Family Obligations
              By RM Bachnick ([email protected])
 Disclaimer: Gargoyles is the property of Walt Disney Studios. I make no money off this
so all you lawyers will have to look elsewhere. The characters in this story however are of my
own creations and should not be used without the author's permission.
 Summary: On her way east Firedancer makes a timely stop in New Orleans to finally pay
her respects to her former father-in-law.
 A hello to my Clan and yeah I'm finally getting Fire closer! *grins sheepishly* Comments
and CONSTRUCTIVE critisism are welcome...keyword is constructive there. To my fans, keep
an eye out for the next Firedancer installment to come out hopefully within the week...just
proofing it and it will be posted finally! To those of you who live in or near New Orleans...sorry if I
get any spelling or geography wrong...I've never been there and I'm having to read a map. How
in the world do you pronounce that lake anyways?  Read on and enjoy!

 Firedancer settled on a rooftop and set her pack down. In a way, the scene before her
was not all that dissimalar to that of Los Angeles. Bright lights could be seen stretched out for
miles. An ozone of pollution clung to the city sprawled out before her, and a cacaphony of noises
assualted her senses even at this late hour. To the north lay Lake Pontchartrain, which led into
the Gulf of Mexico by a small waterway on the northeast end. But the differences could be as
easily seen as the similarities.
 Off in the distance several bands could be heard playing the blues and dixies-something
one did NOT hear that often in LA. And while Los Angeles was a mixture of cultures all blended
to make its own unique style, New Orleans was brimming with its own long ingrained culture.
Brick buildings lined the streets, most with terraces and shutters along the windows. While Los
Angeles strived to keep up in the modern world, New Orleans was content to live in the past...for
the most part at least.
 As she looked out across the rooftops her eyes caught movement in the sky far off in the
distance. Squinting she realized that there were several objects....gliding through the
darkness.Gargoyles.
 Pulling her pack on she leapt off after the group, her heart quickening with the thought of
meeting more of her kind. Pushing her tired wings to the max to try and gain on the group, two
things struck her as odd. Drawing closer, she saw that there was nearly a dozen gliding through
the night. Patrols were never that large. Not when she was a hatchling, and not with the others
she had been staying with the past few months. This group consisted of nearly all the Clan if she
remembered a conversation from long ago correctly.
 Perhaps the most alarming thing though, was the speed in which they were gliding and
the area they were heading into. Looking down, Fire saw that they were approaching the
riverfront. Docks were lined along the Mississippi River, and it was here that Alec had grown up.
It was also the Guild's turf. Gone was the glamour of the city, leaving dilapidated buildings, and
dark allyways. Up ahead, the Clan suddenly dove and a commotion ensued in the dim ally's
below.
 Fire dove onto a nearby rooftop and loosened the clasp that held her axe to her side as
she slid her pack off. Crouching down she watched as the gargoyles fought with dark clad figures
that wavered in and out of the shadows. They were from the Guild, that much was certain. Their
objective became clear, when they subdued the small group and an elder female advanced on
the only man left untouched at the far end of the alley.
 He was just as Fire remembered him. Dressed all in black, he too nearly blended into the
night. His eyes were cold and emotionless, and he carried himself with and air of command and
grace. "Taren," he acknowledged in an emotionless voice as his eyes flickered over his
unconcious or bound men.
 No one else but Fire noticed though as a figure detached itself from the shadows and
slipped away down a side alley and the faded back in the darkness again. "This really isn't going
to help improve our relationship you know."
 Taren snarled and lunged forward grabbing the man by his shirtfront and slamming him
up against a wall a couple of feet over the ground. "I knew I should have never trusted you," she
hissed.
 "Ah, you think I am responsible for the deaths in you Clan the other night," he surmised
calmly.
 "Your men killed my mate and two of my other siblings! For that you will pay theif," she
spat angrily. Behind her the other growled in agreement of what she was threatening to do.
 "Taren, my men could have hunted you and your Clan down long ago. I am the only
thing that has kept them from destroying you while you sleep in your cathedral during the day."
He paused as his words sunk in. The Clan shifted nervously when they realized he had known of
their secret roosting spots. "The men who were responsible for the attack on your Clan were from
the gangs, not the Guild."
 "Lies! The gangs are under your control."
 "Certain factions were cast out of the Guild a couple of years ago and were just as
quickly accepted by my most dangerous enemy. That attack was to provoke you and pit you
against us so they can take advantage while we squabbled. Now, if you want to avoid bringing
down the wrath of the Guild upon yourselves I suggest you let me go  Taren," the man ordered in
a  steely tone.
 But Taren was beyond reason. With a snarl she raised her free arm to strike the man
down when two things happened at once. A shot was fired, and then Taren went sprawling as a
body hurddled from above and crashed into her. The Clan leader rolled to her feet and stared in
suprise at the red gargoyle that was slowly climbing to her own feet, placing herself protectively
in front of the man.
 "How dare you interfere!" Taren growled as she advanced a step. But the red garoyle
stood her ground and pulled the axe out of its holder on her side. "You would strike one of your
own down for this....filth?"
 "I would never raise arms against any of our kind Taren. What I do is for your protection
as much as it is for his," Fire answered gently as her eyes drifted upwards to the growing number
of figures lining the surrounding rooftops. "You may not approve of the Guild Master's profession
Elder, but he is a man of his word."
 The older gargess growled softly in anger and frustration. Fire did not blame her. She
didn't know all that had happened, but she had overheard enough. Enough, to bring the weight of
her actions back down on her once more. Her axe dropped from its defensive position, and Fire
sighed.
 "If anyone is to blame for the death of your mate and Clan members Taren it is me," Fire
admitted quietly.
 The leader blinked her brow furrowing. "You?"
 "Several years ago I thought I could rid Los Angeles of the gangs. I was young and rash
and did not realize that my actions would bring consequences that even now I must face. In one
violent night I became responsible for the deaths of two gang leaders, over a dozen of their men,
and I inadvertantly dragged the Guild into the whole mess. Ever since that night they have sworn
vengence upon me and the Guild."
 "How do I know that I can trust what you say?"
 Fire drew herself up as straight as she could, given the fact that she had been hit in the
shoulder by the shot aimed at Taren. "My name is Firedancer of Los Angeles. I swear to you on
my honor as a gargoyle and one sworn to protect and save lives, that everything I say is true. All
I have is my word and reputation which judging by your expression you recognize."
 "The Firedancer?" one of the others gaped.
 Fire held out her hand and a small flame danced across her talons before it flared and
then died. But Taren was not so easily disuaded. "There are still three members of my Clan that
are dead."
 "And my men are working even now as we speak to uncover those who perpetrated this
unpleasant mess. I promise you Taren that when I find who did this, I will see to it that they are
given over to you," the Guild Master promised as he looked over at Fire. "I believe that wound
could use some tending Fire. Is our business here done?"
 "Just out of curiosity, why are you so far away from your home Firedancer?" Taren asked
with a wary look in her eyes.
 "Family business," was Fire's only reply. Then she slid her axe back in place and walked
over to the wall. Digging a talon in she looked back at Taren a sadness in her eyes that aged her
beyond her still young years. "I am truely sorry for the loss of your mate and your friends Taren. I
hope that my own sufferings these past few years can serve as punishment enough for my short-
sidedness." With that she began a difficult climb back up the building only being able to use her
one arm since the other screamed everytime she moved her shoulder.
 "What did she mean by that?" Taren wondered outloud.
 "She was not always known as the Firedancer. She was once called Red by her friends
and family. She was happily mated to my son and they were expecting a child. Then my worst
enemy enlisted the aid of the gangs and they delivered her to some monster that created the
Firedancer. It cost Red her mate, her child and her soul. I owed Red my life," the Guild Master
siad his eyes growing distant for a brief second. Then they grew hard once more as he looked
back at the Clan Leader.
 "Beleive me when I tell you Taren that these people will pay for what they have done to
both our families." With that he too turned and walked off into the night.
 Taren let him go, and stared into the darkness her mind trying to absorb what had just
been revealed that night. "Do you really think we can trust them?" her Second finally asked a few
minutes later.
 Taren sighed and ran a talon through her short hair. "Ten minutes ago I would have said
no in a heartbeat. But I have heard of the Firedancer, and I know that the Guild does not take
lightly to being threatened or mocked. The ones who murdered our family will be dealt with one
way or another. Let's go home, it's been a long night."
 Up on the roof, Fire glanced upwards as several shadows passed overhead her eyes
locking briefly with Taren's before the Clan turned back north and headed away from the
riverfront. With the adrenaline rush finally subsiding, Fire's shoulder began to hurt in earnest now
and she muttered an oath as she looked down at the wound.
 Closing her eyes she turned her focus inward and with a grimace she began the painful
process of closing the wound. Over in a corner, the Guild Master watched as the gargess bent
her head in deep concentration and a smell like burnt flesh filled the air around her. Fire's wound
began to glow, but not with the soothing blue glow that she had once used on he and Alec
several years ago to save their own lives. This glow was an angry red-orange, like that of burning
coals. And it was obvious from her expression that what she was undergoing was quite painful.
 Fire let out a shaky breath and swallowed down the moan that tried to escape her throat.
A trembling talon fumbled with the clasps on her pack when another settled over hers and she
raised her eyes to meet those of her former father-in-law. "It would seem the Guild and the Clan
are in you debt once more My Lady," he greeted.
 "I've had my share of senseless deaths."
 He nodded and then he pulled out the first aid kit she had been struggling to retrieve
from the pack. The wound was now closed, more from a cauterizing effect than a healing one.
He gently bandaged the wound and then replaced the kit. He looked at her injury thoughtfully and
then looked into her eyes once more.
 "It has been a long time Rachel."
 She bristled slightly when he used her given name. "I am no longer-"
 "Think what you may, but somewhere, deep down, a part of your past is still there.
Otherwise you would not be here tonight."
 She quieted and looked down for a few moments before nodding. "I'm sorry. It's just that
it has taken me nearly two years to get over my grief and accept what has happened. I could
barely face my own blame much less face yours."
 "Rachel I do not blame you for what happened to Alec," he torld her sincerely as his
hand rested on her forearm. "If he hadn't been so damn stubborn and come to us sooner for
help, perhaps all of this could have been avoided. I saw how protective you were of my son," he
remembered with a faint smile.
 "I tried. God I tried, but that....creature did this to me and then shot Alec. My powers
were gone and there was nothing I could do but hold him as he died in my arms," Fire whispered
tears brimming her eyes but not spilling.
 The Guild Master nodded. "Sometimes, it makes no difference how much power we
have Rachel. One day death will claim those we love and there is nothing in this world that we
can do to bring them back."
 Fire suddenly remembered his own wife's demise, and realized he knew exactly what
she was feeling. The heavy cloak of trepidation finally lifted from her shoulders, and she was
able to meet his gaze steadily. "Thank you."
 He nodded to her shoulder. "Your heart has been much like that wound - closed but not
healed. You did the right thing by coming here Rachel."
 Rachel nodded towards her pack. "I finally found the courage to face the memories last
month and went through Alec's things. Dad had put them in storage until I wanted to go through
all of it. There was a bundle that seemed to be addressed to you so I thought you might want it."
 The Guild Master reached into the pack and pulled out a velvet bag that had his name
etched on it in silver cursive. The bag was fairly weighty and he had a good idea why. Reaching
inside his finger brushed against a familiar form and he pulled it out with a fond smile as he held
up a rather large emerald on a sturdy silver chain.
 "His first major heist. He pulled that stunt off when he was twelve to try and persuade me
to use him in bigger jobs." Fire smiled a bit and then the older man looked back into the back
and pulled out an intricately carved ring. She noted a hint of sadness that tinged his expression
as he explained to her that it had been his wife's.
 "Had the laws permitted it, this would have been yours." Pulling the chain from the
emerald necklace he slipped it through the ring and then clasped it around her neck. "I want you
to keep it now."
 Fire looked down at the ring and swallowed around a lump in her throat. "It's beautiful,"
was all she could manage for the moment.
 Then he was back fishing through the bag and came out with half a dozen pictures.
"Ahhh, now this was truely his greatest piece of work," he chuckled as he flipped through the
photos.
 Curious, Fire leaned forward to glance at them and then blushed when she saw that they
all consisited of Alec and her, or just herself. "It wasn't fair you know. He had all the advantages."
 "You underestimate yourself. Alec told me once, you would have made a great thief."
 Fire chuckled a bit and shifted. The movement jarred her shoulder some and her smile
quickly faded into a grimace.
 "Where are you headed now?"
 "Northeast....New York for at least a little while. I have some friends there I never got to
fully thank. Then we'll see."
 "Well since you have no pressing appointments prehaps you will accompany me back to
the UnderCity. That wound could use some real tending to, and if I remember correctly you have
an affinity for our cooking."
 Fire's stomach rumbled loudly and she laughed a little embarressed. "You do know how
to find someone's weak spot don't you?"
 He smiled and then helped her to her feet as he picked up her pack. "Its good to see you
again Red," he stated simply as they headed towards the fire escape.
 Fire slid her glance over at this mysterious man that had somehow come to mean so
much to her. "It's good to finally be here," she returned. Then they disappeared into the night
leaving no trace behind that they were there.

Next stop New York and then finally....Fire joins up with Sky and Lisette!