As soon as Yale and Mab disappeared, the spell that had held everyone motionless in the Great Hall broke, and they could all move at will once more.

What looked faintly like a ball of light exited Angela's body where it formed into the shape of a female gargoyle, the spirit lingered briefly, looking distraught, before fading away.

Fox ran forward and took Alex from Goliath's arms, desperate to hold him again. Then she rounded on Angela who was standing a few feet away, looking rather wan and a bit dazed as well.

"How could you?" Fox shouted viciously at the female gargoyle, clutching Alex close to her chest.

Angela blinked several times, confused.

"I thought gargoyles were supposed to protect!" Fox continued berating her.

Demona growled like a jaguar, stepping forward and baring her fangs at Fox. Her eyes flashed scarlet, threatening violence.

"Back off, human," she snarled as she came to stand next to her daughter. "If you used your feeble brain for half a second, you'd realize that she clearly had no control over her actions."

Angela looked at her hands and then at Fox as she recalled what had happened since the spirit had possessed her.

"There was someone else… piloting my body," she said, her voice filling with horror as the night's events came back to her. She wrapped her arms around herself and she began to shake. "I tried to fight her, but… she was too strong."

"It's true," Broadway said as he picked himself up off the floor, clutching his head as if it was aching. "We would never hurt Alex. Those ghosts possessed us and used our bodies against our will."

Angela started to sink back to the floor, her knees giving out as she was overcome by a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach. Her own body had been possessed by another against her will, and she felt violated and used. Being possessed by Coldfire's soul had been different because she had consented to it. This was a violation of the mind as well as the body. Feeling the spirit's thoughts and memories brush up against her own was a type of intimacy that not even her own mate was privy to, and for a moment she felt like she might vomit.

Demona knelt down and gathered her daughter up in her arms, holding her tightly as Angela shuddered, nearly on the verge of hysteric tears.

Broadway stood awkwardly nearby, feeling like his role had been usurped, while also craving comfort for his own distress as well. He shared an uncertain glance with Goliath who seemed to understand immediately how he was feeling. Goliath reached out, intending to put a reassuring hand on Broadway's shoulder, but Broadway over-accepted and pulled his clan leader into a crushing bear hug instead.

Goliath gave a surprised little cough, partially from the air being squeezed out of his lungs, but then acquiesced to the embrace, giving Broadway an awkward pat pat on the back before finally detangling himself again.

Taking a step back, he glanced from his aching "son-in-law" to his distraught daughter in a ball on the floor, sobbing into Demona's arms.

Though deeply unsettled by the familiarity with which Demona hugged their daughter and comforted her, Goliath let them be for the time being. He needed to ensure the status of his own mate, and quickly crossed the room toward her. He knelt down next to his love who was being attended to by Hudson. He brushed her cheek and spoke her name, willing her to open her eyes. They fluttered at the sound of his voice, but she remained unconscious.

Xanatos, bruised and beaten, rushed over to his wife and child, gathered them up into his arms, and held them tight. Alex had quieted now that he was reunited with his parents, but he was still whimpering, his emotions completely rung out. Xanatos spoke quietly to them both, reassuring them and himself that they were unharmed.

Just as things seemed to settle, the door that led from the Great Hall into the courtyard burst open and everyone leapt into defensive positions, ready for another attack. But instead of ghosts or fairies or sorceresses coming back to finish the job, it was Brooklyn, Katana, Nashville, and Lexington who charged through the doors. They stopped in their tracks when they noticed everyone's reactions and the absence of Mab.

"What'd we miss?" Brooklyn quipped.

"Where'd the evil fairy go?" Nashville asked.

"She's gone," Goliath informed them as he relaxed his stance. He had crouched into a defensive position to cover his mate, but now that there was no immediate danger, he lifted her up off the ground and carried her protectively in his arms.

"Yes, she's gone. For now," Xanatos said angrily as he looked over at the large gargoyle. "God only knows where she is, or when she'll strike again, so until we find her, and put an end to her, my son will never be safe, and it's all because of you."

"I admit responsibility for much of this night, but you have erred as well, Xanatos," Goliath growled. "I warned you. You knew something could happen, but you ignored my advice and went ahead with your party all the same. So we both share the blame for what has transpired this night."

The two glared angrily at each other, the tension so thick it felt as if it would boil over into blows at any moment.

"Am I to understand that you are responsible for releasing Queen Mab from her prison?" Demona seethed, utterly ignoring the pissing contest between the two males.

"It's… a long story," Goliath sighed in admission, turning his attention from Xanatos to Demona.

"You fool!" she hissed, her eyes flashing red. "Do you have any idea what you have done?"

"I think we have some idea now, yes," Goliath rumbled regrettably. He was surprised that Demona seemed to know of Mab and her imprisonment, though after some thought, he realized he shouldn't be. The knowledge she had gained in the last millennium could fill volumes.

"Can someone please tell me what to do with this?" Robbins said, holding up the blaster he still held nervously in his hands.

"I'll take that, thanks," Brooklyn said, reclaiming one of his stolen weapons. He made a few adjustments and then tucked it into his belt. "It's a good thing Mab didn't know how to properly use this thing. It was stuck on the lowest power setting."

"It still hurt like hell, though."

Goliath snapped his head down to Elisa, still cradled in his arms. She looked up at him with clear brown eyes, though they were strained with pain.

"Are you alright?" he asked, relieved to hear her familiar sarcastic tone.

"I'm fine," Elisa insisted and she struggled against him a little, signaling she wanted to stand.

Goliath eyed the vivid laser burn on her chest, but set her on her feet.

"I think you should go see Dr. Sato in the infirmary," he said tenderly, but with a firmness that made her balk reflexively.

"I told you I'm—"

"Why don't ye come with me, lass," Hudson interjected, taking her arm and interlocking it with his. "I need the good doctor to take a look at Bronx. I'm sure he can spare a moment to ensure ye are well, too."

Elisa scowled in frustration, knowing full well she could argue with her mate, but not with Hudson.

"I will be along shortly, I promise," Goliath told her tenderly before Hudson led her away with him. They gathered up Bronx and Robbins on their way out.

"Are we just going to ignore the fact that Margot fucking Yale knows magic?" Fox burst out. "And why the hell would she try to aid Mab in kidnapping Alex anyway?!"

Xanatos thought about the last time the assistant district attorney had unexpectedly come by the castle to speak with him earlier in the year. He had briefly left Alex alone in her care. Not for very long, he tried to reassure himself, but the worry lines on his face grew deeper as he churned that memory over and over in his mind.

"In my experience, I fear we will know the answer to that question all too soon," Goliath lamented.

The doors burst open once more, and everyone jumped and positioned themselves for another attack again—as if Goliath's words had been woefully prophetic. But it was Owen who burst through the eastern corridor entrance this time, breathless and rumpled like he had just run there.

"I swear, if a door opens unexpectedly one more time!" Broadway shouted.

"Where have you been all night?" Xanatos demanded, glaring at his assistant.

"I was… waylaid unexpectedly," Owen replied, straightening himself, "by a guest."

"Margot Yale?" Xanatos guessed.

"I… yes," Owen replied. "I see you have all had your own trouble with her as well."

"This night is just full of more and more surprises," Xanatos said snidely.

"What of Mab?" Owen asked, looking paler than usual, almost afraid to ask the question. "Where is she now?"

"Escaped. Thanks to that bitch, Yale," Fox spat.

Never before had any of them seen Owen look more surprised than he did now.

"I fear we have more questions than answers, but at least Alex is safe," Goliath stated. "We were successful in that."

"For the time being," Xanatos said as he eyed the gargoyle calculatingly, assessing him. The large gargoyle had stuck to his oath when he refused to hand Alex over to Mab, even when the evil fae had threatened his lover's life. He was nothing if not honorable. Xanatos had to give him that… albeit begrudgingly.

But that still didn't change the fact that Goliath had brought about Mab's freedom in the first place.

"I don't know what price we will pay for this someday, Goliath," Xanatos continued. "But if anything happens to Alex, your life in exchange, will not be enough."

He ushered his wife and son toward the west corridor that led to their living quarters, but he turned to Owen just before he left.

"See to this mess while I see to my family. Afterwards, we need to discuss further security measures," Xanatos said. "From the inside," he added flatly.

"Of course, sir," Owen replied.

Xanatos and his family left without another word.

"So, uh, at least the spirits are gone," Brooklyn said, trying to offer a positive spin on things.

"As they are spirits who have not crossed over, I would assume they are still here, but weakened," Owen explained. "Now that Mab is gone and it is no longer Samhain, they have merely reverted to their normal state of noninterference."

"I don't understand why they attacked us in the first place? We're their clan!" Angela said.

"Mab excels at manipulation and was particularly good at whipping up her base into violence," Owen said. "She's had months to commune with them, to poison their thoughts and twist them to her purpose. Mab is a puppetmaster unlike any other… to the dead and the living. As for the spirits of your lost clan, I have been aware of their presence since Xanatos purchased the castle, but until tonight they were a non-issue, just ghosts haunting an old building as many do. I believe they would have remained inert if not for Mab."

"Inert, but still here," Goliath said, troubled by that fact.

"Indeed," Owen agreed.

"I don't understand how we were possessed," Broadway said, angrily. "I thought you had to be willing. We definitely weren't."

"There are a number of ways for possession to take place," Owen patiently explained. "Either the body and soul are in a weakened state due to illness or magic, or it's a night like tonight, when spirits have added power. A fairly strong-willed person can still rebuke an uninvited spirit even on Samhain. However, you two have previously been hosts for other spirits."

"What?" Demona interjected looking at her daughter.

"Possession, even once, leaves a mark that makes you more susceptible to possession again," Owen continued. "In other words, your flesh will forever be weaker against a spiritual attack."

"You were possessed before?" Demona said, refusing to drop the subject.

"It's a long story," Angela said wearily.

"That's really unfair," Broadway complained. "We didn't know that when we agreed to do it before!"

"Would that have changed your decision if you had?" Owen asked pointedly.

"Well… no," Broadway spluttered.

"I'd do it again if it helped another gargoyle," Angela said passionately.

"Don't be so naive! You can't let others use you like that! You need to spend more time concerned about your own welfare," Demona scolded her, and Angela looked away.

Goliath saw the way his daughter submitted to Demona and his mind screamed with warnings. He had to separate those two and quickly before Demona could entrench her talons into their daughter further. But if he jumped in now, he knew he would come across as the jealous parent. He would have to wait and speak to Angela later about his concerns.

"You should all be safe for now since the spirits are no longer agitated or powerful," Owen declared to the room.

"Still, something must be done to put them to rest," Goliath said.

"Forgive me for asking, I know it is not my place, but was a wind ceremony ever performed?" Katana asked.

"With everything that happened that night… I did not think to perform it for our clan before I—I asked to be turned to stone," Goliath said mournfully, his voice thick with shame and remorse.

He looked to Demona expectantly, and it took her a moment to realize that he was looking to her to answer, too.

"I did not perform one either. I never gave the rites much credence," she replied.

"Maybe that is why they have been unable to move on?" Katana offered.

There was a moment of silence as the clan let that somber thought sink in.

"If I had known…" Goliath lamented, and he shook his head. "I never thought their souls would have lingered here, trapped in the in-between."

Wracked with guilt for what he felt were his continued failures, he thought of his clan. When his thoughts ultimately drifted to his rookery brothers and sister who had been brought back from the dead, he was struck with an idea, and he turned to Xanatos's assistant to confirm his suspicions.

"What was done with all of the gargoyle remains when the castle was moved?" he asked.

"They were collected and stored. How else could we have resurrected Coldstone? But I believe," Owen looked directly at Goliath's ex, "Demona has them now."

There was a long pause as all eyes fell upon the flame-haired gargoyle.

"Demona—" Goliath started.

"What makes you think I intend to help you any more than I already have?" she snapped.

"Mother, please," Angela implored, her face pleading.

Demona sighed and folded her arms across her chest as though greatly put upon.

"Fine. I'll need time to prepare the remains, but you'll have them by tomorrow night," she said magnanimously, giving a casual flick of the wrist. Then she turned and spoke directly to her daughter, her voice just above a whisper. "There are ways to ward yourself in the future from possession. Bring your mate over with you sometime, and I will help you both."

Angela hesitated and then nodded. Demona gave her a relieved smile as she reached out and cupped her daughter's face with her hands. Goliath bristled.

"And now that I know you are safe," Demona crooned before her voice took on a nastier tone, "I'll take my leave of this place and all of you."

She left her daughter's side and moved toward the door that led directly out to the courtyard without another glance behind her.

"Demona, wait!" Goliath called after her, so she paused briefly, allowing him to catch up to her.

"It is very likely we could have had a worse outcome tonight without your aid. I know you only did so for Angela's sake, but all the same. Your aid was… appreciated."

Demona snorted and then slowly nodded. It was as close to a thank you as she was going to get.

"Just, do one thing, please," she said.

"And that is?" Goliath replied warily.

"Clean yourself up. You reek of… her," Demona said, her nose wrinkling with disgust.

Goliath scowled, trying not to blink, but everyone caught the dark purple blush creeping up his ears. They averted their eyes out of second-hand embarrassment, all well aware of what he and Elisa had been up to just prior to the crisis. Mating generally wasn't viewed as something shameful or obscene by clan members. When you lived in a small, tight-knit community, such things were simply accepted as natural, wonderful parts of life. Nevertheless, a little good-natured teasing from time to time was acceptable. Malicious barbs, on the other hand, were in bad form.

Demona had no compunctions about breaking decorum, however, and strode proudly out of the castle, a small, pleased smirk on her face for seizing the chance to humiliate Goliath and have the last word.

Katana watched Demona leap off the building and catch an updraft, sailing off into the black horizon until she was out of sight. Even so, the fear and suspicion she left in her wake remained. Katana reached over her shoulder and reassured herself that her egg was still safely strapped to her back. She let out the smallest sigh of relief.

"Do let me know if you are in need of anything to prepare for your wind ceremony," Owen announced. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have many things to attend to."

Without another word, he briskly left to see to his mountain of tasks.

The clan stood around the Great Hall, gazing at the mess around them.

"Why don't we go see if Dr. Sato needs any help," Angela said to Broadway. She didn't want to think anymore of the gargoyle whose spirit had possessed her. She knew it had not been the spirit's choice to possess her. She had felt the ghost's confusion, sorrow, and anger, the jealousy she'd felt toward Angela who had a physical body that could touch and feel, and she had felt her regret at having been influenced by a malevolent being. Angela had an immense amount of sympathy for her kin, but the sensation of being helpless in regards to her own body was too distressing, and perhaps, if she kept herself busy, she'd forget this horrible night and could move on from it.

Broadway put his arm around Angela, feeling much the same as she, and they leaned into each other as they walked out together, hand-in-hand, tails intertwined.

"Hey… uh, I know this isn't exactly important, but does anyone know why the spirits were speaking English?" Lexington asked.

"That should be the least of our concerns right now, Lex," Brooklyn said, shaking his head. "Come on Gnash, let's go get Fu-Dog from the kitchen and take him to Dr. Sato."

"But it doesn't make sense!" Lexington said as he followed after his brother and his family as they trailed out of the Great Hall. "Shouldn't they have spoken Gaelic?"

"It's probably because of Demona's Babel spell. She cast it on all the gargoyles in the castle and…" Brooklyn's voice trailed off as the door shut behind him and Goliath could no longer hear their conversation.

And suddenly, Goliath found himself standing alone in the vast silence of the Great Hall. Not even the sound of electric lights hummed in his ears, and they strained almost painfully to detect anything of comfort or concern. As a gargoyle, he could see well in the dark, and he surveyed the wreckage around him. The destroyed party decorations and broken tables. The food flung all about. The shattered chandelier, and the crystals that crunched beneath his feet.

In the silence and the dark, the bitter words of his deceased clan ate up the void and rang loudly in his ears. The anger in their voices. The blame. He tried to drown them out with other thoughts, but they echoed and reverberated in his mind and sank painfully into his heart like a lead weight wrapped in thorns.

His leadership determined whether his clan would stand or fall, and under his authority much of his clan had perished. That failure, and each subsequent one, weighed down upon him more so than his successes could lift him up. And now that Mab was free and a threat to Alex, to his clan, to the world, he felt the weight of his failures and responsibilities crush down like mountains upon his shoulders, burying him.

And like Atlas, he carried that weight on his shoulders as he stood in the suffocating darkness, reckoning with it alone.

...

...

Xanatos stood in the doorframe of his bedroom and watched his wife and child as they lay curled up together in their bed. Fox wouldn't let Alex out of her sight, and he would not argue with her. She was curled around their child's sleeping form, wide awake herself, watching fearfully as she caressed his soft head.

Owen came up behind him and spoke softly.

"The power is back up fully throughout the building, but it will take a few days before the generators are repaired or replaced."

"I don't care what it takes, get them up and running by tomorrow," Xanatos ordered.

"Yes, sir," Owen agreed without brooking any argument. "A full and thorough search of the castle has also been completed, and though we did not turn up much regarding Mab, we did find many of the items the clan had reported missing stashed behind the waterfall feature in the atrium."

"What of our guests?" Xanatos asked.

"Everyone who was in attendance will be contacted by the legal team. Blame will be placed on entertainment that unfortunately went awry. All medical expenses will be covered, and compensation given for any emotional duress resulting from tonight. They will have to forfeit any right to sue for said compensation, but it will be generous, so I doubt there will be any hold outs," Owen explained. "Plus they all signed NDAs before being admitted to the party, so it's not like they could sell the story without crippling repercussions."

"This party has cost me a small fortune," Xanatos muttered. "And then some."

"I also did some digging into Margot Yale, sir."

"And?"

"I came up with nothing that would suggest why the ADA would want anything to do with Mab. I am mystified by Margot Yale's involvement tonight. I cannot see what she ventures to gain."

"Probably the usual, Owen. She wants money, power, or both. Did you have any idea she was a practicing sorceress?"

"None, sir."

Xanatos was silent after that, so Owen thought he was dismissed, but when the personal assistant turned to leave, Xanatos spoke again.

"Why does Mab want Alex?" Xanatos said softly, though he couldn't completely hide the fear in his voice. "For that matter, why did Oberon? There has to be more to it than I can see."

Owen briefly glanced over at Fox and Alex.

"Pardon the intrusive question, sir, but was Fox wearing the Eye of Odin the night Alex was conceived?"

Xanatos scowled, unsure why Owen was asking him this. He could feel his wife's eyes on him from their bed, she no doubt had heard Owen's question.

"We're not entirely sure, but given how the dates fell, we assumed he was conceived the night of our engagement. She never took the Eye off that night… or any point after that. Not until Goliath confiscated it. Why?" Xanatos replied.

"The Eye has transformative powers, we know this from experience. By your actions, you created a life under the power and influence of the Eye that continued to affect both Fox and Alex during one of the most critical periods of fetal development. Alexander… is no ordinary child. He's not even just a quarter fae… he's something else."

"He's my son," Xanatos said defiantly.

"He's also a target for anyone who wants his power."

"I will not allow any harm to come to him," Xanatos vowed. "Not while there is breath in my body."

"Or mine, sir," Owen said emotionlessly, though his blue eyes were sharp as steel and as hard as the stone fist clenched at his side.

...

...

Goliath entered the infirmary after a quick knock on the door. By some miracle, no one had been fatally injured that night. All of the guests were able to evacuate, and any who were injured and unable to leave on their own had been taken to the hospital. Broadway and Angela had left a while back to spend some time alone together to tend to their own emotional wounds, and now the only ones who remained in the infirmary were the two gargoyle beasts, Elisa, and Dr. Sato.

Fu-Dog and Bronx were bandaged up and resting comfortably on separate blankets, and Elisa was reclining on a medical bed. Dr. Sato was speaking softly to her, but they both went quiet as Goliath approached. He paused briefly to give the beasts a little attention, patting their heads and speaking gently to them. Bronx's stubby tail wagged happily in response, though Fu-Dog remained characteristically aloof with his affection, however he seemed to appreciate the head pats as well.

"I'll give you two a minute," Dr. Sato said before he ducked out of the room.

Goliath moved to one side of Elisa and crouched down next to her. "Are you alright?" he asked, his whole countenance and bearing seemed weighed down even more than when she last saw him.

Elisa extended her hand to him and he took it, holding it gently, his fingers lightly running over hers.

"I'll be fine, just some mild burns," she replied. "Good thing Mab didn't know how to use Brooklyn's blaster properly, or Bronx and I would be toast."

Goliath's hand tightened on hers, not enough to hurt, but she could feel the desperation in his touch.

"This is all my doing," he said, his voice thick with guilt and remorse.

"It's not," Elisa said firmly.

"I released Mab," he said.

"You didn't know that would happen when you had Alex open the Way. Owen—Puck—didn't give you the full picture," Elisa said compassionately, "and you wanted to save Cagney, and spare me some pain during a truly horrible time for my family."

Goliath bowed his head and shook it.

"It was still foolish of me," he said.

Elisa reached out and cupped his face. She felt the sharp lines and angles of his chiseled jaw under her hand, and how hard he was clenching it. He leaned into her touch and closed his eyes briefly as she soothed his fears.

"You helped save Alex tonight," Elisa said gently, reassuringly. "You didn't give him to Mab when she threatened my life. That's what matters. You did the right thing saving Alex instead of worrying about me."

"I still worried about you," Goliath said quietly, and she could see the terror he had felt in his eyes.

"But you didn't let it get in the way of doing what was important, doing what needed to be done."

"Mab still got away," Goliath growled.

"But she didn't take Alex with her. We put up a good fight. That's what's important. We'll get her eventually, Goliath. We always come out ahead in the long run."

Goliath nodded, but the pensive look on his face remained.

"I hate seeing you like this," he said quietly.

"I know. I felt the same way last year when our roles were reversed."

Goliath gave her hand a squeeze.

"You shouldn't feel guilty for anything tonight. If anyone should, it's Xanatos for his hubris," Elisa added.

"Aye," Goliath grumbled.

"And… me for mine."

He looked sharply at her.

"Why would you say that?" he asked, startled. He couldn't see how she would think she had done anything wrong at all.

"The closet earlier," she said. "I know you didn't feel comfortable having sex while the party was going on. I feel like I pressured you into it."

"Let's get one thing straight," Goliath said sternly. "Although I was a little surprised due to your previous protestations about trysts at the castle, I was quite willing. You need not fear any coercion."

He gave her a small but roguishly reassuring smile, and she smiled softly back at him.

But then his brow furrowed, and he placed a tender hand over hers.

"But you have been unlike yourself lately, and not just tonight. You have been uncharacteristically melancholy and quick to anger, more prone to taking unnecessary risks, and I have seen a panicked look on your face at times when the situation did not seem to warrant it."

Elisa took in a shaky breath of air and held it as she gathered her courage to respond. Her silence made him fear he'd said too much too soon, but finally she exhaled, letting it all out in one great gust.

"I've been… struggling," she finally admitted, though the words were difficult to say out loud.

"Do you know why?" he asked.

Elisa shrugged.

"A number of reasons. I feel like I've been tanking my career lately. I've worked hard, harder than most, to be where I'm at, and I've been destroying it with my recklessness. Chavez was right. I need to take a step back and focus on taking Dane and the rest of Brod's gang down the right way. I just wanted so desperately to get their drugs off the street…" she sighed heavily.

"You wanted to protect your city," Goliath said, understanding.

Elisa nodded. "Yes," she said, her voice hitching. "More than anything."

"We'll put a stop to his crime ring," Goliath vowed as he brushed her cheek. "Just tell us what to do."

Elisa sighed and closed her eyes as she leaned into his touch. Then she pushed past her fears and decided to open up completely to her love.

"Dr. Sato thinks I need to talk to someone… about what's going on with me, and I think he's right. I can't live like this anymore," Elisa said, her voice strained with suppressed emotion. Something broke inside Goliath to hear the pain in her voice.

"My love, what is it? How can I help?" he asked earnestly, desperately holding her hands tightly in his.

"I had a panic attack in the elevator on my way up tonight," she said quietly. Her mouth had grown dry at the memory, and for a moment she couldn't speak. When she finally did, her voice was rough.

"And I've had this constant… tightness in my chest," she said as she pulled one hand away from Goliath's grasp and placed it over her heart like she could physically touch the anxiety there, squatting in her chest like a big fat frog. "I'll feel fine, like I have it all under control, but then sometimes I'll start to panic out of nowhere and spiral out of control… unable to breathe or think clearly. The only thing I could do was constantly distract myself with work or… with you. But distraction is not curative."

It felt like history repeating itself all over again to be discussing this with Goliath after admitting her panic attack to him a year ago. She had thought she could handle her problems on her own, but clearly, that was not the case.

"I wish you had told me things had gotten worse for you. You know you can always talk to me, Elisa," he replied gently. "You did not need to suffer alone."

"I know," she said, on the verge of tears, feeling foolish for not trusting him with this. "I just couldn't get the words out… because admitting there was something wrong with me would have made it real. And the more I kept from you, the more it swelled, suffocating me. I can hardly bear to look at you right now."

Goliath saw the tears in her eyes, the way her shoulders hitched and heaved, and he pulled her into his arms, letting her press herself into him as she broke down and cried into his shoulder. He did not fully comprehend what was wrong with her, nor did he know how to help her, but if Elisa could not stand on her own, he would carry her through her trials until she could.

"I… I knew I needed help," Elisa sobbed. "I majored in psychology for Christ's sake… but I've been in denial about it… It's hard to admit that you're… broken."

"You are not broken," Goliath said gently as he rubbed her back soothingly. "If anything, I am impressed by your strength, your courage to face this, to overcome it. You are incredibly brave."

Elisa looked up at him, her eyes swollen and her face streaked with tears.

"Do you really mean that?" she said.

"With my whole heart," he replied.

Elisa buried her face in his neck. "Thank you," she said

The relief Goliath heard in her voice sealed the deal for him. He did not fully understand what it was she needed to do exactly, but he would do whatever it took to help her get back to her confident, joyful self again.

He kissed her hair and breathed in her scent. He was merely relieved that she was alive, even if she was not whole. But he would help her heal. He would be there for her through it all, come what may.

"When you're ready," he said tenderly, "I'll take you home."

Elisa snuggled into him harder, content to be held by him and feel safe and optimistic for the first time in a long time.

...

...

In a townhouse on the west side of Manhattan, a blond assistant district attorney appeared suddenly along with a former fae queen.

"This place is warded. My father's minions won't find you here," Margot Yale said as she quickly looked around to make sure her husband wasn't home.

"Who are you?" Mab insisted, narrowing her eyes. "Why did you aid me?"

Margot waved her hand briskly in front of herself, gesturing toward her body. She muttered a quick word, "Revelari," and her image rippled like water running down a window pane, distorting the image behind it. Her appearance melted and then settled into a woman with finer raven black hair and more elfin-like features. She was willowy, darkeyed, blue skinned, and ethereally beautiful. Where once stood the ADA now stood a woman who looked remarkably like the former fae queen beside her.

She stood proudly, almost defiantly in front of Mab and spoke in a voice that was no longer Margot's.

"I'm your granddaughter, and I have been trying to free you for a very, very long time."