Rosalina

Anton

Immediately Rosalina, and Cali both stood up to go see Gabriel, as they had been worried about him. They started to walk out the door, as Cali's Uncle Sal was not far behind them. However, Anton blocked his way.

"I'm sorry Mr. Russo." Anton told him. "But Mr. Esposito has only requested to have his sister, and Miss Russo brought to him. I'm sure you understand. It might be awhile, perhaps a car can take you home.

"I'll wait for my niece, thank you." Uncle Sal replied rather coldly.

"If that is your wish." Said Anton.

"Yes, that is what I wish." Uncle Sal sneered.

"I'll see you in a little while, Uncle Sal. I love you." Cali said as she smiled at him. She then walked over to him, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. With that, she and Rosalina followed Anton towards Gabriel's recovery room. All of a sudden, they heard a loud roar, and glass breaking.

"What the hell!" Exclaimed Anton. He looked confused, as he pulled out his gun. Swiftly he made his way to the recovery room, with Cali and Rosalina not far behind him. As they got to the room, the doctor was out in the hallway. He was pacing back and forth with a look of worry upon his face.

"Is something wrong with my brother?" Rosy cried.

"He's fined." The doctor sighed. "Physically he's fine, but-"

"But what?" Anton angrily interrupted.

"I was able to successfully perform surgery on Mr. Esposito." The doctor explained. "But if he hadn't turned into a gargoyle, he would have died. However, even though the gargoyle survived the surgery, I don't think the human did. In my expert medical opinion, he will longer be able to transform back into a human. I'm afraid that he will be a full gargoyle for the rest of his life. He didn't take the news too well, and was ashamed for either Miss Russo, or his sister see him. He became angry, and flew away."

"Where did he go?" Anton inquired.

"I don't know." The doctor answered.

"How do you know he that he will never be human again." Anton asked.

"He was having trouble changing back." The doctor replied. "So I took some blood samples. "Normally when I look at one of his blood samples there is a combination of both human, and non human red blood cells. However this time when I took a sample, only the non human blood cells where present.

"But why would he just leave like that?" Cried Cali. "Why would he do that? I don't care whether he's human or not. All I care about is him!" She soon ran past the doctor, and opened the recovery room door. As the door swung open, a breeze blew past her. She immediately noticed the broken glass on the floor. Cali looked up, and saw the broken window, she then ran over to it.

"Why?" She cried. "Why did you leave me? You promised to always protect me!"

"Cali." Rosy said reassuringly, as she placed her hand on Cali's shoulder. "He just needs some time to think. I promise Gabe will come back. I know my brother."

"I can't believe he would just leave like that!" Cali cried.

"Miss Russo." Said Anton. "I know that Mr. Esposito wants me to make sure that all of your needs are being met. I think it would be best if you were to head back home."

"Fine." Cali growled with tears in her eyes.

"Would you like to stay with me tonight?" Rosy asked her.

"No, thank you." Replied a teary eyed Cali. "I just want to be alone."

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

Cali sat in the bedroom, hoping that he would return. But an entire day had past, yet no one had heard from him. It was already one in the morning, but sleep was out of the question, even though she had barely slept since he left. Both Rosy, and Uncle Sal offered to stay with her.

Anton had even given Uncle Sal permission to stay at the house. But she just wanted to be alone. Maybe this was how Gabriel felt? But more than anything, she wanted to tell him that she didn't fear his gargoyle self. In fact if anything, she would gladly embrace it.

I will always protect you! She kept hearing him say it over, and over again in her mind. Cali could not take it anymore. She was going to call his bluff. If he wasn't ready come back to her, she would make him. Rosy was the one who told her, that she was the one with all the power. Well now it was her turn to play her hand.

Slowly, and quietly, Cali opened the bedroom door. There were no guards around. With as much sheath as she could muster, she soon made her way down the stairs. Where was Anton, or the rest of the guards? Maybe they were all out looking for Gabriel?

As quickly as she could, she made her way over to the front door. When Rosy had come by couple of days ago, she paid close attention to the code that Gabriel had used to unlock the door. What he didn't know, was that she had a photographic memory. As she looked at the keypad, she closed her eyes, and held her breath. All of a sudden the numerical order, that he had entered, came into full focus.

Here goes nothing. She thought. Cali pressed the six digit combination, and sure enough, she heard the front door unlock. Slowly she peeked outside. There were some guards patrolling the area. The mansion itself was like a fortress. with a long driveway from the front gate. However, she soon headed for the back of the house. It was at the top of a cliff looking out over the Mediterranean Sea.

As she could hear the sea in the background, she made her way towards that sound. Sure enough she found the cliffs, which had a stone wall along side of them. It was only three feet tall, not much of a safety precaution. With little effort, she got on top of the wall, and looked down over the cliffs. It was long way down, and and anyone who fell could never survive. A powerful breeze blew around her, as she closed her eyes. The ocean air soon enveloped almost every sense of her body.

"I know you're watching me!" She cried. "It's as if I can sense your presence! You said you would always protect me! And I am going to hold you to that vow! You are the one who has brought me to this point! If I die, my death will be on your hands!"

With that, she turned around, pointed her arms out at her side, and slowly began to let herself fall backwards. Just as her heart began to panic, when she realized that she had just reach the point of no return, a voice cried out to her!

"SONGBIRD!" The voice cried. Right before she felt herself completely fall backwards. She could feel him scoop her up into his arms. They were flying through the air, as his wings were thrashing through the night sky. Cali gently wrapped her arms around his neck, as she opened her eyes. He didn't look at her, but instead had an angry look of determination. She knew she had angered him, but she had to get his attention. It was the only plan she could think of, to get him to come out of the shadows.

They soon landed on the beach, as he soon let her down. He was obviously livid as he kept passing back and forth, while his tail kept twitching in the sand.

"ARE YOU INSANE?" He cried. "IF I HADN'T CAUGHT YOU WHEN I DID—IF YOU HAD FALLEN JUST A FEW MORE FEET, I COULD HAVE BROKEN YOUR NECK!"

"I know!" She replied in anger. "But you left me no choice!"

"I want to be alone!" He exclaimed. "Can't you understand that?"

"No I can't!" She cried, as she burst intro tears. "I have been worried sick! I sat there waiting to hear if you were going to make it through surgery! But then when I finally find out you're okay, you freak out and leave me! I have been a wreck ever since you got shot. I just needed to see that you are okay!"

"BUT I'M NOT OKAY! DAMMIT!" He cried with his eyes full of angry tears. "LOOK AT ME! I'M A BEAST, A MONSTER, A FREAK!"

"YOU WANT TO SEE A FREAK!" She cried. "I'LL SHOW YOU A FREAK!" Feeling frustrated, she quickly removed all her clothing.

"Songbird, please don't!" He cried.

"Look at me!" She growled as she pointed her finger at him. "Here I am, in all of my naked glory. Here is my secret shame, my hideous scars all for you to see! They make me look cheep, and ugly! I was made to look like a used whore, without ever losing my virginity."

"No!" He cried. "The only thing I see before me is most beautiful creature that God himself has ever created!"

"And as I look upon you!" She exclaimed. "That's what I see!"

"You're looking at me through the eyes of a scared little girl." He replied. "Some childhood fantasy from a cartoon show that ended several years ago!"

"No!" She told him. "I'm not looking at the handsome face of the man who seduced the other night. Nor am I looking at a creature that I want to come rescue me. I am looking into the soul of one who loves me. And I don't care what you are. Man or beast, you are beautiful to me. Like your name suggests, you are an angel!

"Believe me.' He told her. "I am hardly an angel. I have done some horrible things. Ever since the Sabinos killed my mother, all I wanted was revenge. I didn't give a damn about my father. He was a horrible man. If they had just killed him, I wouldn't have sought revenge against my father's enemies. But once I took a life, to avenge her death, I was forever the mafia king. I was no longer Gabe Edwards, I became Gabriel Esposito.

She smiled at him, and placed her hand against his cheek. "But Gabriel Esposito died on the doctor's operating table, and now you can start a new. We can start a new."

"Songbird." He whispered, as loving tears shone in his eyes. Then it was almost as if a powerful entity pushed them together. Before either of them even revised it, they were soon locked within a passionate kiss. As they slowly pulled away, Cali was amazed but what she saw over the ocean.

"Oh may god!" She cried. "The moon! I've never seen a full lunar eclipse over the ocean." It was breathtaking , as the blood red moon reflected over the water. It was eerie, yet beautiful at the same time. Almost as if magic was in the air. As she looked back at Gabriel, he smiled at her.

"I have something to show you." He told her.

To her surprise, he scooped her up into his arms, and they took off into the nights sky. As he flew her around the city, she couldn't recall ever recall a time in her life where she felt so free; so alive.

Was he actually taking her somewhere? The next thing she knew, they had arrived at the stables. As they landed, they hid in the shadows, as they both peered at the black stallion.

"He's so amazing!" She exclaimed.

"Do you really like him?" Gabriel asked.

"He's beautiful." She told him.

"I'm glad you think so." Gabriel replied. "Because I'm giving him to you. Perhaps you can think of it as my wedding present to you. By they way, I never did get your answer, when I proposed to you at the restaurant."

Cali looked at him and smile. "Yes I will marry you." His face looked elated, as he threw his arm as around her. she laughed, as she happily returned his embrace. Soon he swung her around, and they stared into each other's. But soon, both of their playful grins turned into coy smiles.

"I'm ready now." She whispered. "Make love to me."