"Oh my god!" Cried Cali. "I wasn't just dreaming, was I? Both last bight, and in Paris, you promised to always protect me. That's how you got to Paris as quickly as you did. You followed us there, while you were in the form of a gargoyle, you were watching us the whole time."

"Songbird?" He whispered. "In case I don't make it."

"No!" She cried. "You promised to always protect me! I'm holding you to that vow!"

"If I am to die." He pleaded with tears in his eyes. "Then let the last thing I hear be your beautiful singing voice."

Cali nodded as they both continued to cry, and began to sing. It was the same song that he had heard her sing, at the gas station. Gently she took his head, and held it in her lap. She lightly caressed his face, as she continued to sing for him. He smiled, as her tears fell upon his face. He just had to be okay, he was the answer to the prayer she made as a child.

"Where is he?" She heard a man exclaim.

"He's in the back room!" She heard Anton reply. "Hurry, before the police get here!" Anton was normally so calm, and quiet, Cali was taken aback by how intense he was now acting.

The doctor burst in the room, carrying a medical bag. His eyes widened as soon as he saw Gabriel. "Oh my god!" The doctor exclaimed. "It's already started! We don't have much time! Get him on the stretcher, now!"

A couple men came in carrying the stretcher. Cali smiled as the tears continued stream down her face.

"See, you're going to be okay." She told him a s she continued to cradle his head.

"I can't treat him, until we get in the van." The doctor exclaimed, as he pushed to the side. "Out of my way lady! We need to get him on the stretcher, now!"

"Don't talk to her like that, or treat her like that again!" Gabriel exclaimed as he started to cough.

"Um, y-yes sir." The doctor replied. "My apologies Miss. But we really need to leave now, before it is too late."

"I understand." She told him. She then got up, and let whom she assumed were EMT's place him on the stretcher. With that, Gabriel was soon lifted off the ground. All of a sudden, police sirens could be heard in the background.

"We have to leave now." Said Anton. "Out the back door. This way Mr. Russo, Miss Russo."

As they hurried out the door. Cali saw Gabriel being placed into a mysterious black van. As the got closer, Anton took her hand, and helped inside. The doctor, her uncle, and Anton made their way in the van as well. Anton immediately, shut the door, as the so the EMT's got up front. Soon they all began to drive away.

The doctor then took out a hypodermic needle, and used it to extract some gold colored serum form a vail. He prepared it, and began to inject the serum into Gabriel's neck. But to Cali's horror, Gabriel had completely turned to stone.

"What did you do?" She cried. "You killed him."

"Calm down, Miss!" The doctor replied. "I didn't kill him, he's just in stasis. I promise. It's a special serum made just for him. It was made from his blood when he took Gargoyle form. It was the only way I could keep him form dying. If I hadn't put him into status, we wouldn't get to the clinic in time. I can do surgery there, but I can't take care of the bleeding until we get there. Hopefully we can save his life. I have both his human blood, and his gargoyle blood on hand in case of any emergencies like this. So, we won't have to worry about finding any blood donors."

"Actually Miss Russo." Anton Added. "We will eventually need to get blood from you as well. I know Mr Esposito will want it on hand, just as we have some on hand for his sister."

"Rosalina!" Cali exclaimed. "Someone needs to get a hold of Rosalina. Someone has to tell her. She's at a spa somewhere! I don't even know how to get a hold of her!"

"Don't worry." Replied Anton. "I know where Miss Esposito is located. I will have her informed, and at her brother's side as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Anton." Cali, as she smiled with tears in her eyes.

"Your welcome." Anton replied as he bowed to her. "I've pledged myself to faithfully serve the Esposito family. And when you eventually become the mafia queen, I shall service you as well."

"Um, thank you." Cali replied. She was taken aback by what he said. She never thought of herself as one to hold a title, especially that one. She looked over at her uncle. She could tell by the look on his face, that he was not at all pleased by what Anton just said. But she couldn't think about that right now.

Cali looked at Gabriel, and couldn't get over how he was now trapped inside a stone prison. She gently touched his cheek, and felt the cold hard stone.

You have to comeback to me! She thought. You're my savior! You said you would always protect me!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Gabriel's stone cold body had been wheeled into the operating room. Cali and her uncle were told to wait in a special room, while the doctor and his staff started to prepare operate on Gabriel. Anton, and two other guards, were in the operating room as well.

"I don't like this!" The doctor explained. "I took a Hippocratic oath, 'Do no harm.' How can I be expected to bring him out of his stasis, when the only thing that will do that is a blood sacrifice."

"Please doctor." Anton replied. "Don't try to act so innocent now. You lost your moral scruples a long time ago. Just save his life, that's all you need to do."

"I will not kill anybody." The doctor growled, as he stared right into Anton's eyes.

Anton, just looked at him, and smiled. "I'm not asking you to. Bring him in!"

With that the two guards exited the operating room. To the doctor's horror, they brought in a man who had been badly beaten. His knee was bleeding, as he had obviously been shot.

"What is this?' The doctor exclaimed with a look of anger.

"This man is part of the Sabino family." Anton replied. "He was the one who aimed his gun at Mr. Esposito's fiancé. He's the reason Mr. Esposito got shot, and almost died. Perhaps doctor, you have taken a Hippocratic Oath, but I haven't." He then grabbed the prisoner by the hair, and dragged him over to Gabriel's stone body. Then man looked at Anton with pure hatred in his eyes.

"Go to hell!" The prisoner snapped.

Anton just looked at him, and smiled. "But you're our guest, I insist you go first." Antons face all of a sudden hardened, as he grabbed a switch blade.

He then turned the now terrified man around, and forced him to lean face down right over Gabriel. Then in one quick move, he made a deep slit in his victims throat. His victim, with a wide eyed look of fear in his eyes, began choking on his own blood as it poured out of his own neck. As the blood began to spill out over Gabriel's body, the stone exterior began to crack. His gargoyle body broke threw his stone prison.

"Songbird!" Gabriel cried.

"She is waiting for you to recover, sir." Anton replied. "But the good doctor must start his surgery."

"Very well." Replied Gabriel. "Who had to die?"

"Don't worry." Anton told him. "He was one of your enemies. He was the one who almost shot Cali, but shot you instead. Also, I took the liberty of informing your sister of what happened. She should be arriving shortly."

"Good." Gabriel Replied with a smile. "He deserved to die. And I'm glad you informed Rosy. She and my songbird can keep each other company. You have always served me well Anton, just as you had served my father."

"Thank you." Anton said as he bowed. "But what about the old man?"

"What about him?" Gabriel asked.

"He's now someone who is not authorized to know that you are a gargoyle." Anton explained. "That can be dangerous."

"The old man is under my protection." Gabriel told him. "Plus he is a part of Cali's family, that makes him my family. Do I make myself clear?"

"Perfectly sir." Anton replied.

"I am not my father." Gabriel said. "I don't want anyone killed unless it is absolutely necessary, is that understood?"

"Perfectly sir." Anton replied.

"Good." Said Gabriel. "One more thing. Neither my sister, nor Cali will be allowed to know how you were able to free me from my stone prison. Despite who the man was, I don't think either one of them would be okay with it."

"Understood." Anton told him.

"Excuse me." The doctor interrupted. "But even though in your gargoyle form, you are much stronger. We still need to operate as soon as possible. I suggest we move to another operating room. I'm pretty sure that this dead body has now contaminated this one."

"Very well, doctor." Said Gabriel. "I am in your capable hands.

"Don't worry, sir." Anton said. "Everything shall be taken care of. I'll even have someone take out this loathsome—garbage for you."

"One more thing." Gabriel replied. "I have a lot of faith, in the good doctor here. If however something goes wrong, no harm shall come to Cali or her uncle. I don't care what they know. In fact, like Rosy, I want them well taken care of."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Cali kept pacing, as she almost couldn't believe everything that had happened. It was ironic, Gabriel was afraid to let her know his true nature. Yet she had actually come care about that beast side of him, before she came to care about his human one. As she kept pacing, her uncle just kept watching her.

"Why don't you just sit down, sweetheart?" Her uncle asked her.

"I can't." She replied. "Not until I know he's okay."

"Where is he?" Cali all of a sudden heard a woman cry. Cali looked up, she saw Rosy being escorted in by one of the members of Gabriel's good squad. As soon as the two women saw each other, they immediately became locked in an embrace.

"Oh Cali!" Rosy cried. "Anton told me everything. I'm so scared! Where's Gabe?" As they both pulled away, Cali saw how red Rosy's eyes were, she had obviously been crying for a while.

"He's in surgery, right now." Cali told her. "I don't know anything yet."

"I was so mad at him!" Rosy cried. "I told him I hated him, but I don't. Despite everything, I love him so much! What if, 'I hate you.', ends up being the last words I ever said to him?"

"We can't think like that, okay" Cali replied.

"Oh Cali, I'm so glad he has you." She then gave Cali another hug. Rosy must have opened her eyes, and seen Uncle Sal.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Said Rosy. "Who is this distinguished gentleman?"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Said Cali. "How rude of me? Rosalina Esposito, this is my Great Uncle, Salvador Russo. Uncle Sal, this is my friend, and Gabriel's sister Rosy."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Esposito." He said with a smile. "I just wish it were under happier circumstances."

"Likewise, Mr Russo," Rosy Replied as he returned his smile.

"Umm Rosy." Cali began. "About your brother, umm..."

"Yes, I know he's a gargoyle." Rosy replied. "I've always known."

"How did you know that I was going to ask that?" Cali asked as she felt puzzled.

"As I said." Rosy told her. "Anton told me everything. He told me that you saw Gabe turn to stone."

"I'm so confused right now." Said Cali.

"Well." Rosy sighed. "I suppose we have some time to kill. I guess I'll tell you the whole story."