Elisa had made the threat as a joke. In the end, she really did buy more than she had planned on.
She got the essentials: formula, diapers, blankets and pacifiers. She then proceeded to lose her mind a little bit, and bought the baby a whole winter wardrobe.
She didn't need a full crib, but settled on a folding playpen instead.
And then there was Matt.
Matt bought the baby a "teddy bear" that was roughly four times the baby's size.
It took him three trips, the teddy bear alone was a trip by itself, but he hauled up all of their shopping spree items to the apartment just in time for Carly the social worker to show up.
After making a cursory tour of Elisa's home, pointing out a few things here and there, to keep an eye on, Carly was satisfied that Elisa's home was perfectly safe for the baby boy to remain.
"That's an interesting statue, by the way," Carly pointed out the glass doors to the large courtyard that dominated the building's rooftop. "Where did you get it?"
Elisa glanced outside and realized for the first time that Goliath had spent the day at her place. She honestly hadn't looked outside and hadn't noticed that he was there until Carly had pointed him out.
"Oh, it came with the place," Elisa answered smoothly. "I believe it came from somewhere in Britain."
"It's amazing," Carly marveled at the craftsmanship.
"You have no idea," Elisa thought.
Moving on, Carly promised to call as soon as she found out any information about the boy and his mother. She had gotten in touch with the police precinct that was handling the investigation, and as soon as the mother was identified, the baby's paperwork wouldn't be hard to find. From there, she would look into any family members that may be able to take the baby in, and attempt to find out what the baby's name was.
With that, Carly left and suddenly it was just Elisa and the small baby.
Elisa sighed. Seriously, what had she been thinking? Had she done the right thing, or would he have been better off staying in the hospital?
The baby was currently curled up on a blanket in the middle of the living room floor. Elisa thanked her lucky stars that he couldn't crawl yet, covered him with another light blanket and laid down on the couch to try to grab a nap.
By late afternoon, Elisa was feeling completely inadequate. She remembered her younger siblings when they were babies, but had conveniently forgotten just how little sleep that they had needed in order to function.
Elisa called for re-enforcements.
She called her mother.
A short time later, Elisa's parents were at the door with a contribution of their own.
"Oh, my god!" Elisa exclaimed.
"I knew that you would need a bed for the baby," Diane Maza explained.
"She went a little crazy," Peter joked, smiling at his wife. He lifted the large crib box and muscled it inside the apartment. "She got the crib, the mattress and four or five sets of sheets."
"Mom!" Elisa exclaimed. "It's only for a week!"
"Oh, I know," Diane brushed off. "But he still needs somewhere to sleep, and we can always donate it all to a shelter when it isn't needed."
Elisa hugged her mother. "Thank you," she mumbled into her mom's shoulder.
"Oh, my girl," Diane said, hugging her closely. "Such a big heart you have hiding in that tough little package."
Elisa laughed. "Don't tell anyone."
"No one would believe us if we did tell," Peter joked, grinning devilishly.
Diane rolled her eyes. "Well. Let's see the boy," Diane demanded.
Elisa picked the baby up, handing him to her mother. Elisa hurried to help her father take the heavy box containing the unassembled crib up the stairs to her spare bedroom.
An hour, one restart and several rounds of creative swearing later, the crib was assembled. Elisa and Peter made a trip to their car for the mattress and the sheets before declaring themselves done.
Diane was just finishing feeding the baby when Elisa and Peter made their way back downstairs. "Elisa," Diane asked quietly, "What is his name? I never thought to ask."
Elisa shrugged. "We don't know. The hospital will be sending out inquiries to the vital statistics offices to try to locate the birth certificate as soon as an ID on the mother is made. Until we know his mother's name, there is nothing we can find about the baby."
"Poor thing," Diane crooned, rubbing the baby's back.
"Well. We have to call him something," Peter insisted. "Calling him 'The Boy' or 'The Baby' is just odd."
"Tell me about it," Elisa said. "I'm hoping to find out what his name is in the next day or two."
Peter and Diane left just before 5:00 that evening after gaining Elisa's promise that she would call if she needed anything.
The baby, exhausted from all of the attention, had fallen asleep in Elisa's arms.
Elisa was beyond exhausted. She had been up all night for her shift, had very little sleep that day because of the baby, and she was really starting to drag.
The sun would be going down in an hour, and Elisa really needed to talk to Goliath. She was feeling guilty that she had offered to take the baby home and care for it without being able to talk to Goliath first.
He was going to wake for the day to a new set of circumstances.
Elisa tried laying the baby down in the playpen, but the minute she took her hand away, he stirred and would whimper loudly. Elisa wondered if he had gone so long without human interaction that he was starved for affection.
Giving in, she decided that the small child needed the connection to someone more than she needed sleep. Baby still held in her arms, Elisa laid down on the couch. She laid the baby on her chest, covering them both with a light blanket and turned on the television low to a quirky daytime sitcom.
She fell asleep almost instantly.
Elisa awoke to the familiar sound of her patio door being opened.
"Elisa?" Goliath called softly.
"Hey, Big Guy," Elisa called out quietly. "I'm here."
Goliath knelt beside the couch, gently running his hand through her hair. "The lights are not on, and you are still asleep. Are you not feeling well?"
Elisa smiled. "I'm fine, Goliath. Just very tired. It was kind of an eventful day."
The baby chose that moment to stir and make his presence known. The shrill cry broke into the quiet of the apartment.
Goliath jumped, clearly taken by surprise.
Elisa groaned. "Sorry. I think he may be hungry."
Goliath just stared at her.
Elisa sighed, struggling to sit up while holding the crying baby. "It's a baby, Goliath. Not a time bomb."
Goliath frowned at her. "I know it is a baby, Elisa. I am just confused. When…"
Elisa couldn't help it. He sounded so flustered, she had to laugh. "A lot can change in a single day, Goliath."
"Whose child is it?" Goliath asked. "What is his name?"
Elisa felt the lightheartedness leave her in an instant. "Could you hold him for a moment?" Elisa asked, holding the squirming child out to her husband. "I need to make him a bottle, and then we can talk."
Goliath took the baby, mindful of the baby's head and neck at Elisa's insistence. The infant was working himself into a fine state, the tiny face turning a brilliant shade of red. The baby was flailing his tiny arms in his distress, and Goliath instinctively offered the baby one of his taloned fingers to hold on to.
He seemed to marvel at the tiny fingers that grasped his one finger.
Elisa, prepared bottle in hand, paused to take in the picture of Goliath with the baby in his arms. She felt a twinge that she wouldn't be able to give Goliath a child of his own. He'd be an amazing father.
Elisa gave herself a mental shake. She was not going to fall back into that funk after fighting her way out of it the first time that morning.
"Here," Elisa held her arms out to reclaim the crying baby. She cradled the boy in one arm, holding the bottle to the open mouth. The sudden silence that followed when he started sucking on the bottle was almost deafening. With a sigh, Elisa eased herself back down onto the couch.
"Go ahead and take a seat, Big Guy," Elisa urged Goliath. "It's kind of a long story."
Elisa began her story with being called into Maria's office.
Elisa told the story softly, so that she wouldn't upset the baby, but she didn't bother to hide her feelings for the tragic events that led to the baby's presence in her apartment.
Goliath's strong features mirrored her own shock and outrage at the mistreatment of this small child.
Elisa finished the tale as the baby finished his dinner. Elisa gently removed the bottle from his mouth, putting the empty vessel on her coffee table. She burped the baby and spread out a changing pad on the coffee table to change his diaper.
Once fed, burped and changed, the baby seemed content just to be held.
Elisa sat again, cradling the baby back against her chest. "I forgot how little sleep these little guys need."
Goliath blinked in confusion.
Elisa laughed in disbelief. "What am I thinking? Gargoyle children probably go into stone sleep with you guys, so you have no idea what I'm talking about."
Goliath frowned. "Of course they do."
Elisa chuckled tiredly. "Human babies, not so much. They sleep in short bursts, and wake up when they need to be changed or fed."
"I can watch over him for a time," Goliath offered. "The clan is not expecting me for the next few days, unless an emergency should arise."
"Oh, Goliath," Elisa felt like she was actually on the verge of tears. "That sounds so wonderful right now."
"Let us put him in his bed, then," Goliath gently took the baby and held him in the crook of one arm. He offered his free hand to his wife and helped her to her feet. "I will watch over the both of you tonight."
Elisa rose up on her tiptoes and kissed her husband gently. "Thank you."
Goliath caressed the side of her face. "You are very welcome, my love."
That first evening set up a pattern for the rest of the week.
Goliath helped with the baby at night so that Elisa could get a few hours of uninterrupted rest.
During the days, there was always someone around to help. Between Elisa's parents and little sister, Elisa was kept company and was able to grab a little extra sleep during the day if she needed it as well.
Even her brother, Talon, had come over Tuesday, the night of Elisa and Goliath's anniversary so that the couple could get away for a while.
Broadway had cooked a fancy dinner for the couple to enjoy on the top of Goliath's tower at the castle, and while it was enjoyable, the couple found themselves itchy to get home to the baby.
By Wednesday, three days into Elisa's vacation, Elisa was contacted by Carly. They had identified the mother and finally managed to find the baby's birth records. The mother's name was Paloma Marie Tripp. She was an orphaned foster child with no known family. The baby's father was un-named on the birth certificate.
To add further insult to injury, the mother hadn't bothered to name the baby. He was listed only as "Baby Boy Tripp". She hadn't even bothered to send the information in to get a social security number.
Elisa was sickened by the lack of caring or respect for the miracle that the baby was. Disgusted, she decided that the baby deserved better. She spent the day carefully surfing baby name websites on the internet, looking up both names and their meanings.
By the time Goliath awoke that night, Elisa had settled on a name.
Goliath's roar as he woke made the baby jump, but he had grown used to the sound by then. Smiling, Goliath walked over to greet his wife and the child for the night.
After a surprisingly long greeting kiss, Goliath lifted his head to gaze at Elisa. She seemed happy, rested and there was the gleam of determination in her eyes.
"Hello, Elisa," He greeted.
"Hey Big Guy," She answered. "I have someone I want you to meet."
Goliath nodded, slowly.
Elisa lifted the baby and handed him to her husband. "I want you to meet Liam Bryant."
Goliath smiled into her eyes. "How did you happen upon those names?"
Elisa shrugged. "I was looking at what the names meant. Liam means 'strong willed warrior', and Bryant is Celtic meaning 'strong'. This little guy, for having such a hard start, is definitely all of those things."
Goliath wrapped his wings around his love and the child who was in their care. "It is a good name. A strong name, and it will serve him well, my Elisa."
Elisa wrapped her arms around her husband and held him tightly, finding the comfort that she had been seeking all day in his arms.
"Shall we venture out and introduce young Liam to the clan?" Goliath asked. The others have been asking about him, but did not want to bother you by coming here."
"Let me bundle Liam up, and we will be ready to go." Elisa said, turning to rush back inside the apartment.
The clan had fallen for Liam instantly, and Liam had a friend for life in Alex Xanatos.
The eldest of the Xanatos children, Alexander, fiercely announced to everyone that he would help watch over Liam the same way he watched over his own baby brother, Christopher. He was so sincere that Elisa didn't have the heart to tell him that Liam was only going to be with them a short time.
The week was half over, and already Elisa knew that despite her earlier intentions, she was going to have a hard time letting him go. The little guy had really managed to work his way into her heart, and she had the sneaky suspicion that Goliath was beginning to feel the same way. She loved watching the two of them together.
As much as she had tried to keep her distance, to not form any kind of attachment to the baby knowing that he would be going to another home soon, she couldn't help watching him sometimes and wonder. What would he be like when he was old enough to walk? To ride a bike? To speak and go to school? To roughhouse, as all little boys do, with the clan.
She could almost picture him in her mind. A handsome little boy with his dark hair and brown eyes, laughing as he would run up to Goliath so that he could maybe have a toss in the air as she had seen Goliath do with the Gargoyle twins so many times over the last year. Would he be able to understand why his family would be so unique? The reason why he would never be able to tell anyone about who his father was, or talk about the clan?
So many secrets to be kept. What kind of life would that be for a child?
Still, she couldn't help but imagine it all anyway.
Elisa was beginning to dread the phone call from CPS. Would he be going to a good home? Would he find an adoptive family that would love him?
The possibility that he could end up back in the same situation that he had been found in hurt Elisa's heart. Perhaps she would be able to arrange to be kept in the loop as an unofficial "aunt" and visit him when she could.
Friday came all too quickly. Elisa only had until Sunday night off, and Carly had called earlier that afternoon. She told Elisa that the foster family who may have room for the baby would be back the following weekend, and would Elisa mind keeping him an extra week until then?
Of course, Elisa had hurried to assure the social worker.
Elisa made arrangements with the clan, and Liam would be spending his nights at the castle while Elisa had to be at work.
Saturday came all too quickly, and Elisa got a phone call from Captain Chavez asking her to come in for an hour or two to "discuss an important matter". She had only just walked into the station when Maria spotted her and called her into the office.
Elisa walked in, closing the door behind her out of habit.
"Chief," Elisa greeted. She had always greeted Maria the same when it was working hours. While on the clock, Maria Chavez was the Police Captain. Off the clock, she was Elisa's godmother, friend of the family and one of the few other humans who knew about the Gargoyle clan. She had been a guest at Elisa's wedding, and occasionally dropped by the castle to visit the clan.
"Maza," Maria greeted. She motioned for Elisa to sit, and folded her hands on top of the desk. "Just so that you know, we're off the clock here. This is a combination business and personal meeting."
"Okay..." Elisa replied, frowning, her voice drifting off in confusion.
"First, I have gotten word from the Mayor's office that you are to receive an award for your rescue and commitment in saving that little boy." Maria smiled a little. "I believe your father called him Liam?"
"Yes," Elisa smiled back, shrugging. "He needed a name, and so I found one that had a strong meaning behind it."
Maria nodded. "I thought he needed one, too. I have been keeping up with the case. Evidence collections, autopsy reports and anything having to do with the child. I can't believe that the mother had never named him."
"Maybe she did," Elisa shrugged, "But if she had, she didn't bother reporting it."
Maria nodded her agreement. "I hope that was the case. How's he doing?"
Elisa felt her smile widen. "He is doing great. He has gained some weight, and after the first day or two, we could tell that he had a pair of very healthy lungs on him."
Maria seemed to study Elisa's face. "And Goliath? How is he doing with Liam?"
"He is great with Liam," Elisa tilted her head. "What's going on, Maria?"
"Well," Maria sat back in her chair. "As I have said, I have been trying to keep in touch with Carly about the baby. It seems that the family she had in mind to take Liam won't be able to take him. The woman just found out that she is pregnant herself, and once that baby is born, they won't have the extra room. Carly is having to look outside of the city for placement."
Elisa frowned. "I was hoping he would be able to stay in Manhattan… But if he can't…"
Maria seemed to find what she had been looking for, and once more sat upright in her chair. She leaned forward, crossed arms braced on the desk and met Elisa's gaze. "Elisa, I am going to ask you, and I want you to be honest. Are you sure that you will still be able to give him up as easily as you had originally thought?"
"No," Elisa answered quickly. "But what are my options?"
"Adopt him," Maria said bluntly.
"What?" Elisa exclaimed with a surprised laugh. "But…"
Maria cut her off with a wave of her hand. "This is no joke. I have not heard you so happy about anything since your wedding. This may be your chance to have a child with your husband, and I think we both know that Goliath is getting pretty attached to the little guy by now."
Elisa blinked blankly at Maria. "He's not a puppy, Cap… Maria. I can't just adopt him. Look at my life! My family! His father and extended family would be gargoyles. His uncle is a mutated half cat. And my work schedule! Liam would have to become completely nocturnal. How would we care for a baby?"
"Your parents did it," Maria snapped. "Your parents were both working full time. And let's also mention that your mother is african american, your father native american...As a mixed race couple, if you think that was easy on them at that time in our history, you are sadly mistaken. People were not nice to them. You kids didn't exactly have it easy, yourself. Being the child from a mixed race couple yourself, I imagine that you can understand the challenges that Liam will have to overcome better than anyone. And, yet, despite all that, you Maza kids are some of the most well-rounded and down to earth people I know."
Elisa, feeling as if she had just been firmly put in her place, wisely chose to remain silent.
"I don't want to rush you," Maria said, "and I wouldn't if time was not of the essence here, but if I were to ask you to make a decision right now, would you choose to adopt that precious baby boy?"
Elisa hesitated for the briefest of moments. Every reason as the why she should not adopt Liam running through her head.
"Before you answer," Maria said, "know that I will personally go to bat for you. I have enough connections and sway within the CPS system to hurry the adoption through. I have an old classmate of mine from my time at the academy who works in CPS now, and he is waiting for my call. He can have the paperwork here in half an hour and the process can be pushed through quickly from there. If we begin the process now, then Liam never has to leave your home again."
She wished desperately that She could stop and talk it through with Goliath. They were married, after all, and he should have some say in the matter.
Then she remembered all the times over the last week that she had seen Goliath cradling Liam. The tender look on his face as he gazed into the small face…
Then Elisa tried to imagine going home and not having Liam there...
In the end, she said the only thing that she could. "I would love to keep him."
Maria smiled then. "I thought so." Maria picked up the phone, pressed the hold button and spoke briefly to someone on the receiving end. She replaced the phone onto the cradle. "Myles Millard will be here shortly."
Elisa sat back and narrowed her eyes at Maria's smug expression. "You knew."
Maria shrugged. "Call it a hunch that I had."
"Cop's intuition?" Elisa asked. "That would be amazing, being that I didn't know myself until just now."
"You knew," Maria said. "You just hadn't admitted it to yourself."
"One problem, though," Elisa said. "Legally, I am a single woman who works nights in a dangerous job. What judge would sign the papers?"
"That isn't as big a problem as you think it might be." Maria said. "You are a hero in the eyes of the city, about to get a mayoral award, a commendation from the NYPD and you are the officer who initially saved that boy. The PR department will be dancing a jig in their offices when they hear about this, and any judge who doesn't sign the papers would have to face their wrath."
Elisa laughed. "I didn't even know about half of those things."
"I was saving them for when you got back." Maria leaned back in her seat once more. "There is going to be a big ceremony on the Mayor's dime, all the pomp and circumstances that go with it."
"Why?" Elisa asked, serious all of a sudden. "What did I do that was so special? Other officers, firefighters and EMTs save people every day. Why me?"
"You followed a hunch and found the baby when everyone else had left. If you hadn't been there, they may have found a small dead baby days, weeks or months later. You saved that baby, then took him home to make sure he was cared for. That," Maria said with emphasis, "Is why you are getting the awards."
Elisa shook her head. She started to protest, but Maria raised a hand to stop her.
"No arguments," Maria said. "The paperwork has already been sent and is being pushed through. The decisions have been made, and it any protestations that you may have won't change anything."
A few minutes later, Maria's CPS contact knocked at the office door.
All Elisa had to do was sign the thick bundle of prepared papers.
Once the official papers were tucked safely inside of a large manilla envelope and sealed for privacy, Miles the CPS social worker shook her hand and congratulated her.
Elisa felt a little shocky. That had been… fast.
"Now," Maria said briskly. "You are not officially back at work for another twenty four hours, so I suggest that you go home. Spend some time with your husband and son."
Elisa blinked at Maria.
Her son. Their son.
Liam was going to be a permanent part of their lives.
Elisa felt a smile slowly cover her face as the reality started cementing itself in her mind, and Maria mirrored it back to her. "Go," Standing, Maria shooed her.
"Yes, ma'am," Elisa said, getting to her feet. Impulsively, Elisa threw her arms around her Godmother and held her tightly. "Thank you," Elisa whispered against Maria's shoulder.
"You are very welcome," Maria said.
Elisa had to make a conscious effort to obey traffic and speed laws on her way home. She was eager to get home to her husband. Her family.
Elisa hurried inside her apartment building. She tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for the elevator to make it to the ground floor and again while it ever so slowly rose to the top floor.
Elisa fumbled with her keys for a moment in her eagerness to get inside. Once the door had been unlocked, she opened the door to find Angela and Goliath in the living room. Liam, arms waving and gurgling contentedly, was being held comfortably in the crook of Goliath's right arm.
At Elisa's hurried entry, both Gargoyles turned toward the door.
"Elisa!" Angela called out happily.
Goliath frowned towards her. "What is wrong?"
"Nothing," Elisa hurried to assure him. She removed her coat, hanging it on the wooden coat rack just inside the door. "Angela, could you take Liam for a moment? I need to speak with your father."
Angela glanced quickly from Elisa to Goliath and back again. "Sure," she hurried to answer, holding her arms out to receive the baby.
Elisa hurried past them, and walked out into the chilled night air outside on her rooftop balcony. She crossed her arms over her stomach, took a deep breath to try to prepare herself to give Goliath the news, hoping against hope that he would approve of her choice. Praying that he would not be angry that she hadn't insisted on taking the time to call and speak to him before signing the papers, she turned her face to the night sky and stared at the stars above.
"Elisa," Goliath called out, worry coloring his tone. "What has happened?"
"Goliath," Elisa began, but felt at a loss for words.
"My love," Goliath insisted, "Tell me."
"Goliath, I'm afraid that I made a very big decision tonight…"
He raised a brow at that. "What decision would that be?"
"It's about Liam," Elisa said. "I met with a man from Child Protective Services and…"
Goliath sighed, pulling Elisa into his arms. "Is it time for him to move on, then?"
"No," Elisa pushed away enough for her to look into his face. "No. Just the opposite. Liam is ours, if we want him. I hope you want him, being that I just signed the papers. It all just kind of happened really fast."
Goliath blinked in surprise, then without warning, he swung Elisa around in a wide circle. Laughing happily, the couple came together in a warm embrace and a scorching kiss.
"You don't mind?" Elisa asked breathlessly.
"No," Goliath assured her. "I am very relieved. I was not looking forward to the time that was coming when he would have to leave."
"It's going to be a big change," Elisa felt the need to remind him.
"Of course," Goliath said. "But change is not always a bad thing."
"I love you," Elisa said softly, lifting her hand to caress his hair.
"And I you," Goliath said, returning the gesture.
"Shall we go tell Angela?" Elisa asked, grinning.
"Yes," Goliath agreed, offering his arm to Elisa in a very courtly gesture. "Then we should go tell the rest of the clan."