Liam legally became Elisa's son one week later. He had already become a member of the clan, and was being well loved by his parents.
With the new responsibilities, and all of the extra time he needed to be at Elisa's apartment, Goliath made noises about stepping down as leader from the clan and handing the reins over to his second in command, Brooklyn. Brooklyn declined, but offered to take over enough responsibility at the castle so that Goliath could stay at Elisa's apartment every day so that he could be there to help with Liam upon awakening.
Surprisingly, the Xanatos family even pitched in, offering to find a dedicated nanny to take care of Liam at night so that Goliath and Elisa could continue working together and not have to worry about the baby.
A few of the clan members made disgruntled noises about how they could handle one infant…
Until Liam presented them all with a very full diaper.
It wasn't long afterward that the clan, still mostly males, agreed that a human nanny would not be a bad thing.
Elisa fought the urge to laugh at the disgusted faces of the clan around her. Their super smelling powers must be driving them crazy.
She went to the nearest bathroom to clean Liam up, cooing and speaking gibberish to him to keep him entertained.
"And it begins…" came a familiar female voice from the doorway.
Elisa turned an embarrassed smile toward Fox. "Oops."
Fox laughed. "Oh, don't worry. I do it, too. Hell," Fox waved a hand dismissively, "After seeing my mother, the Fairy Queen, baby talk to my boys, nothing looks odd to me anymore."
Elisa's eyebrows shot up. "Titania? As in Oberon's Wife?" Elisa finished up Liam's change, and zipped his warm footie pajamas closed again. Lifting Liam into her arms, she nuzzled his neck, "I think I would pay to see that."
"It is almost worth the price of admission," Fox joked.
"What's going on?" Elisa asked the red headed woman.
"Not much," Fox shrugged. "Just wanted to let you know that we meant what we said about the nanny. We had been looking into one for Alex and now Christopher. Owen can handle a lot, but he has his hands full with David's company and training Alex."
Elisa raised a brow. "Did you already have someone in mind?"
"Well," Fox smiled devilishly, "We just so happened to have interviewed someone yesterday who would be perfect."
"Really?" Elisa asked skeptically. "That would be awfully convenient, being that we didn't know we would be keeping Liam until tonight."
Fox shrugged nonchalantly. "I had a feeling."
Elisa watched, dumbfounded, as the redheaded former ex-convict turned and walked out the door. "Feelings and hunches seems to be going around. Like a freaking virus." She groused.
Elisa looked down at Liam who was contentedly sucking on his fists. "You probably knew too, didn't you?"
Elisa scooped her son up and went to join the rest of the Gargoyle clan.
Elisa called the number that Fox had provided and made arrangements to meet the potential nanny, Skyler Henrick.
Being a policewoman, and having the tools available, Elisa did do a little digging into her background beforehand.
As it turned out, not only did Skyler have no criminal record, she was more than capable of taking care of Liam.
Skyler had been abandoned at the age of fourteen. Her mother had dropped Skyler off at school one day and never picked her up. Skyler had made her way home that day but had no key to get in the house. A neighbor had discovered Skyler sitting on the front porch at midnight, shivering from cold, and called the police. No sign of her mother had ever been found since then. And so, as a foster child, she had spent her life as a ward of the state from age fourteen until age eighteen moving from foster home to foster home in Colorado. She had no family to hold her there, so when she graduated high school, she had spent her time working for various nanny services working for room and board, earning a little spending money here and there.
Elisa did run across a police report with Skyler's name on it from Manhattan that caught her attention. Skyler had arrived in Manhattan only a month ago. She had just gotten off of the Greyhound Bus that had carried her and her meager belongings across the country and was walking to the small hotel that she had arranged to live in, when two men had knocked her to the ground. She had been struggling, trying to keep hold of her small life savings that she had tucked in her duffle bag.
It just so happened that a pair of gargoyles happened to be patrolling that night, and saved Skyler, her belongings and her money. Skyler didn't know their names, but from the description, Elisa figured out that it was Brooklyn and Broadway.
Elisa read the witness statements connected to the attempted mugging, and it appeared sounded as if Skyler hadn't been frightened of the gargoyles. Another thing that only worked in her favor.
As a nanny for a child who had been adopted by the clan, she would have to be able to meet and interact with the clan on a fairly regular basis.
And so, early one evening just after sundown, Elisa walked into the Starbucks just down the street from from her apartment to meet with the young woman.
Skyler was twenty years old, was only slightly shorter than Elisa and had a baby face that made her still look to be in her mid teens. She had straight, light auburn hair that reached just past her shoulders. With a pure ivory complexion and brilliant green eyes, she looked almost like a large porcelain doll.
Elisa walked to the counter, ordered a coffee and took a few moments to observe the young woman. Skyler was sitting at a table alone, a worn paperback book in her hands that Elisa realized was a romance novel.
She looked like someone that you would cast to play the stereotypical girl next door from a movie or television show. Every time the bell above the door sounded, Skyler jumped a little and looked up alertly, idly playing with a gold charm bracelet around her slender wrist.
Probably looking for me, Elisa thought to herself.
Elisa paid for her coffee and walked over to introduce herself. Part of being a police officer is needing to have a healthy dose of skepticism about people. People could twist the truth to suit their purposes, to make them appear more innocent and reliable than they really were.
Skyler seemed to be truthful, almost to a fault. She admitted to the few years that she went through a streak of teenage troublemaking. Skyler had even grinned and said, "Typical foster kid frustration mixed with a healthy dose of with teenage angst" and made Elisa laugh.
She was completely open and candid about her background.
Elisa was impressed.
Skyler had religiously renewed her CPR certification, had taken a handful of child psychology courses at a small local college outside of Sterling Colorado and had even come with written references from the last family that she had worked for.
Elisa had her communicator on so that Goliath could listen in on the interview as well. He had been mostly silent, but had made approving noises through most of the conversation.
Elisa excused herself to go to the restroom. She walked past the door marked "Women" and went out to the back alley so that she could speak to Goliath.
"What do you think, Big Guy?"
"I think she will be good with Liam," Goliath admitted. "She sounds like someone who would be good around the clan as well. What are your thoughts?"
"I like her," Elisa admitted. "She seems sweet, honest and genuinely likes the children that she has cared for."
Elisa had to admit that Fox had really found a winner, and a few minutes later she hired Skyler on the spot. She led Skyler toward the apartment so that she could meet Liam.
"Liam's father is with him right now," Elisa admitted. "We are still adjusting to having the little guy around."
"I read the story in the paper," Skyler smiled brightly. "It is amazing that you were willing to take the baby in and adopt him so quickly."
"In the paper?" Elisa asked incredulously. "Really?"
"Yeah," Skyler said, looking uncomfortable. "You… didn't know."
Elisa shook her head. "I shouldn't be surprised, but I am."
"You are being hailed as a hero," Skyler assured her.
"I'm no hero," Elisa said, using her key to open the outer security door. "I was just in the right place at the right time."
"And just stubborn enough to keep looking for the cause of a strange sound?" Skyler mused out loud.
Elisa burst out with a laugh. "That's one way to put it." She reached out and hit the call button for the elevator.
Skyler was looking around her in wonder. "This is an amazing place."
"Yeah," Elisa admitted, looking around as well. "It is. There is a security desk that is manned twenty four hours a day." She motioned toward the desk and the gentleman sitting behind the desk. "That is Tony. He's here most nights. I'll introduce you when we come back down. If you decide that you want the job, we can go get your things tonight if you want. We have an extra room, and it would be easier all around if you stayed with us. It would save you a lot of money as well."
Skyler nodded. "I was hoping that would be the case."
The elevator bell dinged, signalling its arrival on the ground floor. Elisa held the door and motioned Skyler in first. Once inside, Elisa swiped her coded security card and pushed the button that would allow access to the top floor.
"Security measures," Elisa explained. "We will get you your own card and code so that you can come and go without having to rely on us buzzing you up."
Skyler nodded her understanding.
"Now that we are on our way," Elisa said slowly, "How much did the Xanatos' tell you about my family."
"Well," Skyler began cautiously, "They told me that you are a policewoman, and have had some unfortunate run ins with criminals, so you had a need for a place with the security measures." Skyler shrugged. "I don't mind, though. It's nice to feel safe."
Elisa nodded.
"Mrs. Xanatos also mentioned that you and your husband worked together, and mostly on the same shifts, so you needed someone to help watch Liam overnights."
Elisa nodded again.
Skyler frowned. "She was really interested in the attempted mugging a few weeks ago and my interaction with the Gargoyles."
Elisa hummed, thoughtfully. Truthfully, she wanted to hear more about it herself. "I was sorry to hear that you had such a bad experience first thing."
Skyler smiled. "It was scary, but I was happy to get to meet a Gargoyle. Two, actually."
"Really?" Elisa asked.
Skyler nodded. "Yeah. The Gargoyles are something of a legend now that the world knows about them. Granted, all the way out in Colorado, we didn't hear as much about them, but there's always the internet." Skyler shrugged sheepishly. "I read up on them before coming. They are really good to have around, huh?"
"That they are," Elisa smiled at the girl. "So, why Manhattan?"
"Honestly, I don't know," Skyler admitted. "I just needed to get out of Colorado, and get out on my own. I looked at a map, and Manhattan just kind of called to me." She shrugged.
"Well, it's lucky for me that you did," Elisa assured her.
The elevator signaled their arrival on the top floor. Elisa led the way to the door, and paused before opening it.
"Skyler," Elisa began slowly. "We have another reason for all the security. Privacy. You seem to have a good head on your shoulders, so I'm going to ask you to be patient for the next little bit for explanations. Okay?"
The girl nodded her head, her face serious. "I understand, Ms. Maza."
"Elisa," Elisa corrected with a smile. "we're pretty informal here."
"Oh, thank goodness," Skyler let out a breath.
Elisa chuckled, opening the door.
"Oh, wow," Skyler breathed in wonder. "This is an amazing home."
"It's two floors," Elisa said, pointing to the staircase at the rear of the large living area. "Living room, Dining room and kitchen on the main floor. Bedrooms are all upstairs. It's dark out, so you may not be able to tell, but there is a large courtyard balcony through the double doors there."
Skyler looked a little overwhelmed. "You must think I am a total country hick right now, but… wow!"
Elisa folded her arms and leaned back against the wall. "Go ahead and look around for a moment if you want." She straightened back up and went into the kitchen. "I have water, tea and coffee. Would you like anything to drink?"
"A water would be nice, thank you."
Elisa brought the woman a cold bottle of water and opened the top to her own bottle. "Shall we sit for a moment?"
"Sure," Skyler said.
The two women sat in the two armchairs that were angled to face each other in silence for a moment.
Elisa cleared her throat. This was it… Skyler either stayed or left based on how she reacted to the next bit of information.
"Skyler," Elisa began slowly. "I was interested in your incident with the Gargoyles too, but not for the reason that you may think."
"Oh, god," Skyler breathed, looking worried. "You're not part of a gargoyle hating group or something, are you? I can't help you find them, if that is what you want."
"And if you did know where to find them?" Elisa asked curiously.
Skyler shook her head, a fierce light in her eyes. "I wouldn't tell you if I did know. I'm sorry."
"I can pay you a lot of money for the information." Elisa was baiting her, trying to see if Skyler would cave in.
"I'm sorry," Skyler firmly put down the bottle of water and got to her feet. "This is an amazing opportunity, but I can't help you find them. I'm sorry that I can't take the job, and I think it would be better if I just go ahead and leave now."
"Good answer," Elisa said, smiling. "That was the best thing you could have said."
"R...really?" Skyler stuttered out, confused now.
"Really," Elisa assured her. She put her water bottle down on the floor beside her chair. "The reason that I live so far up, and need all the security and privacy is that I am one of a small number of people who are friends with the clan of Gargoyles here in Manhattan."
"Really?" Skyler perked up, instantly. "Do you know that ones that helped me?"
"I think so," Elisa admitted. "From the descriptions you gave the officers the night they helped you, I believe they were Brooklyn and Broadway."
"Awesome names," Skyler laughed. "Did they pick their own names, or did someone name them?"
"Their leader, Goliath, had been given a name before I met him." Elisa admitted. "There is a female who was named Angela by someone else, and I accidently named the eldest member Hudson, for the river. There are four more, Broadway, Brooklyn, Lexington and Bronx. They chose their names when they arrived here."
"That's great," Skyler said. "It kind of gives their names a special meaning if it is from their home and their own choice."
Elisa tilted her head thoughtfully. "I guess I hadn't thought about that."
"Do they come here often?" Skyler asked hesitantly. "I didn't get the chance to thank the ones who helped me, because I had been so startled over everything. I would really like to do so."
Elisa nodded. "They come over quite often."
A cry sounded from upstairs, and Skyler jumped to her feet. "Oops," She blushed prettily. "I guess it's a habit."
"That's fine," Elisa laughed. "He's only lived with me for a little over a week now, and I find myself doing that quite often as well."
Heavy footfalls sounded upstairs, and Elisa knew that Goliath was on his way down with Liam.
Now or never, Elisa thought. "You're in luck," She said, hurriedly. Elisa wanted to give Skyler a heads up before she set eyes on her seven foot tall husband who just happened to be the leader of the clan. "The leader of the clan's name is Goliath,and he is here right now." Elisa motioned toward the stairs where Goliath had appeared, Liam tucked into his arms.
Skyler turned, eyes widening in surprise. "Oh… uh… Hello."
Elisa chuckled. "Don't worry," Elisa whispered to Skyler. "He caught me by surprise the first time I met him, too."
"She fell off the building, actually," Goliath said, chuckling.
Elisa rolled her eyes. "Fall off of a building one time, and you never hear the end of it."
Skyler recovered quickly, and even giggled a little at the teasing. She walked forward and held her arm out to shake the Large leader's hand. Goliath reached forward, grasping the young woman's forearm.
Skyler perked up. "Oh! You use an old warrior's greeting."
Goliath raised his brow in amazement. "I do."
"Okay. Now I need to know how you knew that," Elisa announced. "It took me a while, and even then, Hudson had to explain it to me."
"Oh, I…" Skyler flushed bright red and shifted uncomfortably. "I read a lot of historical...books."
Elisa remembered the romance novel that Skyler had been reading in the coffee shop. "Ahh," Elisa understood. "Got it."
Skyler grimaced. "I know. Romances aren't the best reading material."
Elisa shrugged. "You'll get no judgement from me. I used to read romances myself. Then I discovered true crime and mystery books. The rest is history."
Skyler slowly relaxed again. Turning, she spoke to Goliath. "Is this Liam?"
"It is," Goliath nodded.
"May I?" Skyler asked, holding her arms out.
Goliath glanced at Elisa, and Elisa nodded to let him know that it was alright. Skyler gently transferred the sleepy baby from Goliath's strong arms to her own. "Hi there," Skyler said to him softly. "I'm Skye, and I think we're going to have a great time getting to know each other."
Elisa watched as Liam stared into his nanny's face with those bright eyes and serious expression. He wasn't crying, however, so that was a good sign.
"Goliath," Elisa called out, as if he hadn't heard the entire conversation, "Skyler met a couple of the clan members. Brooklyn and Broadway, I think."
Goliath nodded, playing along. "I hope they were of some help to you, Miss Skyler."
"Oh, they were," Skyler hurried to assure him. "They were very helpful, and courteous."
"That is good, then," Goliath said with a smile.
Skyler smiled back. "I would like the opportunity to thank them in person sometime." She gave a small grimace, "I think I pretty much stammered like a complete idiot the night I met them."
"I'm sure you were fine," Elisa assured her. "You will have plenty of time to get to know them. They come by often."
"Good," Skyler said. She lifted Liam to her shoulder and turned to Elisa. "Would you mind showing me where Liam's things are, so I can find what he needs and get used to his routine?"
Elisa smiled. "Sure. In the meantime, how would you feel about getting your things and moving in tonight?"
Skyler's face lit up happily. "I would love that."
"Good," Elisa said. "Goliath, can you arrange an extra pair of hands or two to help before it gets too late?"
Goliath nodded. "I will go to the castle and return shortly with help."