Elisa physically felt as though she'd been to hell and back.

She'd landed in her body with such a force, that she was surprised she hadn't bounced. She kept her eyes shut for a moment, half afraid to open them to find that it hadn't worked.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she opened her eyes to see the library. "Okay," Elisa said quietly. "Not exactly time specific, but I'll take it." After days of pain, Elisa moved slowly to not pull at the healing wounds on her back only to discover that they were not there. She expelled a breath of gratitude, even as she felt badly that her relief had become someone else's pain.

"Sorry, Nell," She said, hoping that Nell was able to recover quickly.

Elisa got to her feet, momentarily confused by the fact that she was wearing a medieval-style dress and no shoes on her feet.

Elisa felt her breath hitch. No, not again.

Elisa looked around at the modern furnishings, and felt marginally better, but since most of the furnishings in the library in her time were either replications of the castle era's furnishings or antiques, so it was hard to actually tell…

Elisa grabbed a hold of the full skirt and ran, barefoot, into the hallway. The electric lights there helped ease the tension that had settled in her stomach.

Raised voices caught her attention, and she hurried towards them.

She almost passed the room completely, having to catch herself against the doorframe, her palms striking it with an audible slap.

The conversation stopped as the noise caught the room's occupant's attention.

"Nell, lass," Hudson said, coming to his feet quickly. "Wha's wrong?"

Elisa, scanning the room, found the one face that she would have sold her soul to see again. Her throat felt tight with emotion, and without speaking, she ran around the table. She dodged around confused members of the clan and threw herself into her husband's arms.

Goliath, much as the younger version that she'd surprised with the hug, stood still as if unsure what to do.

Elisa, her arms clamped as tightly as she could manage around his chest, leaned her head back to look into his face. "I missed you, Big Guy," She said, her voice husky with unshed tears.

Goliath looked at her in complete shock, as if he didn't believe what had happened. Then he leaned closer and into her eyes. "Elisa?" he asked quietly. Then her roared, "Elisa!" His arms swept around her, lifting her completely off her feet.

Elisa wound her arms around his neck and inhaled his familiar scent, one that was unique to only him. Still unable to speak, she clung to him as the rest of the room erupted into shouts of surprise and happiness.

Goliath put one hand against the back of her head, holding her to him as he caped his wings around her. "Oh, Elisa," He whispered, his words just for her. "I missed you so."

That did it. The mental dam that Elisa had built up, keeping her from either breaking down or losing her mind, broke. She began to cry.

When she was able to get herself under control, she became aware of the sheer silence.

"I scared them off," she said, not bothering to open her eyes and look around, "didn't I?"

"No," Goliath reassured her. "They are happy that you have returned to us, and will welcome you back later. They left to give us a little time to ourselves."

"Okay," Elisa said. She was exhausted and, now that she was home and safe, wanted nothing more than to sleep for a week. Maybe two.

She still had things to do, friends and family to talk to, and her son to hug and cuddle.

And she had a former enemy to repay for this little misadventure by magic.

For now, though, she was right where she wanted to be.

-{- -{- -{- -{- -{-

Goliath took her to the nursery first, where she collected up her son. He was happy, having not seen her in days, and couldn't wait to babble about what he had been doing since he'd last seen her.

Elisa sat with him in the rocking chair for a full ten minutes before she felt like she could face anyone else. She gathered Liam up and carried him on her hip as they went to join the others.

"So, just out of curiosity," Elisa asked, a sardonic grin on her face as she gestured to her clothing, "What's with the dress?"

Goliath smiled at her. "I know how you prefer your jeans," He said, putting his arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer to his side. It would be a while, he knew, before he would allow her out of his sight, let alone farther than arm's length. "But Nell was uncomfortable in modern clothing. Do you remember when Fox and Xanatos got married?" he asked. When Elisa nodded, he said, "This is the dress that Fox returned in."

"I guess I can understand, the wanting to be comfortable," Elisa said. "I would have done anything for a pair of pants."

"Elisa," Goliath said. "How did you…"

"Goliath," Elisa cut him off. "I will tell you everything tomorrow. For now," She said, placing an arm around his waist, "Can we just be happy that I'm home?"

"Yes," Goliath said, his voice suspiciously deep with emotion. "I am very happy to have you back."

"Good," Elisa said.

Together, they entered the Great Hall to an explosion of cheering. The rest of the night was filled with a celebration of Elisa's return. Everyone wanted to know what had happened, how she managed to come back.

Elisa asked of them the same that she'd asked of her husband.

She would tell them everything soon.

Few of the guests seemed irritated at the request, Beth first and foremost, but no one pressured her. They all knew that Elisa was stubborn enough, that she would only talk when she was ready.

Liam fell asleep curled up on his mother's lap just before dawn. Skyler rushed over to scoop him up from Elisa, once more welcoming Elisa home before she took the sleeping boy back to the nursery.

Tomorrow, they would be going home.

Tonight, with sunrise so close and Elisa's exhaustion, they would spend one more night in the castle.

Elisa only asked that she be able to sleep in a room without stone walls, if possible. She thought of the disorientation she'd had when she'd "come back" to herself in the library, and she did not want to wake up and see the castle walls and panic that her return had been a dream.

So she asked for a modern room. One with a door.

And normal clothing.