Disclaimer: I created Adam O'Riley, Fast Eddie and other original characters. All others are owned by Disney. Please don't sue me.
What's in a Name?
One month after Elisa's near miscarriage, she sat in the library of Castle Wyvern on a cold March night with a baby name book opened in her lap. She was seated very comfortably upon the sofa that was situated in front of a fireplace, with her legs folded under her. The fire was crackling softly, burning warmly, and creating a comforting feeling that was hard to keep awake to. Elisa wasn't overly tired, but she was beginning to yawn consistently. Her belly was rapidly expanding, and she was growing in fatigue every day from carrying this child, who now weighed a little under a pound.
Every so often, she would turn the page, inspect the different names and meanings on the pages in front of her, and smile to herself. She turned another page—she was now on girl names. Then, heavy, yet graceful footsteps could be heard walking towards her.
"Elisa, are you here?"
It was Goliath's gentle yet strong baritone. It instantly commanded a smile on Elisa's face.
"Yea, Big Guy, I'm here." She called. He turned the corner, and reached the sofa as she was flipping the page. Goliath stood before Elisa, with his wings draped majestically over his mighty shoulders. A smile appeared upon his lips when he saw her face.
"What are you reading, Elisa?" Goliath asked as he sat beside her on the sofa.
"It's a baby name book. Officer Sanderson let me borrow it. I wanted to give my child a name that has great meaning and purpose, and not just one that I liked." Elisa gestured to the book in her lap. "I'm looking at girl's names right now. I have a few in mind. Help me?" She asked with a grin. Goliath returned the grin and put his arm around her.
"My love, I would be happy to help in this endeavour. Have you any names in mind?"
Elisa turned another page while stifling another yawn.
"I came across a few. I particularly liked 'Breanna'. It means 'strong, virtuous, and honourable'."
Goliath chuckled in a way that was totally his own.
"That would be an excellent description of you, my Elisa." He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. Though she was becoming more and more used to Goliath's romantic gestures lately, she still blushed when he did simple little things like kiss her hand. She looked into his onyx eyes, and smiled from her heart. Returning her focus back upon the book, she turned another page in the book upon her lap that had gone unnoticed for the minute that she had stared into Goliath's eyes. Clearing her throat, she began reading some names before her.
"Hallie…heroine. Hmm…" Elisa murmured aloud. That would make sense if this were Goliath's child. She couldn't help but smile at this thought. She returned her glance to the page, and her eyes landed upon the name "Hanna: Goddess of Life. Wow, that would be pretty and important, since she—if she is a she—helped save my life…Hanna Elizabeth Maza—What do you think of that one, Goliath?" She asked, turning to him.
"It sounds fitting." He said simply. Elisa said it a few times before deciding upon it. "Hanna Elizabeth Maza. Hanna…yea, that's a definite possibility." She then flipped to the half-way point in the book. "What about boy's names? Anything you like in particular?" She asked.
"Hmm…I have always liked the name 'Gareth'. Would that book tell you the meaning for that specific name?" "I think so, let me check." Elisa turned a few pages until she reached the G section in the book.
"Oh, here it is. It means 'gentle, watchful'. That's a nice name. Let's see some others…" Elisa coughed, causing Goliath to switch into protective mode. He had become endlessly more protective since her near-miscarriage a month ago, not willing to let her out of his sight for more than a minute if he could help it. Thankfully, nothing out of the ordinary had happened in the last month that would necessitate him to be too worried about her; however, his caring nature had not diminished even a fraction. Since they had learned that she was pregnant, the clan also felt quite protective of her lately, but not as much as Goliath was now.
"Do you need some thing to drink? Some tea, perhaps?"
"Actually, I've had a craving for hot chocolate all night." She stated. Goliath nodded, rising from his seat.
"I will have Broadway show me how to create that for you, my love." She sighed in contentment.
"I never get tired of hearing you call me that, Big Guy. I used to dream of you calling me something infinitely more dear than just 'friend', and now, I'm living my dream." She felt giddy with the happiness of being with the man—or gargoyle, rather—that she loved. Their confession of love had made her world greatly more bright and beautiful, and her more willing to express her happiness outwardly in the form of giggles and sighs. Goliath's world had also changed for the better: though he had always been sincere and compassionate, these traits had become more pronounced and he could no longer hide his love for the detective from the other members of the clan, though they had suspected of his love for her before he even knew of its existence.
"As am I, Elisa. I am happier than I could have ever dreamt I could be a millennium ago. It is because of you." Goliath smiled, bent to Elisa's eye level again, and kissed her forehead gently before leaving the library to make her hot chocolate.
Meanwhile, in Queens…
Fast Eddie sat in at another Quarrymen's meeting, listening to that lean, blond man rant about the gargoyle nuisance and how they were to be eliminated using the human traitor as a means to track them down. First, however, they needed Fast Eddie to provide the proof that she was a traitor before they could take her out. Though Eddie was very interested in getting back at the cop for arresting him, and knew that this Castaway guy would help him get rid of her, he was getting rather bored with this particular speech; he had heard several exactly like it over the last week and almost knew it by heart. He suddenly decided to leave and make a few quick bucks elsewhere. He rose from his seat in the meeting, and exited the old dance studio.
Once outside, he walked along the street with his hands deep in his jeans pockets. He passed a few stores before passing a jewellery store that only had one salesclerk on duty—a young girl, about 22 years old with short brown hair and glasses. Eddie smiled to himself. He continued walking along the street for two more blocks, pulled out his cellular phone and dialled a frequently-used number from memory.
The line rang. A man answered the phone.
"Hey, it's Fast Eddie…Ya, I've been out for about a month now….I've been busy, but listen, I'm broke right now...you are too, huh? Want to make some cash? I think I've got an easy way…round up two more guys and meet me on Liberty and 91st in half an hour. Make sure you're all packing and have ski masks with you."
Back in the Library…
Goliath returned twenty minutes later with a steaming cup of hot chocolate and a small plate with five oatmeal cookies. However, when he returned, Elisa had fallen asleep, with the name book opened in her lap. Goliath hated to wake her, since she slept so peacefully. She looked to him as a delicate angel, taken by weariness to the realm of dreamers. Her shining blue-black hair lay upon the back of the sofa, splayed out like a fan behind her head. He sat quietly beside her, placing the plate and cup of hot chocolate on the coffee table beside the sofa, mindful not to wake her with his movements. He shifted beside her, turning to get a closer look at the sleeping angel that sat before him. Goliath raised a hand and slowly moved a stray hair from her face, looping it behind her ear and stroking the soft skin on her cheek with one talon. Just then, she stirred in her sleep. A smile crept upon her face at his touch. Goliath smiled, and studied her face. Her eyes then fluttered open and focused upon her love.
"Hi, Big Guy. Did I fall asleep"
"Yes, Elisa. I am sorry that I woke you"
"No, it's fine. I didn't know how tired I was." Elisa said, straightening up. Her eyes fell upon the hot chocolate and plate of cookies. She deeply inhaled the smell that was steaming from the mug. "Mmmm…that smells amazing." She said, reaching for the cup on the coffee table. She took a sip of the warm liquid and smiled.
"How is it? Did I put enough chocolate powder? I also used milk, though the directions said to use water." Goliath mentioned.
"Tastes as good as it smells. Thanks." She blew on the liquid to cool it down a bit before taking three more sips in silence. She looked up at Goliath, who was staring at her lovingly. "You need not thank me. I am always happy to do anything for you." He put his arm around her again, and she leaned her head on his mighty shoulder as she breathed in his musky scent. It was a mixture of new leather and the scent of her shampoo. If she could, she would breathe in this smell all day instead of scent-less oxygen that didn't remind her of Goliath.
After a few minutes of cuddling upon the sofa, she smiled, and then bent to the floor where her bomber jacket was. She reached into the pocket to find her cellular phone. "I think I should call Matt. I'm enjoying myself here with you way too much…I'm starting to forget about the night shift." Elisa said, with the smile still on her lips. She dialled the number and waited.
…elsewhere, on their way out of Manhattan
Matt and Adam were patrolling the streets in a squad car. Matt had gotten a call from a friend of his in Queens named Ravi; he thought he saw Quarrymen activity, and Matt had enlisted Adam's help to check it out. He didn't want Elisa's bias against the Quarrymen and what they represented to cloud her judgement of the situation—that is, if they found anything in Queens. So, Matt badgered Elisa to take a night off, and she thankfully had listened to him tonight. She took tonight off, and it gave him and Adam a little time to talk about her while they went to check out the tip…
"So, Elisa's been thinking of names for this kid. I personally like the name Matthew." Matt chuckled. Adam laughed lightly.
"Matt, my friend, I don't know that she would consciously name her child that. The alliteration alone would deter me…Matthew Maza…no, no, no…Besides, why would she name him Matt when she can name him Adam? It's a fine name, don't you think?" They both laughed at this bit of humour.
"Whatever she names this kid, he's going to be a great addition to her life. She seems too wrapped up in work, you know?" Matt asked. Adam nodded.
"Yes, I've noticed this. She takes her work very seriously. A child would surely change things in her life—for the better. And her…friends would help her raise this child, right?" Adam asked Matt cautiously as he turned the corner, and picked up speed to get onto the Van Wyck Parkway.
"The clan? Yeah, I know they will help as much as they can. They all love Elisa, and will love her son or daughter just as much. But I just can't get over the fact that she's actually going to be a mom, you know? I still can't picture her with a baby in her arms. Not that I thought that she'd never have kids…" Matt trailed off.
"I understand, Matt. Things will change once she has the child a few months from now. You'll wonder how you ever thought that." Adam laughed. Matt drove a few miles over the speed limit, and followed the directions to get to the New York City borough of Queens. By subway, it would take about 45 minutes to get there, but by car, it happened to be considerably faster. Within 15 minutes, they were off of the Van Wyck, and were headed to Jamaica Avenue, a predominantly Caribbean neighbourhood. Ravi lived in a house off of Jamaica Ave, so they were almost there. The evening was busy in this part of Queens, as usual. Matt had to use evasive driving tactics on more than one occasion to avoid hitting cars. Though he and Adam could have issued a few tickets along the way, they had more important things to do, like follow up on a lead that could prove to put away a growing terrorist group.
Matt turned onto his Ravi's street, slowing down to check the house number. A few houses down, he could see his blue Toyota parked in a driveway. Matt pointed.
"Over there." They drove and parked on the side of the street.
"Hey, Matt. Long time no see, buddy. How you been?" Ravi asked, ushering the two detectives into his home. They entered, and he quickly locked the door behind them.
"Good, Ravi. This is Detective O'Riley." They shook hands.
"You guys are here to check up on what I told you a few days ago, aren't you?" Ravi asked. The two detectives nodded.
"Yeah, Ravi. Can you show us the area you think you saw one of the Quarrymen?"
Ten minutes later, Ravi, Adam and Matt were driving in Ravi's Toyota along Liberty Avenue. Ravi directed them to where he saw a Quarryman in a dark blue hood, and carrying a large hammer. He explained how he had seen this man at around 11:30p.m and he seemed in a hurry to be somewhere. He didn't trail him, for fear of being seen. So he made a mental note and drove home. After a few minutes of driving back on forth on this street to possibly catch one dashing somewhere and finding no one, Ravi drove the three back to his home where Matt and Adam said their goodbyes and thank you's and left.
"Nice fellow, that Ravi." Adam mentioned as he got into the driver's seat.
"Yeah, he's a good guy. But he wouldn't send me on a wild goose chase if he hadn't actually seen one of those fanatics around. I guess we'll have to come around this area more often, huh?" Matt said, as Adam turned the corner back onto Liberty. Matt shot a confused look at Adam. Before he could say anything, Adam smiled.
"Let's check once more."
They drove the speed limit along Liberty Avenue, which is situated for many blocks under the subway line. Adam was about to make mention of how strange this was when Matt got a call on his cellular phone.
"Bluestone?"
"Matt, it's Elisa. How's everything tonight?"
"Alright. Kinda quiet. We're in Queens right now investigating a lead on…a case. What are you up to"
Matt heard giggling from Elisa.
"Nothing. I just took a nap and now I'm drinking hot chocolate with Goliath. Remind me how great working at night is again"
Matt couldn't help but laugh at this remark. "Alright, smart ass. It's wonderful working the night shift. Especially being with your two best human friends." Matt laughed, causing Adam to laugh at this, too. As they passed a jewellery store, Matt pointed suddenly. What he was pointing at was four young men wearing ski masks pointing handguns at a lone clerk. Adam slammed on the brakes.
Before Elisa could say anything else, she heard Matt say, "Look!"
"Matt? What's going on?"
She heard tires screeching. "What is going on, guys!" Elisa nearly yelled into the phone. Matt was reminded that he still held the phone in his hand.
"Sorry, Elisa. We're passing a jewellery store on Liberty and 91st, and I just saw a hold up in progress. Call you after."
"No! Matt! I'll be right there! I'll get Goliath to—"
"Elisa, don't worry. This is your night off. We'll be alright. I'm going to call for back up now. Stay there! We have to check it out first. I'll call you after at this number. Bye." With that, Matt abruptly hung up.
"Hello? Matt? Damnit!" Elisa said, slamming the phone on the sofa.
"What is the matter?" Goliath asked.
"Matt and Adam are about to stop a jewellery store hold-up. Can you take me to them? They are in Queens on—"
"Elisa, are you certain you want to go? This is your night off."
"Goliath, these are my partners—my friends. I can't let them walk into a situation like that without backup. Please, Goliath. Take me to them?" Elisa asked, rising from her seat and grabbed her bomber jacket from the floor.
The resolution in her voice was unmistakable, and Goliath knew that there was no arguing with her on this issue. Over the last few months, she, Adam and Matt had become like siblings. If her partners were in any sort of danger, he knew that she wouldn't rest until they were safe. He likened it to his clan. He would rush to help any of his clan if they were in the same situation. These detectives were of iher/i clan.
She searched the room for where she had hung up her gun holster. Goliath silently pointed to the hook high above the fireplace. It was hung there to keep it out of any child's reach (namely Alexander Xanatos). He walked over, got it and handed it to her. She put on the holster effortlessly. She checked her gun to ensure it was loaded and the safety was on, for now. She then put her bomber jacket on. She wanted to zip it up, but her growing belly would cause the jacket to be too tight around her midsection, and she was showing a lot more recently, so she decided to leave it unzipped.
"Thank you for understanding, Goliath." She said, as they hurried to a window to soar towards Queens. As she wrapped her hands around his muscular neck and he bent slightly to pick her up, she kissed his lips passionately.
"It is nothing, my Elisa." With Elisa in his protective arms, he jumped out the window, unfurling his wings to catch a wind current. Once caught, she pointed to where Queens was in relation to the Eyrie building, and they soared through the night air in the direction of Queens, New York.
Matt and Adam crept towards the side of the jewellery store, out of the range of sight of the robbers.
"What now, Matt?" Adam whispered, gun in hand.
"I called for back up, but dispatch said there was a large pile up on the Van Wyck that has many of the available officers tied up. We're on our own for a while…" Matt replied.
"Bloody hell." Adam swore as he walked closer to the scene of the robbery. As he approached the display window at the front of the store, he turned his head enough to make sure that the thieves couldn't see him. Adam pressed his ear to the glass to try to decipher any conversation within. He heard muffled cries, most likely coming from the clerk.
"Shut it, bitch!" One thief yelled, slapping the distressed girl hard on her face.
"Hey, Eddie, don't rough her up. We just want to get as much as we can get and scram!" Another thief told the first.
Adam's eyes widened. He had recognized the voice inside, but only put two and two together when the other thief addressed him as Eddie.
Adam turned to Matt, who was scoping out the surrounding area, with his gun still drawn. "Fast Eddie is in there!" Adam whispered as loudly as he could without actually speaking at a normal level.
"Shit! He doesn't keep his nose clean for too long, does he?" Matt answered.
The voice began again from inside.
"Hey, wasn't I the one who told you three about this job? I'll do whatever I want! And if I want to off this chick right now, I will!"
Matt and Adam both heard a gun cocking. "We should get in there before things get bad." Adam nodded.
Instantly, Matt and Adam ran towards the door of the jewellery store, aiming their guns at anyone in a mask. "POLICE! FREEZE!" They shouted in unison. Immediately, one of the thieves aimed and fired his gun. Anticipating this, Adam and Matt were prepared, and each ducked to opposite sides of the front door of the shop just in time to avoid the shot.
"Shit! Cops! What the fuck do we do now, Eddie?" Another thief asked Eddie.
"Shut up and let me think!" Eddie replied, still holding his gun.
"What now?" Adam asked, looking at Matt from his crouched position against the wall.
"I guess we wait for back up." Matt answered hesitantly. As he was crouched, he leaned a bit to see what was going on inside. He didn't see anyone, but suddenly saw a head pop up from behind a jewellery counter and a hand holding a gun. The thief fired, narrowly missing Matt's head. Matt ducked again behind the wall.
"Damnit. This is going to be a shoot-out unless we do something." Matt said, looking over at Adam. They heard and saw more shots zoom through the opened door.
"This is the police! Give yourselves up, or we'll be forced to open fire." Adam shouted towards the store.
"Do it, and this broad is dead." Eddie shouted back amidst the muffled cries of the petrified girl. Another few shots whizzed by them.
Inside the jewellery store, the thieves were pacing anxiously in the back room of the store. They knew that this wasn't going to end well, one way or another, but didn't dare voice their concerns to Eddie, for fear of him turning on them. One of the thieves stopped pacing and looked at Eddie, who was crouched near the back of the store behind a counter.
"We're just going to wait here for the cops to come in and arrest us"
"Fuck no, dumbass. We got a hostage. They won't think of putting this chick in danger. That will be how we'll out of here, boys. We're going to make a run for it when I say so."
Above the borough of Queens, Elisa and Goliath glided on the currents of wind. Elisa knew exactly where they were. As Liberty Avenue came into view, she pointed in the direction of the jewellery store. They made their landing a few blocks away in an alleyway. Goliath allowed Elisa to get on her feet, and began to climb the building to get back into the air. He would keep surveillance of her from the rooftops as usual. She tapped the communicator around her neck and the earpiece in her ear to ensure it was on. "Goliath, can you hear me"
"Yes, Elisa. I will be watching you. Be careful, my love"
"You too, Big Guy."
She walked briskly down Liberty Avenue until she noticed the squad car that Matt and Adam were using, parked on the opposite side of the street. She ran across the street to the car.
As she arrived at the parked car, she had the most eerie feeling that she was being watched. Silly, she thought. Goliath is up there watching over me. Shake this anxiety. Goliath is watching me, no one else…She shrugged it off and looked around her and the car for any clue of where Matt and Adam were.
Just then, there was a gun shot that rang out in the night. Panicked, she followed the sound of the shot. There were Matt and Adam, crouched on either side of the front door of the jewellery store, with their guns drawn. Relieved to no end that she had found them, she walked quietly but quickly towards the store.
"Guys!" She nearly whispered. Both detectives turned to see their noticeably-pregnant friend rushing towards them. Matt scowled.
"Elisa, why are you here? I told you we would be fine!" Another shot zoomed by Matt's face.
Elisa shook her head. "Ya, it's obvious you two are fine. Where's your backup?" Elisa lectured.
"Busy." Sirens started being heard all around them.
"I guess they were just freed up." Matt smiled.
"They have a hostage?" Elisa questioned. Adam nodded. "Damn." Elisa replied. She tapped her earpiece.
"Goliath, did you hear that"
"Yes, Elisa. We must help that clerk." Goliath answered.
"Just stay up there until I call you"
"Alright, my Elisa. I am ready for your word."
Just then, Matt decided to get brave. "Our backup will be here within a minute. Surrender the girl now, and we'll go easier on all of you!" He yelled.
"Alright, cop! We're coming out with the chick." Eddie rose from his crouched position behind the counter and grabbed the terrified clerk. He positioned her in front of him, with his hand gun jabbed at the side of her head. The other thieves were in awe—Eddie had more balls than brains. He walked slowly towards the door. "Come out, come out, wherever you are cops!" Eddie yelled. "I got the girl here. Shot me and you kill her."
Matt, Adam and Elisa had their guns ready. All three rose from their crouched position and aimed their guns at the thief, though, really, they were aimed at the hostage. They were all silent until Elisa spoke.
"Let her go. There are about 5 squad cars coming. I'm not bluffing, either, because you can hear them." She said, lowering her weapon slightly.
Fast Eddie instantly recognized Elisa from his nightmares and his arrest a few months back. Anger began boiling in his blood. His rage was uncontrollable. He also saw his way of escaping unscathed. The next events happened in a matter of a few seconds, and barely had time to register with anyone until it was too late.
Fast Eddie pushed the hostage to the side, causing her to slam into the wall head first and be knocked unconscious. He then aimed his handgun at Elisa. "Die, bitch!" He screamed maniacally. He fired his gun at Elisa.
"NO!" Adam screamed as he ran and pushed Elisa towards Matt and out of the bullet's path. Matt caught her before she could fall to the ground. Adam took the bullet in the stomach and was falling to his knees as Eddie and his thieves were making a run for it out the front door.
"Adam!" Elisa screamed.
Matt began running after the thieves as Goliath landed at Elisa's side. She looked at him, said "Help Matt" and ran to Adam's side. Goliath began running on all fours, following Matt.
Adam was seated upright against the wall. Elisa kneeled down beside Adam, examining him quickly before speaking. He was holding his stomach with both hands, and was instantly pale and clammy. Elisa's hands immediately went to his on his stomach. She looked into his greying eyes and saw fear.
"Adam? Oh my God. Don't worry—backup is on its way. You're going to be fine, Adam. You listening to me?" She demanded.
He managed a smile through the searing pain he felt. He brought his right hand, covered with his own blood, to the pendant around his neck and yanked with all his strength until the chain snapped and was freed. He held the pendant and chain in his blood-soaked hand and looked into Elisa's deep brown eyes. She looked back, and saw the look of awareness and acceptance of the gravity of his situation in his dulling eyes.
"Elisa, give this to your child. He or she will need it more than I will now." She opened her hand and accepted this gift.
"No, Adam, don't say things like that. This is nothing." Sirens in the background. "See? Backup and an ambulance are almost here. Just hold on 'till then. Please?" She pleaded with Adam.
"This is it for me, dear. Now you've got three guardian angels protectin' ya." He coughed, and a trickle of blood fell from his lips. At the sight, Elisa's eyes began to tear up. Adam breathed in his last breath, and his eyes closed for the last time. His head collapsed upon his chest. Elisa could not believe it.
She shook his shoulders unbelievably, screaming his name. "Adam! Please, God! Adam! NO!" She said between sobs, bowing her head to the ground. Just then, another officer came up and tapped her on the shoulder.
"Detective Maza? The ambulance is here." The young man said sympathetically. He had seen her reaction to Adam's death. Elisa turned to face the young officer, and rose from her kneeled position calmly, with tears still falling from her eyes. She inhaled deeply, regaining her composure. "Thanks." She replied and then began walking in the direction that Goliath and Matt had gone. She began running, hoping to help them catch one or two of the thieves that helped to cause Adam's death. Every alley she passed, she would look into to make sure they weren't there. After 3 minutes of running, she reached a park area. She surveyed the area before hearing gunshots and the sound of bodies crashing in the distance. She pulled out her gun again, and turned off the safety. Walking slowly, she wandered deeper in the park area.
"You're still walkin', huh?" Elisa heard from behind her. She turned to see Fast Eddie, with his ski mask off, pointing his gun at her again. "Well, not for long. Payback's a bitch!" He screamed. "It was you! You killed Adam!" Elisa replied, aiming her gun at his head, but shaking at the same time. Eddie was sauntering closer to her every second, his gun aimed at her stomach, intending to cause her immense pain. A gunshot to the gut was probably one of the slowest deaths anyone would have the misfortune of enduring.
"I was meaning to kill you. I'll fix that right now." He said maliciously.
Suddenly, a black limousine came speeding out of nowhere, jumped the curb, and ran over Fast Eddie mercilessly. Stopping briefly to inspect the damage it caused, the limo then took off, causing the wheels to squeal and smoke. Elisa was awestruck at all that had just happened. She ran to where Eddie lay, battered and broken, and already dead on impact. Still, she checked his pulse on his carotid artery. She turned her attention to the limousine—it was so dark that she couldn't see anything, but she could make out the license plate: DD. Puzzled, and knowing that she couldn't possibly chase after the limousine now, she gave up and walked away from the remains of Fast Eddie's body, on which rigor mortis was already setting in. She resigned to sit beside a tree and wait for Matt and Goliath, keeping her eyes away from the gruesome scene. She began feeling the fatigue that came with trying to run around while nearly 5 months pregnant. Thankful for a moment to rest, Elisa leaned back against the tree, placed a hand on her stomach and closed her eyes for a few moments. Just then, Goliath landed beside her, holding two unconscious thieves. Dropping them to the ground, Goliath picked Elisa up in an embrace that she desperately needed. She had just seen one of her best friends die before her and had someone try to kill her twice before watching him die as well.
"How is Adam?" Goliath asked, but regretted asking when he looked into her eyes, which were filled with sorrow and pain.
"He's dead. Oh god, he's gone. It all happened so fast, and we couldn't do anything to stop it!" She cried into Goliath's strong shoulder. All he could do was hold her. There were no words to express his sympathies for the loss of her friend, a member of her clan. He stroked her hair, and then wrapped his wings around her in a protective cocoon that always helped her feel safe and secure. He felt her sobs as they shook her in the protection of his wings and his arms.
He heard footsteps, released Elisa from his protective embrace, and turned to see Matt holding onto a handcuffed thief. Matt had the look of someone who had had their family name insulted.
Elisa walked to Matt, who handed the criminal to Goliath. Upon seeing Goliath, the thief fainted, which made it easier for Goliath to keep an eye on him. He picked up the unconscious thief and dropped him with the others. When he turned back to Elisa, she and Matt were locked in a quick embrace.
"It's not your fault, Elisa. Don't say that. Adam knew the risks of being a cop in New York City. Please don't blame yourself." Goliath heard Matt say as he released Elisa. She folded her arms in front of her and looked to the sky in silence.
Meanwhile, in an undisclosed location…
Dominic Dracon, an old, whithered man sat at his mahogany desk, watching CNN as usual when he received a phone call. Breathing heavily, he picked up the phone and pressed a button.
"DD…yes, I heard about this incident. Mrs. Dracon is not injured, right? You ran over the man who was about to shoot her? Good. You get to continue to live. Kudos on being able to track her. With that monster she is always being connected with, she's harder and harder to trace, eh, old boy? Yes, well, keep up the good work, and I won't have to kill your wife." With that, Dominic pressed another button and hung up the phone.
"Soon, my grandchild, soon. Soon you will be with your rightful guardian; a true Dracon."
Three days later…
Elisa dressed in the police uniform that she had not worn since before she was promoted to detective. The light blue button down shirt fit tightly over her belly now, so Captain Chavez offered her a 'large' to wear just for tonight. She buttoned it up standing in front of the full length mirror. She then clipped on a long dark blue tie to the collar of the shirt. Adjusting it slightly, she turned her head to the left to find her cap. She tied her long blue-black hair into a ponytail before picking up the standard 8-point police cap and placing it upon her head. She exhaled as she saw herself in the mirror. The last time she had to dress in full uniform was for a funeral held for a fallen officer from Brooklyn, and now she had to wear the uniform again for Adam O'Riley's funeral.
She left her apartment at around 9:15am. The funeral was scheduled to begin at 10a.m, but Elisa and Matt had to be there early to be with Adam's mother and sister, as they were his partners.
Before she left her apartment, she touched the chain and pendant she had placed around her neck to ensure it was still there—it was St. Michael the Archangel.
The funeral was attended by all the major players in Manhattan—the mayor, the assistant D.A, Margot Yale, and even David and Fox Xanatos were in attendance to show support for Elisa and Matt. The mass was nearly 25 minutes long, and afterwards, it was ended by Adam's mother giving a speech about his life and how his dream was to be a police officer, just like his father. Now, she said, they were together. She had to be helped off the altar. After this emotional speech, Elisa decided to say a few words. Tearfully, she stood up to the podium on the altar, looked into the crowd of strangers and friends in the church and recited a prayer that she felt suited Adam well:
"We little knew that evening
God was going to call your name,
In Life we loved you dearly,
In death we do the same.
It broke our hearts to lose you,
You did not go alone.
For part of us went with you.
The day God called you home.
You left us beautiful memories.
Your love is still our guide.
And though we cannot see you,
You are always by our side."
After she had finished the prayer, the people in the church said 'amen', and she stepped down from the altar, motioning to the priest behind her that she was done. The ceremony finished soon afterwards, and Adam was taken to his resting place in Albany, where his mother and sister lived.
That evening, right before sunset…
Elisa sat in the living room of the castle, awaiting the sun to set so she could tell Goliath of her day and the funeral. She was still dressed in her uniform, with the large button shirt untucked from her pants, because even this shirt was beginning to feel tight on her. Her mind was constantly in action, mentally recapping all the days' events, and the week's events, including the last thing Adam said to Elisa before he breathed his last breath and saw no more. Just then, the sun set, and she heard the roars of the gargoyles waking from their stone-induced slumbers. One by one, the clan filed into the castle's living room and surrounded Elisa. They all knew that she had been to Adam's funeral, so they knew not to be too cheerful tonight. Goliath was the last to enter the room. He put a hand on her shoulder.
"How was it, Elisa?" He asked simply.
"It was…" Elisa tried to find the right word to describe the service and burial. "…sad. I mean, it was a funeral for a good friend. He was not only a good person, but he was a good cop. And he saved my life and the life of my baby by pushing me out of the way..." Elisa said, resting her left hand upon her tummy. "…which is why I would like to name my child Adam if it's a boy. What do you guys think?" Elisa asked optimistically. Sympathetic smiles emanated from the clan.
"Good idea, Elisa." Angela said.
"Yeah, I like that name." Lexington chimed.
"'Tis a fine and fitting choice of names, lass." Hudson added.
Goliath smiled down at Elisa. "Yes, Elisa. It has great meaning, and in a way, he will live on in your son…if it is a boy, that is." Goliath stumbled.
"I'm glad you guys like the idea." Elisa said with a small smile.
Off in the kitchen, while preparing the evening's meal selection, Broadway had solicited Angela's help, as usual. As the pots simmered and expelled their wonderful smells, Broadway turned to Angela.
"Angela, do you think it's time we told Goliath about us? I don't know if anyone believes this story we have going anymore. I think they all suspect something by now"
Angela smiled and nodded.
"I agree. I hate lying to Goliath and the others. There doesn't seem to be a point to it anymore. Why hide our love?" Broadway beamed, leaned over and kissed Angela softly upon her lips.
