Author's Notes: I'M SORRY! I'msorry I'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorry. (grovelgrovelgrovelgrovelgrovel) My muse needs to be locked up, that's all there is too it. At least I managed to update before I went on vacation. (Thanksgiving with the in-laws. Pity me.) Enjoy and please review.
Elisa stares in shock at Gwen's retreating back until the doctor and Owen disappear behind the closing elevator doors. The detective's mind tries to wrap itself around the doctor's words, sure that she must have heard wrong. Did she just suggest…?
"Lots of lube, huh?" Elisa mumbles to herself. "Could be interesting."
She chuckles to no one before shaking her head and heading back the way she had come. A short time later she's stepping back out into cool night air, zipping up her new jacket to help keep her warm. She soon finds Goliath not far from where she left him, looking over the side of the castle onto the city below.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" he asks after she steps up beside him and starts taking in the same view as him.
"Tomorrow the doctor is going to run tests to try and find what I'm allergic to," she tells him. "If everything comes up negative, he wants a sample of gargoyle saliva. Is it alright if you give the sample?"
"I suppose," he replies, concern tingeing his voice. "What would I have to do?"
"As far as I know, you'd just have to spit in a cup," she answers, finally turning towards him. "I've set it up that I should be finishing up the test around sunset. If you meet me on the roof of the hospital, the doctor can get his sample and we can get the whole thing over with."
"Where is this hospital?" he inquires.
"I'll show you," she replies as she steps into his personal space and snakes her arms around his neck.
He easily picks her up and steps up onto the wall just before launching himself into the air. He opens his wings with a loud snap and she wraps her arms a little tighter around his thick muscular neck, gladly sinking into the heat of his embrace. He looks down at her briefly, a low rumbling sound reverberates through his chest and she chuckles.
"Were you just purring?" she teases, a smile stretching her lips.
"Gargoyles do not purr," he tells her indignantly and she snickers quietly.
"Whatever you say, Big Guy," she chuckles and he scowls at her, but she knows he isn't truly upset with her.
"So, where is this hospital I am to meet you at?" he questions, effectively changing the subject.
She directs him to the building and after he gets his bearings, he heads back towards her apartment. She doesn't object as she closes her eyes to enjoy the feeling of the wind in her hair and his arms around her. He's such an incredibly powerful being, but he's always so gentle with her that it astounds her every time they touch.
Way too soon, she feels his body shift and without even opening her eyes, she' knows they're about to land. Once they touch down she cracks an eye open and sees the all too familiar sight of her balcony. She expects him to put her down like he normally does, but instead he carries her inside.
Once the door is firmly secured behind him, he turns his attention back to her and then tentatively kisses her. She gladly returns the affection, gently caressing his face and his tail slashes through the air in excitement. He rumbles deep in his chest again, vibrating through her body and causing her to heat up in all the right places.
The kiss deepens and she wraps her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer to him. After a short eternity, she has to come up for air and he starts to work his way across her jaw and down to her neck. She can feel the lust filled haze settling over her brain and she welcomes it until she feels his sharp teeth starting to dig into her skin.
"Goliath, STOP!" she commands and he immediately freezes. "Don't bite me please."
"I'm sorry," he mumbles as he nearly drops her to her feet and then turns to go.
"Goliath, wait," she begs as she puts a hand on his arm, causing him to pause and look back at her. "Let me show you something."
He reluctantly follows her into the kitchen where she opens a cabinet and starts taking out little plastic bottles, a couple of which have strangely typed labels on them. She sets them out on the counter in front of him and then reaches for a yellow and white box that's about six inches long and an inch across by an inch wide. She opens the box and lets a strange cylinder slide into her hand and he knows he's seen it before.
"This is an EpiPen, like the one Gwen used to save my life," she tells him and then starts pointing to the bottles. "This one is my anti-histamines, this one is my antibiotics and this one is the anti-inflammatory. I used to only take a daily vitamin, but ever since Demona bit me, I have to take all of these others. Fortunately once I'm done with the antibiotics and the anti-inflammatory, I don't have to take them anymore. I've developed an allergy to something and the doctor says that once my body starts reacting to one thing, other things are sure to start causing problems."
"Demona would be delighted to hear that," he nearly growls.
"Remember how I said that the doctor might want to test to see if I'm allergic to gargoyle saliva?" she asks as she starts to put everything back.
"Yes," he answers.
"When you bit me the other night, I still had a lot of the drugs they pumped into me at the hospital, so it's not likely that I would have reacted if I am, " she points out as she pulls her hair back so he can see her neck. "Gwen saw those and had a fit. My doctor saw them and had a fit. Until we determine what I'm allergic to, it's not safe for you to bite me."
"I'm sorry," he says quietly.
"It's alright," she assures him as she steps up to him and gently caresses his face again. "I'm sorry I yelled. You caught me by surprise. Care to watch a movie with me instead?"
"I'm not really as taken with the television as the others are," he tells her. "But if that is what you want to do, then I shall gladly sit and watch a movie with you."
"Good, you go pick out a movie and I'll make the popcorn," she says just before she pulls him down for a quick kiss.
"I'm not sure I'd make a very good selection," he replies hesitantly. "I know nothing about movies."
"All right, you go sit on the couch," she instructs with a smile. "I'll get the popcorn started, get changed and then we'll pick something out together. Does that sound good?"
"Of course," he responds.
Goliath does as instructed and tries to get comfortable on a piece of furniture that wasn't designed for sitters with tails. He hears as Elisa start the microwave, followed by her putting her gun away and then heading into her bedroom. He turns his head around just as she emerges from her bedroom wearing a t-shirt, sweats and thick socks. He watches as she goes back into the kitchen to get the popcorn and then joins him in the living room.
"So, what are you in the mood for?" she asks as she opens up a cabinet with a wide variety of DVDs. "Action? Romance? Mystery?"
"I'll leave it up to you," he tells her. "I am not an aficionado of cinema as the others are."
"Ok, I guess better pick something good then," she replies.
"What you pick will not matter," he states and she turns to look at him with a slightly worried face. "As long as you are at my side, I would be content to watch paint dry."
They stare at each other for several seconds before she smiles and turns around, effectively hiding her reddening cheeks. After sticking the disc into the machine, she settles down on the couch next to him, pulls the bowl of popcorn into her lap and starts the movie. A couple of hours later, the TV's off, she's asleep with her head on his thigh, one of his wings covers her like a blanket, his talons gently combing her hair and he is happily reading a book.
"Ok, sugar, spill," Lars orders as he places a plate of heated up leftover lasagna in front of Gwen. "Why are you scared?"
"I'm not ready," she admits as she starts to eat.
"For what?" he asks as he takes a seat across the table from her.
"For a commitment," she answers after swallowing. "I don't want to get involved with a man right now. I'm not ready for it."
"Well, it seems they're ready for you," he points out with a snicker.
"Lars, do you know how long it's been since I've seen my family?" she asks.
"Does that include your bitch cousin?" he questions.
"No, I'm talking about my parents and brothers," she replies.
"No," he answers.
"Eleven years," she tells him and she sees his eyes go wide.
"Eleven years," he repeats in shock. "Why so long?"
"I can't afford to go back there to see them and they can't afford to come out here," she states. "I've been saving a little of my paycheck every month, but until my student loans are paid off they might as well be living on the moon."
"So what does this have to do with you having a couple of dates this weekend?" he inquires.
"Don't you see?" she demands, clearly upset. "If I get involved with a guy here, I'll never go home and see my family again."
"Oh, honey, it's just a couple of dates," he sooths as he pats her hand. "It's not like they're going to be asking for your hand in marriage right off the bat."
"I suppose your right," she grumbles.
"Of course I am," he gloats. "Now finish up your dinner and then I want you to march right upstairs, shower and go to bed."
"But my bag…," she starts.
"Is perfectly safe where it is," he interrupts. "You can have it back in the morning. Honestly, I think these dates are the best thing for you. You need to get out and live life a little before you become an old maid."
"Thanks a lot," she growls as she goes back to eating.
"Just think of me of as your fairy godfather and heavy on the fairy," he laughs as he gets up to let her finish her dinner in peace.
A few minutes later she's done and the dish is whisked away from her. Before she can voice any objections, she's marched upstairs and deposited in her own apartment with instructions to go to bed ASAP or else. She waits a minute and then opens her door only to find Lars standing there scowling at her. With a resigned sigh, she showers, sets up the coffee maker, cleans her travel mug and then crawls into bed. She's sure she's going to be awake for hours, but the Sandman finds her within minutes.
When Gwen wakes up in the morning, she finds her satchel waiting for her on her kitchen counter. She goes to get ready to work and discovers that her hair was cut too short for it to stay in a proper pony tail. After spending more time than she should have to, she finally manages to pull the hair by her face into a pony tail while the hair in the back hangs free. Not perfect, but it'll have to do for now.
By the time she's ready to go, it's time to leave and she's a bit miffed that she had to spend that much time on her hair when she could have been working on her reports. She remembers to grab a jacket this time and then heads down the stairs, her ears straining to see if any noises are coming from the landlady's apartment. When all appears safe, she tiptoes past the old bat's door and slips her rent check into the special box the building's owner put in just for this. Only the new tenants or the really stupid ones give their money directly to the landlady, but fortunately for Gwen, Lars had warned her about it before she made that mistake.
Once she steps outside, she's glad she remembered the jacket since there's a light drizzly that's guaranteed to ruin any hairdo that anyone spent a good amount of time one. She turns up her collar and then zips the jacket all the way up to try and keep partially dry. By the time she gets to the gate, her legs and head are pretty thoroughly soaked but she just keeps moving knowing that stopping isn't an option.
After dropping her things off in her office, she manages to find a beat up Bronx Zoo cap and then heads off to do her rounds. She tries to think of ways to get out of tonight's date and even though Lars thinks she should just relax and have fun, she's too nervous about possible relationships developing. With no way to contact Matt and let him know that she's not interested, she's stuck in a bit of a quandary.
As she's tending to her fifth patient of the day an idea hits her that has her smirking like the Grinch before his heart grew. The answer all lies in the growing pile of paperwork waiting for her. She can just start doing her paperwork just before quitting time and then claim that she lost track of the time.
It's not nice and if her mother ever finds out, she knows she'll never hear the end of it, but it's a way out. Ok, it's sneaky and underhanded, but she didn't ask to be asked out Verdammt and she's not about to be shanghaied into this. With a self satisfied smirk, she turns her attention back to her patient, no longer worried about tonight's date.
Scene change
Several hours latter, Gwen is behind her desk in her tiny little office trying not to pass out because of the overwhelming smell of flowers doing her paperwork. She refuses to look at the clock, knowing if she does she might get a case of guilt and actually go home to get ready for the date with Matt. If she doesn't look at the clock, she can honestly tell the cop that she hadn't noticed the time.
"Ah, there you are," Tony says when he opens her office door without knocking and popping his head in and causing her to jump in surprise. "I had a feeling you were hiding in here."
"I'm not hiding," she objects. "I'm just trying to get some peace and quiet so I can finally get some of this paperwork done."
"Uh-huh, sure," he replies, disbelief in his voice. "Ok, boys, she's all yours."
With that, Tony swings the door wide open and two handsome, well dressed men walk in and stare down at the small woman with pursed lips.
"Jason, Jamie, what are you two doing here?" she asks in a slightly hysterical voice, having a pretty good idea what a hair dresser and a makeup artist were doing in her office.
"Lars was right," Jason states.
"And here I was hoping he was joking," Jamie responds.
"Lars sent you?" she squeaks, sinking down in her seat.
"Alright, girl, just get your stuff together and let's go," Jason orders, his fists firmly planted on his hips.
"I'm very busy right now, guys," she states, hoping a little bravado will scare them away.
"Looks like we're going to have to do this the hard way," Jamie says.
"Guess so," Jason replies and heads towards the doctor.
"Now wait just a minute you two," she begins as she pushes herself away from her desk.
"Nope, sorry, you had your chance," Jason states as he grabs her chair and spins her to face him.
"Hey! NO! STOP THAT!" she yells as Jason grabs her and flings her over his shoulder.
"Can you get her stuff?" Jason asks as he maneuvers out of the office and Tony peels Gwen's fingers off of the door jam.
"Not a problem," Jamie answers as he scoops up the paperwork on the desk and dumps it into her satchel while Tony grabs her medical bag and her travel mug.
"PUT ME DOWN!" she shouts as Jason heads out of the building.
"Nothing doing, sister," Jason proudly tells her. "Lars sent us on a mission and by heavens we're going to see the job gets done."
"LET ME GO!" she shrieks, struggling to get free.
"Sugar, I am six foot four," Jason says as he holds on tighter. "Do you really want to fall from that high up?"
"I've fallen farther," she growls as she starts kicking. "This is kidnapping!"
"I prefer the term intervention," Jamie states as he walks behind them with her belongings. "Knowing you, you'd probably have barely gotten home in time for your date. Do you really want to go on a date with a really hot guy smelling like an animal?"
"I wasn't going to barely get home in time," she snarls as she continues her struggling.
"Translation: You weren't going to get home until after he had come and gone," Jamie snaps. "It's a good thing that Lars called us then. To think, you were just going to let that big hunk of a sexy cop stand there wondering were you were for who knows how long and breaking his little heart."
"How would you know if he's a big, hunky guy or not?" she huffs as they get to parking lot and she's now panting.
"Lars described him to us," Jason puts in as Jamie walks past them. "And he's as half as cute as Lars says he is, you should be ashamed of yourself. Trying to stand that sweet man up, shame on you."
"Sweet, nothing," she growls, barely able to breathe with Jason's shoulder pressing into her gut. "The man's been tormenting me from day one."
"Just proves he likes you," Jamie calls back as he gets to the car first and remotes the doors open.
"What would he do if he hated me?" she demands as Jamie opens the passenger door and Jason dumps her in the seat. "Shoot me?"
"Don't be silly," Jason admonishes as he fastens her seatbelt for her.
"I do know how to fasten a seatbelt," she points out as Jamie puts her stuff in the trunk of the car.
"I know, just making sure you don't get any funny ideas," Jason replies.
"Oh, I've got plenty of funny ideas," she snarls, glaring at him. "They involve your butts and a couple tranquilizer darts."
"Ooh, she gets nasty when she's riled," Jamie laughs as he gets behind the wheel.
"Good thing you locked up her medical bag," Jason replies with a chuckle.
"You two aren't helping my mood," she growls while Jason closes her door and then climbs into the back seat.
"Honey, we're not here to improve your mood," Jamie tells her. "We're here to make sure you look absolutely fabulous on your date."
Instead of responding, she slumps down in her seat and sulks as Jamie pulls out of the parking space and starts to drive her home. As luck would have it, they ended up parking almost a block away from her apartment building and nearly have to drag her in. She puts up a token fight, but in the end, she takes her shower and then lets them do her hair and makeup. Just as she's finishing getting dressed and putting on a pair of heels that she's sure is going to break her ankle, the buzzer goes off.
"Yes?" she nervously calls into the speaker.
"Hey, it's Matt," Matt's voice says.
"Hi, come on up," she tells him as she presses the 'open' button.
She goes to put her coat on only to have Jamie snatch it away from her.
"First off, he needs to see you before you put this on," Jamie states.
"And secondly, he should help you into your coat," Jason adds.
All she can do is sigh and wait for Matt to make it up the stairs. A minute later, there's a knock at the door and Jamie and Jason hide behind the door as they open it for her. Matt takes one look at her and gives a low appreciative whistle.
"Beautiful, where have you been all my life?" he quietly asks.