Just before sunrise, Elisa started moving restlessly in her sleep.
The abrupt movements woke Liam, and Goliath gently removed him from his mother's arms.
Goliath carried the small, sleepy child to the castle's nursery where the Xanatos children were playing. The children were so used to being awake all night, having their lessons via private tutor and Owen, that they were still wide awake.
"Liam!" came a tiny female voice.
Goliath set his son down, and watched as the tiny girl with the black hair ran towards them. Out of the three Xanatos children, Victoria was the only one to inherit David Xanatos' black hair. She was somewhat of an oddity, having two brothers who had their mother's flame red hair. She was a sweet girl, and at age 3, worshipped the ground that the older boys walked on.
She had a special affection for Liam, and grabbed him in a tight toddler hug. "Liam, Puck showed me a new trick!"
"Show me," Liam said with a yawn and a smile.
Goliath admired his son for his patience with the girl. He knew that Liam had taken the young girl under his wing… so to speak… and was always ready to jump to her defense when her brothers were giving her a hard time.
With as petite as Victoria was, she did her best to return the favor. If the boys got out of line, she was there, ready to deliver a scathing retort and a swift kick to the shins.
Knowing that his son was going to be fine for the day, surrounded by his friends and extended family, Goliath returned to the room where Elisa still slept.
He was a few steps from the door yet, when a scream erupted from the room. He fairly tore the door off its hinges when he burst into the room. Ready for a fight, he snarled and crouched in the doorway.
There was only Elisa, sitting on the edge of the bed, holding her head in her hands.
"Sorry, Goliath," Elisa said, not raising her head. "Just a nightmare."
Goliath forced himself to calm down, draping his wings over his shoulders once more. He walked slowly and carefully towards where she sat, and knelt in front of her.
He took her hands in one of his, and gently turned her face up to meet his.
She looked as if she had seen a ghost. There was a vacantness to her expression that scared him. She had been through so much in the time that they had known each other. Bad guys, kidnapping attempts and even a few near drownings.
Almost ten years ago, during a fight with the Canmore Hunters, she had fallen off of the Croton RIver Dam and nearly drowned. A short time later, she had almost drowned again in a freak accident in the Labyrinth after a rainstorm had made part of the roof collapse, trapping Elisa inside with a rising water level and no way to get out on her own.
It had taken both the Labyrinth Clan of mutates and the Wyvern clan of Gargoyles to free her.
She had some panic attacks for a time after that, but true to Elisa's nature, she had managed to overcome the worst of it.
But he had never seen this look in her eyes. Sheer terror and a deep well of grief were in her eyes.
Goliath had an understanding, having lost most of his clan to a vicious viking attack in one day. But he had arrived after the deed was done. Elisa had been there, watching while it happened.
Names were starting to be announced now, Goliath had heard, of those who were known to have perished in the horrible events of the day…
Many of which were police, fire and rescue personnel. Some of which may have been friends of Elisa.
There were tough days ahead for her, he knew, and there was precious little he could do to help her.
He sat on the bed next to her, holding her close until the last possible moment he had. Over the centuries, he had often lamented the fact that his race was not given the chance to stay awake after the sun rose. Stone sleep was both a blessing and a curse.
Today, he truly cursed the sunrise. He was needed here. The love of his life needed him, needed the support.
She needed not to be alone, and it was only a small measure of comfort knowing that she would be here, in the castle today with the Xanatos' protection.
Goliath felt the tingling of his skin, letting him know that the sun was about to light the sky. He hurried to help Elisa take her medicine, including the hated anti-anxiety pill, so that he could make sure that she at least took it.
Once the pills had been swallowed, Goliath helped her to lay back down. He talked to her quietly for as long as he could, mostly about their son. Anything but the events of the day.
Elisa appeared to be settling back in for more rest when Goliath was forced into the stone sleep.
Once Goliath had become stone once more, Elisa got out of bed. She was not tired, and did not want to go back to sleep anytime soon. Her dreams had been full of that roaring sound as those buildings had fallen, and the screams of the people on the street. She did not yet have the information on what had truly happened other than her own suppositions.
Oh, there had been news being passed around on the ground, but rumors of more planes and terrorists had run rampant. It was hard to know fact from fiction, especially when communications had been so difficult at the site.
Elisa was still fully dressed in the clothing that Fox's people had brought to her, so she didn't have to face trying to get dressed by herself. Her hair had been shampooed and brushed out repeatedly last night as well, so she almost looked like a human in the mirror. Her hair was a little tousled because of her laying down, but it was livable. She wasn't that worried about how she looked anyway.
She made her way to the media room slowly, feeling as if she were moving through water. A lot of effort for very little result.
She was not entirely clear on what medication she had been given by the doctor, but it was some powerful stuff. She would have to pay more attention to it in the future.
If it didn't make her a drooling idiot first, that is.
With the clan asleep for the day and the Xanatos family going about the business of running their multi billion dollar empire, it was easy to move about the castle unnoticed.
That was how she preferred it for the moment. Her memory of the last twenty four hours were a little hazy. Everything since the first tower fell had been such a blur of panic and activity, that very little was very clear in her mind.
Elisa made her way to the armchair, and sat down. In all honesty, she fell into it more than actually sitting in it, but it was a point of pride for her that she managed to stay in the seat. She felt so out of sorts, so off balance.
This. This is why she hated medication stronger than tylenol or antibiotics. It was a little like having a hangover, without having the fun beforehand.
Feeling like she had run a marathon, Elisa took hold of the television remote and turned on the large screen in front of her. She hurried to turn it down as the volume hit her suddenly sensitive ears.
"Yep," Elisa thought blurrily. "Just like a hangover."
Once the volume had been reduced to a dull roar, Elisa turned to WVRN, the local news channel for Manhattan. She watched with a detached horror as the same areal scenes of the towers falling aired over and over. The president of the United States had given a speech yesterday, and the soundbites from it were all over.
A lot of things were being clarified for Elisa, however. The little news that had gotten through to those who were there at Ground Zero had really been scattered, so it was nice to find out the truth…
Or at least the truth as far as anyone knew it to be.
The reports were coming rapid fire now. The who, what, where and when's were all being spoken of...
The "why" of it all was not making sense. Elisa doubted that it ever really would to her.
Feeling guilty over not having done it already, Elisa took her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed the station.
"Captain Chavez, please," She asked.
After a moment of really bad instrumental hold music, Elisa heard the familiar voice answer. "Chavez."
"Maria," Elisa replied, letting out the breath that she didn't know she'd been holding.
"Maza?" Maria asked hesitantly.
"Yeah, it's me." Elisa confirmed. "Sorry for not calling sooner, but they gave me some meds that have knocked me for a loop."
"I understand," Maria said. "I heard from your doctor that you were pretty cut up."
Elisa sighed. "I still should have called. Or at least thought about calling. Honestly, thinking is a little difficult right now."
"I was just happy to hear that you were alive," Maria said bluntly.
"How many from our house were there?"
"Anyone I could spare," the captain admitted. "I had spread people all over, trying to keep watch over every entrance and exit out of Manhattan. You, Bluestone and a few others were even close to the site."
Elisa cleared her throat. She had dreaded the next question, but she had to know the answer. "Are any of our people missing?"
"No," Maria said with a deep sigh. "Everyone but you had made it back pretty soon after the collapses. A lot of our guys went to help with the rescue and recovery operations, but no one could find you."
"Sorry, cap," Elisa said softly. "My cell phone wasn't connecting, and then I was so busy helping where I could that passing time just didn't register."
"It happens like that sometimes," Maria acknowledged. "But I swear I am hooking you up to a tracking device. Your father will probably agree after he spent most of the night calling the station looking for you."
Elisa cringed. "I'm sorry about that."
"You have some good friends at that castle, my dear," Maria said. "Dr. James took the time to call your parents for you."
"Damn," Elisa said. "They were next on my list, I swear. I just needed to know…"
"I understand," Maria said softly. "How's the arms?"
"Stiff," Elisa admitted. "Sore."
"I bet. Well," Maria said with a frustrated sigh, "I guess it goes without saying that you are still out on medical leave until you get the clearance from the doctor that you are able to come back to work."
"I know," Elisa said frustrated. "Captain, is there anything I can do?"
"Not here," Maria said firmly. "If you absolutely have to do something, you can register with the volunteer services and maybe man one of the volunteer stations."
Elisa knew that she couldn't count on her memory at the moment, so asked Maria to text her phone with the information. She hung up the phone, paused for a moment to collect herself, then dialed the next number.
At the gruff male voice that answered, Elisa felt her eyes begin to fill.
"Dad?"