Title: To Protect, and Ultimately Love (Prologue)
Author: Quantara
Email: quantara@nzoomail.com
Written: Aug 30-Sep 2 2002
Category: Angst, Thriller, Suspense, Angst, Angst, Angst, Angst and Angst
Disclaimer: The characters of Elisa Maza, Matt Bluestone and the other Gargoyles related characters belong to Disney/Buena Vista. Maurice Boscorelli, Faith Yokas and other Third Watch related characters belong to NBC, WB and its other owners. I wish I owned them, but sadly I do not. All new characters are of my own creation.
Rating: R - for Adult Themes and Content
Warnings: This Prologue is pretty dark, and contains references to content that may disturb or deeply upset some people. Deals with physical violence, use of drugs, spousal abuse and rape.
Author's Notes 2: The main characters used in this story are the characters of Elisa Maza and Faith Yokas and are done on a 'what if' scale of things, ie, what if their lives had gone differently than they did in the given TV series up to the point of February 2001. In saying this, I hope that their portrayal is as in character, given these changes, as they need to be to remain 'in character' to the show. (wow, what a mouthful that was!)

* * * * * * * *
PROLOGUE
* * * * * * * *

February 14th 2001
10.53pm

An older woman of about fifty-seven years and African American descent sat, trembling, on the edge of the single bed in the dark room. Her hands covered the ears of her frightened nine-month-old grandson. Tears were streaming down her face in fear as she stared at the closed door mere feet away. In the other room she could hear the screams of her daughter, begging with her ex-boyfriend to leave. One and a half years since their two-week relationship ended, Michael Robson still thought he had rights to come round to the home of her daughter and grandson.

The woman flinched, hearing skin meet skin and as a soft whimper filled the air, a woman moaning in pain. More crying from her daughter as Michael hit her again. Repeatedly. Each hit getting worse with every cry her daughter let out.

She wanted to run into the other room and rescue her daughter from the hands of the bastard that was beating on her, but a promise she made kept her behind the closed door, holding on with all her life to her crying grandson.

The beating in the other room ceased soon after the crying did and the woman could only fear the worse for her daughter. Then came the sound she feared most, his footsteps growing louder as he reached the room. The door swung open and Michael stood there, hands balled into fists at his side, from the glint of the room behind him, she knew it was blood she could see trickling down the back of his right fist. There were no words exchanged as his dark figure entered the room, eyes reflective to a degree in the dark, and she swallowed hard.

She clutched onto her grandson, holding him closer to her, feeling his heart beating fast in his tiny chest, a beat matching that of her own.

"You're not going to keep my son from me," Michael's dark, rough voice stated as he removed the gun from the back of his belt. He then took his screaming son from her, into his arms. "I'm sorry it had to come to this, Diane. But he's my son and she should have let me see him," he whispered. She could hear the tears straining in his voice as he lifted the gun to her head.

She didn't close her eyes, just stared back at him as she watched him bite his lower lip as it trembled, his hand tightly gripped onto the weapon as he then squeezed the trigger. Her world instantly grew dark as she fell forward, slumping onto the ground at Michael's feet. The last thing she could hear was the cries of her grandson.

And then nothing.

* * *

Same Time

The room was dark, the only lights were those coming from the two burning candles on the duchess at the far wall of the bedroom. Elisa Maza stood at the foot end of the bed, her hands trembling as she pulled up the zipper on her jeans. With the zip finally up, she bit her lower lip, staring at the form lying under the blankets in the bed. Don't wake up, please don't wake up... she quickly thought. She remained standing where she was for a long moment, her heart racing in her chest when she suddenly shivered as felt a cool breeze brush against the bare skin of her back. She bent down to the floor and reached for her black T-shirt, automatically pulling it over her head after she stood up, trying not to wince as the material rubbed against the abrasion on her right elbow from the fall she'd had earlier that day.

Tucking the T-shirt into her jeans, Elisa then slipped on both her boots before walking over to the head end of the bed where her jacket was on the bedside cabinet. She picked it up, accidentally causing what was underneath it drop to the ground. A small tin tray with two syringes and empty vials. Drugs.

How did my life get so messed up?

Closing her eyes, she moved her right hand to her stomach, her jacket dropped to the ground out from her other hand as she sat down on the edge of the bed. Her eyes opened after a moment, releasing the tears that had built up beneath her eyelids. After swallowing, she bit down on her lower lip as more tears filled her eyes and rolled effortlessly down her cheeks. But it wasn't just her life she was messing up, not any more. Now there were two. Hers and her baby's. My baby... she quietly thought, swallowing hard as her chest heaved. She quickly suppressed the sob that was coming up and rose to her feet once more, turning back to the form in the bed once she was standing. He didn't care, not since his accident those months before her break up with Goliath sixteen weeks ago. The drugs had taken full control of his mind, his every being. She wondered how her life had taken the sudden change it had.

Like a memory, somehow suppressed by the drugs they injected into themselves every night, she remembered painfully how she turned to him, the only true friend she had left in this sorry world. His escape came from the drugs, and soon so had hers. That first night was the most awful night of her life. Her mind was completely fucked up, no thought was complete and worst of all, she had sex with him. It hadn't meant to come to that. To come to the way it was now. All she'd wanted was a friend to talk to, someone who would listen. Someone who knew about her involvement with the clan.

She did admit that, yes, in a lot of ways she loved him, but was it really love? Or was it, like the drugs, just a way to get away from the troubles life had thrust at her? As a cop, both of them, knew how wrong drugs were. They arrested druggies, lectured them on the effects and damages it did to not only their health, but also their lives. What hypocrites they were though.

Letting out a breath, she picked up her jacket once more and slipped it on over her shoulders. "We've gotta stop doing this, Matt..." she whispered before leaning over and placed a kiss on the redhead man's forehead. She brushed the hair from his eyes, feeling tears build up in her eyes all over again as her gaze dropped to his mouth, then back to his closed eyes. "It doesn't just damage us..." she whispered softly, swallowing the tears away as she stood up. Her chest heaved again, this time slower as she let out a low breath. "Not any more..." she added, closing her eyes as she turned around and headed along the edge of the bed until she reached the door and quietly opened it, closing it behind her as she left.

* * *

Same Time

Sitting with her back against the cold tiles of her bathroom, Faith Yokas stared across the small room at the door, her entire body shaking violently. Thoughts of her young children raced before her and a silent prayer quickly filled her mind. Every part of her thankful that they were visiting with their grandparents when Fred had came home pissed out of his mind again tonight. She flinched, hearing him roar her name, knowing there were only minutes before he'd find her.

The same thing had been going on for months, violence from his drunkenness. Yes, he apologized the morning after every time, but she started to fear him. It wasn't right that a wife should fear her husband, but there she sat, body shaking uncontrollably as she tried to regain each breath he'd stolen from her with the blows his fists had dealt her. Her body shook as she hid from him, echoing a distant memory of her own drunken father the sole time he'd gotten violent when he was drunk. She felt every fibre of her body flinch as Fred hollered her name again. He was getting closer now.

Like a child, she clutched her knees against her chest, wincing ever slightly as the belt of her jeans dug into the bare skin of her stomach where he had punched her. And just like a child, she sat there, hiding in the shadows of the dark room, wishing she knew what she had done to piss him off this time. She'd loved him without question all these years and suddenly, here she sat, fearing. Fearing that tonight was going to be the night when he'd beat her that bit more than the he had the fortnight before.

His footsteps growing louder, she clutched her knees even tighter to her chest, crying with dry eyes, inside begging with God that He wouldn't let Fred get to her again. Not tonight. Not ever again. That for once He'd make the drunken bastard go to sleep and drink off whatever had him so pissed off. But the door swung open and she could smell the foul stench of alcohol on his clothing, on his breath. Every where on him.

"Please...please don't...don't do this Fred..." she quietly pleaded with him, her voice raspy as he rushed over to her. She let out a yelp mixed with a cry as he yanked her by her hair and pulled her to her feet then slammed her against the wall. "Don't...Fred, please don't!" she screamed, begging with him.

"Shut up!" He shouted back at her, shoving her heavily against the wall once more.

"Can't we talk this through!?" Faith could hear herself scream, her words trailing off into nothing as his fist struck her just below her eye. Pain surged through her entire face and she could feel herself start to slip downward. Her vision started to blur and fade in and out of darkness when Fred grabbed her by the hair once more. Yanking her upward so she was standing, his other hand gripping her jaw so that she was looking directly at him. There was nothing but pure, relentless anger in his eyes and she found herself whispering the name of the sole person she wished was there to rescue her. "Bosco..." she breathed, the thought of him made her whimper, knowing for sure he would be the only one to save her now.

But he wasn't there.

He didn't know Fred had started beating her.

And that's when Fred shoved her head hard up against the wall again. Her whole body felt like an electric current went rippling through it and her knees begun to buckle beneath her as her body grew weak.

"I..I shoulda known you'd call for your...your fuck buddy..." Fred laughed, his teeth grinding as pulled her back up so that she was standing up in front of him. "Kinda figures why...why you won't fuck me then, huh Faith? Not wh-when you have *him*!"

"Don't..." Faith whispered, her voice barely audible as her eyes drifted shut, though they quickly jerked open when he roughly shook her head by the fistful of her hair he had in his hand. She screamed in pain, wanting him to just leave her the hell alone.

"Don't!?" he screamed back at her, his deep brown eyes furious as he let go of her and she dropped to the ground, her feet sliding out from under her as she fell on her bottom. "I...I gave you everything you ever asked for!" he screamed again, this time tears of rage fuelling his voice as he crouched down in front of her, a dark, dangerous leer in his eyes. She begged to God that He'd give her the strength to get away from Fred, but every part of her was too weak, too much in pain to process a single thought much less make her arms and legs move. "And what did I get!?" he continued, jerking her out of her own thoughts as she stared back at him, body shaking. "Nothing! But I'm going to take...take what I deserve! What you *owe* me!"

Faith stared at him, her eyes burning with shards of pain, she tried to will herself to gather the strength to push him away. But fear paralyzed her as she took in a deep breath, wanting to scream, wanting for God to kill her in that moment as Fred yanked her by the legs so that she was laying flat on the ground. Her head hit the ice-cold tiles beneath her and she let out a cry, everything fading out, but all too late as she felt his hands ripping her shirt open and then as they trailed down to the belt of her jeans. Please, just let me die... came her last thoughts as everything faded to black.