"It's working," Margaret said with a sigh. "Good thing too," Margaret leaned close to her friend's face. "I did not nurse you back to health and let you crash on my couch for months, for you to let this beat you."
"Oh, nothing will beat Elisa," Kiersten said with a smile. "I have a feeling she's going to outlive us all."
"Thank God," Doctor James said. He looked at Margaret, "You've got a cool head on your shoulders. Where do you work?"
"Mt Sinai Hospital," Margaret said. "I'm on the overnight shift, and I'm usually either on the post surgical floors, the ICU or occasionally in the ER."
"I can always use an extra hand up here," Doctor James said. "Especially on the overnights in case of emergency. The pay is good and so are the benefits."
Margaret gave him a skeptical look. "Really? How good?"
He told her.
"Are you serious?" Margaret said as soon as she was able to wrap her brain around it all.
"Quite serious," the doctor said. He wrapped a free arm around Kiersten. "It just so happens that we're going to be getting married soon, and would like to lessen the load a bit on my soon to be wife. David Xanatos has given me a fairly free hand as far as the hiring goes, but I need people on the overnight who can handle emergencies like this." He nodded at Elisa's body on the bed. "Things a little out of the realm of normal. Plus you know the gargoyles, so it is an added bonus."
Margaret gave it a moment's thought, then picked up a phone to call the hospital and give a two weeks' notice.
-{- -{- -{- -{- -{-
It was slow going between her healing back and the weakness from fighting the infection, but eventually Elisa and her Gargoyle guide made it to the Great Hall.
Elisa felt like she's run a mile at top speed. She was tired and out of breath from pushing herself.
She was eventually brought before the Princess.
Elisa had swayed on her feet the moment her guide had attempted to leave her, so the concession was made to allow the 'accused' to sit on a short stool while her sentence was being passed.
A well dressed noble stepped forward and glared at Nell.
"You are accused of stealing two jeweled goblets from her majesty, Princess Katherine," The man announced, as if she was so simple minded as to have no idea why she was there. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"
"Yes," Elisa said. "I didn't take the goblets. I had been here, in the castle, that is true. However, once I had finished, I was tired, so went straight back to my wagon to rest. I didn't take the goblets."
"Then you must know who did," The man insisted.
Elisa shook her head. "No. I wish I did."
"A pity," The man said, sneering. "Let this be a lesson on what happens when we invite Gypsies into our homes."
"With no evidence of your innocence," Princess Kathrine said, sounding bored. "We have no choice but to sentence you to…"
"Hold!"
The familiar voice almost made Elisa collapse in relief.
Goliath.
It felt like it had been weeks since she'd heard his familiar voice. "Goliath," Elisa whispered on a relieved breath.
"Goliath," the man Elisa now knew was the Captain of the guard hurried forward. "What is the meaning of this?"
Goliath strode forward, his wings caped around his shoulders. "We found the gypsys' new encampment, and have brought you the real thief."
Elisa's head whipped up, and there was a collective gasp from the crowd. Behind Goliath, Patrin and Motshan walked with a struggling Winnie between them.
Winnie, her hair a matted mess, her clothing dirty, was pulling at the restraining hands holding her. Despite her ragged appearance, her eyes blazed in fury.
The three gypsies walked past where Elisa sat, stopping before the princess. The men bowed deeply, but Winnie remained stubbornly upright.
Motshan was having nothing of it. He loosened his hold with one arm, sweeping it forward to strike right behind Winnie's knees. The force of the blow caused her knees to bend, sending her forcefully to the floor.
"You will not disgrace me anymore than you already have," Motshan bit out. "You will show respect and kneel before royalty."
Elisa raised her eyebrows in surprise. From Nell's memories, she knew the elder to be gruff, but fair leader. He cared for everyone as Goliath cared for his clan, in a kind of Parental role.
Elisa knew that this was not a side of Motshan that Nell had seen.
"What is happening here?" The princess demanded. "And who are these people?"
"They are gypsies who had performed the night of the theft." The Captain said.
"And why are they here?" The princess asked impatiently.
"The woman who was arrested was not guilty of the crime," Goliath said.
"Marcus!" Princess Katherine said in a near yell. She visibly began showing her anger as a soldier, the one who had seemed to be in charge of the group who had arrested Nell. "You mean that the woman who was arrested, whipped in the streets and who had to be under the care of the castle's physician for days, was not the one guilty?"
Elisa saw Motshan's shoulder jerk at that. He had obviously not known of Nell's treatment at the hands of the guards. He remained bowed, his gaze on the floor.
"Your Majesty," Marcus said, bowing almost in half. "The stolen items we found in her wagon. We had no cause to think otherwise."
"Really?" The princess drew the single word out. "Perhaps you are in need of further training before you are put in a position of command again. Guards!" She shouted. Immediately, two soldiers flanked the man. The Princess waved her hand dismissively. "Take him away. Strip him of his rank and place him with the new soldiers. He is to begin his training all over again before he takes his whip to one of my loyal people."
The soldiers flanked their comrade, and escorted him from the room.
"Now," the princess said, "Back to the matter at hand. You," she pointed her finger at Patrin and Motshan, "You have done your duty and brought the person responsible here. You may go now."
The men slowly Rose from their bows. "Thank you, your highness," Patrin said.
Motshan said nothing, only stood and turned to leave.
The men walked past Elisa. Patrin refused to meet her eyes, the guilty flush on his face made Elisa wonder if he had truly hadn't believed that Nell had been innocent. That was going to hurt Nell if… no, when… Nell came back to this life.
Motshan met her gaze, however, and Elisa saw tears in the elder man's eyes as he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder briefly as he passed her.
"As for you," the princess turned her irate gaze to Winnie, "You have caused much trouble with the theft of those two cups. For that, I will turn you over to the captain. You will await your judgment in the dungeons. Be grateful that I don't have you suffer the same punishment as the girl who had been falsely accused of your crime."
Two more guards materialized and took a sobbing Winnie away.
Finally, the princess turned to Elisa. "You have been treated poorly at the hands of my guards, and for that, I am truly sorry," the princess said, and for the first time, Elisa saw a flash of the woman that the older Katherine would become, and the one that Elisa had come to know. The one who would take it upon herself to not only save the eggs of a Gargoyle clan, but to also take on the raising of them as well on Avalon to keep them safe. "You are welcome to stay here for whatever time is needed for you to heal from your injuries, and then you may decide what you would like to do."
Judgement handed down, Princess Katherine of Castle Wyvern, stepped down from her raised dais, and walked briskly from the room.
Elisa felt a gentle hand under her elbow.
"Come," Goliath said softly. "Our healer will be displeased if you are out of your bed for too long while you are still ill."
Elisa's fever had broken a few hours ago, and other than a lingering weakness that would probably be completely gone tomorrow after some sleep, she felt fine.
But, for the chance to hear Goliath's voice and feel his hand on her arm, she would let him think she was still sick.
Elisa purposely slowed down, savoring the feel of her future husband's presence. She had missed him more than words, and knowing that there was a possibility that she was stuck here, in this time, and knowing what was yet to come was a special kind of hell. She wished she could tell him, to warn him, of the painful events in his near future, but she didn't dare do anything to alter the time stream.
She wished she could tell him of their happiness in the far future, but she couldn't.
Change one thing, run the risk of altering everything… She had learned that much.
If she were to tell him of Demona's betrayal, if he believed her and wouldn't think she was just crazy…
He would probably take the whole clan and hide. That's what she would do in his place. Save everyone that you can. The clan would live, and never be placed in the stone sleep spell.
But then, even with a Gargoyle's slow aging, Goliath wouldn't even be alive in her time.
Elisa suddenly felt as if she couldn't breathe past that thought. No Goliath, no clan, no Angela or Liam… and who knew what else would change.
Considering some of the situations that Goliath and the clan had saved her from, she would have probably died years ago.
Goliath stopped outside of the room that she'd been sleeping in near the rookery. "Are you alright, lass?"
Elisa felt the tears begin to run down her cheeks. Was she being selfish, wanting Goliath and the others to survive the massacre to come, but not daring to change the timeline?
"Lass?" Goliath asked, concern etched on his features.
Elisa threw her arms around the gargoyle, wishing he would just hold her.
Of course, he wouldn't. He couldn't. This Goliath didn't know how to react to a human showing him affection, and held his arms out wide, as if unsure of what to do.
Elisa sniffled, and fought to get her emotions under control. Gradually, she released him, and allowed herself to drop the short distance to the ground.
Wincing at the pain the landing sent through her back, Elisa wiped her face. "I apologize," She said softly. "I just wanted to thank you for saving me."
"You are welcome," Goliath said, dipping his head in a bow before turning to make his way back out to the outdoors.
Elisa entered the little alcove that had been her world for days now. She sat on the bed, staring blankly at the wall.
She missed her time, her city, her husband and child. Her family and friends.
And, much to her dismay, her future now hinged on a young Demona.