Matlock 'The Defence' guest star Andrew Robinson (Star Trek: DS9, Star Trek: Lower Decks, The X Files, Murder She Wrote, The Twilight Zone, Cagney, Hellraiser, Dirty Harry, Child's Play 3)
A/N: We interrupt your regularly scheduled Transformers Fanfiction to bring you some Gargoyles! Finally finished the show! Loved it! And loved Angela x Broadway! Although I do wish we had gotten to see how they got together so here is my version of that! I hope you guys enjoy it! This is set not long after the end of season 2. I haven't caught up with the comics yet so I apologise if this goes against any canon! Xxxxxx
Ao3
FF.net
It had been a quiet night. An unusually cold one for the Summer which could've explained why aside from one mugging and an attempted burglary, there hasn't been any other crime for her to stop. Everyone else's patrols must've been quiet too since they were all back early. All except one.
"Where's Broadway?" Angela asked.
"I think he said he was going to feed Cagney while Elisa's visiting her sister." Lexington said, already heading back inside to use Xanatos' new computer.
Cagney? Angela thought before remembering the name from the night they had finally arrived in Manhattan after their travels from Avalon. It belonged to Elisa's cat. Angela hadn't had a chance to properly meet the creature, with it being returned to Elisa's apartment upon their arrival.
The only pets, if one could even refer to Gargoyle beasts as such, that Angela had met had been Bronx and Boudica. There hadn't been any other kind of domesticated animals on Avalon, and during their time traveling the world between all the new experiences and adventures, they hadn't had a chance to interact with any human pets. Ever curious about this new world to explore, Angela was eager to learn more.
"I'll go check on him." Angela said, jumping off the turret before anyone, namely Goliath, could tell her no.
She relished the freefall for as long as she dared. There was nothing this high in Avalon. Even on their travels, nothing had come close. She loved Avalon. It was her home that had kept her safe all her life. But it was also an island. And a small one at that.
Falling from the tallest turret of a castle on top of a skyscraper, the wind screaming in her ear and cutting through her wings, she finally felt free.
Catching the cold night air, it didn't take long for her to arrive at Elisa's apartment.
Inside she could see Broadway standing in Elisa's kitchen. A tea towel over one arm, he bent down to hold out a packet of cat food to Cagney, like how she'd seen a person called a waiter do with a bottle of wine during their adventures in Paris. She couldn't hear through the glass window, but watched as after Cagney sniffed the packet, Broadway nodded, pouring the food from the packet with a flourish. It was a silly sight. But a sweet one none the less.
Suddenly a strong wind struck the building, pushing Angela against the window.
Broadway looked up at the noise.
Angela felt her face flush, embarrassed at being caught.
Thankfully, if the wide smile on his face was anything to go by, Broadway did not appear upset. He put the towel down before he rushed over to the balcony.
"Eveythin' okay Angie?" He asked before shivering as he was hit with the sudden forces of the cold. Before she could reply, he was already gesturing at her. "Woah it's freezing out there! Get in!"
She was happy to oblige, soaking up the warmth of the apartment, as Broadway shut the door behind her.
"Here." He said, grabbing one of Elisa's blankets off the back of her couch. He held it up as though intending to wrap it around her himself. Then his grin turned sheepish, probably remembering her words to give her space, so he held it out instead.
"Thank you." Angela replied, wrapping it around her wings. She wouldn't have minded if Broadway had done it himself. But she appreciated that he respected her boundaries.
"Not that I'm not happy to see ya, but what are you doing here?" Broadway asked, as she huddled herself into the sofa.
"Lexington said you were looking after Cagney and I haven't really seen a cat before ... so I came to see one." She tugged the blanket tighter. It felt a little silly to say out loud. She knew her upbringing had been, unorthodox even by Gargoyle standards. She didn't want the others to think she was any weirder than she knew they already thought she was.
Thankfully, Broadway didn't seem to think her desire to strange. If anything, his smile got even wider, excited to be able to share something with her.
"Yeah the castle had cats back when we were in Scotland, but they had jobs like us back then, like protecting the food stores from mice. Not many have jobs today though. Definitely not Cagney. He's more of a pampered prince."
"Meow!" Cagney yelled from his now empty bowl, acting very much like the pampered prince Broadway claimed he was as he demanded more dinner.
"Hey Elisa said only one packet per day mister!" Broadway said, shaking his finger at the creature, even though Angela was pretty sure that cats couldn't talk. Cagney didn't appear put off by the gesture, instead nudging his head against the outstretched finger.
"Then again, Elisa didn't say anything against treats." Broadway reached into the pouch on his belt to pull out a small brown cube which Angela presumed was the aforementioned treat. The Gargoyle was about to give it to the cat, then he paused and held it out to her instead.
"Here, you give it to him."
"Should I get closer?" She asked, prepared to get out of the nest she's snuggled herself into on the sofa.
Broadway shook his head, handing her the treat.
"Trust me. He's got a sniffer that can rival Bronx. He'll find you."
Sure enough, Cagney soon jumped onto the sofa, nose raised high. He tilted his head when he saw her, presumably cautious at seeing a new face. But the desire for the joy of treats, was higher than any fear of danger, even from a stranger. She could relate to that.
Broadway pointed with one hand at the other that was lying flat. She copied him, putting the treat in the flat palm of her hand.
It tickled when Cagney licked it from her. She couldn't help but let out a little giggle.
But then Cagney continued sniffing, pressing his nose against the side of her leg.
"I'm sorry. I don't have any more." She told him. However, it appeared Cagney was no longer interested in treats. Instead, he climbed onto her blanket covered lap. She held her breath as the creature's front paws kneaded against her thighs like she'd seen Broadway do when making bread. Apparently satisfied, Cagney then settled himself on top of her, paws tucked underneath him and head facing outward making him resemble a loaf.
Needing air, Angela slowly released the breath she'd been holding. Seeing him settled in her lap, she fully realised just how small and fragile the creature was. Far lighter than any human she'd lifted and they were so light already! She could crush him with one hand. She worried that even too strong a gust from her breath could hurt him! Despite this, this tiny beautiful being, trusted her enough to not only touch him, but to rest with her. It made her want to cry. She had to look away, only to find Broadway looking at her with a similarly speechlessly soft look that she was sure was on her own face.
"Err think you might be stuck there for a while." He said sheepishly, pointing at Cagney who had now curled up into a circle.
She watched the relaxed raise and fall of the cat's breath and couldn't help but agree.
"I apologise for intruding on you." She said.
"Don't worry about it! 'Sides I should be apologising to you! I was planning on keeping Cagney company for a while anyway. If you don't mind me sticking around course?"
Angela smiled.
"Of course not."
"Great!" Broadway beamed and Angela found her own smile grow brighter under his light. "Elisa said I could borrow her VHS of this film Citizen Kane so I was going give that a watch. She said its her favourite movie. That the mystery inspired her to want to become a Detective. I cant wait to talk to her about it when she gets back!"
"You and Elisa get along well." Angela should have been glad that the Gargoyle was getting along with their human friend, but for some reason the sentiment irritated her, like a grain of grit stuck under their stone skin.
"Yeah! Its cool to talk to someone who loves old movies almost as much as I do! Plus after only having rookery brothers, its nice to finally have a sister."
For some reason that irritated feeling disappeared like the melting of snow. Irritation wasn't exactly a knew sensation to Angela. She had felt it plenty of time growing up with her own rookery brothers and sisters. But there was something specifically possessive about this that she hadn't felt before.
She was brought out of her thoughts by Broadway releasing a thoughtful hummm. She followed his gaze to the silver box in the corner of the room that she had come to learn was called a television. She came to the same conclusion that he must've have as she realised that the box's black screen was pointed away from her.
"Okay I got an idea! So even though its night, pretend that your stone."
Angela tensed her muscles, keeping her body as still as possible.
Through the blanket she felt Broadway gently tucked a hand under her legs and another round her back.
"This okay?" He asked, the kindly cautious light of his eyes only inches from her own.
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak as he lifted her up as though she was as weightless as Cagney was to her. Even with the blanket as a barrier she could feel the warmth of his steady heart beat, next to hers. She forced herself to stare down at Cagney so that she wasn't stating at distractingly broad expanse of his pectorals that she hadn't realised were this big till they were right in her face.
Before she could think too hard about her reaction to all of that, Broadway had placed her down on the other couch, her new seat now perfect for viewing the television screen. However, she found herself missing the warmth of his arms around her. It was as though they were an extension of the warmth be brought through his enthusiasm and sweetness.
At least Cagney had been unfazed by the journey. The cat still a circle of sleep on her lap. Gently, Angela brushed a clawed finger through fur so soft it was like stroking the edge of a cloud. She couldn't help but marvel that a creature like this existed.
So enchanted, she couldn't tear her eyes away, even when Broadway, after doing whatever it was one did with a VHS, sat on the sofa besides her.
Suddenly, her sensitive ears picked up on a low rumbling of a miniature thunderstorm. It took a moment for her to realise that the sound was emitting from Cagney. She snatched her hand back, worried she had hurt him
"Hey it's okay!" Broadway was quick to reassure her. "He's just purring! It means he likes you."
Angela glanced back down at Cagney who was now looking at her as though asking why she had stopped. She quickly returned to stroking the top of his head and the cat soon snuggled back to sleep.
Out the corner of her eye, she caught Broadway looking at her with that same soft smile he'd given her earlier.
"Well that's good." Angela said, leaning against the Gargoyle's shoulder. "Because I like him too."
Broadway gulped, fumbling with the buttons on a slim black box to start the movie.
Part way through, he reached out his wing behind her, waiting for her to tell him to stop. But she didn't, so eventually he rested it around her shoulder.
...
Later that morning, fresh off the plane back from visiting her sister, Elisa walked into her apartment to find two stone Gargoyles and her cat asleep on her sofa.
With a soft smile, she reached for her camera.
The detective in her had a feeling that this was a picture they'd want to look back on in the future.
