Elisa woke slowly, stretching her arms above her head and reveling in the feeling. She had been able to sleep in today, a welcome gift that she didn't get very often.

It had been almost two months since the Human's First anti-gargoyle group had attempted to take out the clan, and a good portion of the PIT organization with them. The resulting media circus had been just short of a nightmare, shoving both Elisa and the clan back into the main spotlight for a few weeks until something bigger and juicier had caught their attention. Like sharks scenting blood in the water, they had swarmed the other direction, finally allowing everyone to get back on with their lives.

Elisa had been working extra shifts for the last few weeks, as had most of the NYPD, but she had been somehow blessed with three days off.

Three days in a row.

That usually took either an act of God, an order from Maria or a major injury.

Luckily, this time, it wasn't an injury. It was the fact that the HR people and the bean counters were still keeping track of how many hours she'd been putting in, and all but begged her to take the time off before Maria got involved again.

Not that it would have taken much. She was feeling worn down by the constant activity and stress from the constant barrage of Media and fallout from the mess that the Human's First people had created.

Elisa checked her clock, and jerked in surprise. It was almost six in the evening, meaning that she had very nearly slept for ten hours.

With Liam spending the weekend at her parent's house, she had given Skyler a few days off to herself as well, so there had been no household noises to wake her.

Elisa smiled as she rolled herself out of bed. Knowing Skyler, she was probably camped out at the castle and spending as much time as she could with Brooklyn. The pair had been practically inseparable since the explosion that had almost cost Elisa and the clan their lives.

Not that Elisa could blame her. Elisa had done the same, as much as she could, after waking from the accident laid out in the infirmary.

Elisa made her way to the bathroom, showered and brushed her teeth. She got dressed in a comfortable pair of jeans and an old college hooded sweatshirt to ward off the early November chill. It hadn't begun snowing yet, but it sure felt like it to her. She turned her thermostat up a couple of degrees, just for comfort's sake.

Now that she was awake and dressed, food was next on the agenda. Her body needed fuel, and from the growl of her stomach, she was running on fumes.

With sunset so close, she decided to forgo the simple cereal and toast that had become a staple for her busy mornings lately.

Goliath was asleep in her courtyard and would probably wake before she was finished cooking. It was a rare occasion for them to be able to share a meal together, so she dove right in.

When Goliath finally opened the doors and came inside, she had a tray of French toast in the oven keeping warm along with a plate of bacon and sausage still steaming on a plate. She was just plating the scrambled eggs, and with his help, they transferred all of the food onto the table.

Despite her hunger and her original enthusiasm for the impromptu meal, she only managed to get a slice of back down. After the first bite of the scrambled eggs, her stomach rebelled, sending her running for the bathroom.

She was kneeling on the floor beside the toilet, when Goliath came in. He walked up behind her and ran a gentle hand down her back.

Elisa groaned. Her first night off in weeks, not to mention a full night off with just her husband, and here she was. Practically face down in the toilet, a sudden sweat from her body's instinctive struggle to NOT vomit, and her hair was now a stringy mess as it clung to the dampened skin.

Yep. She was drop dead sexy right now.

Elisa reached up blindly to hit the handle to flush the toilet. Once the swirling water had swept away all of the evidence, she slowly sank down to sit on the floor.

At least she was mostly upright now.

A large lavender hand came into view, handing her a large glass of water.

"Thanks," Elisa said weakly, taking the heavy glass and sipping cautiously.

"How are you feeling?" Goliath asked quietly. It wasn't the first time he had seen her ill, but even after all this time, it still wasn't any easier.

"I'm fine," Elisa sighed. "You should go eat," She encouraged. "I'd hate for all that food to go to waste."

Goliath shook his head. "I shall go clean up," He said. "Perhaps you will feel better later, and up to eating."

Ironically, now that the initial bout of sickness had passed, Elisa was actually starting to feel better. She took another cautious sip of her water, and watched as Goliath went back into the main living areas to clean up.

Elisa got to her feet slowly, just in case her body was messing with her, and she wasn't actually done being sick. When she was upright, able to turn her head and bend at the waist with no ill effects, she went to rejoin Goliath.

True to his word, the only thing remaining of the food was the lingering scent of bacon. Elisa thought wistfully of the bacon, but even though she was feeling better, she didn't want to tempt fate.

Goliath came to her side, and placed a loving hand against the side of her face. "Are you ill?"

Elisa shook her head, "No. I'm just a little tired, that's all."

Goliath frowned in concern. "You have been working too much. Again."

Elisa's shoulders rose and fell on a sigh. "Yeah. It had to be done, though."

Goliath gave a sigh of his own. "You do too much, pushing yourself in all that you do for the clan." He gently picked her up and cradled her to his chest. "Tonight, you rest. There is time enough tomorrow for us to be together."

Elisa sighed, laying her head against his chest. Maybe he was right. She had been running on less than ideal hours of sleep for weeks.

"Only if you lay down with me," Elisa quipped.

Goliath gave her a smile. "That is the plan, love."