Choices
By Shadow Runner
Yadda yadda yadda, I don't own them… no money in my pocket…. Just borrowing them…
Part 2 in my series
Hope you like and happy reading…
***** ***** *****
The following week went by like a blur. The search of the Eyrie building had gone well, and Xanatos had put up an acceptable amount of fuss, even going as far as to threaten a lawsuit for one unfortunate officer who had the misfortune to break a rare Chinese Vase. But the bottom line was nothing was found, the public seem satisfied for the moment, and Fox got in some face time with the press, who were, incidentally, the ones Matt had 'discovered' the outstanding parking tickets on.
Elisa saw the irony in that and wondered if Matt had notified them specifically just to make up for the impromptu arrest.
Xanatos sent word the Clan had returned home a few days ago and were all safe, sound, and accounted for. A bit restless from being cooped up in the Castle for the past few days, but no worse for wear. That made Elisa's days a little better and she felt as if an incredible weight had been lifted from her.
The Clan might actually be safe….
She on the other hand was almost at the end of her rope. She had gone out to Riker's Island, and spoken with Robyn Canmore, who was polite but less than helpful. Yes she would protect the Gargoyles; no she would not help her find Jon. Elisa supposed it was a fair trade and couldn't have asked for much better than she got.
Jason Canmore was a bit more helpful. It was Elisa's second trip out to see him since he' been brought to the Medical Ward at the prison. He gave her a few leads, locations where she might find Jon but nothing firm.
So far everything else had come up empty.
Elisa toyed with the idea of putting Nightstone Unlimited under surveillance. There was nothing to tie 'Dominique Destine' to the search for Jon Canmore and she'd rather not get involved with anything that might cause Demona to show a sudden interest in her again.
Then again, if the Hunter came looking for the Hunted… It would be best to keep a personal, but cautious eye, on the building. She filled out the forms to get a vehicle for the next few weeks since hers was a bit too well know to use for a surveillance.
She sighed heavily, as if she didn't enough on her plate without dragging an immortal gargoyle, with a very poor disposition, into the mix.
Elisa stood against a wall looking over a report and absently checked her watch. It was only 3 AM. Normally she would be out on the streets, Protecting and Serving, but the last few days she'd been working almost round the clock, trying to figure out where the Hunter might be. She was getting the distinct feeling that Jon Canmore was not going to be found any time soon, and her feelings remained mixed on the matter.
If his was found it could mean less of a threat to the Clan… at least from him. On the other hand he hadn't come forward with information about the Gargoyles either. Maybe if they left him alone, he would leave them alone.
It was a no win situation either way and Elias thought it sucked.
She glanced at her watch again, 3:02. She rubbed her eyes; she was exhausted and the hours were catching up with her. She knew there was another reason for her dedication to her job as of late and was trying to rationalize it by saying she was protecting the Clan. The longer she spent at work the less of a reason she'd have to go to the Eyrie building. If she didn't go to the Eyrie building she wouldn't be of risk to the Clan; in the event someone was following her to discover the location of the Gargoyles.
It was a lame excuse and she knew it.
She was, for all intents and purpose, trying to avoid Goliath.
The truth was she was unsure of how to deal with the change in her relationship with Goliath. She knew in her heart this was what she wanted, it had been her idea to kiss him, but could they really expect it to work… could they… she… deal with the differences? She checked her watch again, 3:04. This was getting her nowhere.
"I've been watching you do that for the past half hour Detective…"
Elisa turned to the voice behind her. Captain Maria Chavez walked over to her, "You going to keep doing that every two minutes?"
"Sorry Captain, I guess my mind just isn't focusing right now."
"Anything new on the Canmore case?" she inquired.
Elisa handed her the case file she'd been flipping though, "As near as I can tell he hasn't left the country, found a new apartment, registered a car, filed for unemployment, or using any of his old aliases. I checked the news station he was working for, WVRN, they say he never even picked up his last check. They're holding it for him, but said they'd notify me if he comes to pick it up." She rubbed her eyes. "I have a few other interviews to finish…"
"And…?" Chavez asked.
"Well, I'm waiting on the judge to issue a freeze for the rest of the Canmore accounts, but so far nothing has been touched anyway. I have a few places under surveillance but will pull those if he doesn't show soon."
Chavez handed her the case file back and nodded for her to continue.
Elisa stretched her arms over her head and tried to stifle a yawn. "I've talked with his family, they weren't very forthcoming with information that might send Brother Dearest to jail. Besides, he hasn't contacted either of them, and I doubt he will for a while. He knows if he does, the boys at Riker's will let us know."
Captain Chavez nodded her head, "Sounds like you've got all the bases covered." She looked at Elisa hard for a few moments, the exhaustion was self evident, "Maza, you've been here for the past 8 days non-stop. You're burnt out. Go home, I don't want to see you back here for the next 72 hours. Have Morgan assign one of the patrols to finish the last of your interviews. I'll call you if something breaks."
"Captain you can't be serious?" she asked incredulously.
Captain Chavez was unmoved, "Don't make me give to an order Detective."
"I've got a ton of work on my desk!"
"Detective, do you even know where your desk is?"
Elisa stuttered for a moment looking around the precinct, "That's not the point…"
"I didn't think you did. Go home. I'll call about the bank freeze."
Elisa made one last ditch effort to avoid being sent home, "But if anything…"
"Now it's an order… GO!"
Two minutes later, she was walking out as Matt was walking in, "Hey, where are you off to?" he asked as they stood on the front steps.
The crowds had disappeared from the front of the building over the past few days. Generally once the once the sun went down, they were gone all together. Apparently picketing was only popular during the daylight hours, which lead Elisa to believe that even the fanatics needed their beauty sleep.
"Chavez kicked me out." She replied sullenly.
"Really?" he was mocking her now. "Why? Choke another reporter with his necktie again?"
"No… I couldn't find my desk."
"Couldn't find your desk!?! Hell, I didn't even know you had a desk…" he smirked, "Damn, if I had known that was how to get a day off…"
"Ha ha. What have you got?"
"Nothing really, a lot of false calls and paranoid people out there, even for my tastes. This new group calling themselves 'The Quarrymen' might become a problem. I might have a lead on their leader, but I won't know for a day or two. They're holding 'Anti-Gargoyle' rallies all over town…" He stretched his arms wide, "At least no one has managed to shot a spouse thinking it was the 'Boogie Man'."
Elisa realized the irony of the situation, he was doing a better job of not finding his suspects than she was of finding hers. He was looking for a group that shouldn't exist but did; she was looking for a person who should exist but suddenly didn't.
"You on your way home?" He asked.
"Yeah…"
He was surprised by her words since she had not been to the Eyrie building since their last visit together. The Clan had been home for several days and Elisa had spent no time with them and that was unheard of as far as he was concerned. Since they had become partners, and she finally let him in on the Big Secret, he could remember few days when she had NOT seen them, "OK, what gives?" he asked. It wasn't so much of a question as it was a request.
"Matt you have no idea what you are asking."
"Your right. I don't. So you had better tell me now and save me the trouble of jumping to all the wrong conclusions… again."
She finally caved, "Buy you a cup of coffee, Partner?"
"Naw, I'll buy you one."
***** ***** *****
It was going on 5 AM and they had been sitting in the booth for almost two hours. The waitress had long sense given up on the pair; it was obvious they were not there for the apple pie. She'd left a pot of coffee on the table, and chatted quietly with the few patrons of the Café who were not currently nursing hangovers.
Elisa had done most of the talking, with Matt asking a few questions to clear up the details he didn't quite understand, which were a lot less than she expected, considering she'd given him a slightly edited version of recent events. Finally she grew silent and just looked into her coffee cup.
"So all this is because of an argument?" he finally said. He got the idea there was more to the story than she was letting on.
"It's more than that..."
I knew it he thought, "How much more? Come on your not gonna shock me any more than you already have."
"Don't be too sure about that… That night… after Xanatos picked them up…" she leaned back in the booth, tipping her head back against the wall, and whispered, "Things have kinda changed between me and Goliath..."
Matt sat in silence; he had no idea what she was saying. Then the light clicked on and he understood what she was implying. He also realized he was wrong, she DID shock him, "Your kidding?" he shook off the remark, "Sorry, of course your not…" It was now his turn to lean back, "Wow…"
"Yeah…"
"Do you… What are you gonna do?"
She was about to answer and realized she didn't have one, "I don't know… I still have a lot of thinking to do. I do know this, if I don't get some sleep I'm gonna drop." She got up, dropping a few bills on the table, "I guess I have the next 72 hours to figure it out."
They walked out into the cool early morning air, "You need a ride back to the station?" she asked.
"Naw, think I'll walk, we're only around the corner. I got some paperwork to file then I'm going home."
She fished her keys out of her pocket, her fingers brushing the photo ID as she did, "Well… call me if anything comes up. See you in a few days." She climbed into the Fairlane and drove off.
Matt stood on the sidewalk watching until her taillights merged in with the rest of the predawn traffic. He turned and walked slowly up the street, his mind reeling from what she told him.
He never noticed the shadow on the rooftop across the street come to life. It paused for a moment, ever watchful, then flew off in the same direction the Fairlane had taken.
***** ***** *****
Elisa stood in the shower until the hot water finally gave out. She was tired, exhausted, and felt like she'd been up for a year. Stepping out of the tub, she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her head and moved to the bedroom for her robe before moving into the living room.
She'd been unable to fall asleep once she got home and thought the shower might help, but it hadn't. Not only was she exhausted, but she was now shriveled up like a prune. She finished drying her hair, tossing the towel on the back of the couch and walked over to the window to watch the sun rise, "I never should have drank all that coffee." she murmured.
"You're right about that one."
She saw the shadow, just as she heard the voice, but it still made her jump. Instinctively she dove behind the couch for cover and reached for her weapon, forgetting for the moment she was wearing a robe and not her holster, "Who's there!?" she yelled.
The voice taunted her, "You gonna shot me with your finger Copper?"
"Move out where I can see you."
The shadow moved slowly forward. Elisa slowly stood up as the figure came into the light and suddenly ran towards it throwing her arms around the intruder, crying out as she did, "YOU!"
Derek Maza smiled as his sister jumped into his arms. It was indeed good to see family again.
***** ***** *****
Derek had waited outside the window until he saw her enter the apartment and then let himself in once the coast was clear. They stood just holding each other for the longest time. He held his older sister as she cried, it wasn't quite the welcome he had expected since he could count the number of times he'd seen his sister cry on one hand, but the upside was she didn't shoot him.
Finally her tears subsided and she pulled back from him, "What are you doing here?"
I could ask you the same question he thought but didn't say the words, now was not the time. "Can't a guy come to visit his big sis without getting the third degree?"
"Sorry, it's the detective in me…" She led him into the living room and away from the windows, wiping the last of tears as she did so. She sat down next to him on the couch, still holding his talon hand. "How have you been?"
Elisa seemed to be comforted just by holding his 'hand', which relieved some of his earlier tension, and even Derek was unwilling to break the contact. To her, he would always be her annoying kid brother not Talon; Leader of the Mutants.
"Doing good," He replied, " We've been keeping a full house down in the Labyrinth for the last few months. You should really come by and see the place," he smirked, "Maggie has done wonders. We're thinking of having new drapes and carpet installed."
Elisa smiled at her brother, despite all the changes he'd gone though, physically and mentally, he still had a sharp sense of humor. "How are the others…" she couldn't bring herself to ask about 'them'.
Derek smiled and said it for her, "The Clones…They are all fine. It's not as weird as you might think having them around. They are talking and communicating better than when they first came down." His look became a bit serious, "You really should stop by."
Elisa said nothing, so Derek continued, "You know, they are nothing like what you might think. Delilah is nothing like you or Demo…" he paused, seeing Elisa bristle at the name he almost spoke, "Anyway, she's seems more like Beth… you know… when she was a kid."
Elisa nodded slowly, lost in her own thoughts. Suddenly she jumped up, "Hey, are you hungry? I could whip you up some breakfast. You want some eggs?"
Derek knew what she was trying to do and was about to stop her when he had a sudden change of heart, "Do you have any Captain Crunch?"
***** ***** *****
They ate in silence, Elisa marveled at her brother's appetite, "Do you want to finish the box?"
He smiled sheepishly, "Sorry, it's been a while since I've had cereal."
For the first time, Elisa saw him as 'Talon'. It didn't make her love him any less, but it did bring back some old pains. She felt the tears beginning to well up again and wiped her eyes furiously. Derek moved to her, "Hey, don't do that…"
The past few days had finally taken their toll. "Derek, how do you do it? How do you get past it all?"
He knew this was coming and actually it gave him the opening he was hoping for. A method to discuss the other reason behind his visit, "The truth… well I rely on the others, we're a family." He paused before continuing, "And I have Maggie."
She stood and walked over to the couch where they sat before, wiping her eyes angrily, "This is more than a social visit isn't it?"
He walked up behind her, "Yes and no. I have missed you and I did want to check up on you. You've been spending way too much time at work and I was worried after that thing at the clock tower… and I'm also here as a favor…"
She turned quickly to face him and what should have been a question, came out as aggravation, "Goliath sent you?"
He held his arms up in a defensive manner, "When they went to the cemetery. When he told me about Canmore I lost it… He's just trying to look out for you…" Derek continued on, "Elisa, you can be so damn stubborn sometimes…"
Now the anger showed, "I'm stubborn? Get real Derek! What the hell did the two of you think you were doing? You know they are looking for flying creatures all over the city and Goliath sent you, of all people, to look out for me? I think that maybe the both of you have lost it. Did you just not think Derek? What if someone had seen you?" she was shaking.
"This is different, Sis…"
"Oh yeah? How do you figure?"
"I don't turn to stone during the day." He could see she was unmoved by his current argument so he decided to change tactics. "Besides," He moved over to where she stood, "you haven't seen me watching you for the past few days."
"You are missing the point!"
He cut her off, "No, I think you are." She slumped down to the couch, her head in her hands. Derek watched her for a moment before he finally spoke again, "Listen to me, whatever you are going through, you don't have to go through it alone."
"Yes, I do."
"No, you don't."
She looked sharply at her bother, "I can't risk something happening to him…"
"Why Elisa? Why do you think you have to do this without any…"
"Because he loves me, Derek!" Her eyes suddenly widened in shock. She hadn't meant to say anything.
Now we're getting somewhere he thought. "OK and this surprises you because…?" He sat next to her, "Even a blind man could see that. Hell, I knew it as soon as I saw the two of you together at Xanadu…" Elisa looked at him dumbstruck as he smiled back at her. "Jesus, Elisa. I think you need to come to grips."
"It's harder than you think…"
"Not really… Do you love him?"
Elisa was quiet. She wanted to tell him yes with all her heart. She suddenly had a flash to a conversation she'd had with Jason Canmore… It's complicated…
Derek rested a hand on hers. When she failed to say anything, he squeezed her hand slightly, "You need to talk to him."
"Yeah…I know…"
***** ***** *****
Brooklyn sat in the castle. He could not believe how bored he was. He'd grown tired of watching Lex play on the computer and Angela and Broadway were off watching TV in the Great Hall with Hudson and Bronx. He'd asked Goliath earlier about setting up some small short patrols but he wouldn't hear of it. If things didn't change soon, they would all be getting cabin fever. He looked out the window, hoping for anything to act as a diversion. He scanned the city skyline, and caught site of a flying form approaching the Castle. His first reaction was alarm, but as the form grew closer a smile crossed his face.
He walked over to the edge and waited for the mutant leader to land. "Talon, what brings you out?" he was just happy to be talking to someone new.
"Hey Brook, what's up?"
"Nothing. Please tell me you've brought news from the outside world… anything... I don't care how stupid or pointless it is."
Derek capped his wings and glanced in the direction of the Great Hall, "I have something… of sorts…"
"Great, I'll go get Goliath…"
Derek stopped him, "No not yet. I need to ask you something first…"
Before he could ask his question, a voice sounded from behind them, "Greetings, Talon."
Both of them spun around to face Goliath, and Derek wondered if it was possible to look embarrassed through his covering of fur, "Ahh, Hi…"
If Brooklyn didn't know better he'd have sworn Derek looked embarrassed. Goliath continued over to them, "What news have you brought?"
Derek composed himself and turned to face Goliath, "We need to talk..." From the tone of his voice, Brooklyn decided he had better things to be doing right then and quickly left.
"What is it, Talon? Is everything all right?"
Derek knew Goliath wasn't concerned about 'everything', he was concerned about Elisa. "Everything is… Elisa is fine… she just needs sometime… Alone…"
Goliath looked crestfallen. He took a deep breath before asking his next question, "Why?"
"Goliath, give her some room. She'll let you know when she's ready." He tuned to leave, "Look…she hasn't always had the best of luck with guys…"
Goliath was confused by the statement, "Talon, she has become my life… Surely you must realize I would never hurt her."
"You aren't the one I'm worried about."
Goliath's eyes narrowed, "You're worried about her…"
"Yeah, and for good reason. With all she's been through… she's on the on the edge right now."
Goliath felt his frustration rising, "All the more reason I should be there for her…"
Derek picked his next words carefully, "She wants to cut herself off from everything… and I think that includes you for the time being…"
Goliath's eyes flashed with white-hot anger. Not quite understanding what the words he was hearing, he fought to control the anguish building within him, "Derek… My only wish is to keep her safe."
It was one of the few times since his transformation someone outside his family had used his given name. While he was touched by the gesture, he still couldn't tell him what he didn't know. "Yeah, well… she is my sister. I have to protect her too." he placed much emphasis in the word 'protect' as if meant more than just protecting.
He sighed heavily, "Goliath, have some patience." He paused before leaping out into the night. "You're gonna have to give her a chance to figure it for herself. She'll let you know when she's ready…" With that said he flew off into the night.
Goliath watched as he departed. He felt bewildered by his conversation with Talon... No… he was Derek.
It was as if he'd lost everything all over. He knew he loved Elisa, more than life itself. The feelings he had for her were more than he'd ever felt for anyone, including Demona.
He thought about going over just to check on her but decided against it. If he could not protect Elisa, then he would ensure the city was safe for her. He knew the others needed to get out of the castle as well. He turned and walked into the Great Hall, looking for Brooklyn. It was time to live in their city again. If Elisa had cut herself off from the outside world, then he would abide by her decision and wait for her to come it him.
He refused to acknowledge the thought that she might not come back.
***** ***** *****
Elisa stood on the balcony of her apartment feeling drained and exhausted. She felt like she'd gotten too much sleep, but her body obviously thought it needed it, so who was she to argue? She'd gone to bed just after Derek left and slept through the entire day and into the next. She looked out over the afternoon sky and wondered absently if Goliath dreamed while in the Stone Sleep.
Her thoughts were jumbled and her mind was racing. She walked back into the apartment and sat on the couch. Cagney jumped into her lap, demanding her attention. She stroked the cat absently and wondered why she was suddenly having misgivings about Goliath. She had finally found the courage to give into her feelings, and he had responded exactly the way she'd hoped.
Maybe that was the problem.
He was not the most brilliant entity on the planet but he was thoughtful and intelligent being; firm but caring. He was often naive and often thought with his heart rather than his head. But he was also devoted to the Clan as their leader. He would die to protect them. She knew his dedication of preserving the 'Gargoyle Way' was a major factor for him in this New World, and perhaps this was what troubled her so much.
She wasn't a gargoyle and he was.
On the other hand, his last love was a gargoyle and she saw how well that had worked out.
His Angel of the Night… They had rarely spoken of his past life with Demona, and she knew the woman for all her manipulations still loved Goliath. Elisa also knew anything concerning Demona was a sore subject for Goliath, but for some reason she couldn't put the thoughts of the two of them together out of her head.
She reached over to the coffee table, trying to reach the remote without disturbing the cat from his perch. She finally grabbed it and turned on the TV, hoping to find some diversion for the rest of the afternoon, but nothing captured her attention for any length of time and her thoughts kept drifting back to Goliath.
She shifted around on couch, lying back with Cagney sitting on her chest. She watched the feline as he cleaned himself, "I don't know cat, is there is a possibility for me and Goliath?"
He looked at her with about as uncaring look as a cat could have, "Thanks, you're a big help…"
Elisa glanced over at the clock, it was just after 2 in the afternoon. She picked up Cagney and dropped him to the floor and shut off the TV. She stood up and went into the bedroom, stripped out of her bedclothes and jumped into the shower.
She knew needed to talk to him, but wasn't sure how to approach the subject. Goliath knew her better than anyone ever had and she was fairly certain she'd seen a part of him that he revealed to very few. She'd never been more certain about anyone before in her life but she needed some answers.
And only Goliath had them, so it was time to find out how far this relationship could go.
***** ***** *****
Elisa flashed her pass to the guard on duty and he nodded at her without even really looking at it. He knew who she was and knew better than to even act like he might question why she was there. If Mr. Xanatos wanted a cop to have unrestricted access to his building, then who was he to stop her?
She walked to the elevator and inserted the key into the bypass for the upper floors. The ride took less than a minute and when doors opened Owen Burnett immediately met her.
"What brings you here this early Detective? The gargoyles will not awaken for several hours…"
Elisa walked in and looked about the massive building. It was strange being here in the middle of the day and she was trying to think of a time when she had. She pushed the thought back for the time being, "Owen I need you to do something for me."
"Really..." Owen raised an eyebrow slightly, 'And what would that be?"
She pulled an envelope out of her pocket, "Will you give this to Goliath when he wakes up?"
Owen took it and examined it for a moment, "Of course."
Elisa looked at the man with a certain degree of concern, "I'm trusting you to give it to him…"
"You have my word."
She gave him a strange look but seemed satisfied with the answer, "Thanks…" She turned and pressed the call button for the elevator. When it arrived, she stepped in and turned to look back at him, "I have your word, Owen. Don't make me regret it…"
The doors closed and Owen turned to walk into David Xanasto's office, "Detective Maza was just here Sir."
Xanatos looked over at his right hand man, "I noticed… What did she want?"
"She has a message for Goliath."
He handed him the envelope. Xanatos looked it over, "It's sealed…"
"Yes Sir, she gave express instructions that it be delivered to him when he awoke…"
Xanatos seemed to ponder the request, and ultimately handed it back to Owen, "Well then… You'd better see that he gets it…"
Owen cocked an eyebrow at his employer, "Sir?"
"I have to admit my curiosity is peaked but under the circumstances… See that he gets the message intact, Owen …" Xanatos turned his chair so he could look out over the city, "After all you did give her your word…" Owen nodded slightly and left the room to attend to his other duties.
Xanatos continued to look out over the city with his hand clasped behind his back.
This concept of establishing trust was going to be harder than he thought.
***** ***** *****
Sunset brought the sound of crackling stone, and the roar of an awakening. Brooklyn, seeing Goliath was lost in thought, quickly gathered the others to begin patrol routes.
Hudson looked over to Goliath, he stood alone, a shadow against the skyline. He walked over to him, and they stood quietly, listening to the sound of the city below. They had not yet spoken of Elisa for several days and he knew it weighted heavy on his mind, "Once again… she is not here to welcome us…"
He had said 'us' but Hudson knew he meant 'me', "Give it some time, Lad..."
Goliath looked at his mentor, a heavy sigh escaped his lips, "I should join the others on patrol…"
Owen walked out just as Goliath was about to depart, "Just a moment Goliath…"
Hudson looked at the man with a twinge of distaste, "What ya be wantin' trickster?"
If the statement upset Owen, he gave no indication of it, "I have a message for you…"
Goliath grumbled softly, "I have no time for this. Tell Xanatos I will speak to him when I return…"
The even-tempered man walked over with a bemused grin on his face and handed the envelope to the gargoyle, "I think you'll want to deal with this now…"
Goliath pondered the message. The envelope was sealed and his name was written in precise writing that he recognized immediately. He tore open the letter and quickly scanned the note.
Need to talk
Please come
The note was signed with a single letter. E. Goliath felt a surge of warmth spread though him. He felt his heart swell and found himself helpless stop the smile from forming on his lips.
Hudson looked at his young friend, "I think the others can handle it for one night with out ya…"
Goliath spun around, "Meaning?"
"If the lass wants to see ya, I wouldn't keep her waiting if I were…"
The last words were spoken to no one. Goliath took off as soon as he heard Hudson tell him not to keep her waiting. Hudson stretched his wings and prepared to head into the Great Hall, perhaps there would be something good on the TV.
"Come Bronx, let us see what we can find for ourselves."
***** ***** *****
Elisa paced back and forth in her apartment. She walked out on to the balcony and scanned the skyline, looking for any sign of him. Nothing so far, but it was still early. She checked her watch, it was only just after 6. Walking back inside she surveyed the room.
She lit a candle, then blew it out. She dimmed the lights, only to turn them back up again. She closed the balcony door, opened it two seconds later, only to go back and close it again. Walking back over to the dimmer switch, she turned the lights down once again. She was getting nervous. Afraid he wouldn't show…afraid he would.
She walked over to open the balcony door once again. Turning back into the living room, she finally sat down on the couch… only to jump up again to start pacing again. The annoying buzzing in her ears had returned. If it didn't stop soon she was going to have to see a doctor about it.
***** ***** *****
Goliath stood on the balcony looking at her. The door was open but he hesitated to walk in since she apparently hadn't heard him land. He remembered the last time he looked in though a window at her.
Jason Canmore had been there. He shook his head to clear the vision that threatened to come into his mind. That was a different time, a different…
He looked over at her again. She was truly beautiful. He felt a pang in his heart. He knew, and could even feel the turmoil building in her. He wondered absently when they had become so closely linked. Elisa, he thought to himself.
Just as he had the though, she turned around to see him standing there. For a moment Goliath though she must have somehow heard his thoughts. They both stood there transfixed each just looking at the other. It was Elisa who broke the silence, "I wasn't sure you'd come…"
They both began moving to each other at the same time. She walking around the couch, he walking through the open door. She had a whole speech lined out, one she'd been running through all day in her mind. Now nothing would come into her mind but the very simple sounding words of, "I'm glad you did…"
"I would never stay away…"
"Goliath…" she paused for a moment to collect her thoughts again, "You want to sit down?" she asked.
Goliath was about to decline, but changed his mind and sat down, "Elisa," he began, "We have much to talk about."
"Yeah we do…but let me ask you something…Gargoyles mate for life, right?"
He paused, wondering where she was going with the conversation. "That is true, we do mate for life… but…" he never got to complete the sentence because she cut him off.
"And Demona was your mate." It was supposed to be a question, but she realized belatedly that it came off as a statement.
Goliath was stunned into silence. It was the last thing he ever expected to hear from her, and it took him a moment to collect his brain enough to answer her, "No…Yes… Wait…Elisa, what makes you ask about this?"
She raised an eye at him, hands resting on her hips, clearly indicating she wanted an answer not a question. Shaking his head, "Yes…Yes there was a time… He rose from the floor and moved towards her, he could feel her pain and it was becoming unbearable.
That was all it took for conformation in her mind, "She was… No…still is your mate then?" The detective part of her was surfacing, her voice rising was in a panic her heart was already feeling.
If this was why Elisa had cut herself off from him, Goliath now knew where all this was leading. He also knew he had a great deal of explaining to do… on several counts. Mentally he kicked himself for not having this conversation with her earlier… much earlier. It might have cleared up a few things and made it unnecessary for her to guess at answers she should have gotten from him. "Elisa, that time is…"
She cut him off, not wanting to hear the rest, "Well then that settles it, Goliath. If you're 'promised' or 'mated' to someone else then there is nothing more to discuss. We go back to being just friends. End of story."
Mentally she knew she was using this as an excuse to not have to deal with the real emotions, but she couldn't stop herself, Boy, nice going Maza. If he did want a relationship with her, she'd just blown any chance of it happening now. The buzzing was now in full force, blocking out all sound.
"Elisa, I think I should explain something… something you might not realize…"
She wasn't hearing him, she paced the room clinching and releasing her hands, and yelling out, "Holy shit! The two of you have a kid together." She felt herself slipping out of control, "Christ no wonder she hates me so much, she's thinking I'm trying to steal her husband and her family away!"
"Elisa, please, think about what you are saying."
Suddenly her frustration had a focus, "Damn it, Goliath! Why didn't you say something before?"
It was now Goliath's turn to go on the offensive, but it was becoming more obvious that she wasn't listening to him anyway. He did his best to keep his voice level, "I'm trying to explain…"
Once again she cut him off, "What is there to explain? You tell me you love me but then I find out there is no chance for us because you're already… committed… married…" she was struggling to find the word she was looking for.
"Mated."
"Whatever!" she yelled out in anger and also so she could hear herself. His voice was distant in her ears, the buzzing had increased, and it was really becoming troublesome. She threw her arms up in irritation and moved to the couch and sat down, "Goliath… we can't be together and you know that!"
"ELISA! Stop it now!" he finally yelled, causing her to jump back up. The buzzing suddenly broke and for the first time she actually focused on him.
"Will you listen to me now?!" She stood there looking defiant, but he knew he now had her attention, "Sit down." He said and was not surprised when she remained standing, "Elisa, please…"
She did finally sit, looking down at the floor. Goliath stood off to the side and began to speak.
"What I told you before is true, Gargoyles do mate for life. It is a commitment that goes beyond everything else and to go against that is to betray much of what the Clan stands for. I was raised with the values of the Clan and swore it was something I would never go against…"
Elisa remained quiet as he spoke. It took him a few moments to collect his thoughts about his former love enough to continue.
"I was the first born, but I cannot remember a time when we were not together." He paused and took a ragged breath, "When I first lay eyes on her…" he stumbled slightly over the words, but continued, "There is much you must know, that I need you to understand, Elisa. She was not the same creature she has become."
Elisa looked at him though the dark. She could feel her heart breaking even further as she listened to his words, if he continued, she wasn't sure how much more she could stand to listen to… but she wanted… needed… to know, "Tell me." She voiced gently.
"One night when we were young, I told her if I ever became a Leader, I would make her my second in command. I doubt she ever forgot, but looking back now I know what she really wanted to do was lead, and that was not going to happen for her. Hudson took me under his wing, and I think he knew all along one day I would lead the clan. At the time I could think of no one else I wanted at my side more than My Angel of the Night."
Elisa flinched at the words and Goliath desperately wanted to reach out to her then but didn't dare. Not yet he told himself. He could see her outline in the shadows, still listening to his words, "I think The Bonding may have been part of the reason she began to change."
Elisa looked puzzled, "The Bonding…?"
Goliath nodded in the dark, "It is the connection that allows us to be Clan. It is a way of reaching out and touching the very soul of another. It is strongest between mates, but it also occurs on a different level between rookery brothers and sisters. It is a connection..."
He paused to collect his thoughts before continuing on, "Brooklyn, Lexington, and Broadway bonded as hatchlings, Hudson and I as brothers in arms. There is a bond between Angela and myself, though it has taken time for me to acknowledge that one. It is the first time we as Gargoyles have acknowledged our offspring. We have bonded as a Clan, and that is what makes us stronger."
"You've never spoken of it…"
"No... Most just expect it to happen between mates, and I believe for many it does."
"But that wasn't the case for you…" she guessed.
Goliath nodded and continued, "Much later, the two of us attended Prince Malcolm's wedding to Princess Elena. We watched the ceremony from the window ledge, and exchanged our own vows of love by breaking the Phoenix Gate in half, each keeping half as a token of our love. That was as close as I came to bonding…
"Then came the Breeding Season. Females become fertile every 20 years, and lay only one egg. It takes 10 years for the eggs to hatch…"
Elisa nodded in the dark, knowing he could see her better than she could see him, "I remember talking about that once before… when we were on Avalon…"
"Then you understand the undertaking that goes into clan survival. The commitment it takes. It is a tremendous responsibility and one that must be done collectively. If one was to so blindly violate that trust…"
Elisa nodded in understanding. Survival was vital to the clan and if they could not trust in each other then there was no point.
Goliath allowed his voice to fall to almost a whisper, "We only had the one season…"
"Angela." She finished the statement for him.
"Yes, but I didn't know..."
"OK, you never bonded… what's the big deal? You loved her." The words felt foreign and misplaced in her mind as soon as she said them.
"No one knew… After the eggs were laid, I said nothing. I loved her despite it and thought our commitment would be strong enough without it." Goliath took a deep breath, "When we awoke here, I assumed she had perished with the rest of the clan. When I found her alive, I was so relieved others from our clan did indeed survive, I didn't think anything else would matter. But she had changed… She was no longer the same as I remembered…"
Elisa was intrigued and found herself leaning forward even further, "How so?"
"So hungry for power was she… it didn't matter to her what might become of the others…" He was quite for so long Elisa didn't think he was going to continue. When he finally did, his voice was so soft she had to strain to hear him, "It was Demona who betrayed the clan to the Vikings who sacked the Castle."
Elisa sucked in a breath, "What?" This was a part of the stories she hadn't heard.
"She betrayed the Clan." He looked at her with tears brimming in his eyes, "In this New World… Banishment was the only punishment I could impose, and with that banishment all ties to the Clan were broken." He looked at her, "But there are other reasons… why those ties were broken."
She was shaken from her thoughts and asked absently, "What reasons?"
His voice sounded distant in her ears. "Because, I now understand that I have bonded…" He walked over to her slowly, as if approaching an animal he didn't want to frighten. Slowly he took her hand and pulled her to him.
She began to tense at his touch and whispered, "But, how do you… how can you be sure…"
He silenced her with a talon to her lips, "I will show you…"
Slowly she came to him. He's going to kiss me she thought. He didn't tilt her head up to his as she had expected. Instead, he wrapped his wings in a protective cape around her. Sheltering her from the outside world; protecting her.
Bringing her even closer to him, Goliath could feel the beating of her heart and it warmed him. He felt her arms shift around him and for one horrifying moment, he thought she was pulling away from him. Then he felt her hands on his chest. He felt her relax, slowly at first, then gradually more. The longer he held her the more she relaxed.
He felt her breath on his skin, and it took a few moments for him to realize she was speaking quietly. He could feel her whispering his name over and over, against his chest.
Nothing had ever felt more right to him in his life.
***** ***** *****
Elisa was unsure how long they stood like that. In fact she wasn't entirely certain she hadn't fallen asleep for a few minutes, that was how comfortable she was. She took in deep breaths, trying to capture his sent in her mind. It was a mixture of stone and leather, but there was something else, something distinctly… him. Pressing her head to his chest, she could hear the strange beat of his heart and the sounds of his breathing. It was like holding magic in the palm of her hand and knowing exactly how the trick was done. She looked up to see Goliath looking down at her.
He smiled back at her and felt, if the fates would allow it, he could hold this woman forever. Slowly he uncapped his wings to allow her to step away from him. When she didn't move away, it made his heart swell. He placed his arms around her.
Because of their close proximity to each other he was still able to feel her heartbeat against his skin. A strand of hair fell into her eyes and as he raised a hand to brush it away, and in the process, his talon softly caressed her cheek. He noticed the slight increase in her heartbeat and realized the reason for the changes in her body was because of him. Now it was her turn to smile, "Hi Big Guy…"
Slowly he dropped to the floor, pulling her with him. He shifted around so she could curl up at his side, her head resting on his shoulder and his wings wrapped around them. She was silent and he was content to just hold her… there was no need for words now.
They spent the rest of the night wrapped up in each other's embrace. Taking pleasure in just being together.
Elisa barely noticed the buzzing had returned in her ears.
***** ***** *****