"Titanic: Gargoyles Style"
by Lisette: Lisette_1@lycos.com

Legalese: Nothing here is of my own creation. The characters from Gargoyles belong to Buena Vista and Disney. The characters from Titanic, the script of the movie, including a lot of the lines and descriptions, belong to James Cameron. In no way will a profit be made from this.

Rating: PG-13 due to language and content

Boat Deck, Saturday, 4/13/1912

"So, you are a protector?" Goliath asked slowly, his curiosity peaked at the woman's life.

Smiling, Elisa nodded at his skeptic smile. "Yes. After my parents died when I was young, I had no close relatives. So, I left."

Shaking his head, Goliath couldn't believe what he heard.. the freedom that this woman had... and the beauty as well. Even among the crowded decks of wealthy passengers, his companion's beauty shone past her meager means. Once again, the sun was shining down on the new deck, adding to the tranquility that slowly settled over him.. which was unusual considering the state he had been in earlier. All day, he had been debating the things that had occurred the night before, from his situation, to his apparent rescue, to Demona's uncharacteristic show of love for him. All in all, he knew that something needed to be done, some decision about his life must be made. Yet, throughout all of that was a strange desire to see the woman who had saved his life the night before. So, with his mind set, the first thing he did was search out the woman, his appearance causing quite a stir in the third class. After finding her, they then proceeded to circle the deck and the ship, chatting idly back and forth about her past. "But.. what have you been doing all this time?"

Grinning, Elisa smiled up the tall gargoyle. "Well, I traveled the world and saw the sights."

"But.. how did you support yourself?" Goliath asked, afraid of coming off rude by asking such a personal question.

Noting this, Elisa felt another smile pull at her lips. "Well, you see, like I said before, I'm a protector," Elisa replied as they circled around a cluster of the elite. Ignoring their pointed looks at her clothing, Elisa focused once more on her companion. "I get paid a small bit of money for helping people out and solving problems for people... for protecting them," Elisa replied, a thoughtful frown on her face as she tried to describe exactly what she did. "I met up with my friend, Matt Bluestone, along the way, and we've been working together ever since."

"Ah, I see," Goliath said politely, nodding his head slowly. In all honesty, he didn't really see what the human meant. After all, there was no such thing of a person doing whatever they felt like doing in his world. It was simply unheard of. Still, he couldn't help but feel a certain attraction and pull to her carefree lifestyle. To doing what he wanted and that was it.

"But, I'm sure that you didn't ask to see me to talk about my past," Elisa said quietly, a small smile pulling on her face as she watched the large gargoyle become suddenly tense. Slowing up, Elisa walked towards one of the railings that divided the deck from the water so far below.

"Yes, well..." Goliath said, clearing his throat quickly as he walked up to join Elisa at the railing, his eyes watching the rolling blue waves. "Miss Maza, I..."

"Elisa," she interrupted quickly, the smirk that he was beginning to recognize reappearing.

Sending her an amused glance, Goliath nodded slowly. "Yes, Elisa," he said, his voice a low rumble. "I wanted to.. to thank you for what you did," Goliath said quickly. Now that he was actually going to say what he intended to say, everything poured out like a dam had been broken. "Not just for.. for fighting and saving me, but also for your discretion," he rumbled, his voice low. This was difficult for him. By thanking the woman, he not only admitted to his needing the help from another, but also to the fact that he purposely did not fight back.

Looking at the large gargoyle, Elisa, too, realized how difficult it was for him to say what he did. Sighing, Elisa nodded her head slowly. "You're welcome, Goliath," she said, her voice light.

Growling, Goliath shook his head in frustration, completely throwing Elisa for a loop. "Look," he growled, "I know what you must be thinking! Poor little rich gargoyle.. what does he know about misery?"

"No," Elisa interrupted quickly, her own voice sharp as she quickly reached a hand out and touched his large lavender arm, "that's not what I was thinking," she continued, her voice growing soft. "What I was thinking was... what could have happened to hurt this gargoyle so much that he thought that he had no way out.. no reason left to fight."

"I don't," Goliath quickly defended, even though he knew he was lying. "Well, it wasn't just one thing," he amended, his voice growing soft so as that the people milling around them wouldn't overhear. The last thing he needed was this conversation getting back to Demona or Hudson. "It was everything," he continued sadly, his eyes tracing the horizon. "It was... this," he finished as he slowly reached out and showed a small and simple band of gold that rested on his finger.

"Oh my," Elisa breathed, knowing instinctively what the ring meant.

"Yes," Goliath nodded grimly, staring down hatefully at the ring that bound him to his word. "All of high society has been invited.. I've given my word," Goliath said, his voice tight with hidden emotion.

Looking up at the massive gargoyle, Elisa couldn't help but keep the pity from showing on her face. "Do you love her?" she asked quietly, her voice low.

Startled, Goliath jerked away from Elisa quickly, surprise registering on his face. "What?" he asked in amazement, not believing that she had asked that of him. Really, he was more afraid of what the question implied.. what his answer would be.

Surprised as well by the sudden hostility that she sensed in the gargoyle, Elisa stepped back quickly. "What do you mean, what?" she asked quickly, annoyance creeping into her voice. "I asked if you love her? It's really a simple question. Do you love her or not?"

"Why.. why..." Goliath sputtered, completely uncharacteristic for him. For the first time in his life, Goliath had no idea how to respond. Quickly, his eyes focused on a gleam of black that could be seen from the holster worn over her black shirt on the warm day. Seeing his opportunity to draw the topic away, Goliath quickly reached forward and snatched the gun from her holster. "Why do you carry this thing around with you, anyway?" he asked quickly, his voice snide as he slowly strode over to sit on one of the lounge chairs that lined the deck.

Sighing, Elisa saw that it definitely wasn't the time to be pushing him on the topic. "Because, that's what I use to protect people," Elisa replied as she slowly moved over and knelt on the chair beside Goliath, watching critically as he examined the weapon.

"Well, are you any good?" he asked, toying around with the gun.

Sighing, Elisa shook her head slowly. She didn't know quite what to say in response to that. "Well.. I've never left a case unsolved and none of the good guys have ever died," Elisa replied truthfully, the same grin on her face as she lifted her hand and swept her long masses of hair out of her face.

Noting this, Goliath willfully tore his eyes away and instead focused on the gun in his lap. "Elisa, that's an impressive record," he said quietly, a small smile on his stern face.

At this, Elisa's expression notably darkened. "Well, they sure didn't think too much of it over at Scotland Yard."

"Scotland Yard?" Goliath asked, obviously impressed. "Well, you certainly do get around for a person of...." Goliath cut off, his dark skin coloring, growing even darker with embarrassment.

Noticing this, Elisa quickly laughed. "That's alright.. you can say it," she said, trying to catch her breath. "I'm a poor person!"

Shrugging it off, Goliath gently handed the gun back to Elisa who in turn holstered her weapon. "Thank you," he said slowly, "for saving my life."

It was at that moment that Elisa turned her beautiful brown eyes on him and regarded him seriously. "It wasn't really needed," she said quietly.

"What?" Goliath asked in surprise.

"You would have defended yourself eventually.. I was just holding them off in the meantime," Elisa answered with a wry grin.

A Deck Promenade

"So you really have traveled the world, haven't you?" Goliath asked slowly, his dark eyes boring into Elisa's. As he waited for her answer, Goliath couldn't help but realize that he would be perfectly content if he spent the rest of his days doing nothing more than what he did at that moment.. then he did all day. The gloriously beautiful day had passed very quickly -- an afternoon spent talking while the two strangers slowly got to know each other. To be honest, Goliath was fascinated with the life of this courageous woman.. to do whatever she felt like doing and to protect those who needed her help. It certainly was more interesting than anything he was used to doing. Now, the day was drawing to a close, and Goliath felt a strange pang of regret at that.. it had been such a perfect day -- he didn't want it to end.

"I suppose I have," Elisa answered as she leaned casually against the white railing that bordered the deck. Smiling at the look in her companion's eyes, Elisa turned and rested her elbows gently on the white enamel as she stared out into the darkening day. It was beautiful and breathtaking -- the bright blue of the sky changing into the orange, reds, and purples of night with the ever present, gently lapping waves of the ocean.

"Tell me about your most favorite place," Goliath said slowly as he tore his sight away from the beautiful woman and looked at the rolling waves below.

"Hmm," Elisa mused, a small smile on her face. "That's pretty difficult... but, I have to say that one of the most beautiful places that I visited was Arizona.. the caverns found there."

"Oh really?" Goliath asked, his interest sparked. "Tell me about it!"

Laughing at his eagerness, Elisa glanced swiftly at the large gargoyle before returning her gaze to the ocean. It was strange, this day. After all, Goliath was one of the elite. He was well-groomed, mannered.. handsome. Yet, all of the snobbishness that she had begun to associate with the first class was not to be found. Instead, she only encountered an endearing curiosity for the outside world.. for her world. "Well, everywhere in this one spot were huge caverns and caves.. a whole system of them! You even had to ride horses to get to them and defend yourself against robbers!"

"Really?" Goliath asked, a small smile on his face. "I have never been in a situation such as that before."

Hearing the wistfulness in his deep voice, Elisa turned and gazed up at the gargoyle. "It's not too late to try it," she suggested, her tone light.

Nodding his head slowly, Goliath mulled over Elisa's words. "Why can't I be like you, Elisa?" he finally asked as he turned away from the sunset and stared hard into her dark eyes. She truly was beautiful.. more exotic than anything else he had ever encountered. "Just head out for the horizon whenever I feel like it..." he said slowly, his expression turning wistful. Suddenly, a spark of flame entered his dark eyes as he gently reached out and touched her shoulders. "Say we'll go there, sometime... to those caverns... even if we only ever just talk about it."

"We will go," Elisa quickly said, her voice hard with determination. Smiling, Elisa shook her head quickly, her hair cascading around her in a dark wave. "We'll drink cheap beer and ride the horses until we're too sore to go any further!" Elisa said, laughing at the thought.

Sharing in the thought, Goliath felt a deep rumble start from within before he broke out into similar laughter. "And you'd show me how to ride, right?" he asked quickly, his smile growing.

"I would be honored," Elisa said softly, a tender smile on her face.

"And teach me to shoot like you do as well!" Goliath cried out quickly as he nodded at her gun.

Laughing, Elisa quickly shook her head. "What? They didn't teach you that?"

"No!" Goliath cried out, tears of laughter flowing down his cheeks.

"Well, then I'll show you!" Elisa said quickly as she pulled out her gun and faced the water once more.

"What? Elisa, no!" Goliath cried out, panic suddenly seizing him. When he asked her to show him, he didn't mean right now in front of all of the people of his class. That was definitely a no-no when it came to what was proper.

Ignoring his protests, Elisa quickly dropped into the shooting stance and fired out over the rolling waters. "Your turn," she instructed as she quickly passed over the gun.

Turning around, Goliath quickly surveyed all those who were near. To his immense relief, he saw only another first class couple who stood nearby, giving them both dirty looks. Grinning like a child, Goliath turned back and accepted the weapon into his hands. Very carefully, he then raised the gun and gently pulled the trigger. As the loud boom of the gun firing echoed throughout the air, Goliath jumped back from the recoil.

Laughing, Elisa shook her head quickly. "Pitiful!" she cried out. Still shaking her head she quickly strode behind the large gargoyle and wrapped her arms around him until her hands were on the gun over his. Surprised, Goliath felt a wave of warmth at the feeling of her small body pressed up against his back. Gulping, he tried to focus on her instructions and tried to follow her directions when a sudden movement caught his eye. Turning quickly, he was shocked and horrified to see Hudson standing a few feet away, a cold and calculating look on his face. Beside him were none other than Diane Maza and Robyn Canmore, one of Hudson's elite friends.

Composing himself quickly, Goliath risked a quick glance at Elisa and watched as she slowly holstered her gun, a pleasant smile on her face. "Hudson," Goliath said quickly, working to make his voice even. He knew that he had been caught red-handed. "May I introduce Elisa Maza."

Dismayed, Goliath watched as his mentor barely restrained his one good eye from lighting up in a flare of disapproval. "Charmed, lass, I'm sure," he growled, his voice low and even as he kept his hand on his sword hilt.

Shaking his head, Goliath quickly turned to the others. "And this is Diane Maza and Robyn Canmore."

Nodding her head, Elisa smiled one of her bright smiles at the newcomers. "Hello," she replied, her voice light.

"Hello, child," Diane greeted, a smirk on her face as she watched how composed the woman was under the hateful glare of Goliath's mentor.

"Hello," Robyn said quietly, her voice even and flat.

"Ah yes.." Goliath said, trying to break the uncomfortable silence that had fallen over the group. "Elisa, here, is the woman who intervened on my behalf last night," Goliath explained. As soon as the words left his mouth, he watched as a new and curious light entered Diane and Robyn's eyes. Smiling, the two women began questioning Elisa, curious about the person who had saved his life. Nodding his head, he then turned to see that Hudson regarded Elisa with the same cold look, his expression not having been changed. Frowning, Goliath was about to comment when a loud horn broke through the night silence.

Shaking her head, Diane Maza smiled at the group. "Why do they insist on always announcing dinner like it was a cattle call?" she asked, her voice light.

Sighing, Goliath couldn't help but think that he was saved by the bell. "Shall we go prepare for dinner, Hudson?" he asked quietly as he turned to his mentor. Without waiting for a response, he quickly guided the older gargoyle away from the ladies. "I'll see you at dinner, Elisa," he called out over his shoulder as he disappeared from sight.

Smiling, Elisa nodded and watched as Robyn Canmore slowly drifted away till she remained with the older black woman. Still, Elisa couldn't even tear her eyes away from Goliath's departing back. There was just something about him.

Shaking her head, Diane watched as the young woman followed the gargoyle with her eyes. "Do you have any idea of what you're doing?" she asked finally, squeezing the woman's shoulder gently to get her attention.

Sighing, Elisa finally focused on the woman before her. She was very beautiful, in her own way, Elisa realized. While she was a little bit shorter than her, the older woman's shoulders were pushed back and straight with pride. "Not really," she said slowly, a small smirk on her face.

"Well, you're about to go into the snake pit!" Diane said, a small laugh escaping her lips as she realized how well the metaphor fit for the situation at hand. Suddenly, she looked the woman over as she truly looked at her for the first time. While she was beautiful, she was also an obvious third class passenger, wearing nothing more than a pair of tight blue jeans and a form fitting black long sleeve shirt. "What are you planning to wear?" she asked, her voice betraying her skepticism as she raised her eyebrow at Elisa.

Frowning suddenly, Elisa looked down at her clothing. "Why, this I guess," Elisa said, suddenly wondering if that was a problem.

"I figured," Diane muttered as she quickly grabbed the woman by the arm and began to drag her across the deck.

Diane Maza's Stateroom

Sighing, Diane slowly began putting away the mess of clothes that lay strewn all over the room. Suddenly, there was a click behind her as the door to the bathroom came open. Turning around, she felt her breath catch in her throat as she took in the sight before her. "My, my, my," she murmured, her voice soft. "You shine up like a new penny."

Smiling, Elisa slowly stepped into the room and then moved towards a long, full length mirror. The person who stared back at her was a stranger.. a very beautiful stranger. She was dressed in a long black dress that cut low over her bust line and hugged her slender form before filling out into a long skirt. Throughout, the dress was shot with strands of glittering dark red sequins and beads, with her hands clasped in white gloves that extended up to her elbows. Her hair was drawn up on top of her head into a high bun with a soft layer of black silk cascading down her back, a few soft wisps of hair framing her face. Clasped to her ears were a pair of teardrop pearl earrings with a matching pearl necklace and bracelet. Overall, even though she was having difficulty breathing through the tight bodice of her dress, the effect was stunning. She looked like royalty. More importantly, she looked like first class.

"I just knew that the stuff that I bought for my daughter would fit you.. you're both about the same size," Diane whispered quietly, her voice awed by the change that had taken place before her. "My, my, my.." she repeated quietly, her eyes never straying from the endless depths shown in the dark eyes of the woman before her.