes widened, "On Friday?  You want me to bring Fox?"  She had to have misunderstood.  "Why?"

         "Trini..." Demona's voice sounded pained.

         "What aren't you telling me?" Trini felt her heart beating faster.

         Demona whispered, but Trini could tell she was crying, "I can't tell you... I just can't.  I love you."  She hung up, leaving Trini staring at her phone in shock. 

         "Shit." Trini whispered.  "What is it?"  After a moment she turned to get up and she saw Fox standing in the doorway staring at her.  She stared back for a moment, "How long have you been up?"

         "I wasn't asleep." Fox said quietly.  Trini felt like swearing, she'd been pretty stupid assuming that.

         "Well, you're invited to the Friday spell."  She stared at the phone again.

         "I heard." Fox moved into the room gracefully and sat down beside Trini, taking her phone out of her hand and placing it on the coffee table.  Trini continued to stare at the phone, unsure of what to say to Fox.  When arms wrapped around her, she snuggled into her lover.  Fox mercifully didn't argue about Trini calling Demona, she just led Trini into the bed and held her as she fell asleep.

         Trini woke up earlier than normal feeling wide awake.  The sun shown through her blinds illuminating the room, she moved onto her side and glanced down at Fox.  The beautiful woman was lying on her back, and she'd kicked the covers off of herself.  The skimpy outfit that she wore to bed made her look like a seductress even in her sleep.  Trini stared at her, and felt the stirring of arousal.  Fox always did that to her.  She moved silently between Fox's legs.  They'd been together three times, but she never did this.  She slowly reached out a talon and sliced the crotch of her teddy out, leaving Fox exposed to her eyes.  Fox had woken up her to sex before, she was going to return the favor, she could buy her a new teddy later.  She moved carefully, wanting to not wake Fox.  She moved closer and ever so gently started to part Fox's thighs with her hands, making more room for her body.  She very gently caressed Fox's sex with her lips and tongue, keeping it soft and gentle so that Fox wouldn't wake up.  Fox started to softly moan in her sleep, and her legs parted further without encouragement.  Trini felt her arousal beating at her control.  Her ears picked up the change in Fox's breathing, it was becoming more ragged, and Trini suspected that she'd woken up, but she wasn't making any moves.  She wanted Trini to believe she was still asleep.  Trini grinned into Fox's sex and started to lap at the juices that were now plentiful.  If she wanted to pretend to be asleep... Trini would let her.  She kept her touches light and gentle, but started to focus more on making Fox squirm with desire.  She used a little more pressure with her tongue where it would do the most good.  She could hear Fox's breathing becoming more ragged, and Fox tried but couldn't suppress a moan.  When she started to lightly suckle on Fox's sex she finally felt Fox's hand in her hair.  "Oh, God... Trini." Fox moaned out softly as her body arched off the bed.  They were both panting heavily from that gentle lovemaking.  Trini's need was almost painful by the time Fox lowered her to the bed to reciprocate.  When the magic started to swirl around them again, Trini screamed as her orgasm hit her hard.

         "You really need to teach me how to do that with the magic..."  Trini panted out as she lay limply on the bed, completely spent.

         Trini decided to wake up early, since they were both awake.  They were both working on making themselves presentable.  "I'm spending the evening with Delilah tonight." Trini told Fox's reflection in the mirror.  "She has a date with Lex tomorrow night, and wants me to..." Trini blushed, "tell her about sex and such." 

         Fox's face erupted into a naughty grin, "Why I think you are more than able to teach Delilah all she'd ever want to know.  Is this going to be a hands on lesson?  Can I watch?"  Trini's blush brightened.

         "It's not like that.  We'll be talking..."  She mumbled the rest, "and maybe a video, I don't know.  I've never had to do this, but I want her prepared.  I want her to know enough to make her first time good." She sighed, "I also want to make sure she doesn't rush in if she isn't ready."

         "Do you want me to go with you to the video store?  Maybe we could stop by a sex shop and get some visual aids as well." Fox smirked at her.  She was not trying to make this easy at all!  "I'd be willing to do a demonstration with you if you think it might be educational for her."  Fox started to chuckle at Trini's beet red face.  "Honey, you need to learn to relax.  It won't be that bad."  She said without the joking manner.  "You two talk as long as you need to.  I'll sleep with David tonight."  She placed a comforting hand on Trini's shoulder, "You've pretty much adopted her, haven't you?"

         Trini's face started to lose the blush, "I guess I have.  It's not like she has anyone to tell her this stuff.  I don't think anyone even thought about it."  She sighed, "I... it would have been easier if she were gay.  I've never been with a man, I don't know what to tell her about that."

         Fox looked at her seriously, "You'll do just fine.  She trusts you and cares about you.  She'll listen to you... and it's not like gargoyles need to worry about birth control."  She pulled away from Trini and added, "Skip the video, it's too soon."  Trini was relieved to hear that.  She didn't want to watch that sort of thing with Delilah.  She wouldn't even know where to get a decent one.

         Fox had to work so Trini was left on her own for the afternoon.  She was going to be glad when she started working, because this hanging around was boring and she still couldn't write.  She pulled out the books she'd bought and started to read up on history for an hour, that got to be too boring, even though she wanted to know it.  The books had too many facts on events, but nothing about the lives that people lived, or what it was like to be alive in that time.

         She had a pizza delivered to the front desk of the building, and went down to pick it up shortly before nightfall.   Delilah knocked minutes after she'd woken from her stone sleep.  Trini figured that she must have run to be at her door that quickly.  "Come on in."  She smiled at the gargoyle, noticing that Delilah looked nervous.  She gave her a tour of the apartment.

         "Hot tub?" Delilah looked out into the sun room.  She turned pleading eyes to Trini, "Can we talk out there?  I've never been in a hot tub." 

Sure, lets talk about sex while sitting in a hot tub practically naked looking out onto a romantic view.  Everyone does that with their friends, Trini thought sarcastically.  Trini could see Delilah eyeing the hot tub longingly.  Damn... "Okay."  She really couldn't say no to her.  She realized that she'd need to change.  "Can your clothes get wet?"  Delilah wore what looked like a one piece swimsuit and a half jacket all the time. 

The gargoyle started to take her jacket off.  "The jacket would be uncomfortable, but all of it can get wet." Delilah set her jacket on Trini's big bed and grinned at her, "Enough room to sleep?"

Trini grinned back and didn't say anything.  She went into her closet, "Give me a second to change."  That walk in closet had more than enough room to do that.  Trini grabbed the shorts that Fox had altered for her tail and quickly changed into those.  She tossed her bra off, because that would be uncomfortable in a hot tub and grabbed an old t-shirt to wear.  She was back with Delilah in just a few minutes.  She grabbed some drinks and turned on her stereo, which she'd set up out there because Fox had a better one in the living room for her.

They were both able to fit into the hot tub comfortably.  It was a pretty large one, Delilah was even able to stretch out her wings if she wanted.  They talked about minor facts about dating, and knowing if she was ready for sex.  Trini told her that she shouldn't have sex unless she wanted to, regardless of what her partner said.  It was up to her.  Once she was comfortable that Delilah understood that, she felt better. 

"Trini... what if I want to have sex?"  Delilah looked so young at that moment, it made Trini want to tell her that she really should just say no.  She had to remember that Delilah would be mating this year, so she wasn't too young anymore.  "I don't mean on Friday, but... sometime."

"If you are ready, then it's okay."  Trini could see that wasn't what Delilah wanted to hear, "What are you asking?"

"How do I have sex?  What am I supposed to do?" Delilah blushed and looked down into the water.  Trini sighed, Fox was wrong... this was hard.  "What's it like?"

"Well, let me start with this.  Do you masturbate?"  Trini was trying hard to not look embarrassed, but she was.  This began an awkward explanation of erogenous zones, levels of intimacy, and the need to communicate with your lover about what feels good, especially since Trini couldn't tell her anything about males and Lex's wings were different.  She also explained the importance of foreplay in far more detail than she felt comfortable with.  Trini avoided mentioning the Breeder's moon, because she didn't want Delilah to feel pressured to choose a mate quickly. 

They sat quietly listening to music.  Trini was giving Delilah time to think.  "I heard something yesterday."  Delilah said quietly, looking a little upset.  Trini could already guess what it was.  "Demona's taken a female lover.  That means both of my mothers are... gay?"  She looked at Trini in confusion.

         Trini didn't want to talk about Demona or Elisa in any detail, it was just not something that you should do.  "I wouldn't call them gay, they've had relationships with men.  Are you worried about that?"

         "If both of them are interested in females... I was made of their DNA."  Delilah looked so confused, "Should I be looking for a female rather than Lex?"  Trini had seen this coming ever since she watched Delilah's face when she heard about Demona.

         "Are you interested in Females?  I thought I remembered you telling me you weren't." Trini smiled softly at the memory.  The gargoyle had seemed so sure of her orientation then, but the prospect of dating and the information about her other parent shook that a bit too much.

         Delilah took time to think while Trini watched her stare into the water again, as if it held the answer.  "No... I, mean I can tell when a female is pretty, but I don't want to kiss one, or... anything else.  I've seen males that I wished I could kiss."

         "Well, that sounds like you aren't gay to me." Trini told her gently, she noticed that even though Demona said kissing wasn't a gargoyle thing, Delilah thought it was.  It was probably a result of being raised by the Mutates in a way.  Lex didn't have any hair, so kissing would be a good thing for him to learn.  "You need to stop comparing yourself to them.  You are unique."  That made Delilah smile shyly.

         "Trini, you have to be an angel.  You've done miracles for me." Delilah said softly and leaned forward to kiss Trini's cheek.  The compliment surprised Trini, she sure didn't feel like an angel.  "Thanks for everything."

         They got out of the hot tub after an hour and a half, because it was no longer comfortable.  Trini noticed that her tail was sore again, the hot water had aggravated it.  Trini felt mentally exhausted after their talk.  She knew it was a good talk, and she'd made a difference, but... she was no Dr. Ruth, she had no idea how she'd managed to survive it.

Day 3 - Friday - July 17th

          After their talk they watched a movie.  Delilah seemed in better spirits than Trini had ever seen her.  When the white haired gargoyle was getting up to leave Trini decided to say something else, "If you do decide to have sex with anyone.  I can get you a room here, or let you borrow my apartment.  Please don't go out into the city somewhere to do it in the shadows.  It isn't safe... and your first time should be more special than that."

         Trini stood up to walk Delilah out.  Delilah enveloped her in a gentle hug, "You make me feel loved."  She pulled back, "No one has ever done that before.  I'll come to you if I need a room, I promise.  I won't make you worry."  She smiled at Trini.  "I should be going, I have second patrol."

         Trini sat in her apartment, not the least bit tired for a while before she decided to see if Lex was around.  The easiest way to do that was to e-mail him.  She did that, and he responded just minutes later.  She invited him down, so that she didn't need to risk running into Brooklyn.  She'd managed to avoid him so far, and she also wanted privacy for this talk.  Lex glided into her living room in just a few minutes.  "I was thinking about your date tomorrow night." Trini started right away, "If you want to do a nice private dinner, I won't be home that night.  You could use my apartment.  I'd even be willing to pay for some food for the two of you.  We could have something nice delivered."

         Lex's eyes widened a little bit. "Thanks for the apartment, but you don't have to buy anything."  Trini could see his pride was a little hurt, but a gargoyle, a normal one at least, couldn't hold a job.

         She smiled at him.  "Do you want to have a nice dinner with her?"  He nodded slowly, "I just sold my car.  I have money and no real bills right now."  She only had a couple thousand, but it was only a dinner.  She paused and studied him, "This is your first date?"

         "Yes." He said in an embarrassed voice. 

         "No shame in that.  You can pay me back later, with some sort of computer work.  I'm sure that this thing will break down eventually.  Does that sound like a plan, you become my computer support and accept money once in a while?"  She could see that he liked the idea of a job much better than a gift.  He was kind of like her in that way.

         After they had a plan set up for tomorrow she let him out her door, and immediately saw Angela watching them with red eyes.  Trini could tell that she thought she was making a move on Lex now that Delilah was interested in him.  She thought about explaining, but Angela marched away too fast.  She wasn't going to chase her to defend herself.

         Trini slept by herself for the first time in weeks, and it took her a while to fall asleep because her tail was throbbing a bit.  She slept as late as she could, knowing that it might be a while before she slept that good again.  It was noon when she finally rolled out of bed because she couldn't make herself sleep anymore.  She and Fox had six hours until they had to be at Domi's house.  Fox told David that they were going out on a date that night, and might be in very late.  That meant that Trini had to dress for a date before they left. 

         When five pm rolled around Trini was looking pretty good.  Fox was also looking pretty stunning, but she wasn't wearing a dress to go out.  Trini could tell that Fox was also dressed for trouble, and it worried her.  She did not want those two fighting.  Fox drove, so Trini had to give her directions.  She didn't realize that Fox had no idea where Domi lived.  That was security that Domi  gave up to have Fox there for Trini.  "Please be nice.  I know she'll try to push your buttons, but I..." Trini pleaded, "I don't want you two arguing, and I definitely don't want you fighting."

         The gate opened and they were on Domi's estate.  "Into the lion's den." Fox muttered as she slowly rolled up to the house.

         "I've been in a lion's den... this is much nicer." Trini grinned at Fox.  She was going into peace-keeper mode again, making stupid jokes to try and ease tension.  She knew she did that, but she had no idea how else to deal with this.

         "Ms. Stephens!" Gregory yelled over to her from his car.  It must be his personal car, because it wasn't impressive at all.  "It's great to see you again!"

         Trini felt uncomfortable with how familiar he sounded, because Fox's eyes were narrowing.  "Nice to see you too."  She added more quietly, "Hey, umm... You never saw me or Fox here today, okay?"

         Gregory's face became more serious, "Sure thing Ms. Stephens.  I should be at home by now anyhow.  Ms. Destine told me to leave."

         "You shouldn't risk it like that, she'll fire you without thinking twice." Trini told him sternly.  "Get the hell out of here now!"  Gregory needed to listen to Domi when she said leave, he was risking more than his job if he didn't.  His eyes widened and he left quickly.  Trini noticed Fox staring at her as she walked around the car to accompany her up the steps.  "If he ever tried that at night, he wouldn't live long." She whispered to her, "I had to be harsh."

         "He seemed to know you pretty well." Fox said quietly as they stood waiting for Domi to answer the door.

         "I visit often." Trini admitted.  She could see Fox wasn't pleased. 

         Trini's heart was pounding as she saw the door open, and she prayed to a god she no longer believed in.  Please, make them get along... just for tonight.  "Well, you two are definitely over dressed" Domi stood in the doorway, not letting them in just yet.

         Trini smirked, and spoke before Fox could say something cutting about Domi's ultra conservative dress suit.  "We said we were going dancing.  You'll need to turn your stereo up louder if you won't let us in."  Domi chuckled and stepped away from the door.  Fox followed her a little stiffly and Trini closed the door behind her.

         "I got home late, so I haven't had time to start dinner.  I need to change too." Domi spoke quickly, and Trini was probably one of few people that could see how uncomfortable she was.  "I'll meet you two in the kitchen in a few minutes."  She disappeared up the stairs quickly.

         "The kitchen is this way." Trini smiled at Fox and spoke more quietly, "I love her house.  When I become a billionaire I'm getting one just like it."  She chuckled. 

         "She took off rather abruptly, I don't like this." Fox said quietly while looking around the kitchen.

         "Give her some slack... this night isn't going to be easy on her." Trini said a little harshly.  She started to look through Domi's fridge.  "We have Pepsi, orange juice, wine, water..." Trini turned to see Fox staring at her again, why?  "So what do you want to drink?"

         "I'll have some orange juice." Fox said quietly.  Trini quickly took out some glasses and poured three glasses.  Domi would want that too.  "You know your way around her kitchen pretty well." Fox said as Trini handed her a glass.

         "I've cooked a few dinner's here." Trini liked being able to be honest, but the added tension wasn't really comfortable. 

         "She's not a bad cook either." Domi said from the doorway, looking much more comfortable in black slacks and her red cotton shirt.  "She has a habit of barging in to do it though."  She smiled at Trini.  She could see that Domi was making a real effort to be nice to Fox.  "Trini would you be willing to cook while I show Fox around?"

         "I'll cook, but you aren't fooling me."  Trini said coldly, "If either of you come back injured I will be pissed."  She saw a measure of approval from Fox.  Yes, I know she's not all nice Fox, Trini thought to herself.

         When Domi and Fox came back into the kitchen a half hour later, both women were quiet and Trini could tell that Domi had told Fox something that upset her.  She'd halfway expected to have to break up a fight, but they'd been very quiet.  There was now a brief haunted look in Fox's eyes when she looked at Trini, and it scared her.  "Shall we eat in here or the dining room?"  She asked Domi, determined to ignore the tension that was now in the air for as long as possible.

         Domi smiled weakly at her, "We should use that room once in a while."  Trini noticed Fox glance at Domi when she spoke.  It was the same measuring glance that she'd been giving Trini lately.

         Fox was helping to move all the food into the dining room, so Trini and Domi had a moment alone.  Trini quickly enveloped her in a hug, "Are you doing okay?"  She whispered.

         "I'm fine." Domi said stiffly, so Trini just stared at her until she relaxed a little, "I missed you.  I haven't been sleeping well."  Trini noticed Fox standing in the doorway, but she couldn't pull away from Domi after that confession.  She rarely admitted to needing anyone.  She made eye contact with Fox, and Fox nodded that it was alright to continue.

         "I miss you to."  Trini looked into her eyes and sighed.  "I'll take care of this.  We'll get them and then maybe you'll sleep better."

         "You don't have to go through this."  Domi trailed off.  "A strike at all the Quarrymen would be difficult, but not impossible."

         Trini stared intently into Domi's eyes, completely forgetting about the audience.  "No one hurts the people I love... I just can't hope that we killed them, I want to know that they are gone."  She hugged Domi tightly.  "I love you... I couldn't protect you then, but I sure as hell will now."

         "I don't need to be protected!  I'm not weak!" Domi hissed at her and tried to pull away.  Trini reluctantly let her go.

         "Am I weak?" Trini said with a little anger.

         Domi stared at her for a moment, "No, you are far from weak."  Trini saw some recognition of what she was getting at in Domi's eyes.

         "I have you and Fox protecting me.  Does that make me weak?" Trini pressed in a matter of fact voice.

         "Dammit Trini... it isn't the same thing!" Domi's voice rose.  "Let's just get the plates and get in there."

         Trini glanced up to see that Fox was not there anymore.  She was a bit nervous about that.  "Fine, but this isn't over."

         "I think we upset your lover." Domi said softly.  Trini turned to stare at her in shock.  Domi grinned at her, "I am a warrior.  I know when I'm being snuck up on."

         "Fine, if you know so much where is she?"  Trini glanced into the Dining room and didn't see her.  She was starting to get pretty nervous.  She didn't want to hurt Fox, but Domi needed her so much right now.

         "She went out the back door." Domi told her smugly, "I'll wait for you before I start to eat."

         Trini glared at her, "Please don't rub our relationship in her face.  I love her, and I've already hurt her more than enough."

         Domi's face became more serious, "What do you mean?"

         "I promised to never talk about it." Trini could see that Domi was mad at that answer.  Elisa didn't want anyone to know about them.  She spoke more quietly, "I need to find her."

         Trini found Fox not too far outside of the door.  She was standing with her arms wrapped around herself, pacing nervously.  She was standing very stiffly as well.  "I love you.  I do."  Trini said softly as she walked up to her.  When Fox turned around with tears in her eyes, Trini's breath caught in her throat and her own eyes teared up instantly.  She'd hurt her.  "You're my mate... my lover.  Please don't leave me." Trini begged quietly, suddenly feeling like she had when she was faced with Elisa's crying.

         Fox quickly moved to wrap her arms around Trini's neck and hugged her tightly.  "I know... I won't.  I know why you feel the need to protect her, I know now... but it's just hard to see."  Fox pulled away from her and Trini could see her bottling up her emotions.  "We have a lot to do tonight.  We can deal with this later.  I just came out here to give you some privacy."  Trini could see that lie clearly.  Fox couldn't take seeing Trini's affection for Domi anymore.  As Trini was walking Fox back to the house she added, "You're right.  She does seem different.  She didn't try to kill me once."

         Trini smiled at Fox.  "Funny, very funny."  She took Fox's hand as they walked.

         Dinner was a tense affair.  Trini was glad when it was over, the subtle barbs between the two women were painful to listen to.  The looks of concern from Fox once in a while didn't serve to ease Trini's nerves.  Fox knew what Domi couldn't tell her, it was obvious.  Whatever it was... was pretty bad.  She was surprised that Fox wasn't pushing for them to cancel the spell, because she was so clearly worried about it.

         They went into the living room after dinner for Domi to uncast the spell.  Trini just sat on the couch, while Domi chanted something that made no sense, it was in some other language, while holding a book that looked extremely old and expensive.  Fox was standing further back, making Trini feel like she was trying to stay out of range.  Fox glared at Domi the entire time, waiting for a betrayal.  Trini watched Domi carefully, and even though her voice was strong, she could see a slight shaking.  She glanced at Fox and tried to communicate silently that Domi was hurting.  She wanted Fox to understand that and ease up on the attitude.  She just wished that they could see what she saw, if even for one night.  There was a flash of magic as Domi finished her incantation, and the green glow of magic quickly snaked into Trini, but even though Trini saw it, she didn't feel anything. 

         "What happened to the spell?  I don't remember anything." Trini spoke softly.

         "It worked.  It wasn't going to be instantaneous, when you sleep it will come to you." Domi told her quickly.  "

Domi went upstairs to change.  "I hate this." Trini sighed.

         "What?" Fox moved closer to her looking a bit concerned.

         "The pain she goes through.  I'm sure that the transformation spell could have been done without the pain.  He was plain sadistic.  She'll try and keep it quiet, because you're here... but it hurts like hell." Trini tensed up a little as the muffled scream went through the house.  "I'd like to make him feel that for a few days... maybe then he'd fix his damn spell."  She said bitterly.  "I can't learn to fix that for her, can I?"

         Fox had sympathy on her face.  "No, he did the spell, he would need to change it, and he won't." 

         Demona spoke from the stairs, "Don't try and talk Puck into changing my spell.  He'll just find another way to mess up my life.  I'm adjusting to the pain." 

         "Trini, I have something that could make you sleep.  We could do that, or... whatever you want." Demona said, sounding a bit reluctant.  Trini stared at her while she thought. 

         "I guess we could do that."  She felt her heart start to race in fear.  She had no intention of backing out, even if she could, but... she was terrified.

         Fox didn't complain when Demona injected Trini with the drug she'd used to kidnap her.  Trini felt the blackness overcome her more slowly because it wasn't as high a dose.  Demona wanted her to be able to dream.  Trini's attention started to fade a bit.   "I won't talk about this, ever."  Fox said gently to Demona.

         "I wish I didn't have to include you in this, but she'll need support, and she's living with you." Demona said bitterly.  Trini's world became black, and she didn't hear any more.

 Day 4- Saturday - July 18th

         When she started to dream she was looking at the scene as if she were outside of it.  She saw herself and Domi being pulled from the train car she'd been nearly unconscious at that time and placed into the back of a van by men that weren't too gentle with the gargoyle turned human.  She watched as she woke up in Mark's parents home and visited with the seven men that brought them there, pretending to hate Demona.  She was conscious enough of the fact that this was a dream that she studied the men's faces, noticing that there were seven, not six.  She felt like an observer and looked around at the men and the house frequently for any information that they might need.  It wasn't until the dream moved to outside of the barn that she was pulled into it, it became real, and she forgot that this was a memory, it felt like she was living it for the first time.

         Domi was chained to the bed with her arms and legs spread eagle.  Trini felt her heart sink when she noticed how strong those chains looked.  Domi slowly turned her head to look at Trini, so slowly that Trini realized she was drugged.  Mark moved back into the shadows and used his gun to wave Trini closer to Domi.  She wanted to rush to Domi, to check and see if she was okay, it took all her control to stop herself from doing that.  She needed to play along long enough to get Domi unchained... just long enough to do that and they would run.  If she had to carry Domi's unconscious body through a hundred miles of forest she would.  She was getting her out of here!

         A few other men with guns quietly snuck in, making the odds if Trini tried to fight... unwise.  The men stayed together, by Mark, in the shadows.  He waved her over, she glanced back at Domi and noticed that she'd fallen unconscious again.  "She's still too out of it.  We want her to be awake for this." Mark told her quietly, and Trini just nodded as if she could understand that.  She wanted to hit him but his five friends were all armed now.  "Her drugs should wear off pretty soon."  Trini watched with wide eyes as he reached down, unzipped his pants and pulled out his penis.  "I thought you could put this time to good use."

         "You said if I did this to her I wouldn't have to..." Trini said with a hiss.  She heard a few guns being lifted. 

         Mark's face took on a look of false sympathy, "Well that was when I thought she'd be ready to play with right now.  She isn't."  His face became darker and more menacing.  "I was thinking of a little blow job, but if not... we have more chain around here somewhere."  Chained she wouldn't be able to escape, and they'd find out she wasn't human.  Trini swallowed as she glanced down at his hardening member.

         "I've never..." She said quietly. 

         "You'll learn sweetheart.  If you bite... we will all make you regret it." He hissed at her as he reached out to put his hand on her shoulder.  "On your knees."  After they escaped Trini was going to come back... and castrate this asshole, she thought angrily as she was forced to take him into her mouth.  It seemed like it took him forever to finish, and he held her head down on him to force her to swallow his disgusting seed.  "You have a pretty talented mouth sweetheart... I'm sure the Demon will appreciate it as well."  He said as he released her, allowing her to pull away.  She felt like throwing up, but she didn't cry... she wouldn't give him that. 

She turned to notice a man injecting Demona again.  She glared angrily at Mark as she stood up.  "What are you doing?!" She spoke loudly, afraid that it was some sort of painful poison they'd used. 

"The guys noticed how good you are at this.  They want a turn before we let you loose on her."  Mark grinned at her as her heart fell and she couldn't keep the disgust off of her face.  "We'll let you have the easy one... and then we can last longer... you've heard about that before, haven't you sweetheart?"  Trini took a step back, she wanted to run... but Domi... she couldn't leave Domi.

After the last man she retched violently... she wasn't able to stop herself.  Their laughter made her eyes burn red and tears silently fell down her cheeks, so she kept looking down until she was able to control that.  She'd never felt so used and filthy before.  She'd kept looking for an opening, a chance for her to fight them off... but they always had several men ready with guns.

She heard Domi groan, she was waking up again.  Mark glanced over at the chained woman and then back at Trini.  Trini stood back up and glared at him.  "Don't let her know we are here.  I want her to believe this is all your idea."  Mark told her, and Trini sighed heavily.  She took a moment to wipe the tears off of her face as she approached the bed.  Maybe now she'd be able to find a way for them to escape.

She took a deep breath and placed a hateful grin on her face as she approached Domi.  "Well, hello there."  She moved to the head of the bed so she could look down into Domi's confused face.  "Well, Bitch... it looks like you've been invited to a party."  She looked up and carefully located the camera.  It would have caught what those men forced her to do as well, she thought with a bit of despair.  She had to force that thought away as she tried to maintain her character, she had to be a ruthless bitch.  She sat on the bed beside Domi and leaned down closer, covering what she was doing with her hand.  She changed it and tested the strength of the chain around Domi's wrist.  "You don't look too bad."  Trini leered at Domi's prone body and noticed Domi's eyes widen as the situation she found herself in occurred to her.  Trini felt her heart ache at the look of fear that flickered over her face for a moment before she covered it with her attitude. 

         "So, you betrayed me?!  What did they offer you, you fucking Bitch!"  Domi screamed at her.  She wasn't acting.  She believed everything she said.  Trini wished she could tell her this was a trick, that she was trying to help.  She continued to try and saw at the chains out of sight of the camera and Mark.  Her talons weren't very good with metal, so it took some time to cut it.  The men were fidgeting impatiently in the darkened corner, so Trini knew that she'd need to keep their attention if she didn't want anyone noticing what she was trying to do to the chains.  She really wished that she could just charge them and fight, but wouldn't be able to protect them if she was shot, and she didn't want Domi at their mercy.

         Trini grinned down at Domi's face evilly and slipped her other hand up under the halter-top to cup her breast.  "You.  They offered me you."  She almost lost it when Domi looked horrified and scared, almost.  She managed to stay in character as she squeezed the breast in her hand a little too tightly.  She had to act like Mark told her to, or he might decide to take over for her, she didn't want any of those bastards to touch her friend.  Domi started to struggle in the chains, making it impossible for Trini to continue with the cutting.

         "My God!  You're sick, really sick!"  Domi struggled to pull her arms and legs free frantically, but she was barely able to move.  The chains had very little extra to allow for motion.  Trini glanced and at the work she'd been doing with the chain and realized that she was strong enough to pull the link apart now.  She just wanted to get the other three chains taken care of before she moved.  She could see that the Quarrymen were not happy with the groping she was doing, that she wasn't going to be able to get away with just violating her friend in this manner.  She was going to have to do more.

         Trini let her face become angry and she slapped Domi hard enough to leave a bruise.  Oh God... Domi I am so sorry, her mind tried to tell the woman, but she had to keep up the act, keep it up to protect them both.  Her eyes showed only contempt.  "Oh, I'm sick am I?  Well you're going to see exactly how sick I can be!"  Trini got up and moved to the other side of the bed.  She flipped up the halter top to expose Domi's breasts.  "Not bad.  Are they real?" She said with a mocking voice.  She knew that she'd placed her body in front of the camera, obscuring it's view a bit, hopefully enough.  These bastards already had her degradation on tape, they didn't need Domi's.  She sat back down on the other side of the bed.  It was a bit awkward, but she managed to find a pose that didn't show her talon working the chain.  She leaned over Domi's body and suckled on her nipple, she did it gently... wishing that she didn't have to do it at all.  She had no idea how to do a rape... but she was going to do as little as possible.  Domi struggled as soon as the shock of having Trini's mouth on her seemed to pass.

         "I will get out of here and I will kill you slowly you Freak!" Domi hissed at her as she struggled with her bonds.  "I'll show you how slowly you can die!  You'll beg for it... I'll make you beg for death!"

         "Oh, honey... they'll be some begging done, but it won't be me." Trini released the nipple and glared into Domi's eyes leaning back down to bite, bruising the redhead.  She'll heal... she'll heal, her mind tried to console her.  She was really hurting her, Domi screamed.  The chain was finally close enough to stop.  Trini took a shuddering breath as she sat up, I have to look ruthless, she told herself.  Stay in character, don't cry... stay in character, she repeated in her mind as she glared down at Domi, who was panting in pain.  "Aww... you didn't beg.  I feel let down now."

         The glare that Domi gave her scared her.  She would really kill her, she had no doubt about it.  If she couldn't make her understand she was dead, the redhead knew how to do it.  "You fucking bitch!  Your mother should have drowned you at birth!  Only a coward attacks a helpless person, let me go!"

         Trini moved to get up again, she needed to find a way to work on the other two chains.  When she went to re-cover Domi's breasts she heard Mark shuffle.  She looked up and he shook his head and pointed the gun at her.  She had to leave her exposed.  "Oh, I'm not stupid Demon... I think I like you all chained up better."  Mark motioned to the foot of the bed, Trini could see he wanted her to...  Shit... she was going to have to do it.   

When Domi noticed her sitting between her legs she started to breath a bit heavier in fear.  "Don't Do This!"  Trini ignored her, she just couldn't respond without crying.  She flipped up the loincloth, exposing Domi's sex to these bastards.  "Don't Touch Me!" She yelled at Trini, and Trini really wished that she could obey.  A small part of Trini's mind noticed that Domi didn't have any pubic hair, but she dismissed it as unimportant.  She couldn't stop the tears from falling down her face as she leaned down to follow Mark's orders.  She glanced at the men, to see if there was any chance she could attack, any chance to get out of this.  They seemed to expect it, there were five guns on her and she noticed that Mark was aiming at Domi.  He smirked at her while he indicated that he could shoot her in the head easily.  He knew she cared.  Trini felt so trapped and helpless.  She couldn't even get to the leg chains while she did this.  She inserted her fingers and allowed one hand to violate her friend in the worst possible way.  Domi screamed, she threatened, she tried to buck... but she couldn't stop Trini. 

She heard a gun cock, "Lick." Mark said quietly, Domi didn't even notice because she was too busy breathing heavily in anger and glaring hard at Trini.  She'd given up trying to buck Trini off, it wasn't working.  She was lying extremely still, trying to pretend that she didn't even notice Trini's fingers thrusting into her.  It was probably her pretending to not be bothered that made Mark want Trini to change her tactics.  Trini turned to look at him; she would kill him if he didn't have five other men with guns with him.  "Get her wet."  He mouthed to her.  Oh, God... like what she was doing to her wasn't bad enough.  He wanted her to prepare Domi for them.  She didn't want to put her mouth on Domi, she felt dirty... she didn't want to make Domi dirty as well.

"I will kill you so slowly and painfully it will make what those doctors did seem like nothing." Domi hissed at her in a quiet threat, as Trini leaned down to follow Mark's orders.  She wanted to get Domi out of there before those men tried to use her.  Domi's entire body tensed up when she made contact, and as she obeyed, she could feel the fight that Domi was having with her own body.  This was the only time she didn't want to make a woman orgasm, it would only increase the shame Domi already felt.  She started to try and carefully avoid making it even remotely good for her.

When Trini heard a chain snap she looked up sharply.  Domi had managed to snap the second chain Trini had worked on.  It was too early, she hadn't even started on the leg chains yet!  Trini's eyes widened as Mark stepped forward and gave his gun to Domi.  Domi was so enraged that she didn't even really notice him.  She took the gun and aimed at Trini's head.  Trini's eyes widened, "Domi, I'm sorry for hurting you... Please..."  She tried to explain.

  "Trini, How could you do this to me?!"  Domi fired.  All Trini saw was the pain and feeling of betrayal evident of Domi's face.  So sorry... She thought right before the bullet hit her.

The vision of the dream-memory faded, for a moment but sound still came in. 

"How did she manage to break that chain?"

"Must have been a bad link."

"You took a gamble giving the Demon the gun."

"Only had one bullet, and you saw how she was looking at this girl.  She was so obviously a friend, I couldn't resist tricking her into killing her."  Trini felt herself being sat up against a wall.  The voices got louder.

"Well, Demona, I have a nice view for you here.  Was she really so bad at it that you had to kill her?"  The voice held humor that was so inappropriate it made Trini sick.  She was starting to see shapes that made no sense.  "You killed her, don't forget that.  We forced her to rape you, and you killed her for that."  Trini could hear some crying.  "We need to draw straws now, because... we are so far from done with you... you fucking beast!"  She heard a muffled scream.  "Yeah... she got you nice and wet for us.  You like having a bitch's tongue in your cunt, don't you?!  Her mouth was pretty talented wasn't it?  You feel so tight, you're practically milking my finger.  This will definitely be a treat."  The voice moved, the shapes were becoming obviously blurred images.  "We'll play until sunset, then Castaway will show up for a fire.  Roasted Gargoyle.  I don't know why he didn't just tell everyone about you, about your day form.  But I'm sure that when he sees what I've managed to do in a few weeks... when he's been trying for so long to get you... I'll get the rewards I deserve."  Trini's consciousness faded away.

"Well, this is fun, but since I had my turn I'm going inside.  I want to tidy up for Castaway."  Mark said... it was Mark.

"I'll go with you, I need to change the video tape."

Those two voices faded and Trini could hear it, the sound of flesh on flesh.  They were raping her!  Domi!  "No!" she managed to mutter, but no one noticed.  When her vision came back, she wished it hadn't.  She could see Domi, with a gag in her mouth, being roughly pounded into the bed by a scrawny man.  Domi's face was a mass of bruises, and she was trying so hard to stay tough looking, to glare at the men watching her rape.  Trini was able to see past that and see the pain on her face and the tears threatening to fall.  She watched horrified as the man on top of her increased his pace, and grunted in release.  "Yeah... You're a good whore."  He told her and reached down to twist her nipple hard, making Domi scream in pain.  "A very good whore." 

Trini tried desperately to get up, to go to her... but she couldn't move more than to twitch her arms and legs.  She watched helplessly as another man moved forward.  He lowered his pants and thrust into Domi quickly.  After a few thrusts he stopped moving.  "Damn... You stretched her out!"  He glared at the man that Trini had watched rape Domi before him.  He then glared down at Domi.  "Tighten it up!"  After another moment he slapped her hard across the face.  "Tighten it up or I'll find somewhere else to stick it!"

The three men watching began to laugh, "Yeah... stick it up the back door.  I'll bet that beast would like that."  One of them said.

The man started to pull out of her, "Oh... Yeah.  That's what I'm talking about.  Keep it tight like that."  He resumed his rape.  "You like it, don't you.  That's why you make it so good, you like it."  He murmured to Domi while he kept at her.  Trini tried to move again, and found she had more control, but she wasn't able to stand up.  She started to crawl towards the bed, slowly making her way.  The men were so intent on Domi that they didn't notice she was moving.  She was only half way there when they switched men again.  She was only able to see them as she moved around the haystacks.  Almost there... almost.  She felt stronger.  She heard some chains hit the floor, but couldn't see what they were doing.  She crawled faster, she could stand up... but she didn't even try. 

"I'm trying the back door.  I don't want to put my big boy in with all your spunk."  A deep male voice said jokingly.  "You behave or we will bring your dead friend over here for you to play with again.  Did her dead lips taste good?  Mark's a sick bastard making you kiss her like that.  I don't want to have to do that, so behave."  A man hissed at Domi.  Shortly after that Trini heard Domi scream... the gag didn't obscure any of the pain.  One of Trini's eyes burned red and she managed to stand to see Domi face down on the bed and a large man pounding into her.  It was like Domi's scream gave her the strength she didn't have before.  She leapt over the bed ungracefully and knocked that man off of Domi.  She fell on him and twisted his head hard, breaking his neck and killing him.  As she moved to get off of him she saw his large, hard penis had blood on it.  She growled deeply as she stood up and glared at the three wide-eyed and horrified men staring at her.  It was difficult for her to stand because her balance was off.  One man tried to run past her and she reached out quickly and sliced his throat open as he passed by.  Her hands remained talons after that.  She growled and kicked as hard as she could at the man that moved forward with a 2x4 in his hands.  She could hear bones crack and he flew into the wall behind him, with a sick looking indent in his chest.  He wasn't breathing.  When she turned to the last man she froze.  

He was standing over a beaten and barely moving Domi.  She looked like she was in shock.  "The Demon has to die." He hissed as he lifted up the discarded 2x4 and hit Domi hard in the head.  Domi didn't even have time to move, not that her sore beaten body looked like it could.  Domi went still and to Trini it looked like he'd killed her.  Trini tackled him and hit him in the face with all of her strength.  His head fell backwards with a sickening crunch, and his eyes just stared up at the ceiling.   

Trini hesitantly approached the bed.  She slowly turned her friend onto her back, gently lowered the halter top over her bruised breasts and used the corner of the bed sheet to tenderly wipe Domi's sex clean of the blood and come leaking out of her, before lowering her loincloth.  There was an angry gash on Domi's head that hadn't been there before.  The chains had been removed so that that bastard that Trini killed first could flip Domi over, so Trini was able to lovingly take Domi into her arms.  She kicked open the barn door to leave with her precious cargo.  She was almost to the tree line when she heard the three men in pursuit.  She started to run... and ran for hours, mechanically, until it was almost sunset and Domi woke up to stop her. 

 Trini woke up screaming, but she was so terrified that she couldn't even produce sound.  She crawled out of the bed, tossing sheets out of her way frantically to rush to the bathroom where she became violently ill.  "Domi... so sorry... so sorry."  She mumbled to herself after the heaving stopped.  She got up to rinse out her mouth, but sat back down beside the toilet, in case she began retching again.  She felt like her heart had been ripped out.  What those bastards did to them was horrible.  They'd raped her and Domi.  But the fact that she had raped her friend, had raped her first... why was she even alive?  How could Domi stand to look at her?  When she heard the door open, she curled up into herself some more.  She didn't want to see anyone. 

"Trini?" Fox's concerned voice called out to her, but she just closed her eyes and hoped that she'd go away.  She had raped Domi... she hurt the people she loved too badly.  The look in Domi's eyes when she was raping her would haunt her forever.  It should.  Domi should hate her.  She should have fought them, rather than hoping for a miracle. 

"Trini?" Fox kneeled down beside her on the floor.

"Go away." Trini mumbled.  "Just go away."

"No, I love you." Fox went to brush Trini's bangs out of her eyes.  Trini batted her hand away.  She didn't see the hurt look on Fox's face, she just didn't feel like she deserved comforting.

"Go away." Trini repeated quietly. 

"She told me that they made you beat her." Fox said quietly.  She sounded so concerned.  Trini stared up at Fox in surprise that Demona would have even said a lie that close to the truth, she did hit Domi.  She obviously didn't want Fox to know that Trini had raped her.  "Honey, there was nothing you could have done."

Trini's body started to shake, "How can she even look at me?  I can't even look at me."

"If she thought it was your fault, you wouldn't be alive.  She doesn't blame you." Fox said gently from a few feet away.  She obviously wanted to be closer, but Trini didn't want anyone to touch her.

"No, I don't." Demona spoke from the open door way.  Her voice sounded raw from crying.  Trini slowly looked up at the gargoyle, who was looking so extremely fragile with her arms wrapped around herself and her wings caped.  Her eyes looked so haunted.  The fact that Trini could see it so plainly when they weren't alone showed her how hurt the gargoyle was.  She hated to show weakness of any kind.  "I love you Trini."  Trini could hear Fox gasp in shock when Demona said that.  Demona hesitantly walk towards her.  Fox looked between the two of them, and Trini could tell by her expression that both of them were looking shattered.   It surprised her when Fox left the bathroom to give them some privacy, Trini could hear Fox going downstairs and could see that Demona was just waiting to make sure Fox was out of hearing range. 

"They raped both of us in different ways.  Yours was no less horrible.  Those humans did this to us."  Trini could feel tears falling down her face, and Demona was crying as well.  "It isn't your fault.  There was no way you could have stopped it."  Demona kneeled down beside Trini and brushed her bangs off of her forehead.  Trini's tears fell more heavily as Demona kissed the place that she'd been shot, "I didn't listen... I'm so sorry.  You were trying to free me and I didn't listen."  Demona was apologizing for shooting her... after everything that Trini did to her she felt bad about shooting her.  Trini moved to get up, and when she was standing, Demona stood as well.

"It's okay." Trini said softly.  "Not your fault."  She couldn't look at Demona, her eyes were staring at the floor.  When Demona wrapped her arms around her, Trini buried her face in Demona's shoulder and started to cry, with racking sobs.  Demona held her and tried to murmur comforting things through her own tears.  Fox came back with drinks.  Setting them on the dresser, she watched Demona and Trini cling together with astonishment and growing concern.  Trini didn't notice that since she was so lost in her pain and the comforting winged embrace.  Demona had completely wrapped her arms and wings around Trini as she held her tight to her body.

"Not your fault Trini... It was the humans..." Demona kept repeating softly while drawing gentle circles low on Trini's back with one talon.  "I should have just left the spell alone... oh, Trini..." Demona's voice choked up, "I'm so sorry you had to go through that again."

"I wanted you to take it away.  I wanted to protect you..."  Trini's throat felt like it was so tight she might not be able to breath soon, "Always just wanted to protect you."  Her efforts to protect Domi just got her raped.  She was so stupid... so weak and stupid.

"You did... you saved me.  You saved me Trini."  Demona hugged her tighter, "You're such a good gargoyle."  Trini remembered Demona telling her that after they escaped.  "You are.  Please... Trini, it wasn't your fault."  Demona pulled back to stare into Trini's face, when Trini tried to look down she reached out to gently hold her still so she could look into Trini's eyes.  "You are amazing, and strong and brave.  After everything that happened you were still able to save me.  I love you, I can see you're trying to blame yourself.  But you didn't do anything wrong.  You didn't."  Trini could see nothing but love and concern in Demona's eyes.  There was no blame, no hate, and no disgust, just love.  She pulled Trini into another comforting hug.  She found herself finally being able to relax in Demona's arms. 

"Fox, is there alcohol in those drinks?" Demona asked quietly.  Trini tensed a bit, realizing for the first time that Fox was watching this.  Demona started the lazy circles on her back again without even seeming to notice herself doing it.

"No, I don't know where you keep it." Fox's quiet voice answered.  "I... didn't want to go through all your stuff."

"No, you didn't want to leave me alone with her for long." Demona said calmly.  "Trini, I'm going to go get some alcohol for the drinks.  We... still have a tough night ahead of us."  Trini reached up and wiped the tears off Demona's face for her, so that when she turned around, Fox wouldn't see them.  The gargoyle wouldn't like that.  It earned her a small smile, "Always looking out for me."  Demona whispered.

Trini was brushing her teeth violently.  Demona had given her a toothbrush to use.  It wasn't just the aftertaste of her throwing up she was trying to get rid of.  She felt unclean.  She imagined that she could still taste those men.  She knew it wasn't real, because it had been weeks since this happened, but it was haunting her.  Fox was with her, looking at her in concern.  Fox had said nothing about how Demona had been comforting Trini, but she didn't seem mad at Trini for needing the gargoyle.  Demona had gone downstairs to get the files so they could get to work, and some alcohol for the drinks.  Trini strongly suspected it was Demona that needed the drinks.  "Fox..."  Trini said while staring at the water running down the sink.

"What is it baby?"  Fox got up from her seat on the side of the large bathtub and wrapped her arms around Trini's waist.

"They raped me too."  She said almost too softly for Fox to hear, but she felt Fox stiffen, so she had.

"What?!" Fox spun Trini around to look into her face, clearly alarmed. 

Trini took a deep breath, and with tears in her eyes she spoke quietly, "They forced me to go down on them.  All six of them."  Fox quickly pulled Trini into a hug.  Trini could feel the tension coming off Fox in waves.  "I feel so dirty."

         Fox started to caress Trini's hair, "Oh, baby."  Trini could hear the tears in her voice.  She didn't mention what they'd made her do to Domi.  Fox just gently rocked back and forth with Trini in her arms.  "Does Demona know?"  She asked gently.

         "No"  Trini said just as softly.

         Fox said with a voice of barely contained rage.  "I'm helping you two find these assholes!  They are going to pay for this!"  Trini felt a wave of relief.  With both Fox and Demona hunting these men, they wouldn't be free for long.  She just couldn't imagine bumping into them at the grocery store, or seeing them on the street.  She'd lose it, completely lose it, especially since Mark was one of the survivors.  He was the absolute worst one, he'd been a complete monster to Domi, and he lived. 

         Demona came back with the file box of Quarrymen members.  She'd already sorted through it a few times, so Trini didn't need to go through the whole thing.  Once they were all armed with drinks it took her no time to find Mark's file, these files all contained photo's of the members.  She shared a glance with Demona after setting his file on the bed face down so they wouldn't have to look at him.  One down, two to go.  After Trini identified the other rapist the gargoyle started to get up off the bed and reached out to grab the files. 

"No, there was one more at the house.  He just never came into the barn."  That one was the man that had wanted to let Trini go because he thought she was human.  She didn't know what to do about him, but they could figure it out once they had him.  Demona's eyes widened at that, she would have been upset if they missed one.  Fox was just sitting in a chair, looking very deep in thought.  She had to pull out another stack of files, the men that Domi thought looked nothing like their attackers.  The last file in that stack was the one she needed.  He'd only been a Quarryman a week before it happened.

         Trini could see that Fox was getting a little tired while she sat on the couch reading files.  "Honey, she has a guest room.  Do you want to get some sleep?"  Trini wasn't ready to leave just yet.  She had a few more things to talk to Demona about alone.  She would have preferred to stay all Saturday like she had originally planned, so she could comfort Domi, but Fox would be in the way.  She was going to end up leaving earlier.

         "If we stay much longer, the cover story won't hold." Fox told her.  Trini had suspected that.

         "I... I want to come back to her later.  Fox... I have to talk to her about this." Trini said quietly, even though Demona was upstairs getting ready for the sunrise.

         Fox stared at Trini like she was trying to see her soul.  "I guess you do."  She said flatly.  "I hate to say this, but you're right, I don't think I need to worry about her hurting you.  If she hasn't by now, she isn't going to."  Trini knew that Fox meant after everything that she knew Trini had done, the fact that she was still alive showed how much Demona cared about her.  She didn't even know how badly she'd been forced to treat Domi.  "Come home and get some sleep before you take off.  It'll look less suspicious."

         Trini smiled softly at Fox, "Thanks for understanding."  She got up to go upstairs and tell Demona that they were leaving now.

         Fox walked into Trini's rooms with her.  They'd gotten home about an hour after the sunrise.  "It was more than beating her, wasn't it?"  She said softly.  Trini immediately paled and her heart started to pound.  She turned guilty wide eyes to Fox.  "Damn... Trini..."  Fox moved closer to her and stared into her eyes.  "They made you rape her?"  Trini nodded yes and swallowed hard.  Fox's eyes were full of pain, but Trini could tell it was in sympathy.  "Those bastards!"

         Trini found breathing a little hard.  "I love you."  She said quietly.  Even though she knew that Fox wouldn't abandon her because of what had happened to her, she felt anxious.  She felt hideous and undesirable.  She was afraid that if she tried to have sex the flashbacks would send her screaming out of the bed.  Fox's sex life was going to suffer.  Trini's was going to die.  "I love you so much... but I need time."  Tears were falling down her face again.  "I... will you sleep with me, just sleep?"  Fox turned sad eyes to her in understanding.

         "We can just sleep and cuddle as long as you need." Fox said softly while she went into the bathroom to get ready for bed.  Trini could tell Fox meant that she'd wait for sex for as long as it took Trini to recover.  She sighed in relief that her relationship with Fox was deep enough to withstand this.

         Trini had to sleep on her side, because her tail was throbbing.  Her pheromones were probably just about ready.  The timing of her going into season really couldn't be worse.  She couldn't even imagine having sex any time soon.  She'd ask Domi about it later.

         "Who shot you?" Fox asked her quietly as she moved to get into bed.

         "Domi did." Trini said and nervously waited for Fox to explode.  When Fox just sat there, looking at her she added, "I had to act like raping her was my idea.  She thought I wanted to do that to her."  She took a shuddering breath, "After she knew... it tore her apart.  She cried in front of all those men."

         "I won't go after her for it Trini." Fox told her and then sighed, "I never thought I'd see Demona like I saw her tonight.  She isn't who I thought she was."  Trini could see tears in Fox's eyes, "She does love you."  Fox's face became more serious, "Just... still be careful.  She may love you, and I know now she won't hurt you, but... she loved Angela and she betrayed her, tricking her to try and kill her father.  Make sure she doesn't try to use you."  Trini nodded that she would be careful.  She hadn't heard about that.  No wonder Demona hadn't seen her daughter in so long.

         Fox woke Trini up twice to stop her nightmares.  Each time the nightmare was about her raping Domi and the look on Domi's face when she realized that Trini was going to do that.  The second time Trini burst into tears and Fox had to hold her as she cried. 

         Trini got up at noon.  It only gave her six hours of very disturbed sleep, but she wanted to get over to the Destine Manor as soon as possible.  Fox woke up as soon as she tried to get out of the bed.  She must be completely screwing up her lover's sleeping schedule.  "Morning." Fox said sleepily.  "What time is it?"

         "Noon.  You can still sleep if you want.  I just need to get ready to go."  Trini ducked into the closet and quickly picked something out to wear. 

         Fox studied the clothes that Trini had in her hand and sat up straighter, looking instantly more awake.  "You always dress in black when you expect to run into trouble.  Are you planning on going after someone tonight?"  Trini looked down at the clothes and then at Fox.  She didn't realize she did that.

         "I don't know what she has planned.  I..." Trini looked at the clothes, "guess I was just planning in case."

         Fox's eyes became a bit steely, "If you go out, call me.  I'm going with you."  Trini nodded that she would. 

         When Trini came out of the bathroom dressed and ready to go, Fox was sitting at her computer in a bathrobe.  "Well, Demona doesn't waste time.  I asked her to send me copies of the information she had on the Quarrymen and it looks like she emailed it to me just a few hours after we left."

         "But you already saw the files."  Trini walked up behind Fox and put her hand on her shoulder as she looked at the screen.  It was about the whole organizations financial records.

         Fox turned to look at her, "David had offered to help Goliath and the clan with the Quarrymen when they were first forming, but Goliath refused the help.  We've stayed out of it since then, because Goliath obviously wanted to deal with it himself.  He hasn't done anything!  They hurt you, I'm not sitting out anymore!"  Trini's jaw went slack.  Goliath had refused help against an enemy like that?  Was he an idiot?  "Demona can't destroy the organization alone."

         "How are you planning to destroy it?"  Trini was feeling worried that Fox was going for Demona's kill them all philosophy. 

         "Financially.  Cut off the money and the beast will wither and die." Fox grinned predatorily.  "Not all battles need to be fought in person.  David taught me that.  If they have no money for weapons and all the cool toys those men like to play with... many of the members will just leave.  Those that stay will be poorly armed for attacking anyone."        

         "Thank you.  If you need any help with that let me know." Trini said as she moved to sit on the couch and put her shoes on.  "I might not be home in time to see Delilah.  She might want to talk about her date.  She likes you."  Trini pulled the other shoe on.  "I want to make sure Lex was a gentleman, or I'll have to beat some manners into him."

         "After all that you just went through you're thinking about someone's date?" Fox looked at her incredulously.

         Trini grinned weakly at her, "No matter how bad life is, it still goes on.  You need to do what needs to be done.  Domi taught me that."  Domi had taken care of Trini and got them food and shelter before allowing herself time to cry.  There are just some things that still need to be done. 

         Fox looked a bit stunned, "That isn't the sort of thing I thought hanging around her would teach you."

         Trini's shoulders slumped a bit, "Well, I also learned how to kill four men in less than two minutes."

         "Oh, Trini.  I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking.  I... It will just take some time to get used to this side of Demona.  I've never seen it before." Fox said apologetically.  "I don't know if anyone's seen it before."

         "It's okay."  Trini stood up and went to where she'd stashed her car money.  "Good, Lex took over fifty dollars.  They must have had a nice dinner."

         "How did you get Lex to take your money?"  Fox seemed impressed.

         "I told him I was hiring him for computer tech support.  I'll just mess up the computer once in a while so he can fix it."  Trini gave Fox a small half smile.  "I know more about computers than I let on."

         Trini paid the cabbie and got out at Domi's.  She might want to buy a car just because the cab fare to Domi's house was outrageous.  She was relieved to be out of the cab, because she'd had to sit funny the whole way.  Her tail was painfully throbbing.  She might need to borrow something to wear, because just having it in her pants was pressing uncomfortably on the base. 

         She walked up the driveway to Domi's looking at the beautiful landscaping as she walked.  When she got to the door Domi opened it before she even knocked.  "I'm getting ready to make lunch."  She told Trini and started to walk into the kitchen.  Trini followed her, closing the front door behind her.  Domi was acting a little odd.  She didn't look at Trini long and made no attempt at closeness or affection.  She seemed cold and distant.

         Before Domi could say anything else, Trini had to deal with her tail.  "Domi, can I borrow something to wear?  I... I need to get my tail out of these pants."  She blushed a little, because she knew what was causing the pain now.  Domi turned to look at her in concern, and it was suddenly her Domi that was with her again.

         "Your tail is bothering you that badly?" Domi said as she took a step closer.  Trini nodded.  "Well come upstairs, I'll see what I can give you."  Trini followed Domi up the stairs and realized that maybe they needed a little of this normalcy. 

         Once they were in Domi's bedroom, the redhead motioned that she could sit while she looked through the closet.  Trini decided to just stand.  It was that bad.  Domi sighed while looking in her closet, "The only thing I have is my loincloth and halter.  Everything else is just not going to work."  Trini grinned, she wouldn't mind trying those on.  It could never look as good on her... but they were damn sexy.

         She stood in the bathroom, looking at her reflection before showing Domi.  The light beige cloth really needed to be on the blue skin to really look good.  She needed darker colors, maybe a black outfit, to look good against her pale skin.  She had to take her underwear off, because it showed on her hips and ruined the look, but it felt weird to walk around like this.  She felt naked even though she was covered... sort of.  This was definitely the most revealing outfit she'd ever worn.  She removed her socks and went barefoot, because it looked better.  She also removed the tape on her ears and found a rubber band.  Demona had never seen her all gargoyled out.  She might as well go ahead and go for the full effect.  She tied back the sides of her hair to expose her ears.

         She sighed as she looked in the mirror again.  She had a hard time looking at these clothes on pale skin suddenly.  She remembered Domi's pale skin as she flipped up the halter-top to expose her breasts, and the loincloth was no protection against her rape.  She pushed those images out of her mind forcefully and tried to regain the mood she'd had before those thoughts plagued her.

         She felt a little shy as she opened the bathroom door.  Domi smiled softly at her as she stood in the doorway between the bathroom and Domi's bedroom.  "You are absolutely beautiful Trini." Domi said softly as she got up from the bed and approached her.  Domi stood in front of Trini a little awkwardly.  Trini noticed Domi's eyes get sad.  "Can I hug you?"

         Trini opened her arms, "You never need to ask."  Domi moved forward quickly and clung to Trini tightly, with a desperation that wasn't there even after she woke up from the memories.  Trini started to pet her hair.  "What's this about?"

         "I wasn't sure you'd want to touch me in this form." Domi said so quietly it was only because of Trini's gargoyle hearing that she heard her.  Suddenly Domi's odd behavior earlier made sense.

         "If you're willing to have me near you... then I have no problem being close to you."  Trini hugged her tighter.  She was glad she was able to come back today.  Domi might have tortured herself with these doubts all day.  "It feels so good to hold you."  Trini felt a need to be close, incredibly close.  It drove her pain away.  She held Domi tightly for a long time, neither of them willing to let go.  Finally Domi reluctantly pulled away, but she looked better, more relaxed.

         "I should look at your tail again.  You're probably ready now." Domi said as she indicated that Trini should get on the bed.  Trini did as she was told even though she was extremely embarrassed by how this exam was done.  Trini got into position, and noticed that the loincloth fell forward, leaving her feeling extremely exposed.  The back flaps were staying in place, so Domi wasn't really seeing her, but... Trini could feel the light breeze in the room, and it was unsettling.  This time when Domi went to lift her tail, there was a sharp shooting pain.

         "Stop!"  Trini said through gritted teeth, "It hurts."  Domi gently set Trini's tail back down.

         "You are definitely ready.  You need to release it.  We probably should have done this yesterday." Domi added more hesitantly, "I need a sample to study.  I don't mean to turn you into a guinea pig, but we need to know about these pheromones of yours."

         "It's okay, I know that."  Trini pushed up on her arms and moved to stand on her knees.  It helped relieve the pressure.  She noticed Domi heading towards the bedroom door.

         "I'll get a few things and then I'll show you how to do this."  Trini could see the blush on Domi's face as she darted out the door. 

         Domi came back with a bowl of warm water and a few washcloths.  She also had something in her shirt pocket.  This was extremely embarrassing!  Domi moved to sit down on the bed.  Trini had already crawled off of it after the redhead left and was standing beside it.  "This... is really something that females do in private.  You're being overly swollen already isn't going to make this easy, I don't want you in more pain if you don't get it right." Domi blushed, "I could do it for you the first time, and then show you how after the pressure's been released."

         Trini stared at her.  Something done in private?  Oh, God... this was intimate.  "What needs to be done?"  Trini was already blushing so badly she could feel the heat in her face.

         "Ummm.  Well, the pheromones come out the duct.  The duct opening is pretty much sealed until the first use, like the hymen on a human female."  Oh, great... another hymen I get to lose, Trini thought sarcastically. 

         "Let me guess, losing this is a little painful." Trini said bitterly.

         "Actually, no." Domi blushed, "Not really painful at all, unless you don't do it right."  Domi looked down at the floor, "If you're not comfortable with me doing this I could try to talk you through it or just give you instructions." Her voice was a bit depressed.

         Trini squatted down beside Domi, because she couldn't really sit down.  "I'm just nervous.  I..."  she blushed, but Domi seemed to need more reassurance than she ever thought the confident woman would ever need.  "like you touching me, but this is more intimate than we've been before isn't it?"  Her mind flashed on the rape... but she wasn't counting that as intimate, it was violence.  Domi grimaced, so she knew she had the same thought.  "I think it's just to soon."  Domi may have had a few weeks to adjust to the fact that Trini raped her.  Trini only had a night.  Not to mention the fact that Fox didn't want Trini having sex with Domi, and if this was as intimate as she suspected it might be, it could almost qualify as sex.

         Domi nodded that she understood that.  "So, do you want me here to tell you what to do and guide you?  It's... a little like the masturbating I caught you trying to do in the shower.  You need to use your talon to poke a small hole over the seal, and the seal will dissolve on its own after it's damaged.  Then you need to caress both of your ducts, they will start to release the liquid.  It should be enough for each duct to fill a test tube.  That's how much I do."  Both of them were a little shy about looking at each other at this point.  "I collected mine from the last two seasons and I did experiments on them."  Domi gave a shy smile, "You never know what might be useful information.  For example, I found out that the first and last secretions are the strongest.  This first sample might have enough information for us about how your system works."

         Trini was keeping Domi in the room for this, in spite of how embarrassed it made her.  She wanted to make sure to do this right, and she really couldn't see what she was doing.  The openings to the ducts were on the underside of the base of her tail.  The idea of cutting herself there made her cringe.  "Trini, the cut needs to be done right, or the pressure when you try to release the pheromones will damage you." Domi told her as she tried to guide Trini's hand.  This wasn't going to work.  How in the hell did these females manage to do this themselves?  Were all gargoyles contortionist?   

         "Domi, I don't want to accidentally cut myself."  Trini was frustrated, "Can you do that?"  She thought she could do this alone, but that wasn't going to be the case.  It was throbbing too much, Trini wasn't going to wait any longer to get relief from the pain.

         "Fine."  Trini could see Domi looking around the room. 

         "Your nails are long enough.  Can't you use that?"  Trini asked.  She didn't want some foreign object used to cut her.  She didn't know why, but it was important to her that this be done by Domi... not some object.  At that thought she realized that she was giving Domi a virginity of sorts.  It seemed fitting that the gargoyle gets this one.  Fox had the other one. 

         Domi was drawing circles low on her back again as she used the other hand to drape Trini's tail over her own shoulder.  "This shouldn't hurt.  You need to tell me if it does."  Domi said gently as she took one of her nails and pressed into a place on Trini's tail.  Trini felt pressure and a weird popping feeling as the skin gave way.  This was not painful, just strange.  After Domi did the other side she just stayed there, making Trini wonder what she was doing.  Domi reached out with one hand and grabbed a damp washcloth.  She gently pressed the warm cloth against Trini's base, where her ducts were.  It felt nice, soothing the pain.

         "I love you." Trini said softly as she enjoyed the intimate touch.  Her whole body felt like it was relaxing.  "Oh, Domi, this is so nice."  Domi continued to use the washcloths heat to soothe Trini for a while before setting it back in the water.

         She heard Domi sigh softly before backing off the bed.  Whatever she was thinking, she wasn't sharing.  "The heat helps the pheromones to flow.  I have something rigged up for the test tubes.  This is going to be awkward.  I basically want you to wear this on your tail and massage your ducts until they don't feel swollen anymore."  Domi strapped the two test tubes onto Trini's base and positioned them carefully over the openings.  It felt odd to have something tied to her like that.  "I'll go start lunch... take as long as you need."  Domi smirked at her.  "I really do mean that."

         Trini came down to the kitchen blushing and quietly waited until Domi had finished with the pot she was washing before she handed Domi the two samples she'd wanted.  Domi's eyes widened as she looked at them and Trini blushed again.  "Green... it has a green tint."  Domi muttered as she stared at the test tubes.  Trini gave her a puzzled look, and was glad when Domi explained why that surprised her.  "Mine has a pink tint."  Domi glanced at them again, "I'll just go put this in my study and we can have lunch."  Domi stopped and turned to face Trini, "You should try to avoid contact with gargoyles until we know what's going on with these."  She held up the test tubes.  Trini nodded that she would try to do that.  She could hear Domi muttering to herself in the hallway.  "Everyone has pink.  What does green mean?"  Great, Trini was odd once again.

         During their very late lunch they talked about little things, like the lawsuit against her stepfather.  It was getting started, and Domi was optimistic.  Trini and Domi avoided talking about the rape completely while they ate, but it was at the top of Trini's mind.  There were things that Domi didn't know, but she needed to.  Trini felt really shitty that she had to tell her.

         After the dishes were taken care of, because Domi never let them pile up, Trini decided they needed to talk.  "Domi... I have more bad news."  She looked at Domi and could see a flash of concern.  "Really bad.  Do you need a drink or something?"  Okay, now Domi looked alarmed.  Trini hated that she was making her feel that.

         "This has something to do with your memories doesn't it?" Domi asked as she sat down heavily at the kitchen island.

         "Yes." Trini moved to sit beside her.  "There are things that you don't know."  Trini sighed, "I wish I didn't have to tell you this."

         "Just spill it!" Domi growled at her.

         Trini took a deep breath and did that.  "They were taping the whole thing.  I asked Fox, and the police didn't find any tape or camera."

         Domi's face lost almost all its color, "Oh My God!"  She put her hands over her mouth.  "Sick bastards... oh god..."  Trini could see tears falling down Domi's cheeks.  "We have to find that tape."  She said quietly, her voice sounding more in control than she looked.  Domi stared down at the floor.  "We have to get that tape."

         Trini tried to pull Domi into a hug, but the redhead stiffened up.  "I can't let anyone see that!"  Domi's voice was rising.  Trini looked at her with sympathy.  Domi turned wild eyes to her.  "Trini... what you did to me was nothing compared to what they did."  Trini flinched.  Domi calmed down a little when she saw that.  "They did some really degrading things to me... I don't want anyone to see that."

         "I understand.  We'll find Mark.  He was the leader.  He probably has the tape, either him or Castaway." Trini told Domi, sounding more confident of success than she felt.  She wanted to find the tape and destroy it quickly, before anyone saw it.  Including Domi.  "Fox is going to help us."  She added.

         "Fox..." Domi laughed a little hysterically.  "That mercenary will only slow us down.  I plan to kill them Trini.  I'm not turning them over to any authorities; I'm just going to kill them.  Torture and kill."

         Trini's voice was deeper as she spoke, "I know.  So does Fox.  No one disagrees with that solution."

         Domi's eyes focused sharply on Trini, "Why is she okay with this?"

         Trini sighed, "She's smart Domi.  She figured out I was forced to do more than just beat you.  She knows everything I was forced to do."  Even more than you know, Trini thought to herself.  Telling Domi about that wouldn't serve any purpose, and it would only make her feel worse.   Still, if one of those men said something, and Trini hadn't mentioned it... it might get ugly.  She sighed, she wasn't going to start lying to Domi now, even though it would be much easier to do that.  Domi wouldn't forgive her for lies like Fox did.  She might see it as a betrayal, and she's really sensitive about that.

         Trini took a deep breath, "Domi..."  She looked into Domi's eyes, and could see concern building.  "they forced me to..."  She had to take a shuddering breath, "go down on them.  I had to give them oral sex."

         Domi's shuddered, and then pulled Trini into a strong hug, "Those bastards!"  Domi hissed and started to caress Trini's back, which was easy to get to since Trini was wearing the halter-top. "I wanted to believe they didn't touch you.  I didn't want those sick bastards to touch you."  Trini could feel Domi's tears on her shoulder as they held each other tightly again.  "I'll make them pay.  I'll make them pay Trini."

         Trini quietly asked, "When are we going after them?"

         "I was thinking I need a little time to prepare a place to take them too." Domi said with a hint of a growl.  Those men were really going to regret messing with Domi.  Trini was betting they'd live longer than they wanted to.

         They'd spent time holding each other and made a weak attempt to watch a movie on the TV, before Trini noticed Domi yawning.  After Trini realized that Domi had made no attempt to sleep that morning she dragged the redhead up to her bed.  "Trini, are you able to lay on your back yet?"  Domi asked as she was crawling onto the bed fully clothed.  Trini rolled onto her back to see if it hurt.

         "Yeah, it's okay." Trini said and stayed on her back while Domi cuddled up to her.  "I missed sleeping with you." Trini told Domi tenderly, as she brushed some of Domi's hair out of her eyes.  "I love you."  She said seriously.

         "I love you too."  Domi said just as seriously.  They'd been through hell and found each other.  Trini had no intention of letting go.

         Trini watched over Domi as she took a nap.  Domi was only planning to sleep for an hour, which for her was like two of Trini's hours.  Trini was supposed to wake her up a little before seven.  She spent time enjoying the feel of Domi next to her, and wondering how they could ever go further in their relationship with all the obstacles in their way.  One obstacle that she had been sure would be there wasn't.  Domi had been willing to take care of her tail for her, and that would have been so close to sex as to be indistinguishable from it.  Domi was willing to touch her like that, even after everything that she'd been through recently.  It was recently; it had only been a few weeks. 

         Trini woke up to someone caressing her stomach.  She opened her eyes to see Domi smiling down at her.  "You fell asleep.  You aren't a very good alarm clock."  When Trini noticed Domi was naked she blushed.  Domi chuckled.  "I'm about to change.  I was wondering if I could get my clothes back."

         Trini grinned at her, "Nope, mine now.  Guess you'll have to walk around naked all night."  She said playfully.

         Domi smirked at her, "I'm willing to do that, but I think blushing for long periods of time might injure you."  A serious expression overcame Domi's face and she stepped away from the bed to change.  The pain that she went through made Trini wince. 

Demona's eyes always glow as soon as she became a gargoyle, but would quickly fade back to normal.  Today Trini noticed they weren't changing back.  A look of surprise crossed Demona's face and she turned to face Trini.  "Your pheromones... work on females."  Demona moved closer and Trini could tell she was being sniffed.  "I never heard of pheromones working on females.  You smell so good."  The blue females voice got a little deeper, "so very good."  Trini watched in surprise as Demona had to obviously pull herself away from Trini.  "It wasn't working on my day form like this.  I could smell you, but... it wasn't like this.  I didn't think females were affected by pheromones."  Demona was pacing across her bedroom floor.  "I've never heard of this."  Trini could see Demona's body... see her becoming aroused.

Demona took a few steps in Trini's direction, but then stopped and screamed loudly.  It was a pain-filled cry.  "I want you... oh god I want you!"  Demona told her while stepping away from the bed.  Demona's body was shaking.  "Trini, this is too intense.  You need to change and get out of here."  Tears were falling down Demona's cheeks.  "I might hurt you.  Please..."  The genuine pain on Demona's face stopped Trini from arguing.  The gargoyle wouldn't be able to deal with hurting her.  She understood how it felt to hurt someone you loved.  She ran into the bathroom and changed quickly.  When she came out Demona was on the bed, gripping the sheets Trini had slept on with tight fists.  "Trini... oh God... Trini."  She was mumbling to herself.  "Need to run... don't want to hurt you, love you."

Trini grabbed her purse and left quickly, without trying to talk.  She had to get away fast, before Demona's control snapped.

Trini ran down the long driveway and just jumped over the ten-foot gate.  Luckily no one was around to see that, because Trini wasn't thinking straight enough to worry about that now.  She ran for a mile before her mind cleared a little and she called a cab, to have it meet her at the grocery store she was almost at.  She quickly pulled her hair out of the rubber band while she walked.  She hadn't taken the time to do it in the bathroom.

Trini's heart stopped pounding after the cab left Demona's neighborhood.  Luckily the place was pretty deserted, or she would have been in serious trouble at the grocery store while waiting for the cab.  Of those people that were there, no one paid much attention to her.

         "Fox?" Trini decided that it was better safe than sorry.  She couldn't say much in the cab with a witness, but she wanted back up in case the gargoyles at home were affected.  She couldn't fight off a gargoyle like that, and there was only one gargoyle she wanted to be with. 

         "What is it Trini?"  Fox sounded concerned.  She was getting good at reading Trini's mood.

         "I... How many security guards are at the castle now?" Trini knew that was stupid, but Fox would understand it.

         "Three.  Brooklyn, Angela, and Broadway" Fox answered sounding pretty puzzled.  Trini really didn't like the idea of facing any one of those while she was so clearly in heat. 

         "Can you meet me in the lobby?"  Trini pleaded.  "I'll be there in ten minutes."

         Fox's voice became like steel, "Did she hurt you?"

         "No, but I can't talk now.  Please... meet me." Trini sounded nervous and edgy.  That was exactly how she felt.  It took so much self-control to leave Demona, more than she really thought she had.

         She had the cabby's money out and ready before they even pulled up in front of the Eyrie building.  "I hope your cold clears up."  She said as she closed the door to his cab.

  Fox was standing by the lobby desk waiting for her.  She could tell by her body language she needed an explanation quickly.  "Trini, what's this all about?" 

         Trini glanced around the lobby nervously.  "I went into season.  I... I can't run into a gargoyle right now."  She said softly.  Her entire body was tense, even though she knew the gargoyles didn't go down to the lobby.  She looked into Fox's surprised eyes, "Need privacy to talk." 

         They stepped into the elevator.  "Let's go to my room.  They don't need to pass it on the way to the kitchen." Fox told her.  As they stood silently waiting to leave, because they knew there were cameras in the elevator, Fox leaned over Trini, "You smell good." She said huskily.

         Trini swallowed hard.  "Pheromones."  She whispered.  Well, now she knew it worked on Fox.  They weren't supposed to work on humans or Fey.  She sighed in relief when they managed to get to their floor.  It didn't seem to affect her lover as strongly as Demona.  As they quickly and quietly moved down the hall to Fox's room, Trini cursed her lousy timing.  Now was not the time to go into season... they had too much to do!

         After Trini explained about the Breeder's moon, pheromones, and about how her breeding cycle was off schedule, she had to explain why she was so nervous about it.  "Demona said that she didn't think females were affected by these pheromones, but they are."

         "It doesn't seem so bad.  I always think you're sexy." Fox grinned at her, "You just smell nice.  Why are you so worried?"

         Trini sighed, "I was with Domi all day.  It didn't affect her, but as soon as she changed at sunset..."  Trini's eyes widened.  "She felt it.  I felt it.  She told me to run, she thought she might hurt me... it was so strong."

         Fox looked at Trini in surprise, "She thought she might rape you?!"  Trini flinched at the wording.  She would have wanted it, so that was different.  Fox's eyes softened as she realized what she'd said.  "I'm sorry."  She told Trini softly.

         "She was worried."  Trini said softly.  "I don't know what it will do to the gargoyles here.  I'm afraid of that and also... if anyone is affected they'll know I'm in season.  Goliath wants me to breed.  He won't even listen to Elisa when she tells him I don't want to.  I can't deal with that pressure now."  Trini's voice got tight with tears.  "I don't want a male to touch me... I don't want to have to defend my right to not be raped again!"

         Fox's face filled with pain as she pulled Trini into a hug.  "Oh, baby..."  She whispered as Trini clung to her.  She ran her fingers through Trini's hair.  Fox looked up sharply when the bedroom door opened.  When David saw Trini crying in Fox's arms he quietly closed the door, with him on the inside.  Trini didn't even notice the door closing.

         "I don't give a shit about the gargoyle race... I just want them to leave me alone."  Trini was crying as she spoke.  "They treat me like a breeding cow.  I hate it."  Fox continued to pet her hair while staring at David's shocked and angry expression.

         "Trini, honey... David's here." Fox told her gently, and Trini's entire body went tense.  She turned with scared eyes to stare at the man looking at her with concern.  Fox's eyes widened, "Oh, God... he won't hurt you.  Baby, David wouldn't hurt you."  Trini's heart was pounding as she stared at him.  She was trying to calm herself down, but... he was a man that had shown some interest in her.  She pretended to not notice, but she knew, and now she was in season.  She waited tensely to see if her pheromones worked on him.

         David looked shocked at her behavior, and Trini couldn't blame him.  She was acting too scared.  This wasn't the best way to pretend that nothing was wrong.  She was just getting so tired of pretending.  It felt like all she ever did anymore was pretend to be okay, except when she was with Fox or Domi.  She'd been pretending her whole life... she'd thought that when she found a clan she could finally be herself, but she ended up with a new batch of secrets and lies.  Maybe she just didn't know how to be honest anymore.  Her first response to any problem was to try and hide it.  "I was raped."  Trini said softly.  "That's part of what happened in Canada."  He already knew she'd lied and that Fox was covering.  She didn't say anything about Domi.  "My memories back."

         "Oh, Trini." David's eyebrows drew together and he looked so concerned.  Trini saw he wanted to come to her, but was holding back.  He truly cared and didn't want to scare her.  Trini pulled one arm away from clinging to Fox to hold out to him.  Fox nodded subtly to David behind Trini's back.  Fox had an extremely serious look on her face.  David came closer and squatted beside the bed.  "I don't know what to say.  I am so sorry that this happened to you."  Trini saw tears in David's eyes.  She wasn't going to let those bastards mess with her mind like this.  Even if David were affected by her pheromones... he wouldn't hurt her.  She let go of Fox and pulled him into a hug.  David inhaled while he held Trini, and when he opened his mouth to say something Fox nodded her head violently no.  He looked puzzled but stayed quiet.

         "When I came in you were talking about the clan treating you like a breeding cow?" David moved to sit on the bed next to Trini, grabbing a pillow to place in his lap and rest his hands on.  It seemed like an odd move, but Fox reached out to take her hand, drawing her attention to the redhead.

         She sighed.  "I overheard Goliath and Elisa arguing.  He thinks I should mate with Brooklyn, but if I don't like him he knows of other clans that could use a female.  He wasn't listening when Elisa told him I wasn't interested in breeding at all.  Now that I'm in season early, I'm sure it will get worse."  Fox reached out and took her hand.

         "Why don't you just tell them you're gay?" David asked her. 

         Trini put her hand over her mouth for a moment to think.  She glanced over at Fox.  "I overheard Goliath's view on lesbians.  It didn't sit well with me."  She sighed, "I don't imagine he'd be too accepting."

         David's posture straightened up, "Well this is your home.  Whatever he says or thinks about it or you won't change that."  He took her hand, and she let him.  "I think that you need to tell them, just to see if it gets them off your back about breeding.  Fox and I would be willing to be there to back you up.  I'm sure Detective Maza and Delilah would stand up for you too if it gets ugly."  He sighed and looked pretty tired.  "You need to address this because chances are that they'll notice you're in season."