The Storm Before the Calm
By Shadow Runner
Part seven in the series
What? No money in my wallet? Hmm, must be because I'm not making any money off this and the wonderful world of Disney still owns them…
Hope you like and happy reading! J
***** ***** *****
The tears streamed down Goliath's lavender face. He reached out and tried to link back to Elisa but found nothing. The loss was more than he could bear and tipped his head back a let loose a howl that chilled the others in a way no other sound had. It was mixed with destruction, sadness, and pain, but underneath was the emotion of love lost.
"ELISA!" He bent his head to hers and silently willed the life to return to her.
The others moved in slowly, not sure what to do. Goliath sat on the ground rocking back and forth with Elisa's still from in his arms, "How did this happen?" he replied through clinched teeth.
Brooklyn started to speak but held his words. Goliath didn't need to know… at least not right now. In one aspect, by crashing into Demona, Goliath had prevented the shot from hitting Elisa point blank and forced the shot to shift, but not far enough. Instead of a shot to the head, she had taken the hit lower and a large section of her jacket and shirt were now stained with blood. She remained still and lifeless in Goliath's arms.
The sounds of police sirens wailed distant in the night, but they were growing closer, "You all gotta move..." Matt stated. He moved to his fallen partner and tried to lift her from the gargoyle's arms, "Goliath, give her to me… if they find you here…"
Goliath shoved him away roughly, "Let them find me…" he hissed in a quiet voice.
Matt moved back over to Goliath. He resisted the gargoyle's attempts to shove him away again and checked for a pulse on the side of Elisa's neck but found nothing. There was no time for him to coddle Goliath into some type of false hope that Elisa might have survived the attack, "You have to leave and I mean now…"
Brooklyn moved forward, knowing Goliath was not thinking clearly, "Goliath please, this won't help anything… If they find us… Elisa will have died for nothing…"
Goliath looked at his second in command as if seeing him for the first time and his eyes flashed white with anger and grief, "Do not allow those words to leave your lips again..."
Brooklyn took an involuntary step back. Goliath rarely used this tone with anyone least of all with one of the Clan. This was not the same Goliath he knew. He turned to the others not sure what to do but knowing they had to move quickly, "Hudson, help me with Broadway…"
Angela turned on Brooklyn, "We can't leave them here!"
He spoke patiently to her, "We're not… You two get Broadway back to the Castle…I'll stay with Goliath…"
Hudson spoke up, "No, Lad. If ye stay we all stay…"
Matt threw his hands up, "No! You all go! I have enough to explain as it is without having to…" He allowed his eyes to fall on his lifeless partner, "Damn… oh… damn…"
Goliath was oblivious to what was going on around him. He reached out deeper, knowing she couldn't leave him… not like this and not after everything they had been through.
"Please Elisa," he begged, "If you go… you take me with you…" He shuddered as he felt a burning deep in his chest, as if a match had been lit and pressed against his flesh. "She lives…" He whispered softly,
Matt gave him an accusing stare, "Damn it Goliath, we don't have time for this…"
He placed a hand on the side of Elisa's neck checking again if only to humor the clan leader long enough to get him the hell off the roof. He felt nothing and knew Goliath had been mistaken in his grief.
Then he felt a single beat.
Matt turned to Brooklyn abruptly, "He might be right…"
Brooklyn whipped around the others, "Angela, get back to the castle, I'll carry Broadway with Hudson." She nodded to him and took off into the night. Together, he and Hudson supported Broadway and moved to the edge. Goliath still sat on the ground with Elisa in his arms, reluctant to move her.
Hudson called out to him, "We must hurry lad, they will be here soon."
Goliath picked up Elisa's unconscious form and followed, sending his strength out to her. Her heartbeat was very weak and he was cautious in his movements. He glared at Matt, the anger more than evident in his eyes, but the tears were still streaming down his face.
"Go…" Matt ignored the look since he had other things to worry about right now. Elisa clearly wasn't out of danger and the sirens were growing louder so the danger rose with every second the Gargoyle leader remained on the roof. "I'll deal with this and meet you later. What hospital are you taking her to?"
Goliath watched as Matt made his way to the emergency exit stairs, "I'm taking her home…" he replied stiffly.
Matt nearly stumbled down the stairwell but caught himself just in time and spun around to give Goliath an incredulous look.
"Bullshit, you take her to a hospital!" Matt was about to continue with his tirade, but then realized he had very little time or choice in the matter. He gave the clan leader a hard glare, "I'm trusting you with her life. Take care of her Goliath, because if something happens to her, as God is my witness, I will find you…"
Goliath said nothing as he spread his wings and flew off, clutching his precious cargo in his arms.
Matt turned and ran down the stairs of the fire escape two at a time. He needed to get down there before someone decided to come up because he had no idea how he was going to explain this one. When he reached the lower level, he saw a woman speaking on a cellular phone. Without having ever seen the woman before, he knew exactly who she was.
He took the phone from her and spoke into it, "Sorry, she'll have to call you back." And then clicked it off.
"What is the meaning of this?" the woman demanded.
Matt turned to her, "Ms. Reading, I don't have a lot of time and since I doubt your boss wants New York's Finest running all over her building do us both a favor and shut the hell up and listen to me…"
***** ***** *****
They stood in the Great Hall. Xanatos, Lexington, and Fox were tending to Broadway. None of his injuries were life threatening in themselves but the loss of blood had left him weak. He needed only to wait for sunrise and was expected to fully recover.
Elisa however was another story. Goliath refused to take her anyplace else, but it was clear she needed to be in a hospital. To take her to a hospital would mean someone would have to explain how this had happened and it was not an option considering how her wounds were received.
With Angela's assistance, Owen removed Elisa's blood soaked jacket and shirt in order to reveal the angry scorch across her chest and lower right side. Demona's shot had been off its true mark but not by much, and the damage looked severe. Owen did his best to treat the wound and wrapped a pressure bandage around her to prevent further blood loss before attending to other assorted cuts and bruises.
David Xanatos walked over, "How is she?" he whispered.
Owen looked over the detective skeptically, "She's lost a great deal of blood, and I cannot even begin to make a determination as to the nature of the internal damage." He stepped back and pulled Xanatos away from the group, "Perhaps we should consider transferring her to a hospital…"
Goliath spun around upon hearing what Owen said, "No… She's alive, and she stays here…" He knelt down and rested his head to hers.
Owen moved back to the prone woman. He managed to move Goliath out of the way enough to check Elisa's vital signs. Her heart had a strange beat to it but it appeared to be growing stronger. Owen looked at Clan Leader with a measured eye and adjusted his glasses slightly, "I cannot be certain as to the long term effect of the injuries but if she regains consciousness… she may survive this."
Goliath let out the breath he'd been holding since seeing her on the roof. He could feel her heartbeat and for now that's all that mattered. He blocked out everything but Elisa.
She was coming back to him.
As if in response to Owen's words and Goliath's silent prayers, Elisa's eyes fluttered and she took in a deep breath. Her words were slurred but to Goliath they were clear and beautiful.
"Gawd, this hurts..."
The others moved in closer, relieved to see she was coming around. Hudson was the first to speak, "How do ye feel, Lass?"
"Like hell…" she was disoriented and weak, "Where am I?"
"At the castle, My Love…" It was the first time he'd used the words in the presence of the others.
Elisa tried to rise but was unable to lift herself so Goliath assisted her in sitting up slightly. While it hurt to move, the pain let her know she was indeed alive. She winced as her body was wracked by a series of sharp pains and Goliath felt them as she did. He knew how badly she was hurt but said nothing. She looked at the group standing over and around her, "Is everyone all right?" She noticed not everyone was present and panicked, "Where's Matt?"
When Goliath didn't answer right away, Brooklyn finally spoke up, "He's fine… He had to stay behind…"
"But he's OK, right?" She demanded once again and looked to Goliath, "He's not hurt is he?"
A low grumble seemed to reverberate through Goliath's chest as he spoke, "No… He's fine…"
Elisa seemed satisfied with his answer but not the tone of voice in which he gave it and leaned back. Noticing Broadway sitting off to the side, she asked him how he was doing.
"I think I've been better…" he mumbled groggily.
"You and me both…" Elisa replied and did her best to at least look like she was doing better than she actually felt. A quick glance over the group told her they were all feeling a certain amount of apprehension and they were in need of some kind of reassurance from her. The situation at the Dam and St. Damien's Cathedral earlier that year had been bad, but this somehow felt worse.
Brooklyn stood off to the side. Ever since they had returned to the castle, he had wanted to speak about what he saw and now that it looked like Elisa was going to be OK he decided now was the time. He took a tentative step forward and spoke softly, "Elisa… On the roof…"
She looked at him carefully still feeling out of it, "It's all kind… hazy. What the heck happened?"
Elisa looked to the others but no one spoke. Glancing around she saw her clothes in a pile, stained with blood. She looked down at her body, the wounds were covered, but she could see a small amount of blood seeping through the bandages. She looked up to see Goliath's eyes locked on hers, "How bad?" she whispered softly.
Goliath found himself unable to look her in the eye and turned away, powerless to provide her with an answer. Elisa looked over at the rest of the group, "Brooklyn, how bad was I hurt up there?"
"It was…" he took a deep breath, "What do you remember?"
She felt Goliath's hand tighten around hers. She had no clear memories of what occurred on the roof and was struggling to replay the events in her mind. "I remember seeing… a bright flash of light… and an explosion…" she was suddenly aware of the way Brooklyn was looking at her, as if it were more than just the evening events that he was asking about.
"Demona shot you…" Brooklyn looked at Goliath quickly as he spoke. He had no intention of rehashing the battle and he wasn't sure Goliath was in the frame of mind to hear it right now. "But what I want to know is… How did you do what you did?"
"Do what?" she questioned guardedly.
"You… changed…" he said slowly
"I don't know…" she could tell by the look he gave her, claiming ignorance wasn't going to make this go away so she looked over at Goliath, "Feel free to jump in at any time…"
She could see Goliath was hesitant to discuss the events surrounding their relationship and gave his hand a gentle squeeze, "It's either now or later…."
Goliath looked at the rest of the Clan, "There are things we must speak of… Things that may effect us all."
Xanatos moved closer to the group, "Yes, let's talk…"
Elisa noticed him for the first time, and under normal circumstances she would have resented him even entering into the conversation. She figured the pain was dulling her senses, but the feelings of anger towards him were quickly returning, "Go away Xanatos…"
He was now looked her directly. "Please Detective, I have a fairly good idea what is going on."
"And what would that be?" Goliath cut in, clearly as upset by the intrusion as Elisa was.
"The changes that have been occurring between Detective Maza… and you…" Xanatos was cut off from saying any more when Matt came bursting into the room.
"Thank God!" He shoved past everyone and knelt next to Elisa "Are you OK? You scared the hell out of me! Christ, if you ever…" he paused realizing he had burst into the middle of a conversation and the others were just staring at him, "What's going on?" He looked back at Elisa, "You are OK aren't you?"
"Yeah, I think so…" Elisa muttered softy, "Although being shot twice in one lifetime has got to be some kind of record…"
Matt attempted to shift the focus away from the near disaster, "Chavez wanted to know where you were… She was surprised to not see you at the site of a building explosion…"
"Well, I think it's going to be awhile for that… but I get the feeling someone is trying to tell me something…"
"Maybe you should listen to the message…" Matt voiced softly.
Elisa shifted around, causing a new series of pain to shoot through her. She was fighting to remain coherent but it was becoming harder to stay awake. Goliath took a deep breath and moved closer to Elisa, effectively shoving Matt out of the way. Matt tried to move back to his original place, but Goliath shifted slightly blocking his movement.
Elisa for her part, tried to draw the attention away from Goliath's actions but it was pretty clear to her that no one was going to get to close to her for the time being. She also couldn't help but notice the way Goliath was looking at Matt. For the first time since she could remember he seemed to be glaring at someone else other than Xanatos. She glanced over back over at Matt, "What's going on? Is everything OK?"
Matt knew what she was getting at but instead of answering the question, he changed the subject, "Yeah… Yeah, I took care of everything… Nightstone Unlimited is claiming one of the newly installed generators exploded…"
Elisa smiled, it was the same excuse Owen Burnett used when telling her of the explosions which resulted in her first encounter with the gargoyles, "Something's never change…" She took a deep breath as a spasm of pain rocketed through her body. She tried to play it off but it was clear she was fooling no one.
Matt looked at the rest of the Clan and got the feeling something was wrong, "What's wrong with her?"
"I can't be exact," Xanatos replied and looked to Owen who was now standing just outside of the group. "But I think Owen can."
Owen Burnett was quiet but eventually looked at the group and got right to the point, "I believe it called the Bonding." He looked to Goliath for conformation, "Am I correct?"
The others stood by with mouths hanging open as Goliath nodded slightly, "Yes…"
Owen continued, "I have done some research based on Mr. and Mrs. Xanatos. While they have achieved much, neither of them shows the traits Goliath and Detective Maza have been exhibiting. Therefor it would appear neither Humans nor the Children of Oberon posses it. The Bonding is strictly a Gargoyle trait."
"What is he talking about?" Matt inquired
"Then how do you explain Elisa?" Brooklyn asked ignoring Matt's question, "I know what I saw…"
Owen stood ramrod straight in the center of the group, "I believe what we are seeing in Detective Maza may stem from her brief time as a Gargoyle."
Matt's mouth dropped in surprise, "Her what?!?!"
Elisa and Goliath were quiet. Of all the possibilities, this was the only one they had not considered but it was the one that made the most sense. Elisa looked at Matt who was still standing there with his mouth hanging open. She cringed and knew this was going to take time to explain.
She and Matt were close but there were still a lot of things she hadn't bothered to tell him about and this happened to be one of them. She gave him a shallow nod and hoped he'd understand why she was ignoring his questioning stare.
Owen glanced over in Goliath's general direction, "Of course I won't be able to provide you with a clear picture until I finish reviewing all of Detective Maza's records…"
"What are you doing with my records?" Elisa asked. She was clearly disturbed that he, and more than likely Xanatos, suddenly had access to her medical records.
Matt cut Owen off before he could answer Elisa question, "I'm thinking the rest of us still don't have a clear picture because you're not making any sense…" Matt walked over to Elisa but stopped short when Goliath began flexing his talons as if in warning to stay away.
Owen adjusted his glasses slightly, "Of course… Let me make it simple. Every living creature has a genetic code which is the basic blueprint for…."
"You mean like from Jurassic Park?" Lexington interjected.
"Come on Lex…" Brooklyn rolled his eyes at his rookery brother, "That was a movie… this is real life we're talking about…"
Xanatos cut Brooklyn off, "Actually that's exactly what he's talking about. Detective Maza's blood work is the same but her DNA was altered sometime after she was shot by Broadway two years ago. To my knowledge the only event that could affect a genetic code in this way is magic..." He glanced in Owen's general direction, "A very specific type of magic…"
Angela was struggling to understand what everyone was talking about. While she had no idea her human friend had once been a gargoyle, it certainly answered a few questions she had about her father's relationship with Elisa. "How can you be sure her genetics, DNA, whatever it is has been altered?" She asked.
Hudson's eyes went to near slits, "Aye Trickster… how is it that ye be knowin' so much 'bout the Lass insides?"
"Yeah," Brooklyn asked suspiciously, "I mean why would they start showing up now?"
The question as well as the answer hit Elisa like a ton of bricks. While she was reasonably certain most the members of the clan were not aware of they had become mates in every sense of the word, it would seem that was not the case for everyone else in the room.
Xanatos stood near by with a smug look on his face, and for one panicked second, Elisa thought he must have bugged her apartment… Christ there will be a picture on the Internet in a week she thought. "Owen, we never…"
Owen cut her off before she could say more, "Detective, these changes have been taking place for… some time… " He added the last part for their peace of mind. The others might not realize it yet, but he knew they had gone beyond the mere limits of bonding.
Goliath spoke slowly, "You've seen evidence of this… Before tonight?"
"Indirectly… Actually it was Mr. Xanatos who first brought it to my attention."
All eyes turned to Xanatos. He looked back at them all collectively but said nothing for some time. Finally he broke the silence, "I first noticed it when you and Detective Bluestone came to the castle. The night the Clan had to leave."
"What did you see?" Angela inquired.
Matt spoke up, just now realizing what they were talking about, "You saw her eyes…"
Elisa glanced over at him, "You too?!" She was stunned.
"Yeah, at the Precinct… the night those two knuckleheads were harassing…" Goliath grumbled and Matt swiftly adjusted his words, "us…"
"Why didn't someone say something before?" Elisa asked. She made it a point of glaring at Xanatos when she spoke, "Why wait until tonight?"
Xanatos ran a hand over his goatee and considered his answer carefully before responding. "Owen wasn't sure so I saw no reason to mention it until I knew for certain what we were dealing with." He turned and looked to Goliath, "I had no idea this would happen tonight…and I doubt it would have made a difference if I had…"
Goliath made a low rumbling sound but Angela cut in before it could escalate any further, "Father, please. I think we've all seen it… We just didn't know it… until now."
"What is happening to them? They're gonna be OK, right?" Lexington inquired.
Owen looked at them pointedly, "I can only make assumptions. I'll need to know the extent of the changes that have taken place already."
"Exactly what has… changed?" Matt asked.
Elisa was about to answer when she realized he wasn't even talking to her. Matt was looking at Brooklyn, Xanatos, and everyone else in the room but her. They were all in the mists of discussing the implications and she was beginning to get very irritated at the whole conversation. They were all discussing her as if she wasn't even in the room.
"Hey! You can talk to me too!" She tried to rise but the pain was excruciating and her vision started coming in and out of focus.
Goliath shoved the others way roughly. "Elisa, are you all right?"
She whispered to him, "Are you having trouble seeing?"
"No…" he began.
"Then it must be me…"
Goliath could not put the worry out of his mind and despite her pain, Elisa tried to speak clearly, "I'm OK…" she paused before moving, the room was spinning again. "Just give me a sec to remind my body…"
Once Goliath was satisfied Elisa was not going to pass out he looked over at Owen, "Just tell us… what all this means."
Owen paused before continuing, "Detective Maza, what have you experienced thus far?" He knew he was about to get a very abbreviated version, but it didn't matter right now. The rest of the answers would surface soon enough.
Elisa looked at Goliath, waiting to see if he would speak on their behalf. When he said nothing, she smiled slightly. He would allow her to relate what she wanted the others to know and would let her know if she touched on any areas he wasn't comfortable with. There was no way she was telling Owen everything anyway.
After a moment she replied softly, "Voices…"
Matt interrupted, "You hear voices?"
"No, Matt." Elisa was getting exasperated, "I hear Goliath… His voice… in my head… Images sometimes…" She saw Goliath stiffen slightly and forced herself to remain neutral.
"Is that all?" Owen asked looking at Goliath.
Goliath spoke, "Emotions… feelings. I have a sense of her… presence…" he knelt beside Elisa, taking her hand in his. As an after thought added, "I know the beat of her heart…"
The others didn't understand this part but Owen did. It explained the erratic heartbeat he heard earlier and it brought up a whole new series of questions. He paused and looked at Goliath with a practiced eye, "Goliath, how do you feel right now?"
Elisa looked at the man with surprised. She shifted her gaze to Brooklyn, "I thought you said everyone was fine… No one else was hurt…" She turned back to Goliath moving her hands over his body. The movement forced shooting pains to move about her body but she ignored them. There were no apparent injuries to him but she couldn't be certain since much of her own blood still covered him.
"There is no need for alarm, Detective. I assure you Goliath is fine…" Owen stated matter of factly.
Hudson was now worried, "Why do ya need to be knowing this then?"
Owen adjusted his glasses slightly, "I'm just wondering what will happen at dawn…"
Goliath suddenly realized what he was getting at, "Her heart… is linked to mine…"
Elisa cut them off, "No, nothing happened last night…"
"Last night you were not injured," Owen stated looking back to Goliath, "and I believe it may be the 'Bond' that has allowed Detective Maza to survive her injuries so far."
All heads turned and looked at the sky outside… Dawn was quickly approaching. Elisa was just now beginning to understand what Owen was implying. If their hearts were linked, sunrise might very well kill her. They both knew for a fact that the Bond was severed while Goliath slept.
Broadway's voice was thick and slurred from the back of the room where Fox was still treating his injuries, "Puck… He could keep Goliath from turning to stone…"
Owen shook his head sadly, "I am prohibited unless protecting or training young Alexander."
Brooklyn grabbed the man and pulled him close, "Well I think now would be a good time for a quick lesson don't ya think?!"
Owen broke the gargoyle's grip on him, "No… I cannot… I am sorry…"
Elisa looked at Goliath. He bowed his head down as she reached out to his thoughts knowing what she would find there, "This can't happen…" she whispered to him.
She felt herself begin to shake and for the first time in her life, she truly felt afraid. They held hands tightly and after a few moments she leaned in and wrapped her arms around him. Goliath knew her fears and she could feel him trembling. The rest of the group stood by and watched the pair in their silent communion.
Lexington spoke softly, "Is Elisa gonna…"
Fox walked over and cut off the rest of his question, "OK… Everyone out…" They all looked at her in shock, "What are you all looking at? Out. Elisa needs rest and all of you are not helping."
They all stood around looking at Xanatos and after an extended second, he realized they were waiting for him to say something. He placed his hands behind back, "What? You heard the lady… Everyone out."
The others helped Broadway up and filed out of the room slowly. Soon only Xanatos, Goliath, and Fox remained. Fox looked at her husband pointedly, "Well?"
"Oh… my apologies my dear, I didn't realize you meant me too…" He kissed her on the cheek and slowly walked out behind the rest.
Fox then turned to Goliath, "I trust you'll make sure she gets some rest?"
"Aye…" The words were muffled, his head buried in Elisa's neck, "Why are you doing this?" he inquired looking up at Fox.
She turned to leave, "Just returning the favor." She followed behind her husband but looked back at the pair and spoke softly. "You helped David once and I didn't want you to think it had been forgotten." She walked out leaving the couple alone.
Elisa thought back to that Halloween. The light's, the city, the magic of the night. Walking down the street with her arm resting on Goliath's, dancing and enjoying the evening; in a way it had been their first date of sorts.
The memories brought tears to her eyes since it was beginning to look like they might not ever have the chance again. She pulled back slightly, the weakness and disorientation she felt earlier was quickly returning.
"Goliath… if what Owen said is true…"
He was silent for some time before slowly taking her hands in his. They were so much smaller than his, but now felt just as strong. "No, I will not let you go…"
"You might not have a choice…"
"I will not let you go…" he repeated looking slowly over to the doors leading out to the open area of the castle. He could feel it; the sun was about to rise.
Elisa reached over and pulled his face back to meet hers, "Goliath… Promise me something," She gripped his talons tightly, "… no matter what happens…"
Goliath could see the expression on her face and knew what she was about to ask of him, "Elisa… No…"
She could feel herself slipping, "…love you Big Guy…"
"Elisa…"
It was the last thing she heard before the darkness claimed her.
***** ***** *****
Dawn had come. They stood in the entryway of the Great Hall looking out at the sun. On the parapets of the castle stood six stone forms. Hudson, Brooklyn, Broadway, Angela, Lexington, and even Bronx were all standing together. Each had a talon hand resting on the shoulder of the other forming a tight circle.
"What are they doing?" Matt asked.
Fox looked at the grouping, "It looks like a prayer circle. I remember seeing them before in Australia..."
Matt spoke softly in the early morning hours, "Will it be enough?"
Xanatos responded without looking at the man next to him, "There's only one way to find out…"
They all turned and walked into the Great Hall. Goliath's stone form sat on the edge of the makeshift bed Elisa lay on. Matt called out her name, "Elisa…" She didn't respond and the room had an unusual silence to it. He called out again, a bit louder, "Elisa."
He moved closer to her, hoping against hope that she had fallen asleep… or was unconscious but she never moved and Matt felt his heart drop.
Elisa was really gone this time… She was dead…
Owen finally broke ranks and moved purposely to the woman. He reached out to placed a hand to her throat. His intention was to check for a pulse, but suddenly he pulled back, "Sir…"
Xanatos walked over slowly to his right hand man. "I knew we were hoping for too much…" He stopped speaking when he saw what Owen was looking at and turned to Matt, "Detective…"
Matt turned to leave, not wanting to lose the last shreds of his dignity in front of Xanatos. "What's the point… I blew it… and Elisa paid the price…" He paused and gave Goliath's stone form a scowling glare, "I never should have let him bring her here…"
"Detective Bluestone! You're going to want to see this…" Xanatos stated emphatically.
Matt walked up slowly with Fox behind him and what they saw made them quit breathing.
For all intents and purposes Elisa looked dead…. Then her chest moved slightly.
"She's alive!" Matt exclaimed. "We gotta get her to a hospital…"
"No! Don't touch her!" Owen quickly snapped.
"Back off… I must have been out of my mind for letting Goliath bring her here... Fox help me get her up…" Matt went to lift her but Owen pushed him away, "Are you nuts? What is wrong with you?!"
Matt looked as if he was ready to pummel the man but Owen was non-pulsed, "Do not do anything that might disturb them."
"Fuck you, we gotta get her out of here!" he was fighting to get to her while there was still time. Matt gave Owen a threatening stare, stone hand or not the man was about to get his ass whipped.
Xanatos moved in to help hold Matt back, "If we move her, we risk breaking their connection…"
Matt was livid, "What the hell are you talking about… She could be dying!" He turned to Fox, his eyes pleading, "Please…"
"David…" she said softly, "Maybe he's right…"
"No…" Xanatos looked at his wife, "We are NOT moving her."
Fox moved forward and let her gaze fall over the couple. Despite his stone form, Goliath still had Elisa's hand in his own and she now saw what her husband and Owen were talking about. Her hand went to her mouth as she spoke. "Sweet Jesus…"
Matt finally wrestled free of Xanatos, "Get off me…" he finally calmed down enough to focus on what the others were seeing, "What the hell…?"
Elisa's chest shifted slightly, not because she was breathing, rather because the skin underneath was apparently repairing itself.
***** ***** *****
Owen left immediately after their startling discovery. Fox left periodically to check on Alexander. Xanatos had a few issues to deal with and was in and out of the room. Only Matt stood there the entire time. Not speaking. Not moving. Hardly breathing.
Matt didn't even acknowledge Owen when he finally returned. Fox and Xanatos returned just as the sun was slipping below the horizon and it finally dawned on him that he'd been standing for nearly twelve hours.
In that time, Elisa never moved once or made a sound.
The crackling of stone could be heard but instead of the normal roar of life, Goliath simply shuddered and spread his wings allowing the fragments of stone skin to fall away. He remained motionless and quiet, still holding Elisa's hand.
The roars of the others echoed in the night. Slowly they walked into the Great Hall, uncertain as to what they would find.
When they saw Matt, Owen, Fox and Xanatos standing around Goliath and Elisa, they knew their worst fears had come true. Brooklyn let his gaze fall to the floor and softly cursed Demona. Angela sobbed and turned to Broadway. He held her in a loose hug, trying to console her, knowing it might not be enough. Lexington and Hudson stood with Bronx, not knowing what to do.
Elisa skin was now flushed and she was sweating, as if she had a fever. For the first time she stirred and gradually opened her eyes. "What time is it…?" she whispered.
At hearing her voice, his head shot up and he quickly pulled her to him, "I knew you would not leave me…"
A collective cheer went out as the others rushed the pair. Hudson was pounding on Goliath's back and Brooklyn moved and hugged the pair. Each was shoving the other out of the way, trying to show their happiness at the miracle that was now a part of them all. Never in their lives were they as happy to see someone.
Angela sat down by Elisa, "How are you?"
Elisa shifted around feeling stiff from lying down for so long, "I think… I'm… fine…" She seemed as surprised as the others to still be alive. "What happened?"
Matt related the story to them all and as he spoke, Elisa quickly realized she felt none of the pain from her injuries. She looked at Goliath with awe as Matt went on and began pulling at the bandages on her chest, "Help me get this thing off…"
The others turned in slight embarrassment, realizing she was getting undressed in front of them.
"I'll go get her something…" Fox said leaving the room.
Angela and Goliath finally pulled the bandages from Elisa and what they saw took their breath away.
With the exception of a slight discoloration, the skin below was unmarked and completely healed.
Elisa felt the tears welling up in her eyes as Goliath wiped them away with a cautious talon. "You are alive…"
She embraced him, kissing him deeply, as Angela stepped back to allow them a private moment. She found a blanket and covered Elisa just as Fox returned with some clothing. She set them on a near by chair and glanced over at the couple but neither Elisa nor Goliath took any notice of the actions.
The others would have continued to watch, but Fox ushered them out of the room, "Alright… let's go…this isn't a peep show…"
***** ***** *****
Their time alone was short lived. Elisa now wore fresh jeans and a flannel shirt, which hung loosely over her, roughly two sizes too big. Owen sat on a chair opposite from her with a stethoscope to her chest monitoring her breathing. She felt completely stupid sitting there like he was a doctor and she was getting a check up but the truth of the matter that's exactly what he was right now.
For the moment Owen Burnett was not only the resident expert on Human/Gargoyle Bonding but also her personal physician. No one else had even the slightest clue how to evaluate what had occurred and considering what had happened in the last 24 hours she doubted a regular doctor would be worth the risk. She took a deep breath and allowed him to continue the examination. The rest of the group stood off to the side allowing the examination to be conducted without distractions.
Everyone but Goliath.
He stood with her having already completed his examination. The one good thing about the whole situation was that Xanatos had a complete database on Gargoyles physiology having done so much experimenting with them.
Not that this made Elisa feel any better, it was like being an unwitting partner in the whole Anton Sevarius thing again. She felt like a lab rat and the thought of it made her more angry.
Owen looked at her over his glasses, "Detective please. If I'm going to get any type of accurate reading here, you're going to have to control yourself."
She forced her original response back and looked at him, "Sorry…"
Goliath placed a reassuring talon on her shoulder. He knew what she was feeling and smiled down at her lovingly. He had the same feelings but knew this had to done no matter what either of them felt towards Xanatos personally.
"Tell me again what you experienced." Owen asked. Perhaps the distraction of talking would keep her mind on the matter at hand.
She took a deep breath before answering, "I don't remember too much and I doubt I could put it into words…"
Owen adjusted his glasses slightly, "Please try anyway…"
Elisa shook her head, "It was weird… it kinda felt like being squeezed to tight…"
Owen nodded slightly, but waited a few minutes before continuing on with his examination. What he was noting was amazing even to him.
Detective Maza's internal functions fluctuated between normal human and gargoyle. Respiration, pulse, heart rate, and even body temperature were shifting between up and down, but they didn't seem to be affecting her in the slightest. In fact, he was certain she had no idea they were changing at all, but the rapid shifts were making it impossible to determine a baseline for her normal readings. He pulled the stethoscope from his ears and looked at Goliath. "I find nothing wrong with her..."
Elisa looked at him while buttoning up the shirt and rolling up the sleeves, "You have got to be kidding me…"
"On the contrary, Detective. You appear to be quite healthy all things considered." Owen shook his head, "However I would like to run the tests again once Goliath has gone to sleep to determine if you still demonstrate the same reactions. It is entirely possible these changes only occur while he is awake or in close approximately."
He was about to suggest Goliath leave so he could monitor her again but one look at the large gargoyle told him that would not be a wise suggestion. He collected his things and moved to leave the room, "I would like to run a blood analysis…"
"No way."
"I think not…"
Elisa and Goliath voiced the objections at the same time. Goliath moved in to stand between Owen and his love, "Elisa's blood is just fine where it is…"
"I see," Owen turned to Elisa, "We'll need to keep you under close observation for a few days but otherwise you seem to be 'adjusting' quite well. If you experience anything further or find problems as a results of you injuries, please inform me right away."
Elisa gave him an off-handed nod, essentially blowing him off. She didn't much care for the 'we' portion of his comments because it implied more than just him, which meant Xanatos was planning on keeping tabs on her as well.
Goliath, ever vigilant on events concerning Elisa, acknowledged the request, "We will." He chose to ignore the scowling glare Elisa gave him.
"If you will excuse me…" Owen nodded slightly to the door where the others stood waiting, indicating it is was all right for them to return to the room. They all walked in slowly, not sure what they were waiting for but sure that if something were truly wrong someone would tell them.
Elisa walked up to members of the clan and hugged them individually. Brooklyn stood with his head down, so she walked up slowly and wrapped her arms around him tightly "Thanks for looking out for me last night on the roof…"
"I thought you were dead…" He looked away in embarrassment, "I tried to get Goliath to leave you up there…"
"You were only doing what was best for the clan…" She said to him softly.
Brooklyn took a deep and ragged breath, "Demona could have…"
Elisa cut him off and did her best to pull the feelings of responsibility from him, "But she didn't…"
Brooklyn shifted around, "I didn't know what to do…" he hugged her again, as if to confirm she really stood before him.
Elisa knew it hadn't been easy on him to take the reigns of leadership and it was more than just the events on the roof that caused this out pour of emotion. The young gargoyle had grown so much over the past few years.
Not to long ago, Demona had stolen away a part of his innocence and it was a wound that had never truly healed. It was a mental scar he lived with everyday of his life as a reminder of what he had almost succumbed too. Of what he'd almost become.
Goliath walked over and placed a taloned hand on his second in command's shoulder, "Brooklyn, what you did on the roof… took great courage…" He took a deep breath, "You did well… And I am grateful to you."
Brooklyn looked at the others expecting to see them mocking him. Instead he saw a new found respect in their eyes, "Yeah… well… let's not go through that again..." He finally pulled away from Elisa, "OK?"
Elisa smiled back at him, "Deal." She was about to turn back to Goliath when she caught site of her partner standing near the wall with his back to them. He didn't speak as she walked over to him, "Matt…"
They stood in silence. Slowly he reached out and squeezed her hand, "If you EVER do something like that again… I swear I'll kill you myself…"
Elisa smiled at him, knowing how this was effecting him and squeezed his hand in return, "Thanks partner… "
He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, "You scared me last night…"
She looked at him with understanding, "I know… and I'm sorry you had to go through it…" She hugged him tightly, "But thanks for sticking around today..."
Matt smiled at her, "Well I didn't have anything else to do…" He glanced over to where the others stood and noticed Goliath staring at them with a strange look on his face and nodded in his direction, "I was a little hard on him… said a few things that might not have been to cool…"
Elisa turned with him and couldn't quite place the expression on Goliath's face. It hovered somewhere between affection and irritation. "Come on… everyone thought I was dying up there… I doubt he even remembers what you said…"
When they walked over, Elisa noticed Goliath stiffen slightly indicating that, perhaps, he did remember some of what Matt might have said.
Matt pulled Elisa with him over to Goliath, "I owe you an apology…"
When the clan leader said nothing, Matt reached over and took Goliath's talon and joined it to Elisa's small hand. He repeated the words he spoke to the Clan Leader on the roof the night before but with a new meaning behind them, "I'm trusting you with her life. Take care of her Goliath…"
Goliath reached out and held Matt's hand to both of theirs, "We shall all take care… of each other…" The others moved in slowly and placed their talons on the pile.
The Gargoyles had always been Clan... but now with Elisa and Matt, they were a Family.
***** ***** *****
Owen was talking with Xanatos when the group walked back outside, "I believe the traits they are displaying will not go further than what they currently are. However they will probably become more intense over time."
Xanatos stood with a thoughtful look on his face, "How do you explain her recovery?"
"The contact with Goliath when he underwent his… Stone Sleep… must have somehow transferred through to her. I doubt it is a normal occurrence and I wouldn't want to test the theory."
Elisa spoke up, once again annoyed that Xanatos was discussing her like she was an experiment rather than a person, "Me either…"
She was leery about discussing the matter in the presence of Xanatos but for the moment it seemed like the lessor of two evils. Better to find out what happened before anything else came up, "So what did happen?" she questioned.
Owen shifted his gaze over to her, "I believe the fact that Goliath was present at the time of your… injury… may have been a factor. When your heart shut down and I have no doubts that it did, Goliath's took over, effectively beating for both of you."
"But how…" Elisa began.
Owen pulled a file from his blazer and handed it to her, "It would seem when you were transformed into a Gargoyle and then reverted back to human form, a very small section of your genetic code remained unchanged. This alteration has allowed you to experience a part of the Bonding…"
Elisa rubbed her head absently, "Wait a sec… I was a Psychology major in college so there weren't to many opportunities to take courses in genetic research… I still don't understand…"
Goliath spoke over Elisa and placed a protective arm around her, "It matters not how My Love… just that it did…"
Brooklyn smiled, "Like I said before… Let's not make a habit of this OK?"
"Hey, anybody else hungry?" Broadway called out as he flexed his wings out verifying that the Stone Sleep had healed his injuries as well.
That one comment was all it took to bring the rest to laughter. Lexington smacked him on the back, "Always thinking with your stomach…"
The others began filing to the back of the castle, heading to the kitchen. Broadway's voice could be heard clearly over the laughing of the others, "But I'm starving…"
Elisa gave Owen a measured eye indicating that she still wanted some answers but understood now might not be the best time to get into the inner workings of her anatomy. She started to follow behind the others and glanced over to Matt, "We'd better get moving ourselves, we don't want to be late..."
"What do you think your doing?" Matt inquired.
"Getting ready for work…"
"Oh no… I don't think so…" he countered.
"What? Why not?" Elisa exclaimed.
"Are you serious?" Matt walked over and picked up her bloody jacket, "Does this ring any bells?"
She took the garment from him looking it over, "Oh man… the cleaners will never get this out…" she carefully removed several items from the pockets of her jacket and placed them into the pockets of her borrowed clothing.
Fox walked over and took the bomber jacket from her. Elisa started to object but Fox held up a hand to stop her protests, "In my previous line of work, I learned all the tricks of the trade. I'll have it good as new in a day or two."
Elisa cocked an eye at the former Pack Leader, "I have your word…good as new?"
Fox smiled as she walked out of the room, "You'll never know the difference…"
Matt watched as Elisa continued rummaging though her blood soaked clothing, "Are you not listening to me? Elisa, you died last night!"
She looked at him like he was a small child, "No, you weren't listening. I could have died last night, and didn't… now I'm fine."
"No you're not… You should be seeing a doctor…"
Elisa jerked her head in the direction of Owen, "I just did…"
Matt took a defensive posture, "He does not qualify as a doctor!"
"Well for now he does. Besides its not like I can go to a hospital and say I got hit with a laser blast but have no injuries to show for it. Believe me, I'm fine." She tossed her shoulder holster to the side, "Did you happen to pick up my gun last night?"
"Yeah I have it in the… Wait a sec… No changing the subject!" He turned to Goliath hoping for some support on the issue. "Please talk some sense into her…"
Elisa cut him off, "Matt, she tried to kill me!"
Matt stood his ground, "What else is new? When was the last time she didn't try to kill you?"
She ignored the comment for the moment looking instead to Goliath, who stood alone watching the debate, but saying nothing. But then again he didn't need to, she already knew what he was thinking and it didn't take a psychic connection to figure it out. She looked at him with annoyance and aggravation.
They'd had this conversation before.
"Not again…." She groaned.
"I believe Matt may be correct…" Goliath replied softly.
"We are NOT having this discussion." She stated firmly.
Matt, realizing he now had an ally, doubled his efforts. "Oh yes we are…"
Goliath walked over to her, "Elisa… perhaps you should…"
"No way! Owen gave me a clean bill of health and unless one of you can come up with an extremely good reason why I should not be doing MY JOB," she emphasized this for Goliath's sake, "then it had better be a good one!"
Goliath looked at her for a long time, the argument was too much like the one they'd had before. He also knew this newfound bond with effecting her greatly; she was beginning to think like a young gargoyle, which was to say she was acting without considering the repercussions. "Elisa, what happened last night…"
"OK. Let's talk about what happen last night." She countered his argument, "What was so different from any of the hundred of things we've gone through in the past because of Demona, Xanatos, The Hunters, The Pack, Thailog…" She was glaring openly at the two of them by the time she finished, "I could go on but I think you both get the point."
"Why can't you just let this go?" Matt questioned.
She looked at him hard, "Could you?"
He took a deep breath and after a few minutes said softly, "No… but that's no the point…"
"Yes it is…" She glanced over at Goliath, "I have to do this…"
Goliath met her gaze, "No… I will not have it…"
"This is not open to debate, Goliath," She walked over to him, "This isn't the first time she's tried to kill me, and I doubt it will be the last…"
Goliath took a defiant stance, "No… This was the last time… Demona is now our responsibility…" He looked at Elisa firmly, "We will look for her while you find the Hunter…"
***** ***** *****
Brooklyn stood on the roof looking at the large bloodstain. There were other smaller satins on the roof but this was by far the largest. He remembered the battle vividly and was having trouble putting the images out of is mind.
Lexington stood behind him. "It was pretty bad… wasn't it?" he asked softly. He'd heard bits and pieces of the battle through the broken transmitter and somehow it felt worse knowing he wasn't able to be there to help them when they needed it the most.
Brooklyn said nothing for a long time but finally responded in an off handed way, "Yeah…"
"You wanna tell me what we're doing up here?" Lex inquired.
"Exactly what we're supposed to be doing…" Brooklyn gave his rookery brother an unreadable expression, "Keeping an eye out for Demona…"
Lexington cocked his head at him slightly, "Yeah, well… Goliath said watch the building, not 'go stand on the roof'…"
Brooklyn cut him off, "I had a gut feeling…" he walked around the roof aimlessly, "I was just thinking with all the commotion… we might have missed something… something important…"
Lexington looked at his rookery brother with compassion. He remembered the way Broadway acted after accidentally shooting Elisa two years ago. He'd felt responsible for what had happened and for weeks after, followed Elisa around trying to make amends, despite her reassurances that she didn't hold him responsible. Lex thought Brooklyn was probably going through the same thing. "You know it wasn't you're fault…"
Brooklyn spoke without looking at him, "I know…"
Lexington shifted uneasily, "Goliath is gonna kill us if he finds out where we are… We should get going…"
Brooklyn whipped around quickly and suddenly lay down on the stained roof and lifted his head slightly.
The image was too much for Lexington, "What are you doing?"
"Thinking…" Brooklyn replied and then leaned back with his eyes closed.
"Well could you do it standing up, you're starting to freak me out…"
Brooklyn didn't say anything for a long time. "When Elisa went down I remember seeing something fly up…" Suddenly he rolled over and crawled over the ground. After a few minutes he found what he was looking for lodged in the tar of the roof. "I'll be damned…" he muttered.
Lexington moved into to see what he had found. It was a bullet slug. He took it from his rookery brother and examined it closer. It was badly damaged, but it was clearly a fresh slug. They turned around slowly, both trying to figure out what the trajectory might have been.
"The building across the street..." Brooklyn said quietly. "Someone was over there…"
***** ***** *****