Disclaimer:

I created Adam O'Riley, Fast Eddie and any others that don't sound familiar to you. Everyone else is owned by Disney. These stories are written for pleasure, not for profit. Please don't sue me. Oh pretty please?

2-"Going Back"

2 weeks after Elisa's rescue, December 23, 3:12pm

Elisa Maza walked towards the Eyrie building through the lightly falling snow. She had her first real doctor's appointment to check on how her unborn child was doing today with Dr. Alban. Though he had his own practice and his own office, the Eyrie building was beginning to bring Elisa more and more comfort, and she had asked that her appointments be conducted there in the medical wing. Also, she didn't want the media or someone she knew to catch her walking into a hospital when nothing was wrong with her. She wanted to tell people about the pregnancy when she was ready: not any time sooner.

She entered the building, shaking off the snow that had rested upon her ebony-black hair and went up to the medical ward's floor using the nearest elevator.

Upon reaching the ward, she knocked upon the door to the examination room. Dr. Alban was looking over some papers when Elisa arrived.

"Hello, Elisa. Right on time, I see. Please come in." She came in, shook his hand, and took off her red bomber jacket, throwing it on a nearby chair.

"So, how are you? Still feeling nausea? Soreness?" He said, looking at some papers on a clipboard.
Elisa nodded.
"All of the above"

"That is normal. Your hormones are on the rise during this crucial time." He glanced at the clipboard again, and then looked up at her.

"Do you have any pets? A cat perhaps."

"Yea, I do. His name is Cagney. Why?"
"I need to tell you not to change the litter. Have someone else do it until your child is born"
Elisa looked puzzled. "Um, sure, why?"
"It's called Toxoplasmosis. It's a parasite that is associated with cat litters. It causes serious birth defects, and in some cases, miscarriage." A hand instinctively flew to her stomach. Just the mention of the word, miscarriage made her wince.

"I understand. No cleaning the litter for 6 more months. I got it." Elisa said smartly. "So, what do we do now, Doctor?"
Dr. Alban laughed.
"Well, brace yourself. I need to take your blood pressure, a measurement of your weight, a urine and blood sample, as well as a pelvic exam to make sure everything is going smoothly with the baby." Elisa seemed anxious about the impending exam, but knew it was necessary. She swallowed, sucked in her breath, and prepared herself for all that was going to happen.

3:50pm…

Leaving the Eyrie building forty-five minutes later, Elisa felt slightly violated, and yet was given a sense of relief that she was healthy, but more importantly, her unborn child was healthy and growing everyday. And, as an added bonus, Dr. Alban had rented a sonogram machine (on David Xanatos' money, of course) and printed a picture of the sonogram he had taken of her child. She walked towards her car, clutching onto this first picture of her child, glancing at it briefly and beaming at it. The white splotch on the black background could hardly be considered the shape of a baby, and yet, she saw her son or daughter in that undecipherable splotch and smiled. As she approached her car, she folded the sonogram photo in half and slid it into the inside pocket of her bomber jacket. She would definitely have to show Goliath this photo tonight. However, her excitement would have to wait until her first shift back on the force was over. She got into her car, started it effortlessly, and drove to the precinct for the first time in over a month.

The Police Station, 4:25pm

Elisa walked into the precinct 35 minutes early for her shift, greeted by painted signs saying "Welcome Back Elisa". She walked towards her desk, bombarded by well-wishers and co-workers hugging her and waving at her. Captain Chavez was standing outside the door to her office, wearing a large grin as she watched one of her best detectives returning to her job after such a terrible ordeal. She waved at Elisa who walked closer to her desk.

"Detective, can I see you in my office, please?" The captain asked.

"Sure, Captain, give me a few minutes." Elisa said, smiling.

As she reached her desk, Elisa noticed a bouquet of six yellow roses in a box sitting on the mountain of paperwork she had to do tonight before heading on patrol with Matt. She reached over and picked up the card. It was from her parents.

The card read, "Elisa—We thought these would make your first night back a little more tolerable. We love you! Be careful out there…you know why!—Mom and Dad."

Elisa grinned as she put the card back into the tiny envelope it came in. She decided to leave the roses in the box for now. After she spoke to Captain Chavez, she'd figure out what to do with them. About being careful while on duty, Elisa thought it best to go about things as usual for now. She knew that she would have to eventually be confined to desk work for the remainder of her pregnancy and figured she could tell the Captain about her pregnancy when she started showing, instead of telling her now. Resolving not to tell her the big news, she walked over to the Captain's office, and knocked on the door.

"You wanted to see me, Captain?" Elisa asked innocently.

Maria rose from her desk, pleased to see Elisa back. She motioned to the chair in front of her desk. Elisa sat down.

"Yes, Detective. First, it's great to see you back so soon. I told you that you could have taken another week off. After all that you went through—"

"Coming back is for my own sanity, Captain. I've been in the process of moving into a new apartment, but I had excellent movers that helped me set up ieverything/i, so I don't really have anything to do at home. I would rather keep busy. Besides, I knew you guys missed me while I was away." She said with a smirk, ending her sentence with famous Maza sarcasm. Maria understood.

"I see. Either way, I am glad to have you back here. And you were right; we did miss you. Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. While you were gone, you know that the force kept hope to find you, but honestly, Dracon was clean in his abduction—left no trace of himself or any of his goons at your place—so when a month passed without any leads or clues, I had no choice but to hire a new detective to take your place until you were found…one way or another." The Captain seemed disturbed to say that, but she knew it had to be said. Elisa shook her head and closed her eyes tightly to try to push that thought out of her head.

"I understand, Captain. And don't worry about saying his name around me. I really have made my peace with Dracon and his memory." Elisa half-lied. "So, who is she?"

"Actually, Elisa, his iname is Adam O'Riley. He's a transfer from a precinct in Albany. He's been keeping Bluestone company for a few nights, and then we heard that you had been rescued. I figured we could use another body in here anyways, so he's staying. You'll get a chance to meet him when Bluestone gets back. In the meantime, there's a bit of paperwork on your desk. If you wouldn't mind…" Chavez said politely, smiling a little. Elisa nodded.

"Sure, Captain. I'm on it." Elisa said. She turned and walked out of Chavez's office, closing the door behind her.

After an hour of working diligently at the stack of papers, most of it was done, though Elisa's fingers were hurting from handwriting or typing reports. As she wrapped up another one, she heard the familiar voice of her partner in the background noise of the police station. She continued to work on the reports as she heard him approaching.

Bluestone, dressed in his regular suit and long trench coat, walked side by side with a freckle-faced man, probably in his mid-30's wearing light blue jeans and a black button down dress shirt. His short, strawberry blond hair looked dishevelled, as if he had just run after someone moments previously. They were talking together when Matt noticed Elisa sitting at her desk, completing the paperwork. Picking up his pace, Matt walked towards Elisa's desk, saying, "Elisa!" She turned her swivelling chair 180 degrees to see Matt rushing towards her. A smile graced her face at the sight of her jubilant partner. She rose from her seat and braced for impact.

He grabbed her in a strong hug. "It's great to see you!" Matt said. Elisa was grateful to Matt for not lifting her off the ground in this hug. After a moment, Matt and Elisa released each other in their embrace and faced each other.

"Thanks Matt. It feels really good to be back here." She turned to the silent freckle-faced man that stood behind Matt. "Let me guess. You're Adam O'Riley, right?" Elisa questioned. He nodded.

"That I am. It is an honour to meet you, detective." Adam said, with a hint of an Irish accent. He shook Elisa's hand firmly.

"Same here. And the name's Elisa. So, where are we headed tonight, boys?" She asked the two men. Matt shook his head.

"You two are out tonight, and I am finishing your paper work for you." Matt said, reaching for the chair that Elisa was just on and pulling it towards him. He sat down and rolled towards her desk a few feet away. Elisa was confused.

"Why?"

"Captain's orders." Adam replied. "It seems like she wants us to get to know each other." He smiled. Elisa understood the Captain's motives; she wanted there to be no chance for animosity between her and O'Riley since he was the one hired to replace Elisa if she had never come back.

"Alright, then." Elisa stretched her arms, since they had been in the same position for nearly an hour, and her back which had been hunched over the desk for the same amount of time. "I can use a little time behind the wheel of my car. Let's go, then, O'Riley."

"Please, Elisa. Call me Adam."

Another night was beginning in Manhattan, and the gargoyles awoke from their stone-induced slumber with loud, booming roars. Broadway and Angela, who had become rather close the last few weeks, walked together into the main hall of the castle to prepare the evening's meal, while Lexington and Hudson struck up a conversation about that hate group, the Quarrymen. Goliath leapt off of his parapet, half-expecting Elisa to be standing behind him to greet him as he awoke, until he remembered that today was her first day back at work, so she wouldn't be coming tonight. He would help her in whatever assignment she was working on, though. That was a given.

Goliath flew down to the lower levels where Brooklyn was leaning over the wall, staring out into the night silently, as if he were looking for something. As Goliath reached him, he caped his wings over his shoulders regally.

"Is there anything the matter, Brooklyn?" Goliath asked.

"No, we just haven't had anything exciting happen in a while. I'm kinda hoping something exciting will happen tonight"
Goliath made a rumbling sound of agreement.
"I would have to concur. These last few weeks have been rather dull, other than helping Elisa move into the new apartment. Well, tonight is Elisa's first night back to work."i…and her first doctor's appointment to check on the baby/i Goliath internally stated. "Perhaps we can be of assistance to her while she is doing her rounds."

"That sounds good, Goliath. But shouldn't she still be on leave for another week at least?" Brooklyn asked.

"She wanted to resume her routine sooner rather than later. Her wounds have healed, at least the physical ones. I'm sure returning to work will help her to heal some emotional wounds as well." Goliath noted.

"It makes sense. Let's get something to eat before we go. I'm sure Elisa will be fine without us for half an hour or so."

Goliath and Brooklyn soared high above the city about an hour after they finished their meal with the rest of the clan. Apparently, the meal that Broadway and Angela had prepared was so good that Goliath and Brooklyn lost track of the time. When they finally realised that an hour had passed, they hurriedly left their places and took off from the castle walls to find Elisa wherever she may be and help her in her patrol.

As they glided over Time's Square, Goliath tapped the earpiece he wore to ensure it was on and functional, in case Elisa needed to contact him. After Dr. Alban had sent Elisa home the night after her rescue, Xanatos had decided to give her a new communicator that was both waterproof and nearly unbreakable. It also had a greater defence to any sort of signal-blocking device, like the one Dracon had used at his compound to stop any signals from being detected there. Plus, the microphone on this new communicator was exceptionally sensitive; it was able to decipher conversations at a distance of almost 50 feet away. Goliath was extremely grateful for this new gift because it provided protection to Elisa that Goliath feared would be needed in the coming months. Though she was strong, Goliath knew that she needed to be watched over, especially in her line of work, and the condition that she would soon be in with her pregnancy.

Lavender and red streaks flew through the night sky majestically, in search of their human friend.

"So, how did it feel to be walkin' into the precinct again after so long an absence?" Adam asked, as Elisa turned onto Canal St.

"It was interesting, actually. I didn't know I was so loved." Elisa added playfully.

Adam giggled quietly to himself.

"Oh, yes, apparently. Ha. I was reminded every day of it. Bluestone told me a great deal about ya, and I was hoping that I would meet ya because of all the wonderful things he said about ya." As he said these words, Elisa swerved around a car that was double-parked on a busy street in front of the World Trade Center, causing Adam's seatbelt to click into place as the momentum threatened to fly him off of his seat in the direction of the swerve. He laughed. "And he told me about your driving, too. I can tell this will be quite an adventure!" Elisa, on the verge of yelling out profanities to the parked car, turned to Adam, looking amused at him.

"Matt never did like my driving…what else did he tell you about me?" Elisa asked.

"Well, things that would make someone very interested in getting to know someone. You are highly esteemed at the station. People just seem much happier now that you are back. Before, the faces were depressed and joyless. It's quite a sight to see. The transformation was incredible. Even with the Captain; she was unsociable and quiet. I was beginning to think that woman never smiled." Adam related. This was hilarious to Elisa. She immediately cracked up the second those words were spoken.

"Yea, that's the Captain alright." She managed to say between laughs. "Well, you'll have plenty of time to get to know me. By the end, you will be sick of me!" She mentioned. She already liked Adam's personality, though she knew nothing about him. There was a good vibe coming from him that Elisa couldn't really explain. He had a light heart, and already, he seemed to always be laughing with her, or complimenting her about something. She had a feeling a few more nights like this, and she would have herself a good friend. She remembered the last time she hit it off with someone at work: Matt. Though she resisted having a partner at first, she truly did hit it off with Matt, and now he was the other brother she never wanted, but knew was a good addition to her life.

As she was telling Adam about how her father and brother Derek were once police officers too, she heard a buzz coming from the communicator around her neck. Knowing it would cause questions she just wasn't prepared to answer tonight, she quickly turned off the communicator with a flick of a finger and continued driving.

"What was that?" Adam asked.

"What? I didn't hear anything." Elisa lied. Adam seemed pleased with this answer, because he then told Elisa about how his father was also a police officer in Ireland, until he was killed in the line of duty ten years ago. As he told her of this story, Elisa drove along, listening to it, feeling pretty grateful that she didn't have one of those stories to tell about her father.

Just then, as they passed Battery Park, she witnessed a group of hoodlums with guns surrounding a tourist who had come to the park to catch a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty. He was clearly a tourist, because he had the camera around the neck, and a map to the city in his hand. The goons had obviously caught onto this, and surrounded him to get whatever he had on him. The punks were hoarding around him, pushing him every so often, and laughing at his inability to fend them off.

Silently, Elisa pointed to the group as she slowed down, found a spot to park across the street and signalled Adam to get out and follow her lead. He understood everything, and waited until she began walking calmly towards the punks.

As Elisa walked, she flicked the communicator on and spoke, just knowing that Goliath was flying somewhere nearby. With her right hand, she reached for her gun, and took the safety off.

"Goliath, are you there? Ha, I know you are. Listen carefully. We are at Battery Park. There's a mugging in progress. If you are in the area, I would love to see you." Elisa whispered into the microphone sweetly. She lowered the device safely under her black shirt again, and continued walking, this time holding the gun securely in both hands, but concealing the weapon from the muggers' view.

As she and Adam approached, she called out to them.

"Boys, boys! It's really late. Should call your parents to come pick you up?"

The tallest of the muggers turned from his victim, who had still not been relieved of his personal belongings, to look at Elisa and Adam with distinct annoyance all over his face.

"Fuck off, lady. We're conducting business here. Go wash some clothes or cook or something." At this, the other goons snickered. The victim tried to escape, but the goon holding his shirt tightened his grip on the back of his shirt, preventing escape or movement.

Elisa and Adam both reached for their badges at this time. In unison, they yelled, "POLICE!" At this, all but one punk made a run for it. The poor tourist, too, made a run for it, got to the street, hailed a cab, and was out of the scene in a minute flat. The one who had spoken didn't seem phased by this bit of information. He waved his gun at them confidently.

"Good for you. I've never off'ed a cop before, but, hey, there's a first time for everything."

He lowered his weapon and aimed at Elisa. Adam cocked his gun and aimed it at the goon. "Ever been to jail, lad? Because there's a first time for that as well." Adam said, his pleasantly light Irish accent sounding more and more hardened with each word. The punk thought about it for a few seconds, then he, too, ran like the wind. Elisa began chasing after him, followed by Adam closely behind. Around her, she heard the sounds of feet trampling on fallen tree branches, bodies crashing against trees, and the roars of Goliath and another gargoyle as they chased after the running goons. She smiled, even though she was in hot pursuit of the apparent leader of this group of thugs.

The thug ran through a maze of trees, and shrubs, and made his way towards the dock where the ferry bound for Staten Island takes off from. Elisa and Adam caught up to him as he reached the dock with no where else to go. Both aimed their guns at him, and both yelled, "FREEZE!" Finally, knowing his defeat was eminent, the goon raised his hands and threw his gun towards them. Adam ran towards him, handcuffs in hand, and cuffed him, as he began reading him his rights. Elisa was completely out of breath by the time Goliath and Brooklyn reached her, with two thugs in their hands each, bound by metal rods. They were all knocked unconscious. When they saw Elisa, they dropped the thugs and rushed towards her. Goliath's face showed a look of concern.

"Elisa, are you alright?" He asked her as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Yea, of course. I'm just a bit out of breath after running after him." She motioned to the man Adam was escorting to Elisa's car. "Thanks for your help, guys. Adam and I couldn't have taken the rest of them alone. By the way, that's the new hire. Adam O'Riley."

Goliath looked over to see Adam using the radio in the car to call for a squad car to come pick the criminals up, since he knew that Elisa treasured this car, and probably wasn't going to be too thrilled to see a bad guy in her Fairlane. Also, it was unsafe to transport criminals in as it didn't have a closed-off back seat.
He made a low growl of concern and turned back to face Elisa.

"I know you enjoy your job, my love. However, I do not feel that this will be safe for you soon. You should not put undue stress on yourself or the baby."

Before he could say another word, one of the goons awoke, and began to scream bloody murder at Goliath's sight, and his hand on her shoulder. Instantly, both Brooklyn and Goliath dashed off into the darkness of the park, found a tree to climb, and soared away. As he glided off, Goliath whispered into the communicator: "I will see you soon, I hope?" Smiling, Elisa replied, "Count on it." Elisa turned to the goon, with her gun pointed at him. "Shut up! Back-up is on the way, and I am getting a headache with you screaming!" She said, pointing her gun at him with one hand, and rubbing her temple with the other.

"But those gargoyle things were here! They were the ones who attacked us!" He shouted, even more loudly than before. She crouched down to him, squinted her eyes, and looked into his ugly face.

"Good thing, too, otherwise, you and your buddies would have gotten away. This city is a whole lot safer with them around to help us out."

The punk looked repulsed by her words, and memorized her face, realising that he had seen her before from somewhere. She rose from her crouched position and turned around to look at Adam, who was also yelling at the criminal he had with him. She turned to her right, where the forested area of the park was. It was a dark night, but this area made the night feel darker to Elisa. Just then, she felt a chill run down her spine as she sensed someone watching her. She dismissed the feeling, since that goon was behind her, probably still looking at her with the same hate in his eyes as a few moments earlier. Then she heard sirens, and was relieved to see their back-up coming with a proper van to take these criminals to the precinct to be booked, and shook the eerie feeling she had.

"You're that Maza chick, aren't you? The one that Tony Dracon kidnapped. Yeah, that's where I seen you from! The news!" the criminal called from behind her in broken English. She turned and looked down at him. Before she had a chance to refute or confirm his ideas, the officers in the van came bounding up to them with looks of surprise on their faces.

"What happened here, Maza?" One shorter officer asked as he crouched down to grab one criminal by the bindings.

"Someone left us some early Christmas presents, boys." She quipped. Looking at the criminal who had just identified her from the news, she saw that he was smiling; his thoughts were confirmed when the officer called her 'Maza'. The officer escorted him to the back of the van, along with the other officer who did the same with the others. Shaking her head, she followed behind them until the officers got into the van, waved, and drove off. Adam stood by the Fairlane with her keys in his hand.

"What a night, eh, Elisa?" Adam commented as she sped down Water Street.

"Yeah, I'm already exhausted. I guess I forgot how tiring this line of work can be." She said, exhaling, which turned into a yawn.

"Yes, you do look a bit tired, don't ya? Well, we've made our rounds for the night. How about we get back to the station, and we file the reports instead of continuing the beat tonight, hmm?" He patted her back in a friendly manner, showing his concern for her, though they barely knew each other.

She nodded. "Sounds like a great idea, Adam. Let's go."

He dropped her keys in her hand, and she walked to the other side of the car, while he opened the passenger side door. Elisa got into the driver's side, sat down, closed the door and turned on the car. As they drove towards the station, Elisa yawned two more times. Adam, knowing that the station wasn't too far away, laughed out loud, then said, "It was a good thing those gargoyles showed up when they did, eh?"

Elisa's eyes widened. He had seen Brooklyn and Goliath, but had he seen Goliath's gesture of concern?

"Uh, yeah, right. It was." She said uncertainly.

"Too bad they left us before I could have met them, though. I have always wanted to meet one. How are they to talk to?" Uh oh, Elisa thought. He had seen Goliath with her after all.

"Well, um, I..."
Realising how flustered she was, Adam smiled and broke the tension.

"Elisa, I have heard murmurings around the precinct about your connection with them. I didn't believe it until I saw the pair of 'em flying over the car as we were driving over to Battery Park. They seem to be protective of you, especially the taller one. I turned a few times while I was calling for backup, and saw how he looked at you." Adam paused, sensing how uncomfortable Elisa was becoming. He smiled genuinely, and placed a hand on her shoulder—a gesture indicating to her that her secret was safe. "It's good to have a guardian angel, Elisa. I have one, too. Well, sort of." Adam pulled out a gold medallion hanging on a gold chain around his neck that had been under his shirt. While driving, Elisa glanced over briefly to what Adam was referring to, and knew that he was trying to relax her.

"This is Michael the Archangel. He watches over us police officers. My father gave me this before he was killed." He kissed it before tucking it under his shirt again. Elisa nodded solemnly at the mention of his father. She sighed, resigning to the fact that she had to come clean to him: at least slightly. She exhaled.

"Yes, he is my guardian angel. He's my best friend, too. I feel safe just knowing he's up there." A smile graced her face as she thought of the way Goliath's wings would enfold her in a protective and loving embrace. She checked herself when she felt Adam noticing the smile, and stopped smiling instantly. Adam looked out the window and beamed.
"I feel safer now, too."

The Police Station, 1:03am

Two more hours went by until the reports were done, the goons were in the holding cells, and Elisa's shift was over. Thankfully, she punched out and said good night to Adam and Matt, who had just completed all the reports ten minutes earlier. As she opened the front door of the station, she breathed in the fresh winter air, zipped up her bomber jacket, and began walking briskly to her car. She was excited to get to the Eyrie building to show Goliath the sonogram picture.

The Eyrie Building, 1:24am

Brooklyn, Goliath and Bronx sat in the common room with Hudson, who sat in his favourite recliner. Goliath and Brooklyn recounted their adventure of sorts of the evening to Hudson. As they were telling him of the attempted robbery, a repeat of the news broadcast of the night's events came on. It included a report of a mugging broken up by "the city's favourite detective, Elisa Maza". Hudson shook his head. He discovered that Elisa was pregnant the night after she was rescued, but never felt it was the right time to ask her about it, so he kept this incredible news to himself. He hadn't even asked another member of the clan for their opinion on the matter. As he watched the television, seeing how big and nasty the muggers were, she became increasingly concerned about Elisa. She shouldn't be putting herself in danger like that when she is carrying a child. That's it, Hudson decided internally.I haveta confront her tonight about it. 'Tis the only way. Just then, Owen came to the common room, to announce that Elisa had just arrived. Goliath's eyes lit up at the sound of her name being said. A moment later, she appeared in the doorway of the common room.

"Hey guys. Thanks for your help tonight, by the way. I couldn't have done it without you." Elisa said, as she walked towards them, sliding herself out of her bomber jacket, which was wet from the snow still falling. She threw the bomber jacket on a chair, and took a seat on the sofa closest to Goliath in front of the fireplace, unaware that her sonogram picture had fallen out of her pocket when she threw the jacket on the chair.

"Hey, no problem, Elisa. That's what we do!" Brooklyn replied, his thirst for excitement obviously quenched for the moment.

Just then, Lexington, Broadway, and Angela came bounding in from the cold. They were shaking the snow off their wings and hair (or in Lexington's case, just off his head), and laughing together.

"Hi Elisa!" Angela greeted. "We're going to make some hot chocolate. Would you like some?"

"Sure, Angela, thanks." Elisa replied. Broadway and Lexington walked behind her towards the kitchen, when Angela suddenly stopped, causing Broadway and Lexington to stop as well.

"What's this?" Angela asked, bending down to pick something off the floor. Lexington examined it while it was still in Angela's hand.

"Hmm…I've seen one of these before. This looks like one of those pictures of a baby before it's born. I think they call it a sonogram."

Elisa heard this, and her eyes shot at Goliath. He, too, understood the consequences of such a discovery by the clan, and was about to get up when Broadway read something off of the paper.

"First Sonogram, Elisa Maza." He gasped. Every gargoyle in the room turned to Elisa, even Goliath. She had her fingers to her forehead and her eyes shut, making a face of embarrassment. She instantly decided that now what the time to come clean—there was nothing else she could do.

"Elisa? Are you…" Brooklyn asked cautiously.

She inhaled sharply.

"Merry Christmas, guys. Yes, I'm pregnant. I'm sorry you had to find out this way. I just wasn't ready to tell you all yet."

The entire clan was silent. Lexington and Broadway exchanged confused looks, while Hudson had an almost relieved look upon his face; she knew about her condition and he wouldn't have to confront her about it.

Angela ran to Elisa and hugged her tightly, nearly lifting her off of the floor.
"Oh Elisa! This is wonderful news! Isn't it, father?" She turned to Goliath, who had a smile on his face that was growing.

"Indeed it is, my daughter." He rose from his seat and stood beside Elisa and Angela.

One face was puzzled: Lexington.

"Congratulations, Elisa, but when did this happen? And who's the father"
Elisa's face nearly turned red at the question. Goliath shot him a reproachful look, but Elisa regained her composure, shook her head at Goliath, and looked at Lexington to answer his question.

"Tony Dracon is the father. Rather, he was the father." She stated simply. This resulted in more gasps from the clan.
Goliath feared the clan would get rowdy now, so he stepped in.

"We will be here to support Elisa through this challenging time, and after this child is born, he or she will be a part of this clan, as Elisa is, regardless of who the father of her child was."

Thankfully, the clan all began nodding. Elisa began to breathe easier at this show of loyalty. She grabbed Goliath's hand and held it for support.

"Thank you, guys." She took the sonogram picture from Angela and showed it to them all. "This is my first picture of my baby."

Broadway laughed. "The baby has your nose, Elisa!" This caused laughter to come from the clan that was silent a moment earlier.

Undisclosed location, moments later…

The tall, thin man was seated at the mahogany desk again, on his cell phone.

"Any troubles? Good. And afterwards? I know today was her first day back. Those monsters showed up, eh? Well, at least you weren't seen. We have to ensure everything goes according to plan, and that means that Mrs. Dracon lives until she gives birth to the Dracon heir. You have my instructions. Follow them, and you live. Defy me, and die along with the widow. Understand?"

The fury in his voice was unmistakable. He checked himself, calmly touching his suit jacket and the embroidered DD on the lapel, and continued the call with a more subdued voice than before.

"Good. Keep an eye on her. I'll be in touch."