T'U'GS 3:20/22 New Beginnings

by The Big Lazy Dragon

The season finale. With the holidays upon them, the clan is treated to some wonderful news, some interesting plans for the New Year are made and Elisa makes a decision that will affect not only her future, but the future of the clan as well.

2. Part Two

New Beginnings

Part Two

Written by Donald E. Fleming II

Story concept by Donald E. Fleming II

Disclaimer: All Gargoyles characters are the property of Disney and Buena Vista Studios and are being used without their consent or permission. Other Gargoyle characters are the property of The Gargoyle Saga (TGS) writing staff and also are being used without their permission. The character of Don Michael Taylor is my creation. I am receiving no reward for this story other than the satisfaction of being able to share it with others as it is intended solely for my own entertainment and the entertainment of Gargoyle fandom everywhere.

Previously…

Elisa snuggled closer to Goliath, allowing him to envelop her in his wings as they sat on the sofa in front of the fire. She was happy, and Goliath was as well.

"Soon the New Year will be upon us," he said. "Any thoughts about the coming year?"

"Actually, I'm still trying to recover from Thanksgiving," she said. "So much has happened this year, what with Don coming back and what's going on now between him and Delilah, Angela and Broadway finally getting married. Madoc. Thailog." She paused, sighing. "I think I want to wait a while before looking ahead to next year. Although…" She turned in his arms and looked up at him. "I have been thinking about Derek and Maggie."

"And their coming offspring," Goliath said. Dr. Goldblum had run the test as he had promised and the results were positive. Maggie was indeed pregnant.

"Yeah, and it got me thinking," she said.

"Elisa?"

"I want us to have a child, Goliath," she said.

Dr. Jackson sat back in her chair. "I always knew you were a strange one, Elisa," she said. "But I never thought…" She sighed heavily before continuing. "To be honest, if you're serious about this, I'm going to have to recommend against a pregnancy."

"I can't carry a gargoyle child, Don. Not as a human, and not as a gargoyle…If I want a child, it's going to have to be a human child."

"And the reason you're telling me this is..." Don said, already guessing what she was about to ask him.

Elisa looked up at him. "Don," she said hesitantly. "I want you to be the father."

Her headed lolled back as he bent down and placed a very tender kiss on the side of her neck, the first of many that night.

New Beginnings Part One

New Beginnings Part Two

December 11, 1999

Elisa's apartment

Elisa woke up slowly and looked over her shoulder. He's still here, she thought. She'd almost convinced herself that last night was just a pleasant dream, but Don's presence in her bed, with his arm wrapped casually around her bare waist was enough to dispel those thoughts. She smiled as she looked towards the window. Morning, she noted. I really should get up. She carefully lifted Don's arm off of her and slipped out from underneath the covers, then gathered up her bathrobe before heading into the bathroom for a quick shower.

The water was warm and felt wonderful against her skin. For a brief moment, she wished that Don were awake and in the shower with her, as he usually was when they were living together at the old apartment so many years ago. But that was another lifetime ago, she reminded herself. We can't ever go back to the way things were. It saddened her somewhat, but she knew that the choices they both made months ago were the right ones. I just hope this one was, too.

She shut off the water and stepped out of the shower, then paused to look at her reflection in the mirror above the sink. For a brief moment, she was curious about an odd sensation she had felt earlier, when she and Don had joined. Probably just nerves, she thought. I've been worried about this for days, wondering what was going to happen, what Goliath was going to think. I'm probably worrying over nothing. But still... She opened the medicine cabinet and pulled out the pregnancy test she had bought the day before. She glanced over the directions for a second before starting to rip open the box, then stopped.

"Like you're actually going to find out now," she told herself as she put the box back into the medicine cabinet. She was going to have to wait at least another week or so to find out if she had succeeded in getting herself pregnant. She quickly dried herself, then pulled the bathrobe on before leaving the bathroom.

Elisa paused for a moment as she stepped into the bedroom, looking at the bed. Don was still on the bed, only now he had rolled over onto his back and was starting to open his eyes.

"Elis'," he said groggily as he started to wake up.

Elisa went over to the bed and leaned down. "Shhh," she said quietly as she kissed him on the cheek. "Go back to sleep."

When he settled back into the pillows and drifted off again, Elisa quietly left the bedroom and headed downstairs.

There was a tapping on the patio doors.

"Now, who could that be?" Elisa wondered as she headed to the doors. She opened one and jumped back, startled.

"Can I come in, detective?" Dominique asked, rubbing her arms.

"Demona, what are you doing here?"

"Freezing my butt off," she said. "Do you mind?"

Elisa moved aside as the gargoyle-turned-human hurried into the warmth of the apartment. Elisa quickly picked up Don's jacket from the floor and draped it over the other woman's shoulders.

"Thank you, detective," Dominique said as she pulled it tight around her. "You have no idea how cold it is out there."

"I thought gargoyles didn't feel the cold," Elisa said jokingly.

Dominique turned to glare at her. "In case you hadn't noticed, detective," she said. "I am not a gargoyle right now. In this form, I feel the cold just like any other human."

"Sorry," Elisa apologized. She headed for the kitchen to put a pot of coffee on. "So what happened? Couldn't make it home in time and decided to find a spot to spend the day?"

"No," she said. "Actually, I've been outside on your patio most of the night."

"What?" Elisa said, surprised. "Why?"

"Goliath needed to be…distracted," she said.

"Goliath's outside?" Elisa asked. She went to the patio doors and opened them long enough to take a quick peek outside. She couldn't see him. "Where is he?"

"He's not out there," Dominique said. "He went back to the castle shortly before dawn."

Elisa closed the doors and turned to look at Dominique. "What do you mean Goliath needed to be distracted?"

"He was outside on the patio last night," she said. "Watching the two of you…"

Elisa hung her head. "I was afraid of that."

"If I hadn't come along when I did," Dominique said. "He probably would have interrupted the two of you at the worst possible moment."

"And you distracted him by…" Elisa asked, although she suspected she knew exactly how Demona had diverted Goliath's attention.

The other woman looked up at her. "I know what you are implying, detective. And you are correct. Goliath and I did what you and Don were no doubt doing upstairs. I believe I was entitled to it. And you shouldn't be passing judgement on me for doing what you did as well."

"I'm not passing judgement, Demona," Elisa said. "I'm just a little surprised is all."

"Surprised by what?" she asked.

"That you and Goliath would…" She hesitated, trying not to sound harsh. "I mean, after all that's happened between you two, all the fighting and arguing…"

Dominique sighed. "I do still care for him, detective," she said. "I may have forgotten that for a while, but I do."

"You're not trying to…"

Her eyes shot upwards, locking on to Elisa. "No," Dominique said. "As you said, too much has happened between us that it would be impossible for Goliath and I to get back together. I've accepted the fact the he…that Goliath loves you, and nothing I do is going to change that." She took a sip of the coffee, then smiled at Elisa. "I must say though, it seems you may have taught Goliath a few things I hadn't thought possible."

"I…I don't know what you're talking about," Elisa stammered, even as her mind reeled at the thought of what Goliath and Demona had done while she and Don were upstairs.

"I think you do," she said. "Shall I go into detail?"

"I…" Elisa started, but then she heard the upstairs bedroom door open, and she turned as she heard Don moving towards the stairs. Dominique quickly got to her feet and headed for the patio door.

"What..." Elisa started.

"Please, don't tell him that I'm here, detective," she said quietly as she took off the jacket. "I...I'm not sure I can face him just yet."

"Why?" Elisa asked. "What happened..."

But Dominique was already through the door and had it closed before Elisa could ask her why she was so hesitant about seeing Don. Something happened between them during the break-up, she realized. But whatever it was, Demona wasn't about to talk about it just yet. She stood up as she heard Don come down the stairs.

"Good morning," Don said, yawning.

"Morning, yourself," she said. "I'm surprised to see you up." She looked him over. "And dressed."

"You know me, Elisa," he said. "I'm usually up by this time." He looked towards the patio doors. "I thought I heard someone else down here."

Elisa cast a quick eye towards the doors. "Nah," she said. "That was probably just the TV."

Don looked at the TV. "TV's off."

"There wasn't anything good on," Elisa said quickly.

"If you say so," he said, although Elisa could tell by the look in his eye that he didn't believe her. He looked at his watch. "Listen, I've got to run. I told Dee that I wasn't going to be long when I came over here, and by now she's..."

"Probably sleeping like a rock," Elisa said.

"Yeah," Don said. "The point is, I need to be there when she wakes up tonight. Let her know what happened. I just hope she won't be too upset."

"Do you want me to come over later, just in case?" Elisa asked.

"No," Don said. "I'm pretty sure you're going to have someone else to talk to about what went on last night."

Elisa knew he was talking about Goliath, and she had a feeling he was right. She waited until Don retrieved his jacket, which Dominique had dropped by the patio door as she went out, before walking him to the door and showing him out. After he was gone, she quickly crossed back to the patio doors and let Dominique back inside.

"I guess you heard," Elisa said, seeing the look of sadness on her face.

"Yes," Dominique said. "Do you know how long they've been...together?"

"Only a couple of weeks," Elisa said. "Don told me that he and Delilah started seeing each other just a few days before Thanksgiving. But he told me that they haven't...you know...'slept' together...yet."

"Why not?" Dominique asked. "Are they having problems?"

"No," she said. "Don just wants to take things slow this time. He doesn't want things to end up like before, when you and he..." She paused, looking at the redhead. "What did happen between you two?" she asked. "If you don't mind my asking?"

"I do mind, detective," Dominique said, trying to hide the wavering in her voice. "It is something that is best left between myself and Don." She paused as she looked at the door. "Are they happy together?" she asked, then looked at Elisa. "If you don't mind my asking?"

"I think they are," Elisa said. "At least, that's the impression I got when Delilah..." She paused for a moment as she looked at Dominique. "When she...kissed him."

"They deserve each other," Dominique said quietly. She turned and caught the questioning look on Elisa's face. "Delilah needs someone who will love her, and Don can give her that love. And Don..." She hesitated then, sighing. "He deserves better..."

"Demona," Elisa said quickly. "Don't do this to yourself."

"I have to, detective," she said. "As much as I want to, I can't allow myself to get close to him again. Not after what Thailog tried to do to him..."

"Don told me about that," Elisa said. "But that's still no reason..."

"It is reason enough," Dominique snapped. She paused for a minute. "Detective, I truly do not want to get into this right now. When the time comes, I will settle things between Don and myself, but not before." She paused for a second. "What I could use right now is a ride home." She looked down at herself. "And a change of clothes. I assume you do have something other than blue jeans and t-shirts."

"I'll see if I can find you something," Elisa said as she headed up the stairs. She paused as she watched Dominique head into the kitchen. Whatever's going on between those two, I just wish one of them would open up to someone. It's not doing either of them any good. And it's only going to cause problems later on.

December 12, 1999

Manhattan General Hospital

"So, how soon before I can go home?" Kate asked.

Dr. Sato looked up from the chart, pausing as he looked at the snowy-haired gargoyle that stood by her bedside. "You can leave any time you like," he said. "You've healed enough that you can be released, so long as you take it easy for a while." He looked at the gargoyle. "You will see to it that she gets plenty of rest...Delilah, isn't it?"

"Yes," Delilah said. "I'll make sure that she does."

They waited until Dr. Sato left before Kate turned her attention to Delilah. "So," she said. "What's he like?"

"Who?" Delilah asked.

"This guy I hear you've been seeing," Kate said. "Danny told me yesterday that you have a new boyfriend. What's he like? And how did you meet him?"

Delilah blushed slightly before sitting down in the chair by the bed. "Don's nice," she said. "He's wonderful and caring. He listens to me, instead of ordering me around like Thailog used to. And when I'm with him..."

"Whoa, whoa!" Kate said quickly. "I don't think I want to hear what he's like between the sheets just yet."

"Actually, we...haven't gone that far...yet," Delilah said, sounding just a little bit upset by that. "Don's still getting over his break-up with Demona and..."

"Wait, you mean Don Taylor?" Kate gasped. "That's the guy you're seeing?"

"Yes," Delilah said. "We started...seeing each other...a few weeks after Demona broke off her relationship with him." She paused for a moment. "You knew they were seeing each other?"

"Only a few people at work knew," Kate said. "But I didn't know that they broke up. I mean, I thought that they really had a good thing going there."

"They did," Delilah said. "But after what happened with Thailog, Demona was afraid that he would try to hurt Don, so she ended her relationship with him."

"That's too bad," Kate said. "I saw them together a couple of times, having lunch at one of the restaurants by the Park, and..." She paused, looking at Delilah. "I really thought they were a set item." She paused again, seeing how uncomfortable Delilah was about the subject. "But I guess he's with you now," she said.

"Yes, he is," Delilah said quickly. "And I am happy that he is. It's just..."

"Is something wrong?" Kate asked.

Delilah looked at her, wondering if she should tell her friend about what happened between Don and Elisa. And herself and Angela. "It's nothing," she said.

"If you say so," Kate said, even as she began to wonder about what could make her friend so uneasy. "Well, I'm ready to get out of here," she said. "I know that you've probably taken real good care of Danny while I was in here, but I bet he's real anxious to see his mother again."

"You have no idea how anxious he is to go home," Delilah said. "The TV reception down in the Sanctuary is terrible, and the cable keeps going out. He can't wait to get home to a real TV again."

The two enjoyed a brief laugh as Kate got ready to go home again.

December 15, 1999

Andrea Calhoun's apartment

Andrea set down her brush as she heard the doorbell ring. "Just a minute," she called out. Quickly removing her smock and tossing it aside, she hurried to the door, pausing for a minute to look through the peephole before opening the door.

"Dominique, what are you doing here?" she asked cheerfully.

Dominique Destine smiled at the young artist. It amused her a bit that, even though Andrea knew about her true nature now, she still insisted on calling her 'Dominique'. She was in fact one of the few people who knew about her dual identity and referred to her by her human one. "I...came to see how you were doing," the redhead said. She looked at the young artist's left arm, noting that she no longer wore the brace. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine," Andrea said. "The doctors say my arm is completely healed. In another week, you won't even be able to tell that it was ever broken." She paused for a second as she considered the redhead. "Won't you come in? I can fix some tea."

"I don't want to be a bother, Andrea," Dominique said, seeing a touch of blue paint on Andrea's cheek. "I can see that you're probably busy..."

"It's no bother, Dominique," she said. "Really. I could use the company. And I haven't had a chance to see or talk to you since you got back from Paris." Andrea stepped aside and beckoned her in. Dominique hesitantly entered the apartment. "By the way," Andrea added. "I want to thank you for helping me get this place."

"You're welcome," Dominique said, taking a moment to look around. The apartment Andrea now lived in was larger than her old one, and it had a state-of-the-art security system. At first, Andrea was reluctant to move out of her old apartment, but all it took was a reminder of how easily Jackal and Hyena broke in to kidnap her to convince Andrea that it was time to move. She wasn't sure she would be able to afford a new apartment, especially the one Dominique had chosen for her, but Dominique helped out a second time by using her influence to bargain the building association down to a reasonable rate.

Andrea headed into the kitchen and put a pot of water on to boil for tea as Dominique looked around the apartment. She paused as she saw a picture on a shelf of Andrea, Angela and Delilah together.

"Where did this come from?" she asked.

Andrea came back into the living room and saw Dominique holding the picture. "Oh, Don took that picture a few days before Thanksgiving," she said, then she sighed heavily. "It's a shame, really," she said.

That caught Dominique's attention. "What's a shame?" she asked.

"Angela and Delilah," Andrea said. "I always thought that, since they were sisters and such good friends, that nothing could break them apart."

"They ended their friendship?" Dominique asked. "When was this?"

"I guess around Thanksgiving," Andrea said. "That's when Angela found out that Delilah and Don..." She paused as she looked at Dominique. "But you wouldn't know about that."

"About Don and Delilah being together?" Dominique said. "Yes, I know. Detective Maza told me about it a few days ago."

"But you haven't heard that it's caused some problems between Angela and Delilah," Andrea said.

"No, I haven't," Dominique said. She set the picture down and approached the young artist. "Tell me."

Andrea sat down on the couch and Dominique joined her. "I guess the big thing is that Angela really thought that you and Don were going to be able to patch things up eventually. Angela's mad at Delilah because she thinks that Dee didn't give you and Don that chance."

"I guess I'm going to have to talk to her about it," Dominique said. "I really should have considered how Angela would feel about my breaking up with Don. Had I known this would happen, I probably would have done things differently."

"You know how the saying goes, Dom," Andrea said. "'No use crying over spilled milk.' The only thing you can do is try and clean up the mess."

"And it appears that I have a considerable mess to deal with," Dominique said. She sighed. "I seem to be doing that a lot lately."

"Doing what?" Andrea asked.

"Trying to clean up my own messes," she said. "Making up for past mistakes. If I had known a thousand years ago that everything I was going to do I was going to end up regretting later, I doubt very much if I would taken the path that I did."

"You shouldn't beat yourself up over this, Dom," Andrea said. "The fact that you're trying to put things right now says a lot."

"I know," she said. "But it still doesn't change the fact that I've done some awful things in my time. I doubt very much if I'll ever be able to make up for all of it."

"You just have to take things one step at a time, Dom," Andrea said. "I know that not everyone is going to forgive you for what you did, but you can at least make the effort. You know that I've already forgiven you for what happened to Helen."

"And I want to thank you for that."

"I should thank you," Andrea said. "For that lovely memorial you had made for her. I think she would have liked it."

"I just wanted to do something to help ease the loss," Dominique said. "I know how much you cared for her."

"I did," Andrea said. "As much as I care for you now, Dom." She reached over and gave Dominique a long hug, which was returned by the older woman. When they parted, there was the hint of a tear in Dominique's eyes.

"Hey, let's not get maudlin now," Andrea quipped, even as she sniffed back a few tears of her own. "This is supposed to be a festive time of the year. Speaking of which, wait'll you hear who's going to be doing the Santa bit down at the Sanctuary this Christmas."

"Who?" Dominique asked.

Andrea told her.

"Oh, I have got to see that!" Dominique said.

December 18, 1999

Nightstone Unlimited

Candice looked up as she saw Kate Roswell heading towards the CEO's office. Kate paused as she saw Candice smile at her.

"Welcome back," Candice said. "It's been a while."

"Too long it seems," Kate said. "Is she in?"

"Yes," Candice said. "But she's with someone right now. If you can wait a few minutes..."

At that moment, the door to Dominique's office opened and the Nightstone CEO looked outside.

"I thought I heard your voice, Kate," she said. "Won't you come in?"

Kate quickly entered the office and paused as she heard Dominique close the door behind her. She saw another woman sitting in a chair by the desk.

"Andrea, this is Kate Roswell," Dominique said. "Kate, this is Andrea Calhoun."

Kate was slightly surprised to meet the young artist. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she said. "I've seen your work. Very good."

"Thank you," Andrea said. "Dominique has told me a lot about you. You're Delilah's friend?"

That caught Kate by surprise. "You know her?"

"We...met under some rather...intense...circumstances," Andrea said, rubbing her left arm. "I think you know what I'm talking about."

"I think I do," Kate said. She dimly remembered trying to fight off Jackal and Hyena when they broke into her apartment to kidnap Danny. After that, she couldn't remember much else until she woke up in the hospital several weeks later. "Were you the one that watched over Danny until you were rescued?" she asked.

"For a little while, yeah," Andrea said. "He's a nice kid, too. Very friendly and polite. Makes me wish I could have one of my own one of these days."

Kate smiled at Andrea. "Thanks for keeping an eye on him," she said.

"Well, I can't take all the credit," Andrea said. "Delilah was there. And Dominique."

"I guess I should thank you too," she said to Dominique.

"I couldn't very well let the son of one of my employees come to harm, now could I?" she quipped. "It's lousy for company morale."

"I guess," Kate said. "Well, I want to thank you anyway. You've done so much for my son and me that I'll never be able to repay you properly."

Dominique looked over at Andrea. "Oh, I could think of something you could do," she said. "Are you feeling up to returning to your drawing board, Miss Roswell? I have a few ideas I'd like to throw your way."

"And here I thought I was going to get the week off," she said, sighing as she sat and began listening to Dominique's ideas.

December 20, 1999

Elisa's apartment

Don sat in the living room, waiting patiently while Elisa was upstairs in the bathroom, taking 'The Test'. It worried him a bit, knowing that Elisa wanted him to find out first before anyone else, but since Goliath and the clan were still asleep at the castle, he knew that he was the logical choice to be there in case things didn't work out as planned. I only hope it does, he thought.

The soft fall of footsteps on the stairs drew his attention. He looked up to see Elisa coming down the stairs, a small strip of plastic clutched between her fingers.

"Elisa?" he said, seeing the look on her face, but he couldn't tell if it was surprise or shock.

She looked at him for a second before a smile began to spread across her face. "It's positive," she said. "I'm pregnant."

"Are you certain?" he asked, getting up from the couch and heading for the bottom of the stairs.

"Well, I do need to see Dr. Jackson to make it official," she said. "But according to this..." She held up the small strip of plastic as she reached the bottom of the stairs and handed it to him. "I am."

Don looked at the small square indents on the face of the plastic. One was an indicator for 'Negative', and would have had a 'minus' sign showing if Elisa was not expecting, and the other, which now had a 'plus' sign prominently displayed, was the indicator for a 'Positive' result. He couldn't help but smile at her. Elisa was indeed pregnant. He wrapped his arms around her waist and joyfully lifted her off her feet, whirling her around.

"Whoa! Easy, Don," she laughed. After he set her down on her feet, she paused for a minute to catch her breath. "I still have to go see Dr. Jackson for a blood test," she said. "Just to be certain."

"But I thought..." he started, pausing as he looked at the small strip of plastic.

"You know that a home pregnancy test is only a way to find out initially, Don," Elisa said. "But I still need to see the doc. She has to do a blood test to determine for sure if I'm carrying a child." She smiled up at him. "Of course, we could always wait to see if I start expanding around the middle and begin craving weird cravings for ice cream and sardines." Her face drew up in a grimace. "Yuck!" she said as she shuddered.

"I don't think you should wait that long," Don said, smiling. "See the doc, Elisa. Then you can break the news to Goliath and the rest of the clan."

"I'll make an appointment to see her first thing tomorrow morning," Elisa said. "But right now, I feel like celebrating. How about I order a pizza with extra anchovies?"

Don's eyes went wide, then narrowed as he caught the playful smile on her face.

"Gotcha!" she laughed.

He shook his head in amusement. "One of these days, Elisa. I swear, eventually I gonna pay you back for all the times you've done that to me."

"Dream on, pal," she said as she headed for the phone.

December 22, 1999

Office of Dr. Elsie Jackson, OB/GYN

Elisa sat in the chair, fidgeting again.

"What is it about this office that makes you so nervous?" Diane asked.

"It's not this office, Mom," she said. "I'm just anxious, that's all."

"Worried about what she might tell you?"

"Yeah," Elisa said. "I mean, I know what the results are going to be, that I'm pregnant. But I've got to be sure."

"Worried about what might happen if you're not and you have to go through this all over again?"

"I'm worried that Goliath'll say no if we have to," Elisa said. "And Delilah? I don't even want to think about what she'll do to Don if we do."

"Then I guess we better hope the results are positive then," Diane said.

They waited a few more minutes before Dr. Jackson came back to her office.

"So what's the verdict?" Elisa asked.

Dr. Jackson sat down and opened the file. "Elisa, you know how I feel about this," she said. "I just wish you'd consulted me further before…" She hesitated for a moment. "The results are positive," she said. "You are pregnant. It's still too early to make an accurate guess about when, but since you came up negative during your last visit, I'd say you're at least two weeks along. That still gives us enough time..."

"Enough time?" Elisa asked. "Enough time for what?" When Dr. Jackson hesitated, Elisa knew what she was thinking about. "Wait a minute," Elisa said. "You're not suggesting that I abort this kid, are you?"

"Elisa, we discussed this the last time you were here," she said. "I can't in good conscience recommend that you carry this fetus to full term. The risk involved in a Human/Gargoyle conception…"

"You haven't told her?" Diane asked her daughter.

Elisa looked at her mother. I completely forgot, she thought. She'd been so worried about Goliath and Don that she neglected to tell her own doctor about her decision.

"Told me what?" the doctor asked.

"The father is human," Elisa said. "I…guess I forgot to tell you."

Dr. Jackson sighed. "Well, that's a relief," she said. She took out a pen and made a notation on Elisa's record. "May I ask the particulars?"

"Such as…" Elisa said.

"Did you use artificial methods," she asked. "Or did you…"

"It was someone I trust," Elisa said. "It was Don."

"Who?" she asked.

"Don Taylor," Elisa said. "He's...someone I was very close to once."

"Are you talking about the pilot that was rescued from Iraq earlier this year?" Dr. Jackson asked.

Elisa hesitated before answering. "Yeah," she said finally. "Although what really happened to him and what the media's been told are two entirely different stories."

"Really?" she said, curious.

"And believe me, doc," Elisa continued, seeing the gleam of curiosity in the female doctor's eyes. "You wouldn't believe what really happened."

"Elisa, three weeks ago, you brought in a gargoyle so I could get an idea about their reproductive cycles," Dr. Jackson said. "Believe me, there's nothing you can tell me that I'd find hard to believe. You could tell me that the Loch Ness Monster is real and I'd believe you."

Elisa looked at her mother. "Funny you should mention that," she said.

The Eyrie Building

Elisa watched as Goliath and the rest of the clan awoke from their stone sleep. She stepped up to him as he turned and spotted her. The smile on her face brightened his mood immediately.

"Good evening, Elisa," he said. "I take it you have pleasant news."

"I do," she said. The rest of the clan gathered around her as she took a deep breath. "Well, it's official," she continued. "I'm pregnant."

"Elisa-chan, that's wonderful," Sata said. She gave Elisa a quick hug.

"Congratulations, lass," Hudson added.

"Yeah, congrats," Brooklyn put in.

"So what's it going to be," Broadway asked. "A boy or a girl?"

"Broadway, I've only been pregnant for two weeks," Elisa said. "It's too early to tell what sex it is."

"What are you hoping for?" Angela asked.

Elisa looked at Goliath, noting the smile on his face. "I don't know. I'd like to have a daughter, but I'd be just as happy with a son."

Brooklyn smiled as he glanced over at Sata. "Of course, you could end up with one of each."

"Oh, please don't say that, Brooklyn," Elisa said. "I'll have enough to do with just one baby without having to worry about a second one."

Goliath chose that moment to step forward. "If you will excuse us," he said, wrapping his arm around Elisa's shoulder. "Elisa and I have a lot to talk about."

The rest of the clan parted as Goliath and Elisa began walking towards a secluded spot near the base of the tower.

"I hope you're not upset," Elisa said. "After all that's happened this year, I'd hate to think…"

"I am not upset, Elisa," he said, resting a talon on her lips. "I am happy for you."

"You should be happy for us, Goliath," Elisa said. "I know you had reservations about this from the start, but believe me, I want you to think of this child as ours, not just mine."

"But Don…"

"Is the biological father," Elisa said. "I know. But you and I are going to be mates, Goliath. Nothing is going to change that." She rested her hand on her belly. "You know I still love Don and that he still loves me, but we both know that you and I are destined for each other. This." She paused as she reached out and captured Goliath's hand, then brought it to rest against her belly. "This is his gift to us. Given out of the love he has for me. I hope you're willing to accept it as our own."

Elisa took her hand away, noting that Goliath kept his pressed against her as she did. She smiled as she looked up at him.

Goliath could almost feel the new life growing within her. Ever since he learned that Angela was his true daughter, he had begun learning what he could about the miracle of birth, in hopes that someday he would be able to repeat the process. Humans put a great deal of emphasis on the raising their young, more so than gargoyles did since it took ten years for gargoyle eggs to hatch. Gargoyle children were raised by the clan. Human children were raised by their own parents, developing a bond that could never be broken. To know that he was going to share that experience with Elisa, that she wanted him to share in that, filled him with joy and love. Love for Elisa. Love for their child. He would gladly accept this gift.

He smiled and pulled Elisa into a tender embrace. "I accept, my Elisa," he said.

Overhead, the little red light on the security camera went out. In his office, David Xanatos and Fox shared a knowing smile as the screen went blank.

"Think we should go out there and offer our congratulations to the lucky couple?" Xanatos asked his wife.

"I think we should hold off on it for a while," Fox said. "They looked like they wanted some time alone. Besides, I was on my way out to do some shopping."

"I thought you were done Christmas shopping," he said.

"I was," Fox said with a gleam in her eye. "Up until a few minutes ago." She gave her husband a long kiss before grabbing her purse and heading for the door. As he watched her leave, Xanatos wondered just how much damage she was going to do to his credit limit this time.

"A woman with a credit card and a multi-million dollar spending limit," he said. "Has got to be the most dangerous creature on the face of the earth."

December 24, 1999

Christmas Eve

The Eyrie Building

Fox sat in the cockpit of the helicopter, doing a final pre-flight check as she watched her husband talking to Goliath.

"Are you certain you cannot join us, Xanatos?" Goliath asked.

"I'm sure, Goliath," Xanatos said. "I promised my pop that we'd be spending Christmas with him this year, and you know how stubborn my father can be."

Goliath couldn't help but smile. "It is good that you and Fox have chosen to spend this time with your family," he said. "Holidays are a time when family members should be together as one."

"True enough," Xanatos said. "And they say that miracles do happen during this time of the year. I wonder what we can expect this year."

"One would think that they should," Goliath said. "But sometimes I wonder if that is true anymore."

"Of course it is," Fox said as she stepped out of the helicopter. "Remember what happened the first Christmas we spent together under one roof? We got through an entire evening together without one of us trying to kill someone else. Not to mention the fact that Demona was here, and look at her now."

"And don't forget," Xanatos said. "You and Elisa have your own Christmas gift to look forward to." Goliath knew that Xanatos was referring to Elisa unborn child. "And believe me, there's nothing more miraculous than the miracle of new life."

"Strange words coming from you, Xanatos," Goliath said in surprise.

"Just call me sentimental," he said. "Christmas always seems to bring out the best in me."

"One would hope that it lasts," Goliath said.

"Keep hoping," Xanatos said. He stretched out his hand and Goliath gave it a hearty shake. "Just remember," he added as Owen came forward with Alexander and handed the child to his father. "Owen will be here if you need anything. See you in a few days." With that, Xanatos followed his wife to the waiting helicopter and departed into the night sky.

"Will you be requiring anything this evening?" Owen asked.

"No," Goliath said. "The rest of the clan will be departing for the Sanctuary after preparations for the dinner are completed. I am to meet Elisa at her apartment and take her there myself. She said she had some things to...discuss with me."

"Understood," Owen said. He turned and left, leaving Goliath to smile as he thought about Elisa.

Elisa's apartment

"It was nice of you two to invite us to spend some time with you guys before we head over to the Labyrinth for Christmas dinner," Don said. He smiled as he felt Delilah settle against him while Elisa curled up next to Goliath on the couch. The rest of the clan were already heading for the Sanctuary, but Elisa had called Don and Delilah over to her apartment so that the two of them could spend some time together with her and Goliath.

"It seemed like a good idea," Elisa said. "After all, we are family. And that's what Christmas is all about. Family."

"Pretty much," Don said. His gaze drifted to Goliath, who was initially upset at seeing Don at Elisa's apartment when he arrived, but his mood improved when he saw Don pull Delilah into a tender embrace, instead of Elisa. "I was kinda worried about how you were going to react to this, Goliath," he said. He felt a slight nudge from the hybrid clone in his arms. "Not to mention you, Dee," he quickly added. "I mean, Elisa told me that you had reservations about this."

"You have given us a precious gift, Don," Goliath said. "Any reservations I may have had were dispelled when Elisa asked me to look on this gift as our own."

"I'm glad to hear you say that," Don said before turning his attention towards Delilah. "What about you, sweetheart?" he asked. "How do you feel about all this?"

She shifted in his arms, smiling at Elisa and Goliath for a moment before turning her attention to Don. "I remember the night you made the decision to do this," she said. "You asked me first how I felt about this and I told you then that I couldn't think of a better choice for Elisa to make than to have you father her child, because I knew at that moment you really cared. You cared about Elisa because she is your friend, and you cared about me because of something more. I think you know by now how I feel about this. And how I feel about you."

Don smiled at her, then pulled her close. Elisa and Goliath smiled at each other before heading upstairs to give the young couple some privacy, and to have some of their own before heading over to the dinner party in the Sanctuary.

The Labyrinth

"Well, it looks like this Christmas is going to be one for the books," Talon said as he hugged his sister. Elisa had told him and Beth the news about her pregnancy and both he and Maggie were overjoyed, although Maggie seemed to be slightly depressed.

"At least your mom's going to be able to show off her grandkid," Maggie said, and Elisa realized what was upsetting her. Maggie had told her that she tried to get in contact with her mother several days ago to tell her about her own pregnancy and to wish her a Merry Christmas, but the phone had been disconnected, and the card she had sent was returned with no forwarding address. It was as if Eleanor Reed had dropped off the face of the Earth. "My mom won't even acknowledge my own existence anymore."

"It doesn't matter, dear," Diane Maza said. "You know that we all love you and that's what's important. Who knows? Maybe she will someday."

"I hope so," Maggie said. "I keep hoping that one day, she'll come back and say that she was sorry for what she said, and that she loves me, no matter what I look like."

"It is a nice dream, Maggie," Sharon said. "One that is truly worthy of the hope you give it." She sighed. "I only hope that someday I will be able to tell my own parents of my own change." She paused as she looked at Elisa. "And that they will learn to accept it as your parents have your brother's."

"I'm sure they will," Elisa said, looking at her parents and Beth. "If you want, I can talk to Captain Chavez and see if I can get a message to them. Let them know that you're all right."

"Thank you, Elisa," Sharon said. "I would like that very much."

"So," Beth said after Sharon was drawn away by Claw, who needed some assistance helping the clones with decorating the Sanctuary. "When's the big day?"

"Are you going to start that again, Beth?" Don said as he and Delilah walked up. "I swear, that's seems to be the only thing on your mind these days."

"What mind?" Talon teased.

"Hey, watch it, hairball!" Beth protested. "And I think I have a perfect right to ask this time. Elisa's preggers, so now she has to get married."

"Says who?" Elisa quipped. "I may decide not to, just to aggravate you."

"You most certainly will not!" Diane said. "You will be getting married, Elisa Maza, even if I have to drag you down the aisle myself!"

Goliath almost smiled, as did Don, at Elisa's look of shock at her mother's statement, until Diane fixed her gaze on the two males. "And if necessary, the two of you will be there to make certain she marries at least one of you."

"Diane, please," Delilah protested. "You wouldn't do that to me, would you?" She put her arm around Don and held him tight. "You wouldn't try to take Don away from me?"

"I guess not," Diane said, remembering that Delilah had taken Don as her own. "But don't think that it lets you off the hook just yet, Mr. Taylor. Or you, Goliath." Then she turned her attention back to Beth. "And you better let that boyfriend of yours know that I'll be keeping a close eye on you too, Beth," she said.

"Boyfriend?" Beth protested. "Coyote's not..." She stopped when she caught the shocked look on Elisa's face. "I mean, he is in a way, but..."

"Beth, is there something you'd like to tell us?" Peter asked his youngest daughter.

"Oh, look," Beth said, trying to change the subject. She went over to Don's side and grabbed his arm. "I think it's time to help decorate the tree, don't you?"

Don laughed as he quickly extricated himself, only to take Delilah by the hand and head off in the direction of the tree. "Sorry, Beth," he said. "You're going to have to dig yourself out of this one on your own."

"Oy," Beth sighed as she watched them leave. She tried to put on a smile as she turned to face her parents and her siblings. "Uh, mom, dad," she started, "About Coyote..."

Angela stood off to one side, frowning slightly. As much as she wanted to truly enjoy herself, she couldn't bring herself to join in on the festivities. She still felt that Don and Delilah had betrayed her trust and Demona's, and Don fathering a child with Elisa hadn't helped matters. She cast one last glare at the two before turning to leave.

"Going somewhere?" she heard a voice say. She stopped and found herself turning towards Demona.

"Hello, mother," she said, with a hint of bitterness in her voice. "I was...I just...need some time alone, that's all."

"On this day?" Demona asked. "Of all days?"

"I'm not really in the 'festive mood' right now," Angela said.

"Because of Don and Delilah," Demona said flatly.

Angela looked at her, surprised by how calm her mother was about it.

"We need to talk," Demona said. She took Angela by the arm and led her towards the kitchen. When they got there, Demona sat Angela down in a chair and leaned back against the counter. "Okay, daughter," she said. "Out with it. I want to know why this is bugging you so."

"Isn't it obvious?" Angela said. "You and Don were happy together. Why did you have to break things off with him?"

"I did it to protect him," Demona said. "I couldn't risk losing him when Thailog returns. And we both know that he will return."

"But if you wanted to protect Don, couldn't you have picked a better way?" Angela said. "Did you have to break his heart the way you did?"

"Better to break his heart than risk Thailog ripping it out of his chest," Demona said. She paused as she looked at her daughter. "But that's not the big problem, is it? What I want to know is why you have been so ill-mannered towards your sister?"

"My sister?" Angela gasped. "My sister wouldn't have stolen Don away from you the way she did!"

"I see," Demona said.

"No, you don't, Mother!" Angela snapped. "Delilah didn't even wait to see if you would change your mind before grabbing him. She just couldn't wait to jump at the chance to get her hooks into him..."

"So that's it," Demona said. "You're mad at Delilah because you feel she should have waited to see if I would take Don back. I suppose you're also mad at him for the same reason."

"Yeah," Angela said. "I mean, he could have at least made an effort to get you back."

"My dear Angela," Demona said. "You have no idea how much of an effort Don made to try to talk me into changing my mind. Why do you think I flew to Paris when I did?"

"Then he should have at least waited until you got back," Angela countered. "Just in case you did change your mind."

"And how long should Don have waited, hmm?" Demona said. "A month, a year?" She paused. "A century, perhaps?" She went over to the table and sat down, pausing for a second as she saw someone by the door. She continued when she saw the person back away. "The fact is, Angela, that Don had no reason to believe that I was going to try to mend our relationship. And with good cause. The fact that Delilah was there for him is no reason to be angry with either of them. Are you going to hold their happiness against them, simply because of me?"

"But..." Angela started, but Demona quickly cut her off.

"No buts, Angela," Demona said. "Don and Delilah are happy together. I should think that you would be happy for her at least, since you have been looking on her as a sister, and that she has found someone who will be a suitable mate."

"That still doesn't change what they did..."

"What they did was find each other in a moment when both needed someone to care for them," Demona countered. "If I'm not mistaken, earlier this year you were worried that she had returned to Thailog. Would you have preferred she had done that instead, or that Thailog had gotten away with her when he held Andrea and myself hostage?"

"No, but..." Angela said, but Demona quickly silenced her a second time.

"Angela," she said. "For better or worse, Delilah is your sister, even if she was artificially created by Sevarius. You made her so by accepting her as such, even when I myself refused to. Would you ruin all that because of something as petty as spite?"

"I'm not spiteful!" Angela protested.

"Aren't you?" Demona said. "I know you are, Angela. I've seen it often enough in my own reflection to know what it is. You resent the fact that Delilah has been able to make things work between herself and Don when I couldn't. And you shouldn't feel resentment towards them, because I certainly don't. They're happy with each other, as you should be for them."

"But I want you to be happy too, Mother," Angela said.

Demona reached out and stroked Angela's cheek. "Just knowing that I have a daughter that loves me is all the happiness I need, Angela," she said. "Now, I believe that you have some fences to mend, and I suggest that you start immediately. Otherwise..."

"All right," Angela said. She got up from the table and headed out of the kitchen in search of Delilah.

Demona got up from the table and went to the counter to get herself a cup of coffee.

"Seems to me like you could use a bit of your own advice," she heard someone say. She quickly turned around and found Don looking at her.

"D...Don," Demona gasped. "I...I didn't hear you come in."

"I've been listening for a while," he said.

"You shouldn't eavesdrop on other peoples' conversations, you know," she said.

"I know," she said. "But I saw you come in here with Angela. I figured I better see what was up." He turned, watching as Angela approached Delilah hesitantly, then began to talk to her. "You should, you know," he said.

"What?" Demona asked.

"What you said about mending fences," he said, turning to look at her once he saw Delilah and Angela hugging each other. "You should try it for yourself."

"Don, I..." she started.

"I know, Demona," he said. He moved over to her and put his hands on her shoulders. Demona thought about brushing them off, but couldn't bring herself to do it. "I was listening, remember? I heard what you told Angela. And I've known for some time why you did what you did."

"I just...I didn't want to risk losing you," she said.

"I guess that's something Elisa never shared with you," he said, smiling.

"What?" she asked.

"A long time ago," he said. "I told Elisa that she couldn't get rid of me, even if she tried."

"When was this?" Demona asked.

"Before I left for the Persian Gulf," Don said. "And I was right. She couldn't get rid of me, and it looks like you can't either."

"Maybe I should try harder," she said.

"Maybe you should quit trying altogether," Don quipped.

This caught Demona by surprise. "Don, you're not trying to..." she started, wondering if Don was making another attempt to get her back.

"No," he said, laughing slightly. "I'm brave," he continued, looking to where Angela and Delilah were helping a few of the children decorate the tree. "But I'm not that brave. Delilah'd kill me." He turned his attention back to Demona. "But I don't think she'd mind if we stayed friends."

Demona thought that over for a moment. "That does seem acceptable."

"You could sound a bit more enthusiastic about it," Don quipped.

Demona smiled widely at him. "Okay," she said. "Friends." She stuck out her hand, then caught the lopsided grin on his face. "Oh, what the hell," she said as Don opened his arms. She threw her own arms around him and lost herself in his friendly embrace.

"Now," he said after they stepped apart, him still holding her hands. "I hear that good old St. Nick is supposed to be here soon. I don't know about you, but I've been looking forward to this all year."

Demona couldn't help but smile, remembering that Andrea had told her about who was going to dress up as Santa Claus for the party. She wasn't about to miss that for the world. Together, they left the kitchen and rejoined the party.

"Now," 'Santa' Hudson said as he lifted a small four-year old girl up onto his knee. "Are ye a good lass, or a naughty one?"

"I'm naughty!" the young girl said defiantly. She reached out and tugged at the elder gargoyle's beard. "So you better fork over the goods, Santa!"

"Kimmy," her mother gasped, shocked.

"That's okay," Elisa said. "I'm sure 'Santa' has something for her in his sack."

"Aye," the faux Santa said. "Although I do miss the days when we'd simply feed the naughty ones to the Great Beast."

Bronx chose that moment to perk up his ears and lick his chops hungrily.

The little girl took one look at Bronx and promptly cried out in terror. "I'll be good! I'll be good! Please don't feed me to him!"

"Hud...uh...Santa!" Elisa cried out in disapproval. "You shouldn't scare the kids like that." Although, she had to admit that his 'threat' had certainly changed the little girl's attitude. She looked at the line of kids waiting for their turn at Santa and saw a few more of them who were looking at Bronx nervously.

"What have we got for the wee lass?" Hudson asked.

"Let's see," Brooklyn, who was in charge of handing out the presents, said. "Here we go. 'Kimmy', right?"

"Yep," the little girl said. She meekly took the brightly wrapped box and thanked him, then hopped off of 'Santa's' knee before darting across the Sanctuary with her prize.

"Thank you, Santa," the young girl's mother said, kissing Hudson on the cheek. It brought a smile to the old gargoyle's face.

"What is that, nine times already?" Lexington said in disbelief as he stood off to one side. "Jeez, what is it with Santa and kids' mothers anyway."

"Aw, you're just jealous that Hudson's having all the fun," Graeme teased.

"You got that right," Lex said. He saw another woman give Hudson a quick kiss on the cheek. "That's it! Next year, I'm going to be Santa."

"You're too short to be Santa," Broadway said. "Not to mention too thin. You'd probably be better off as one of the elves."

"The elves don't score with the chicks," Lex said. He frowned as another woman, who was rather attractive, gave Hudson a quick kiss, only this time it was on the lips. "Oh, man. I can't take this any more. I'm outta here." He headed off across the Sanctuary, so he wouldn't have to watch the spectacle any more.

"What is wrong with Lexington?" Sata asked as she saw Lex depart.

"He's upset that Liz wasn't able to make it here tonight," Graeme said. "She's spending Christmas with her folks."

"Man," Broadway said. "I hope his mood improves by New Year's."

December 31, 1999

6:00 PM

Eyrie Building

Elisa looked at the dress one more time before trying to give it back to Fox, who flatly refused to take it back.

"I couldn't possibly…" Elisa protested.

"Nonsense," Fox said. "If this has anything to do with that police policy about accepting gifts…"

"It's not that," Elisa said. "It's just that I couldn't possibly fit into that dress. It's too small."

"Are you kidding?" Fox said. "We took your measurements for that dress only a few days ago. You couldn't have possibly gained that much weight this fast."

Elisa turned and looked at her profile in the full-length mirror, letting her hand drift down to rest on her belly. "I feel like I have."

"My God, Elisa," Fox said. "You've only been pregnant for three weeks. Believe me, you haven't gained that much. Take it from someone who's been through it once already." Fox patted her own stomach, which was washboard flat, even after giving birth to Alexander Xanatos three years ago.

Off to one side, Angela smiled at Sata. "Were you like that with Graeme and Ariana?" she asked.

"I do not think Brooklyn would have put up with me if I had been," Sata said with a smile on her face. She turned her attention to Elisa. "Trust us, Elisa-chan. You look radiant."

"See," Elisa said, trying to give the dress back to Fox. "Even Sata thinks I'm fat."

"I did not say that," Sata protested. "I merely said you look radiant."

"Right," Elisa said. "Translation: fat!"

"Okay, it's official," Fox said. "Elisa holds the record for the fastest mood swings in history. Even I didn't start mine until my second trimester."

There was a knock on the door. Elisa quickly dropped the dress on the bed and grabbed a bathrobe while Angela went to answer it.

"Everyone decent in there?" Xanatos asked as he started to peek inside.

Elisa quickly closed the robe.

"Everyone except me, David," Fox teased.

"Then maybe I should have Goliath come back later," he said. He started to pull back.

"No, that's okay," she said. She quickly crossed over to the door and looked out into the hall. "Maybe you'll have better luck getting her ready for the party." She opened the door and let Goliath in.

Elisa turned and looked at him. A smile crossed her face.

As Goliath entered the room, Fox stood on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear. "Just don't tell her she looks radiant," she warned.

"I heard that, Fox," Elisa said.

Fox giggled as she fled the room. David followed her lead and Angela and Sata left as well.

Goliath crossed the room and took Elisa in her arms. "Hello, my love," he said.

Elisa reached up and planted a long kiss on his lips. "Hi, yourself," she returned.

Goliath carefully set her down and brought his hand down to her belly. "How are you feeling?"

"You mean aside from the fact I feel like a blimp?" Elisa said.

Goliath carefully opened the bathrobe and looked at her belly. There was hardly any swelling at all. He placed his hand on the bare skin of her belly. "You certainly don't look it," he said.

"Oh, really," Elisa said, raising her eyebrow. "How do I look?"

"You look…" he hesitated for an instant as he recalled Fox's warning. "Beautiful."

He seemed to hear a collective sigh come from the direction of the door. He took his hand from her belly and turned towards the bed. He picked up the dress. "And you would look even more beautiful in this," he added.

"You're just saying that," Elisa said.

"I mean it," Goliath returned. He walked behind her and turned her towards the mirror, holding the dress in front of her. She smiled as she looked at her reflection. She put her hands on the dress to hold it up as Goliath eased the bathrobe off her shoulders and placed his lips on her throat.

"Mmm," she murmured. "Keep that up and we'll be late for the party. I thought you were supposed to talk me into wearing this thing, not keep me out of it." She turned to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck, letting the dress fall to the floor.

He bent his head down and captured her lips with his own. He held her briefly before breaking the contact and bending down to gather up the dress. "You are right," he said.

Elisa took the dress and smiled at him. "I'll be ready in a few minutes," she said.

It took Elisa slightly longer than a few minutes to get ready, but when Goliath saw the results, he knew it was well worth the wait. The backless black dress she wore seemed designed to mold itself to her figure, except in the outer portion of the dress, where a slit ran up the length of the dress on either side, exposing her shapely legs, which were further accentuated by a pair of high heels. Elisa blushed slightly as she watched Goliath look over every curve of her body.

"You have no idea how tight this thing feels," she quipped, moving towards him. "I swear, I'm almost afraid to breathe in this. Any second, I expect the seams to give out."

"Then we had best hope that they hold throughout the night," Goliath said. "I must admit, though, it is good to see you in this manner, my Elisa. It has been some time since last I saw you in a dress. It is very becoming."

"When was it?" she asked. "Six months ago, right? Just before Don came back?"

"The night I asked you to be my mate," Goliath said. "Though this dress is somewhat more revealing than the one you wore that night."

"Tell me about it," Elisa quipped. She sighed heavily, slightly amazed that she was able to without splitting the seams wide open, then placed her hand on Goliath's arm. "I believe we have a party to go to," she said. "Shall we?"

Goliath smiled as he led his love through the castle halls towards the elevator, which they would take to the helipad several levels below, and from there Fox would ferry them, along with Angela and Broadway, toPack Media Studios, where the party was already starting to get underway.

Pack Media Studios

Andrea Calhoun stepped out of the limousine and looked at the building before her. It certainly was nice of Xanatos to agree to hold the party here, she thought as she heard the sounds of the party emanating from the structure. She had tried to make arrangements for the PIT New Year's Eve celebration earlier in the year, but everything was booked solid. If it hadn't been for the fact that she had close ties to Goliath's clan, she doubted she could have gotten this place on such short notice.

She turned as she heard the limousine pull away, then paused as she looked at her watch. Almost eight, she thought. Where are you, Dominique? Her friend had promised that she would try to meet Andrea there, but she knew that Dominique was nervous about showing up at the party. Many of the people attending the party tonight had been at the PIT Halloween Party last year, and had met and marveled at Dominique's 'life-like' gargoyle costume. So there was the very real possibility that a few would make the connection between Dominique Destine and the gargoyles who were going to be in attendance tonight.

The sound of helicopter blades in the air drew her attention skyward, and she saw a familiar red and black helicopter descending towards her. She stepped back as she saw the aircraft land, then waited until the blades stopped spinning before approaching.

The side door opened, and she smiled as she saw Goliath step out of the helicopter, then paused for a moment as he helped Elisa out.

"Hi, Andrea," Angela said as Broadway helped her out a moment later. Andrea smiled at the lovely young gargoyle, taking in for a moment the navy blue dress she wore instead of her usual tunic.

"Hi, Angela," she returned. "Nice dress."

"You think so?" Angela said as she turned in front of Andrea. "Mother had it made especially for me. Kate designed it."

"I kind of figured that," Andrea said. "She had this one made for me."

Angela looked at the sapphire-blue evening dress Andrea wore. "It's lovely."

"I'm jealous," Fox said as she and Xanatos stepped out of the helicopter. "Angela, tell your mother that I'm going to try to steal Miss Roswell away from her the first chance I get. I probably can pay her double what Demona is."

"And I can no doubt top even that, my dear," Xanatos said.

"David, you wouldn't dare," Fox gasped. "Outbidding your own wife?"

"Come now, Fox," he quipped. "You should know by now what a ruthless businessman I can be. You knew that when you married me."

"I know, but still..." she started as he led her towards the door of the studio.

"It really is a lovely dress, " Elisa said once the Xanatoses were out of earshot.

"I agree," Goliath said.

Andrea smiled at the large gargoyle. "Thanks, Goliath," she said before turning her attention to Elisa. "Thank you, too. Happy birthday, by the way."

"Thanks," Elisa said. "But what say we all go inside before I freeze to death. We can talk then."

"I was hoping that Dominique would be here by now," Andrea said as they entered the studio. "She did say she was coming." She turned to Angela. "She didn't say anything to you about changing her mind, did she?"

"No," Angela said. "Mother told me last night that she would be here."

"I hope she gets here soon," Andrea said.

They paused as they heard a car pull up. Thinking it might be Dominique, Andrea turned and smiled as she approached the vehicle, but stopped when she saw the couple getting out.

"Welcome, Macbeth," Goliath said to the former Scot king. "And to you, Professor Walker."

"Thanks for inviting us," Joanna Walker said. "Otherwise, I think Len would have spent the entire night by himself."

"I wouldna have done that, luv," he said. "I'm certain ye would have found a way to get me to at least one New Year's party sometime tonight." He turned his attention to Goliath. "I take it yuir clan is already inside."

"Angela and Broadway came with us," Elisa said, then blushed slightly as Macbeth's eyes bulged slightly at the sight of her dress.

"Very...lovely, detective," he managed to stammer before Joanna nudged him in the ribs. He managed to tear his eyes away from her and looked at Joanna. "I'm sorry, my dear," he said. "It's just...this is the first time I've seen the detective in something other than her normal street clothes."

"I get the feeling she picked it out just to see what the reaction would be," Joanna said.

"Actually, Fox is the one who picked it out," Elisa said. "But you're probably right about the reason." She looked down at the nearly skin-tight dress. "Believe me, I'd never pick out something like this for myself."

"It is still quite becoming, detective," Macbeth said. "Goliath is a very lucky gargoyle."

"Thank you, Macbeth," Goliath said.

"That still doesna mean I won't try and steal a dance from her," he said with a hint of a smile as he extended his hand. "My lady?"

Goliath rumbled low in his throat, causing Macbeth to back away slightly.

"I dinna mean anything by that, Goliath," he said quickly. "If ye want, you can have a dance with Joanna if ye'd like."

"I don't know, Len," she said. "I've never danced with a gargoyle before. I mean, do they even..."

Elisa looked from Macbeth to Goliath before turning her attention to Joanna. "Oh, don't worry," she said. "Believe it or not, Goliath is a terrific dance partner." She looked up at Goliath. "That is, if you don't mind?"

Goliath bowed gallantly to Joanna. "I would consider it an honor," he said. He reached out and lightly took Joanna's hand in his own and escorted her out onto the floor.

"He is a good dancer at that," Macbeth said, watching the two of them together. He turned to Elisa. "If you would do me the honor, milady?" he said, bowing.

"Hmm," Elisa thought. "The chance to dance with royalty," she said. "Who am I to say no to that?" She took Macbeth's extended hand and let him sweep her out onto the floor with the others.

It wasn't long before the rest of the clan arrived, which caused a bit of a stir as the human partygoers took in what they were wearing. The males of the clan, Goliath included, had chosen to wear their usual attire, but it was the females who caused the stir. Angela had worn a navy-blue evening dress, which was cut low in the back for her wings, and there was a daring slit up the side, ostensibly to show off a bit of leg, but it also gave her a bit of room underneath so that she could keep her tail under the dress, instead of having it stick out through the back. Sata wore a red-and-gold Mandarin dress, which seemed to hug her curves as tightly as Elisa's dress did, and Brooklyn had to glare at more than one person who asked for a dance from her.

"And no one's bothering to ask me to dance," Lex said, sounding dejected. He drifted over towards the wall and sat, alone.

"Hey, cutey," he heard a cheery voice say.

Lex looked up, and a smile crossed his face. There was Liz, wearing a pink dress.

"Liz!" he said. "I didn't know you were going to be here."

"I conned my parents into coming here," she quipped. "I told them that a couple of friends invited me out to a swell shindig for New Year's and that we were meeting here."

"Your parents are here?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said, pointing off to one side. "That's them, talking to Richard and Quinn."

Lex looked, spotting Richard Harrison and Quinn talking to a tall, rather solidly built man with dark brown hair who looked like he could easily go a few rounds with Goliath. Next to him stood a petite blonde who could have easily passed for Liz's older sister. He gulped. "That's your Dad?"

"Yep," she said. "So don't try anything funny, pal."

"I wouldn't dream of it," he said.

"Good," Liz said. "Come on," she added, grabbing his hand. "I want you to meet them."

"I...don't think that's a good idea, Liz," he said shakily, still trying to get over the sheer size of Liz's dad.

"Sure it is," she said, taking hold of Lex's hand and pulling him behind her. "Mom, Dad," she called out. "Here's someone I'd like you to meet."

Liz's parents turned and saw her dragging a web-winged gargoyle towards them. Her mother looked at him curiously while her father's face drew up in a bit of a frown.

"Mom, Dad," she said. "This is Lex."

Lex looked up at the imposing figure of Liz's father. For some reason, the image of a bug splattered against a windshield immediately sprang to mind. "Uh hi," he said meekly.

Elisa and Goliath watched the exchange between Liz's parents and Lexington. "I get the feeling Lexington is a little uncomfortable at meeting Liz's parents," Goliath said.

"I don't blame him," Elisa said. "I mean, look at the size of that guy."

"He does seem formidable," Goliath said. "But no more so than most humans."

"Says you," Elisa quipped. "I don't know about you, but I sure wouldn't want to tangle with that guy. Not without a lot of back-up." She looked at Liz's father. "And an air strike."

They watched as Lex began talking to the two adults, shakily at first, but then they seemed to warm up to the small gargoyle, and eventually Liz's father reached out and shook Lex's hand. When they went off to join the rest of the party, Liz and Lex headed over to Goliath and Elisa, Lex shaking his hand slightly.

"Something wrong, Lex?" Elisa asked.

"Her dad's got a grip like steel vise," he said. "I think he might have broken something."

"He just wanted to make sure you didn't try anything, Lex," Liz quipped. "I really think he liked you, though," she added.

"Why do you say that?" he asked.

"Because he didn't try to squish you," Liz said with a giggle.

Andrea stepped outside for a moment, looking up at the night sky. The air was crisp and clean, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. A beautiful winter's night, but still there was no sign of Dominique.

"Okay, Dom," she said aloud. "Where..."

As if in response, she heard the flutter of wings, and she looked up to see the azure gargoyle descending towards her. Demona landed in front of her and Andrea's eyes went wide.

"Wow!" Andrea said at the sight of the dress Demona was wearing. "You're going to turn every head in the room with that."

"You think so?" she asked. "It isn't much..."

"I'll say!" Andrea said. "Any less and you'd be arrested for indecent exposure."

"Perhaps," Demona said with a hint of a smile. "I just wanted to make certain no one looked too closely at my face tonight," she said. "And Kate was more than willing to design the perfect distraction for me."

"I seriously doubt that anyone's going to be looking at your face, Dom," Andrea quipped. "At least not right away." She watched as Demona did a very slow turn in front of her. "One piece of advise, though," she said as they headed for the door.

"What?" Demona asked.

"Keep a lookout for stray hands," Andrea said. "Some of the guys in there just might forget that you're a gargoyle and try something funny, especially with midnight just around the corner."

"I'll be sure to remember that."

The door opened, and Elisa paused as she was about to take a sip of punch to see who the new arrivals were. "Oh...my...God," she gasped.

Demona came into the room, and all activity seemed to pause for a moment as everyone's eyes turned towards her.

"What did I tell you?" Andrea whispered into Demona's ear.

Demona was wearing a sheer, almost see-thru, single strap blue dress that was just a shade lighter than her own skin. At strategic points however, there were strips of shimmering blue polyester that were cut and positioned just so as to approximate the look of her usual halter and loincloth. The effect the dress had on the room was staggering. Elisa heard a long, drawn-out 'Whew!', which was abruptly cut off as Fox elbowed her husband in the side.

Demona and Andrea made their way through the room, heading for Elisa and Goliath, and the crowd in the room parted to give her room, everyone's eyes following the azure gargoyle.

"Good evening, detective," Demona said once she reached the table.

"De...Demona," Elisa stammered slightly. She took in the dress. "Wow!"

"It seems you were right, Andrea," Demona quipped. "I did turn a few heads."

"You could be sued for whiplash, Demona," Elisa said. "And I think you may have caused a few bruised ribs in the process."

"How..." she started, but then she saw Xanatos rubbing the spot where Fox had jabbed him. "I see," she said.

Xanatos chose that moment to step forward, out of his wife's elbow range. "Demona, you are looking extremely lovely this evening," he said. He tried to take her hand and kiss it, but Demona quickly snatched it out of reach.

"Thank you for the compliment, Xanatos," she said. "But I would prefer that you keep your hands to yourself."

"Of course," he said. Turning, he headed back towards Fox, who had a very disapproving look in her eye.

"And what do you think, Goliath?" Demona asked, turning to consider her former mate.

"I...I think...that..." he stammered, trying to get his emotions in check. "It..." He stopped, then set down his cup and turned towards the door. "If you will excuse me," he said as he practically bolted for the door.

Elisa set down her cup and started after him. "I'll be back in a minute," she said to the two women. "Goliath, wait up," she called out.

She found Goliath standing outside, his hands braced against the side of the building and his head hung in shame. "Goliath, what's wrong?" she asked.

"It...is...Demona," he said. "She...I..." He stopped as he looked at his love, his future mate. "Elisa, there is something I need to tell you," he said, shaking. "Demona...and I..."

"I know, Goliath," she said softly.

He looked at her, shock clear in his eyes. "You...know? How..."

"Demona told me what happened," she said. "That morning, after I got up."

"Elisa, you should know that she..."

"Please, Goliath," she said quickly, sensing what he was about to say. "Don't say it. I'm not angry with you because of what happened, but I will be if you try to put this solely on her." She stepped over to Goliath and put her hands on his arms. "Despite everything that's happened between the two of you, I know that, deep down, you still care about Demona, just as she cares for you. Don't try to cheapen that by saying that what happened was her fault."

"But what she and I did that night..."

"Was no different than what Don and I did," Elisa said. "The only difference was that you knew beforehand what I had in mind. There was no way either of us could know that Demona would become involved." She sighed then, looking down at the ground. "In a strange way, it's better that this happened when it did."

"How so?" Goliath asked, still shocked.

"It gave all of us a sense of closure, Goliath," she said. "Don and myself, and you and Demona. When this all started six years ago, we were both still reeling from the loss of someone we held dear to our hearts. Then we found them again, only to lose them a second time. And neither one of us had the chance to say goodbye."

"But you did get that chance, Elisa," he reminded her. "When Don returned after the fire..."

"But things were different between us," Elisa said. "I knew that we couldn't go back to the way things were, but I tried anyway. And we...Don and I...we didn't..."

"I had thought that you had..." Goliath started.

"I guess, even then, Don knew that you and I were destined for each other, Goliath," she said. "Maybe that's why he wouldn't when we were together earlier this year, and why he gave me the opportunity to back out that one night."

"But you and he did eventually..." Goliath said.

"But I had to talk him into it," Elisa said. "That's why you shouldn't judge Demona because of what happened between the two of you, because I'd be guilty of the same thing. What happened happened, Goliath, and I don't blame you or Don or even Demona for it. We all needed comfort that night, Goliath. Don't blame Demona because she needed you that night as much as you needed her, because I know I sure don't. She's finally started to get her life back on track, Goliath. Don't ruin all that for her because of one small incident."

Goliath took Elisa in his arms, holding her tight. "Every so often, my love, you do or say something that reminds me of why I fell in love with you in the first place," he said.

She looked up, seeing the smile on his face. "And so do you," she said. "Now, what say we head back inside. You may not feel the cold, but I'm freezing out here."

He smiled as he heard her teeth begin to chatter and quickly wrapped his wing around her as they headed back inside.

Don and Delilah were standing by the table, talking with Andrea and Demona when Goliath returned, his wing draped around Elisa.

"We wondered where you went to," Don said. He could see that Elisa's teeth were chattering slightly. "You okay, Elis'?" he asked.

"You have no idea how cold it is out there," Elisa said.

"Why were you outside?" Delilah asked.

"Goliath and I needed a little...privacy," she said. "There was something we needed to discuss."

"Is he in trouble?" Don asked.

Elisa looked up at Goliath. "No," she said. "Not yet, at least."

Goliath took his wing from around Elisa's shoulders and cautiously approached Demona. "I would consider it an...honor...if you would share one dance with me, Demona," he said, bowing slightly to her.

Demona's eyes went wide in surprise, and she looked over at Elisa, who gave her a nod of approval. "All right," she said. "But just one, mind you. I'm certain that your intended plans to monopolize you the rest of the night."

"I'm certain that she will," Goliath said, extending his arm. Demona placed her hand on his arm and allowed herself to be led out onto the dance floor.

"They make such a lovely couple," Andrea said, almost without thinking. "Makes me wish I brought my paints and a canvas so I can..." She stopped, looking at Elisa with a touch of horror in her eyes. "Oh, God," she said. "Elisa, I'm sorry. I forgot that you and he are..."

"It's all right," Elisa said. "You're right. They do make a nice couple." She paused for a minute. "But whatever they had together was over a long time ago. No one can go back and change the past." She looked over at Don. "As much as some of us would like to."

"I know the feeling," Don said. He stepped away from Delilah for a moment and took Elisa by the hand. "You know, we haven't danced yet tonight," he said.

Elisa looked at Delilah. "Is it okay with you?" she asked.

"Of course," she said, then put her hand on Don's shoulder and whispered in Don's ear. "Just so long as you remember who you're going home with tonight."

Elisa grinned at that. "I don't think you have to worry too much, Delilah," she said. "Don't forget who's taking me home tonight."

"All right, everybody," the emcee shouted as the wall-sized monitor showed a view of Times Square. Everyone watched and waited for the giant ball started to begin its descent. "Five minutes and counting."

"Well, this is it," Elisa said as she hung on Goliath's arm. "The end of the old year and the beginning of the new."

"I can only hope that the new year will be somewhat less 'eventful' than this year was," Goliath said.

"It would be nice," Elisa said. "But you know as well as I do that it isn't going to happen. Just remember, in about nine months, the two of us are really going to have our hands full."

"If that were to be the only disturbance in our lives in the coming year," Goliath said. "I would gladly face it with open arms."

"Same here," she said.

"Nine months?" they heard someone say. They turned and saw Macbeth and Joanna walker approaching them. "Does that mean what I think it does?" Macbeth said.

"Yep," Elisa said. "I'm going to have a baby."

Macbeth looked at Goliath in amazement. "Then I suppose that congratulations are in order," he said. "Although, I wasna sure if the two of ye could ever..."

"Goliath...isn't the father," Elisa said discretely. "It's a long story."

"I suppose it would be at that," he said. "But still, a toast is in order." He snared a couple of champagne glasses from a passing waitress and handed one each to Goliath and Elisa. "To the happy parents-to-be," he said. "May ye be blessed with fine children and happy memories."

Elisa and Goliath raised their glasses, tapping them with Macbeth and Joanna's, then took a quick sip before Goliath came up with a toast of his own.

"And to you, Macbeth," he said. "May you find happiness yourself in the coming year."

"Here, here," Elisa said.

"Toasting the new year already?" Don said as he and Delilah approached. "There's still two minutes left."

"Just wishing each other joy in the coming year, Don," Goliath said. "With all that has happened this past year, one should hope for better things in the year to come."

"Sounds like a good idea," Don said. He put his arm around Delilah, holding her close. "We all could use some hope for the future."

"Aye," Macbeth said. "And a good way to start is to put the past behind us." He looked around for a moment. "If ye'll excuse me for just a moment..."

They watched as Macbeth headed across the room, searching for one person in particular. He came back with Andrea Calhoun and Demona in tow.

"I don't understand..." Elisa said.

"If we're to put the past behind us," Macbeth said. "Then I think it should begin here, with the four of us. For too long, we've been adversaries, and it's cost all of us dearly."

Demona looked at Macbeth. "I agree," she said. "It is time to put the past behind us. With the new year, we should begin anew. Make this the year we finally come together as one. One clan, one family." She looked at Delilah and Don. "Let's make this a new beginning for all of us."

"To new beginnings, then," Don said, even as the countdown to the new year began.

"Five...four...three...two...one...Happy New Year!" everyone shouted as balloons and streamers began to fall from the ceiling, and the melodious tones of 'Auld Lang Syne' began to filter through the room. As the New Year's celebration around them grew, the group raised their glasses for one more toast.

"To new beginnings?" Elisa said.

Demona looked over at her one-time enemy and her former mate before looking at Macbeth. "To new beginnings," she said.

"Aye," the former Scot king said. "To new beginnings, for all of us."

"Agreed," Goliath said.

The End