Author's Note: Let's look through Hudson's real reasons for keeping The Clan from meeting Robbins. And hey, why not explore that whole Metamorphosis aftermath finally, whaddya say gang? :)
This chapter takes place between the episodes The Mirror and The Silver Falcon, the following night after Chapter 15. Enjoy!
The usual ambiance of the Clock Tower was charged with music she thought she'd only hear in her parents's house. Brooklyn sat by the near mint condition radio he procured from a certain small time crew of wannabe gangsters, bopping his head along with Let's Groove Tonight by Earth, Wind & Fire. It was a good song, just... old. Far older than she would have associated with the gargoyle who perpetually exudes such boyish charm.
Although, she found herself correcting that mindset for the thousandth time, all the gargoyles are technically hundreds of years older than her. Which was just so crazy for her to think about. So really, Brooklyn was fairly recent, contextually speaking. Plus, she couldn't be too hard on him, apparently he had great taste in music, her Dad would definitely approve.
"Hey Elisa!" he excitedly spoke up over the music. "Have you heard of these bards before?" he held up the radio, pointing to the speakers.
"Uh, we call 'em bands nowadays, Brooklyn" Elisa gently corrected, an amused smirk on her face.
"Oh right, right! Well, this band is tight!" he corrected as he continued to groove with the radio resting on his shoulder.
"Earth, Wind & Fire are always tight" she added, walking closer to the dancing gargoyle.
"I gotta see 'em live! Will you tell me when their next performance is?" Brooklyn turned and asked, a wide smile on his long face.
"You got it" Elisa chuckled as she fist bumped Brooklyn, who went right back to dancing "How's it goin', Lex?" she called out as she turned to the smallest gargoyle currently engrossed in his work.
That work, of course, was the infamous Coldstone, who was currently stone cold frozen like a statue. Every time Elisa looked at the unfortunate creation she couldn't help but cringe and keep her distance. Even if it—or they, technically. Meh, she'll stick with it—even if it was awake and fully sane, she'd still be uncomfortable around it. After everything that it put them through, and how eerie it looked from every single angle, there was no way she could ever feel safe with it around.
Of course she wanted Lex to fix it up and for everyone to get their Rookery brother back, or Rookery son in the case of... well, their clansman back. She could still remember how ecstatic Goliath was when he thought he'd gotten through to him, how devastated he was when the virus rendered him comatose. She'd give almost anything to never have to see that pained look on his face again, it didn't belong there. Not on any of their faces. And yet, Lexington was experiencing his own brand of pain trying to wrap his head around the contradictive forces that caused Coldstone to be animated in the first place.
"Not so great, I'm still struggling with the software interface..." he answered back, typing absentmindedly and studying Coldstone for a reaction. "I hate to say it, but I may need to build one of my own from scratch" he finally admitted, rubbing his temples.
"Hmm, sounds tough" she replied, placing a comforting hand on his slender shoulder.
Lexington patted her hand deftly as he sighed. "Yeah, I'm not sure how to do that, so I'll try to work with what's still there. But just in case—" he began.
"I'll keep an eye out for computer programming books so you can study up" she finished, smiling down at him.
Lexington allowed a little smirk to bubble to the surface as he looked up at her with tired eyes. "You're a lifesaver, Elisa" he sighed again, lighter.
"Just doin' my job" she replied before looking around the room "Where's Broadway?"
"He's finally continuin' his reading lessons with Goliath in the Library" Lex answered, already focused back on the unresponsive Coldstone.
"Yeah, he didn't wanna be outdone by a certain somebody whose been hard at work" Brooklyn called across the room, still jamming.
"Fer the last time, it's not a competition" a gravelly voice sharply corrected, causing Elisa to jolt and swing her head around to see Hudson suddenly next to her. The guy could really be stealthy when he wanted to, she realized with a start.
"Tell that to Broadway!" Brooklyn answered back, laughter in his tone. Hudson merely rolled his eyes and tilted his head before pinning Elisa with a glare. She couldn't help the quiet gulp that escaped her in response.
"Hudson. How's it go—?"
"Could I talk to ye fer a moment?" he interrupted in a tone that was unhelpful in discerning his mood. "In private?" he added, grabbing her arm in a way that weirdly reminded her of her Dad. Come to think of it, his indiscernible tone also put her in the mind of her father, when he didn't want her to know exactly how much trouble she was in as a kid. Which meant this couldn't bode well.
"Uh, sure Hudson" she agreed, to which Hudson hurried them up the stairs and out on the balcony, the clock face behind them in a matter of seconds. "So what—uh, what's up?" she ventured, shoving her wringing hands into her jacket pockets.
"Do ye remember the night of our anniversary, when ye got us all different food fer supper?" he asked, causing Elisa to stare at him in surprise for a moment.
"Yeah" she answered, focused on keeping her tone neutral as to not spook him. Because he certainly looked... well, not spooked, but something was certainly off.
"I was wonderin', if ye weren't too busy tonight, would ye mind goin' to get my meal again?" Hudson asked, rubbing the back of his neck and averting his gaze.
Elisa's shoulders relaxed as she let out a soft huff. "Sure, I can run and get ya Scottish takeout"
Hudson shook his head. "Not fer me" Elisa blinked at him, as Hudson turned away even more. "Fer my friend" he cleared his throat and folded his arms. "To repay 'im fer all he's done for me".
Elisa's face brightened as his words finally finished processing in her mind. "Oh! Hudson, that's really sweet" she remarked, causing the old gargoyle to blush and turn even more. "And you've got great timing, tonight's been pretty slow so far. So I can go now and be back in an hour or 2" she started to leave until Hudson's hand found her arm again, more gentle and slightly clammy than before.
"Well, actually" he trailed off, as he pulled Elisa close and lifted her off her feet in one swift, effortless motion. Suddenly she was in his arms, bridal style, blinking up at him with wide eyes. "I was hopin' ye'd lead me there".
Elisa scrunched her face up a bit and hummed lowly. "It's pretty far away, you sure you wouldn't rather I drive?" she offered, pointing to the side to mimic the path a car would take to the restaurant.
"I dunnot mind" Hudson shook his head, flaring his wings with a loud flap before air currents caught them and lifted them off the ground and past the railing of the Clock Tower.
Elisa's grip on Hudson tightened considerably as she instinctively looked down at the rooftops and traffic below. The library's roof came into view, giving her pause.
"Sh—should we tell Goliath where we're going? In case he needs either of us?" she stammered loudly, her hair whipping across Hudson's shoulder as they soared.
"No need to bother the lad with somethin' so trivial. We'll be back b'fore he knows it" the old gargoyle answered back calmly, banking right to ascend a bit higher and clear an apartment building.
Elisa didn't like that answer, Goliath was the Clan Leader, he should know where they all are at all times, it just made sense. But one look at Hudson's face told her this wasn't a normal outing. There was definitely something wrong with Hudson and she was the cause.
Elisa shuffled and squirmed in Hudson's arms as she tried to get more comfortable in this uncomfortable situation. "Uh, I'm not, uh—too heavy, am I?" she squeezed out, trying to fill the air with something to start a dialogue.
"Not'at all. Yer perfectly dainty, lass" Hudson answered back, a small smirk on his face as he eyed her casually.
"Ah, okay... Thanks..." she stated awkwardly. "Ah, a little to the left" she instructed, Hudson quietly obeyed, his face returned to its stoic and unreadable form.
For a minute, Elisa just stayed silent, holding onto Hudson, completely unsure of where to start. It was obvious he was still unhappy with her from the anniversary, they hadn't seen each other since then because he was out with his new friend. Or she was too busy with work to actually visit the Clan. Either way, they had been unintentionally avoiding each other since that night. He was pissed at first, but he claimed he had already gotten over it that night. It seems it didn't stick.
She couldn't blame him of course, she certainly wouldn't appreciate it if the shoe was on the other foot. Elisa was private by nature, but ever since the gargoyles entered her life, that tendency had been turned up to 11. Everybody, including her family, was at arms length now. And it hurt, sure, but she had to do it.
Even if it led to Derek... no, that wasn't on her. That was all on Xanatos. And she was never gonna let him forget that. What he did to her baby brother was unforgivable and if she didn't need this job, she would've blown his goddamn head off his shoulders the instant she lost Derek. Elisa closed her eyes tightly and grit her teeth behind folded in lips. She wasn't about to go down that road, not again. After Derek's... change, she had... she hadn't been good company, to put it delicately. It was a wonder she wasn't consumed with the pain of losing him right now.
But therein lied the problem, she was keeping it a secret from her parents and Beth, everybody at the station who knew him, which amounted to a total of everybody. All his friends and associates from school. They all haven't been able to reach him at home obviously, so they've been calling her, asking where he was, how he was doing, what was going on, if he was coming back soon. It was just... it was all just so much, she had to stop answering her cell for a while. Her parents were starting to worry, Beth was gonna be home soon for the holidays and she would not let this go until she got a straight answer.
But Elisa couldn't give her one, give one to any of them. It was too dangerous, too important, if she told them what really happened to Derek... it would shatter them. Because it shattered her. The only reason she's still functioning and semi-normal again is because of the guys. And Goliath had been... he'd been her rock, honestly. He would check up on her every night since then, no matter what, and he'd ask how she was doing. Really ask, like how she felt was of the utmost importance.
And he would just be there to listen to her rant and grieve and release her built up stress and anger and pain, he would be there to take it all in. All the while holding her hand like it was the most precious thing in the world, looking at her with those deep, understanding, dark, soulful eyes... telling her she was handling it better than anyone else could and that he'd help her fix this in that... deep, rumbling baritone, voice that just made her insides want to melt...
What was she saying?—Secrets, right—She had to keep what happened to Derek a secret, she had to keep the gargoyles a secret, she couldn't blow the lid off of Xanatos no matter how badly she wanted to wipe that smug grin off his face because he'd blow the lid off the Clan. Secrets were pretty much her thing now, she had to keep them. If she didn't, if she let one thing slip, everything—literally everything—would unravel. It would be absolute chaos and destruction and panic in the streets and it would all be her fault. She couldn't be the cause of anything painful happening to any of her people. Not again...
So Hudson being pissed at her, she couldn't just let it fester anymore. After all, he might have thought she was purposefully avoiding him this entire time. She couldn't blame him for assuming that, it certainly looked that way. But she had to clear the air if she was gonna fix this and get back to how they were. If he needed this to be a secret for whatever reason to make that happen, she would roll with it. What's one more among the hundreds of secrets that have piled up since last year?
"So, uh, I know we haven't really talked much since... ya know" she started, turning her face towards Hudson. "I just wanted to say sorry again, I really didn't mean to push you so hard. I got a little ahead'a myself" he looked down at her with a brow ridge raised, before answering.
"It's not yer fault, lass. You or Goliath" he sighed as he hung his head a bit. "I've been... quite guarded about the matter" he admitted with a shrug. "It's no surprise ye'd inquire about meetin' Robbins".
"Still... He's your friend and I should'a respected that" she emphasized, her grip around his neck tightened.
Hudson softly patted her back cradled in his grip. "Yer already forgiven, Elisa. Dunnot worry aboot it" he assured in a gentle voice, his gaze warm and pleasant. "I just wanted to steal ya away fer a spell, we haven't spoken in a while, so I thought we could, um... catch up?" he tried, and Elisa smiled up at him. He was still struggling with modern day slang, so seeing him try and get it right was a nice surprise.
"I'm always happy to catch up with you, Hudson" Elisa chuckled.
"Then pardon me, I don't intend to sour the mood, but..." Hudson looked at her seriously and parted his lips wordlessly for a moment before asking. "How have you been fairing as of late?"
The question hit her like a beanbag round square in the chest, the only air she could feel was swirling around her, as her breath had left her the instant she heard what he was asking. He was no doubt studying her face during that stretch of silence before she broke it, a stretch of silence that was anything but serene in her head. Derek was on her mind and Hudson could see it, much to her chagrin.
Elisa cleared her throat in an attempt to reclaim some dignity. "Hangin' in there, ya know? Takin' it one day at a time. Tryin' to look on... look on the... the bright..." she trailed off, the usual surface level rhetoric dying in her mouth as she went silent again.
It had been a month since it happened and she'd tried her best to keep her pain isolated from the Clan, not counting Goliath of course. She figured they didn't need the extra grief, like for real, they've been through quite enough tragedy for several lifetimes. Her problems weren't... it just wasn't something they should worry themselves over.
But apparently she couldn't put anything past Hudson, like father like son, she supposed. Though they keep telling her Hudson isn't technically his dad and they don't subscribe to that concept, she refused to accept that. Hudson was Goliath's dad, nobody was convincing her otherwise. And heck, this just proved it, out of the 5 gargoyles the ones who've noticed her inner struggle are the two she views as the most similar.
"I miss him" she finally admitted. She felt Hudson nod in response. "Everybody misses him. And I have to keep hiding the truth, but it's been too long, they know I'm hiding something now, so it's..." she bit her bottom lip and took a shaky breath in. "It's-it's just... hard" she forced out, her arms squeezing even tighter around Hudson's neck.
"I'm sorry, lass. I did not mean to upset ye" he whispered solemnly, patting her back once more. He didn't seem to be affected by her vice like grip on him.
"Please, it's not your fault, Hudson" she shook her head, a tired motion. "We both know who's to blame for all this, so don't... I can deal with it much better when I don't have to talk about it" she scoffed, shuffling in his hands to jostle herself back to normal.
"I understand, lass. We dunnot have to talk aboot anythin' ye don't wish to" Hudson offered, his voice gentle, but firm.
A whole month to process it all and she was still so... well, it was best to not dwell on it. Otherwise she'd be tempted to tell Hudson to fly her over to the Eyrie Building and help her deliver some well deserved payback. No, she couldn't go down that road, no matter how well trodden it was by now.
"Can we focus on you instead, then? Since you've no doubt got happier things to talk about" she suggested, to which Hudson hummed a curious noise. "For instance, I hear you've been makin' strides with your lessons"
Hudson sighed, "Accordin' to Robbins and Lexington, I am. But I still have so much farther to go, it seems to be takin' so long to catch up with everyone else"
"I thought it wasn't supposed to be a competition" Elisa quipped, earning her a flat look from her companion that was just too funny. "Give it time, you'll get there sooner than you think" she said between laughs. "Got a favorite book yet?"
Hudson looked off into the distance, humming thoughtfully. "I... don't know. There is one of note, but... I hesitate to call it a favorite, because I dunnot particularly enjoy it. Not by itself" Elisa tilted her head curiously as Hudson returned his gaze to her. "But it led to some interesting developments, ones that I am fond of".
That sounds unexpectedly complicated, she thought before asking. "What kind of developments?" Hudson veered to the right a bit, until Elisa pointed him back on track. He strained to collect his thoughts all the while.
"Robbins and I had a... dispute last night about one of the books he leant me" Elisa blinked rapidly in surprise.
"You got into a fight?" she asked incredulous, making Hudson shake his head and sputter out a chuckle.
"No no, not'a fight! Just a... peculiar discussion, I suppose" his small smile grew as he continued. "It was strange how we seemed to disagree almost completely and yet we didn't really quarrel. We just shared our thoughts and listened to one another, even though neither of us convinced the other". Elisa studied his face, noting just how soft his features had become.
"I've never done that b'fore. Not like that" he shrugged, tilting to the right to avoid a towering antenna pole. "Whenever there was dissent in The Clan or with the humans, there was always contention when neither side conformed. Bickerin' and baggerin' would ensue and one side would always be proven correct in time" he explained while Elisa motioned for him to merge left, almost like he was a car.
"But last night was different" she surmised, causing Hudson to nod.
"Very different" he added with his gravelly voice.
"In a good way" she quirked her eyebrow up as she eyed him from the side.
Hudson's gaze went distant again as a soft smile settled on his face. "Aye, guess one could call it pleasant..."
"Hmmm..." she hummed, almost melodic. This was getting interesting. "Soooo what else didja talk about?" she ventured, trying to keep her curiosity in check. Hudson looked up, searching through his memories with pursed lips until his face lit up.
"Are ye aware of a certain dish called... chit-a-lins?" he asked stumbling over the word chitlins. Wait, chitlins?!
"No way. Mom said she'd disown me if I ever willingly came within 20 feet of chitlins" she immediately leaned back and started waving her hand in front of her face. "There's a lot I'm willin' to do for you, but my hands are tied on that one" she stated quite firmly.
As funny as it may sound to someone who didn't know her, Diane Maza did not play when it came to what her family ate. When she said "you betta not ever eat such and such or so and so", you either obeyed or were utterly shamed until you swore to never disobey her again. Elisa was pretty sure she really would disown her cousins or a son-in-law if she knew they ate chitlins. For her children, she'd settle for worrying their nerves about it until she got bored of that. Which was never, so she'd never stop worrying their nerves about it.
If Hudson wanted those disgusting things, he'd have to find another way, because Elisa was dead serious, she was never going to come within 20 feet of chitlins, cooked or otherwise. No sirree, that was a line she was not about to cross.
"No no, you misunderstand, lass. Robbins loathes it, he couldn't express that any clearer" Hudson corrected, snickering. "Ye should've heard him, he was so riled up about it, he sent me into a laughin' fit!" he chuckled more, his arms bouncing with each mirthful utterance.
It was a nice sound, made even nicer because of its rarity. Elisa found herself wishing to hear his laugh much more from now on. Which may be a distinct possibility thanks to this Robbins fella.
"Well, he's got good taste if he hates chitlins. Him and Mom would get along pretty well" she replied as his chuckles died down.
"He's passionate about food in a way I haven't seen from anyone else" Elisa leveled a flat look at him, hand on her hip. "Alright, Broadway has 'im beat—but he's almost as passionate as the lad. And in a different way".
"How so?" Elisa asked with a smirk.
"He's selective of what he eats. It's like everything he tastes is an experience he wants to remember and share with anyone who'll listen. He says he's not picky, which I assume means he isn't too exclusive of what he eats, but the things he isn't in favor of, he is vehemently against" Hudson emphasized by jutting out his jaw comically, causing Elisa to giggle.
"He sounds like a fantastic person, Hudson" she remarked, giggles lingering in her tone. "I can see why you'd wanna keep him all to yourself" she added, nudging him with her elbow.
Hudson's smile faltered as his eyes trailed down from her face to her knees being nestled in his arms. She forced out a gentle laugh to try and get his attention back, but the precious sight of Hudson's smile was gone.
"That was a joke" she said, leaning down a bit to look into his downcast face, as Hudson snapped out of his stupor.
"Oh aye, it... it was an amusin' jest, lass..." he sighed, focused back on their journey and nothing else. Suddenly a light bulb went off in her mind.
"Now I get it" Elisa spoke up. "There's somethin' botherin' you about Robbins and you wanna ask me for advice"
Hudson faltered a bit before stammering. "How'd ye—?"
"Detective, remember?" Elisa answered, pointing to her badge in her jacket pocket. "Also, it's a woman's job to pick up on these types'a things, ya know" she said, pointing a dainty finger up to emphasize her point.
Hudson eyed her, a cheeky smirk on his face. "O'course. I should stop underestimatin' ye, De-tec-tive Maza" he enunciated in that goofy way they all tended to when saying that word.
"Darn right" she nodded stiffly, before smacking his chest with the back of her hand. "Now talk, what's the problem?" Hudson took a deep breath, groaning with his deep voice so much that she could feel the rumbling in his chest before he began.
"This situation with Robbins is... well, it works. Somehow, it works. I am welcomed in his home, he values my opinion, even when I don't think he should, he seems to not be opposed to my company or assistance with his work. We have our own routine that has become... comfortable. I am learning quite a bit, not just pertainin' to readin', but about him. And that's... well, it's not an unpleasant experience, I suppose..." Elisa nodded along eagerly until Hudson stopped, his face contorting into a light grimace as his cheeks seemed to redden ever so slightly.
"And I... as of late, I..." he stammered wordlessly before forcing it out. "I've found myself having... fun" he dropped, eyeing her carefully. But Elisa was too busy gasping at the revelation and squealing in unexpected delight.
"Oh my God, Hudson! That is so cute!" she exclaimed joyfully, her high pitched voice causing him to wince as she gently held his cheeks in her hands.
Two precious old men growing an unexpected friendship with their little routines and conversations and learning each others' mannerisms and helping each other improve and just gah! Really cute! Elisa was so happy for Hudson, ecstatic even! And she just couldn't help her reaction to the most unlikely member of The Clan gaining such a sweet friendship with someone else. It was just cuteness overload, she couldn't stop herself from reacting, much to Hudson's chagrin.
"Ack, come off it, I'm bein' serious, lass!" he fussed, pulling her hands off his face and baring his fangs, in an attempt to distract from his growing blush no doubt. So cute!
"I'm sorry, but that's just so sweet, Hudson! You're so adorable, talkin' about all this! It's so wonderful, I'm happy for you!" she praised while repeatedly cuddling up to him and patting his back.
Hudson desperately reeled back from her attempts at comforting him as he grumbled. "Forget I said anythin' " he said flatly, causing Elisa to halt her loving assault.
"Nonono, okay, I'm sorry! I'll stop, I'll stop, promise" she held her hands up in surrender as Hudson peeked at her from the corner of his eye, slowly returning to their normal position. "But I think I see the problem" she assured, before he rumbled his chest, lost in thought again.
"Yer a human, you can understand that... certain developments in one's life can sour sentiments that were once sweet" he finally said. "What was once regarded as good and welcomed can quickly become despised and seen as a burden, if too much unforeseen developments occur".
Elisa stared up blankly before putting her hand back on her hip. "Ya lost me, chief" she admitted, causing Hudson to sigh.
"What I mean to say is... humans don't take kindly to... changes" he struggled, but Elisa remained patient. "Or the ones that bring about change" Ah, okay.
"And it would be unpleasant if your situation were to change by addin' more ingredients to the mix, so to speak" Elisa finished as Hudson nodded solemnly.
"It's difficult to imagine how Robbins will handle such a change. He hasn't said anythin' aboot what he thinks o'the others. Let alone voiced intentions to meet 'em. The time must not be right..." he reasoned, causing Elisa to tilt her head as she voice her suspicion.
"Well let me ask this: how often do you even bring them up in conversation?" Hudson remained silent, providing her the expected answer. "Right, people tend to not talk about people they don't know, especially when you barely mention said people to the other people" she explained, earning her a confused look.
"I'm sayin' you haven't really given him an occasion to voice any intentions to meet them or opinions on them. It's no mystery why you don't know how he feels about them, you haven't let him develop any feelings towards them yet".
Hudson's mouth went agape as realization dawned on him. "You... you are right" he murmured incredulously, eyes wide and distant.
"And trust me, I get it. This is a very special friendship you've made with him, you don't want anything to upset it, because well... it's not that you're afraid Robbins won't be able to take the change" Hudson looked back at her, at a lost and hanging on her every word. "You're not sure you can take the change" she dropped, causing Hudson to slow down even more than he already had.
Hudson's mouth hung open as he slowly shook his head. "I just... I never understood it quite like that b'fore..." he whispered, more to himself than to her.
Elisa patted his back and nodded to him. "It's okay, Hudson. Like I said, I get it. There's... a lot at stake here. This is your special secret that you've been protectin' from the world. Because it's so very unique, but so very fragile at the same time"
"Aye", Hudson nodded along with her, recognition etched on his features.
"Including other people in on your special secret is... it invites danger. It just does. And that valuable aspect of it, the thing that makes it so special in the first place... well, suddenly it won't be anymore" Elisa shrugged casually. "Then it's like... who are you to that person really, now that they've got all these other people to choose from over you, ya know? But if you keep the relationship secret... you never have to worry about that. You'll be the apple of their eye by default and you can keep your specialness..." Elisa trailed off, unsure of where all that came from exactly.
"Exactly" Hudson agreed, more excited than she'd expected. "It's like ye can read my mind like a book, lass" he said, impressed with her.
Elisa snorted and averted her gaze, a blush rising to her cheeks. "Heh, yeah... Ya just caught me on a good night, is all..." she trailed off. She forgot how forthright Hudson was with compliments.
The Scottish restaurant came into view and Elisa motioned to her carrier that they'd finally arrived. With a nod and a smooth tilt of his body, they glided down to the neighboring rooftops and settled on the building across the street from the place. It had some name she couldn't pronounce and hadn't tried, she just called it "The Scottish Restaurant" because there wasn't exactly a surplus of them in the Big Apple.
Which was weird now that she thought about it, you could find any number of Irish pubs and whatnot around every other corner. But Scottish? Good luck. Elisa had to launch a full scale investigation to find this place, and it took her a full 2 weeks to do so.
"So? What do ye reckon I should do?" the gargoyle asked her in a soft voice, leaning on the rooftop's raised border.
She mimicked his stance and looked out into the distance, her hair lightly billowing behind her as she struggled to come up with something. She was the last person on Earth he should be asking for advice on how to deal with this particular situation. But... she supposed she was the only one who could understand his plight. So maybe he was right to seek her out for advice. She would try her best to help him out, considering his situation was far simpler than her's. Lucky him, she couldn't stop herself from thinking.
"Honestly, I don't know. But I will say this: you're gonna have to deal with this eventually" she turned to face him as he continued to stare at the blocked horizon. "The Clan can't be separate from Robbins forever. At some point, the universe is gonna take it outta your hands and make it happen" she shifted her weight to one elbow and motioned towards him. "Before it turns into something you can't control, I say face your fears".
Hudson went silent once more, contemplating her words carefully. His brows knit in a tight crease on his forehead, as he stroked his beard absentmindedly. She waited patiently, if anybody understood how deceptively difficult that sounded, she definitely did. Still, it was true. Sooner or later, secrets get uncovered. She just hoped when all of her's became public knowledge, she'd be safe from any hard questions or hurt feelings. Fat chance of that happening, but a girl can dream, can't she?
Hudson cleared his throat a bit before he spoke up. "It's not as if I don't want to introduce The Clan to Robbins, I intend to. I always have" he stressed, looking over to her with a sobering expression. She nodded in understanding. "I just... I have to do it carefully. There is... a delicate balance to our friendship that can't be disturbed or catastrophe will befall us" he motioned with his hands like he was holding onto something made of glass.
"Like what?" she asked, causing the gargoyle to balk.
"Eh?" he responded with a raised brow and a curled up lip.
"What catastrophes will befall you if everybody meets him?" she clarified. Hudson stammered before he was able to eloquently speak his mind.
"He'll find out the truth about us. I have to be constantly vigilant that our hands don't meet, that my wings stay folded, mind my claws, step lightly, keep my tail tucked. And all the details of this century I can't possibly know, I have to narrowly avoid slippin' up and revealin' that I'm not from this world" he listed out, running his hands over his face and slumped forward. He looked like... like this has been keeping him awake all day. Ya know, if it could.
"The others don't... I can't expect them to be as vigilant as I. And anything short of my level of attention to detail could dispel the illusion" he finished with a powerful sigh, covering his eyes with his calloused hand. Elisa stepped a little closer to him as she sucked in a breath.
"Fair enough. It would be a bit riskier for your cover to include them..." she conceded before opening her hands, placating. "But you could just as easily slip up yourself, right? I mean, you're careful but you're not perfect, I'm sure you've had a close call or two already" she offered.
"I haven't" Hudson answered after a beat, extra gravel in his voice.
"Hudson" Elisa challenged, tilting her head.
"I haven't" he shot back, turning towards her to pin a look that said not to push that idea again. She obeyed, raising her hands again.
"Fine, whatever, you never made a mistake" she heard Hudson scoff, but she continued. "My point is, the guys know how important he is to you. They know what's at stake here, and they would do anything and everything in their power to ensure that Robbins doesn't find out the truth" Hudson began softening as he listened, turning back to the rooftops before them. "Rambunctious maybe, but stupid they are not".
Hudson stared at the street below in silence as Elisa took another step towards him, they were practically shoulder to shoulder. His eyes wandered back towards her, halting at her elbows resting on their perch.
"Aye. 'Tis true" he finally agreed. "But I can't take that chance, not without teaching 'em how to act around him" Elisa scrunched her nose up and reeled her head back a little.
"I think that's a bit much. They're not wild animals, they don't need 'training' to talk to humans" she said, forming air quotes around "training".
"They act as if they require such measures" Hudson grumbled, rolling his head away from her again.
"When it's just you or Goliath around! Or when they're beatin' up thugs. But think about how they acted around me when we first met" she noted, pointing to herself. "Or how they act around Xanatos and his little stooge, that Puck guy. The innocent people you guys rescue sometimes" she placed a hand on his shoulder. "They're capable of behaving in a restrained and calm manner, you know this. You're bein' way too critical of 'em".
"Aye... I s'pose I am..." Hudson rolled his shoulders as he raised to his full height. "But we are livin' a dangerous life. Even if we're all careful, our enemies always manage to draw us out" He motioned behind them as he continued. "MacBeth has already found me at Robbins' home, there's nothin' stoppin' him from returnin' and usin' Robbins to hurt me" he placed a hand on his chest before closing his eyes and motioning to Elisa. "What happens when our other enemies catch wind o'him?"
"Well sure, that's a legitimate concern" Elisa answered, as it was a very good point she hadn't thought about until just then. "But what does keepin' the guys from meetin' him have to do—?"
"It's much easier to track a group o'gargoyles glidin' to a remote location than it is a lone gargoyle" Hudson traced several loops as he explained. "When I visit him, I take a series o'very long and complex routes, and I do so in the hopes that even if I'm followed, at a certain point durin' the journey, I'll have ample opportunity to discover the enemy and turn the tables on 'em" he folded his arms across his chest and shook his head. "This is not nearly as effective with a group. And it's the only way I can be certain that none'o our enemies will find out aboot 'im".
"I hear ya, I definitely do" Elisa nodded before she began tracing paths with her hands. "But wouldn't it be more beneficial to use your numbers to confuse the people tailin' you? Like, you guys can separate and force them to choose who they wanna follow, then whoever's not bein' followed can circle around and ambush the bad guy" she punched her palm as punctuation. "You guys have done that before, haven't you?" she suggested, causing Hudson to open his hands and strain out a pained sound.
"Aye, but that... It's not just... I just..." he ended in a sigh, a hand propping up his forehead as he leaned against the rooftop's rim. "So many things could go wrong... and I... I can't take that risk..." Hudson curled in on himself and closed his eyes tight. "I just can't do it, lass..." he whispered, barely audible.
The sound broke her heart and she couldn't help from wrapping her arms around his neck again. This time he didn't reject the touch and just accepted the sudden comfort. Elisa held him firmly, and rubbed soothing circles along his back, just like her Dad would do for her whenever she felt overwhelmed as a kid.
He'd wrap her up in his impossibly strong arms and held on for as long as Elisa needed, and he'd tell her in the softest yet firmest voice imaginable that everything would be okay. That he would figure it out with her and make everything okay again. He just made everything okay, gave her the strength to continue on, the confidence to face this big harsh world with a smirk.
And he was always right, in the end everything would end up alright. Even if it didn't happen immediately, eventually the trouble that caused her such distress would just blow over. Either he would come to her rescue or he'd help her get through it, she can't think of a single time things didn't just work out for her thanks to her Dad.
And ever since Derek... God, did she miss those hugs.
She would've given anything to run home, call her Dad to come find her and leap into his arms. Tell him everything, every single thing she's been holding in, and have him whisper to her that it'd be okay. That he'd help her fix it. But as badly as she wished for that... she knew it couldn't happen. Not this time. Dad couldn't know what happened to Derek, he couldn't know about the gargoyles, he couldn't know about elves or magic or any of the million crazy things that had taken over her life as of late.
His hugs always came with the caveat that she would tell him everything that was wrong so he could help. And he always knew when she was still holding back. So she couldn't hug him, because then he'd know for sure something was wrong. He already knew she wasn't telling the whole truth about Derek, but he didn't press for answers, bless him. As soon as she buckled under the pressure and hugged him for real, he'd know. And he wouldn't let go until she lovingly squeezed every single secret she was keeping out and in the open. And then everything would be ruined, because she wasn't strong enough to deal on her own.
But Hudson wasn't Elisa, Hudson didn't need to keep secrets from The Clan, he didn't need to shoulder the burden on his own, none of them did. They're so alone, so precariously placed in a world they still don't fully understand, that in turn didn't understand them. It wasn't fair to cut them off from the comfort of each other on top of all that.
They were all they had, they were Clan, family. Goliath's booming voice came back to her as Hudson returned the hug with earnest. A memory that largely haunted her, because of what she did to force him to say such stern words. But they were wise words nonetheless: "There is nothing, nothing more important, than family..."
Elisa guessed that technically meant her now, since they officially asked her to join The Clan. Hudson certainly felt like family to her, family in desperate need. But unlike her, he could receive it, so she happily supplied him. Because in some small way, it also made losing her brother... hurt a bit less. So she kept rubbing soothing circles along the expanse of his back as his breathing slowed and his hold around her waist gradually relaxed.
"It's okay, I understand. You're scared of what could happen" Hudson leaned back to give her a pointed look. One that said "scared" was the wrong choice of words, but could only elicit a stifled laugh out of her. "Worried about what could happen" she corrected, tilting her head to the side, a coy smile on her face.
"Would you not be?" he asked, genuinely wondering. She pulled him back into the hug and resumed rubbing his back.
"Absolutely I would. But I mean, they're your family. Ya gotta have faith that they'll value your friendship as much as you do. Because the last thing they want is to hurt you" she soothed, patting the gargoyle's back lightly. He let out a low hum filled with skepticism.
"If ya don't believe me, why not tell him about them? Ya said ya haven't mentioned them much" Hudson nodded against her shoulder. "Then start mentionin' them. See if he's interested in meetin' them one day. Feel him out, ya know?" she said, pulling away to look at him. His mood was considerably less dower as he took in her advice.
"Feel him out..." he repeated calmly, the gears turning in his head.
"Yeah, then you can see if he'll like 'em or not. But I'm tellin' ya now, it's gonna be fine. He's not gonna say anything bad about them, because he doesn't want to push you away" she assured, patting his shoulder with a confident smirk.
"Then... I will tell him more about The Clan" Hudson purposed, raising his head and straightening his posture a bit. "Surely there's no harm in that, aye?" he ventured with a weak smile.
Elisa shook her head staunchly. "None whatsoever".
She gave his shoulder one last pat and went to the building's fire escape, deftly climbing down without using the stairs, until she reached the end of the railing. Hudson merely dropped down without assistance from any handholds, his wings giving him all the support he needed. Elisa didn't even blink as she dropped down from the elevation, for in the shadowy alley she would've landed in and sprained her ankles if she was lucky, the same strong pair of arms that carried her across town was waiting to catch her. Just as they always would at a moment's notice.
"Back in 20" she said over her shoulder as she walked towards the Scottish restaurant. Hudson grunted in affirmation and slipped back into the safety of the shadows.
Elisa walked into the place and thankfully the people remembered her. Must not get a lot of blue haired ladies as return customers, she joked inwardly. She ordered everything she had the last time and they let her sit at the bar while she waited. Normally, Elisa would've called before she got here, since it's a long ride already, adding more wait time on top of that was just counter productive.
But Hudson was far too eager to immediately get some alone time with her, it didn't seem likely he'd wait for her to get all the way down to the parking lot, get the takeout menu for the place, call them up, make the order, then carry her off. She understood why he felt like he needed to steal her away the first chance he got, but if he had a bit more patience, she would've been in and out of here like before.
Still, Elisa felt bad for Hudson, being forced to hang out in an alley all by himself when there was a perfectly fine stool on either side of her that he'd enjoy taking. They should really invest in some disguises so they can go certain places without worry, instead of waiting for Halloween to roll around so they can walk among their fellow New Yorkers.
She tried to think of some, but unfortunately all she could come up with was the cliché hat and trench coat, which ironically was what Broadway was gonna wear for Halloween. Elisa determined that if Broadway looked passible in the getup, she'd order 3 more for Lex, Brooklyn, and Hudson. She didn't think they made one in Goliath's size so they'd have to figure something else out for him. At some point, she kinda felt like she'd exhausted all the options for him.
Maybe we could pretend he was in a costume for a tv show and couldn't take it off without a long time in the makeup chair, she joked. Sorry Big Guy, I guess you'll have to stick to the shadows no matter what.
Sitting at the bar for what felt like 20 minutes made her realize how empty the place was. There was only a few disparate regulars, sitting a healthy distance away from each other. Not much foot traffic, not much in the way of takeout customers either. No wonder they remembered Elisa, she was probably their newest repeat customer. Out of sheer boredom she looked around the place for the first time, last time she really was in and out, she had to make it back to the station across town before sundown to have everything ready for the guys.
But upon casual inspection, the place didn't seem too bad for a bar. Lots of memorabilia from Scotland, mostly pictures of presumably famous Scottish people, like celebrities, professional athletes (what was Scotland's popular sport again? Was it Rugby or something?). 3 TVs with the same soccer game on, or football to them, and on the wall by the bar a few plaques. Probably a collection of niché awards, like best Scottish bar in Manhattan. Which isn't so much an award as it is a trivia fact, "did you know there's only one Scottish bar in Manhattan?" on the last few pages of the local paper.
All that being said, it was a kinda nice, little place. Could use some sprucing up, maybe a pinball machine or pool table (Elisa would kill for a pool table right then), but otherwise decent. Not too seedy, not too dark, not wild at all. Decently comfortable. So yeah, nice little place.
After she had ordered enough waters at the bar to embarrass her, the food was finally ready. She quickly paid for it all, thanked the staff for their hardwork, and swiftly exited the fine establishment. It was a decent little spot, she just couldn't pronounce that darn name. Ah well, didn't matter, she got what she came for. She made sure to look all around before entering the alley again and calling for Hudson. He popped up from behind a few discarded crates looking very grateful that she'd returned and holding his hands out to take the bag of food.
She handed it over and he immediately opened it, stuck his face in, and sniffed loudly, before moaning in pleasure. Elisa couldn't help but shake her head ruefully and giggle at the display.
"Next time bring a disguise and you can come inside like a full fledged New Yorker" she suggested between giggles, causing Hudson to level an unamused look at her again.
"I think not" he answered back, raising a hand in rejection of anything outside their little alleyway.
"Your loss" she joked with a shrug. "So that's it then, you've got his food and now there's nothin' else for you to worry about" she studied his face in the darkness. Even obscured she could tell there was still a weight on him. "Unless there's somethin' else at play here" she said concerned.
Hudson pulled away, waving her off. "No no, ye've helped me plenty already, lass. I don't—"
"Hudson" she cut him off. "C'mon. It's me, 'Read Ya Like A Book' girl? I can see it all over your face, so you might as well just tell me" she said crossing her arms.
"No, I don't... I don't want to worry you any..." Hudson trailed off before he flared his wings out and leapt a dozen feet in the air. He dug his claws into the brick wall to her right and climbed up.
Elisa watched, stunned and offended, before scoffing. She quickly took off her jacket, twisted it up into a tightened length of fabric, then flung it towards the fire escape, latching it onto the last rung of the ladder and yanking it down. The rusty metal obeyed and came within jumping distance, so she took a running start and grabbed hold, hoisting herself up quickly until she got to the fire escape proper. From there, she ignored the stairs leading up and just climbed up the railings like it was a tall, boring jungle gym.
She wasn't nearly as fast as the older gargoyle, but she wasn't too far behind him either. It was only 30 seconds or so after he reached the roof that she did as well. She dropped down on the gravel covered floor with a thud and crossed her arms, jacket dangling in her grip. The most unimpressed, nonplussed look on her face she could muster after all that exertion, causing Hudson's ears and head to droop in shame.
"Nice try, but you're not gettin' rid of me that easy" Elisa ticked off her fingers as she began. "I didn't ask why we couldn't tell Goliath about this, I didn't ask why you didn't mention any of this to the others, I haven't tried to make you introduce The Clan to Robbins, and I haven't talked about you to anybody after the anniversary" this last one surprised Hudson, by the way he looked up at her as she spoke. She nodded to answer his unasked question.
"Despite Goliath trying to discuss your situation with me, I told him I wouldn't talk behind your back anymore" she confirmed, an irritated edge to her tone, attitude clear in her stomps toward Hudson. Really, running away to avoid telling her what else was wrong, after everything? What was he thinking?
He just looked up at her dejected, and try as she might, she couldn't keep up her anger. Sure, leaving her on the ground floor was a bit of a dick move, but he clearly just panicked. And he obviously regretted it as soon as he did it, anybody could see that lookin' at him now. This other thing he didn't want to tell her... it was serious. Not like the other points he brought up weren't, but this one... it had to be the real reason behind all of the angst he's had about Robbins all this time.
She was far too curious to remain upset at him, especially since it wasn't that big a deal. Climb one fire escape, you've climbed 'em all. Hudson trusting her again was more important than all that, so onward she pressed, dropping the attitude.
"I want you to trust me again. And I think... I think you want to trust me again too" she ventured, reaching out to him again. "You can, Hudson. I promise, this stays between us" she clarified, placing a hand on the side of his face. Hudson raised a shaky hand and covered her hand with it, taking a deep breath before he opened his mouth one more time.
"I'm sorry, lass. It's not that I don't trust ye, it's just... I am... I am unsure of what I am doing..." he forced out. It was a powerful statement, yet that was just his opening. Elisa nodded for him to continue. "I don't know how I have... even arrived at this point..." Yet another tough revelation, but she tried not to show her shock and nodded for him to keep going.
"Robbins is a human, a very special human, and he deserves... well, I should be more equipped to handle this... delicate situation? Yet I am keenly aware of... there are many things that I..." he took another deep breath, shakier than before. "I fear that—worry—I worry that I will one day fall short of the standards set" he swiftly corrected, before once again faltering. "and... things will... well, history will inevitably repeat itself". Hudson didn't need to explain what that meant at all.
History repeating itself was just as profound a statement as all the others. For the gargoyles, history repeating had such horrific implications of such painful trauma that filling in the blanks was frighteningly too easy. Mass death and suffering, deep and savage betrayal, perversions of their culture, their Clansmen, and their sacred memories, persecution and prejudice worst than anybody has ever experienced. Honestly, it was too much pain packed into that one little phrase.
Though if she had to pick one incident specific to this situation and Hudson personally, she'd definitely go with the Captain of the Guard. The last human Hudson trusted before Elisa and now, tentatively, Robbins. It was Hudson who met the Captain of the Guard and his King, Malcolm or something, centuries ago when he was still Clan Leader. And it was through this alliance that Hudson accepted that led to the slaughter of their entire Clan, and the subsequent millennium length slumber that landed them all here in this time.
A fact that Hudson was no doubt still kicking himself over. He let the snake into the camp, he gave his trust to someone just waiting for the perfect time to stab him in the back. He opened his people up to slaughter by getting them to drop their guards around him. Not that Elisa believed that—not for a second—but... it was what Hudson would believe about himself.
She couldn't help but be reminded of how similar he was to Goliath, both of them so eager to hog the blame all to themselves and never allow it to fall on anyone else more than themselves. It wasn't right, but that was an issue way too big to tackle tonight.
No, tonight was all about building the trust back and getting him closer with Robbins, thus encouraging him to open up to the Clan more, which would in turn bring The Clan more peace, but allow them to have at least one more friend in this world. God knows they need all the friends they can get. Ya know, just not too many. Wouldn't want them to expand their social circle that much.
... That was a weird thought... came outta nowhere—whatever, this is about Hudson, so—
"This isn't me tryin' to force ya to do anything you don't wanna do, I learned my lesson last time" she found herself speaking again. "But if this and the other stuff are the things holdin' ya back from including The Clan in your friendship, I hope you realize you're overthinking it" Hudson looked up at her again, eyes wide and wet. He looked like a beaten down, old dog, wondering where his owner's gone. It broke her heart a little.
"Take it from me: when you find yourself in a really good space with someone, the best way you can screw it up is by overthinkin' it. So do yourself a favor, stop thinkin' and just enjoy the moments you have with him" she finished with a strong pat on his shoulder. His face lit up slowly at her words and he looked so at ease. She felt herself sigh in relief.
"My dear, you are wise beyond yer years" he said, bringing his forehead to hers with the gentlest of bumps. "Thank ye, lass. I believe... I believe you will meet him soon"
Elisa shot up straight, "Yeah?" she asked with a wide grin.
"Aye. Definitely you" Hudson confirmed, nodding sagely to her. She inhaled to tell him how excited she was, until a thought stopped her.
"Cuz I'm the least likely to blow your cover?" she asked, face falling at the notion.
"Aye" Hudson jabbed a finger towards her, an embarrassed smile on his face. "But also because... ye've earned it" he offered his hand for her to shake, his expression soft and inviting.
Elisa took a step forward, past his outstretched hand, and hugged the gargoyle instead. Hudson stiffened at the sudden contact, but curled his arm around her and nestled against her cheek, letting out a few low chuckles that rumbled his chest. It felt good, not just getting to hug someone who considered her family, not just being able to help her new family member find a path forward like her father always did for her. And not just the feeling of regaining at least some control in her life after Derek's... after what happened to him.
It felt good to have Hudson's hard earned trust restored. After a week of feeling like she'd permanently driven a wedge between them, they were back to normal. No... they were better than normal. After what he just shared, after she helped him in a way that no one else had before... yeah, they were much better than before. It wasn't until then, hiding her face in the crook of his neck and feeling him start rubbing circles against her back, did she realize how much she missed Hudson.
Of course she cared about all of them and wouldn't place any one friendship above another within The Clan. But there was just a special connection she and Hudson had that meant a whole lot to her. They saw each other in a way that was unique from any other relationship in her life, and it was right from the start too. They just... instinctually slotted together. Like a key to a lock.
To have that bond back and better than before, well... it made everything she was going through just a little more manageable.
"Lass?" Hudson spoke up, breaking her out of her thoughts.
"Hm?" she hummed, loosening her grip as Hudson leaned back to face her.
"If there ever comes a time when I am..." he twirled his hand around as he looked to the side searching for the word. "concerned about this friendship I have found with Robbins... would it be alright if ye'd lend me yer ear and advise me once more?" he asked while carefully avoiding direct eye contact. He shrunk in on himself, blush rising to the surface yet again as he spoke.
Elisa barked out a laugh. "You better! I wanna know EVERYTHING about your cute li'l friendship with Robbins! So don't skimp on the details anymore, buster" she teased playfully, poking his chest for emphasis.
Hudson deflated and pouted before answering. "I didn't say I'd tell ye everythin', lass" he grumbled.
"But you will if you want my advice again~" Elisa answered melodically, lightly pressing her finger to his nose, causing him to go cross-eyed for a second, before adorning a knowing smirk. He pretended to think her terms over.
"Ye drive a hard bargain, De-tec-tive Maza" he said, extra awkward to amuse her, before reaching his hand out again. "I will tell ye everythin' only if I need advice again" he clarified.
Elisa clasped onto his forearm as he clasped to hers, and they shook on it. "Deal. Now go on, his food's gonna get cold" she reminded, flinging a finger to the sky.
Hudson blinked at her a few times. "Surely ye'll need to glide back to the Clock Tower?"
Elisa waved him off casually. "Nah, one'a the perks of bein' a female cop in Manhattan? Taxis are real easy to come by and very accommodating on fare" she started making her way back to the fire escape, Hudson beside her.
"Are ye sure?" he asked, concern etched on his face.
"Positive" she answered back with a stiff nod. "Now shoo, go be cute" Elisa said, brushing him away, causing Hudson to blush in embarrassment again.
"I—I suppose... I'll be off, then" he finally relented and backed up to flare his wings open again. He turned to Elisa, a warm smile on his face. "Thank ye again, lass. Fer... everythin'..." he sighed happily, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Anytime, Hudson" Elisa replied with a grin. "Seriously, get goin. And I'm expectin' a detailed report when you get back, soldier", she ordered, pointing at him in an authoritative manner.
Hudson merely tilted his head and smirked in response, quirking his eye ridge up and giving her a rueful look before leaping off the roof to catch a good gust of wind to carry him high up. Within seconds, he was soaring into the clouds, a brown speck that would easily go unnoticed by everyone else in the city that never sleeps.
Elisa watched him go, she never got tired of watching them fly around like they did. Well, okay, glide around, same difference. It was an awesome gravity defying sight that only she was allowed to witness, making it all the more special.
The young detective was in distinctly higher spirits than she had been since the anniversary. Thoughts of Derek, her family's growing suspicion of her, the stress and pressure from work and keeping the gargoyles a secret from the world at large... it was getting to her, she had to admit.
But after taking a ride with her ol' pal Hudson, finally mending fences and being able to help him with his Robbins situation, she couldn't help but feel elated. At least a little bit.
After all, if there's hope for Hudson and his new friend, there was hope for her too. Somehow... everything would work out, just like it always did. Derek... there had to be something they could do to get him back to normal. Her family would... they'd have to stop asking questions at some point, right? And eventually, when Derek returned to normal, they could all go back to normal.
And everything else would just fall into place. She helped Hudson get on his path forward and somehow, it was like she managed to find her own footing at the same time. That's what it felt like, anyway. And as she climbed down the fire escape again, she couldn't help but look at the fleeting figure of Hudson making his way across the sky and smile a little wider. With a single wish in her heart for her friend on his journey.
Good luck, chief...
Author's Note: Surprise Elisa POV for the win! I love her so much and I was glad to switch up the POV premise to include her, it was a lot of fun. I feel like Elisa would vicariously talk about the things that she can't be open about. Such as her selfishness in wanting to keep the gargoyles to herself and to a much lesser extent her romantic feelings for Goliath. She is extremely guarded and secretive when it comes to her own life, but she's always eager to help the gargoyles with their issues and of course she butts into her family's lives when she feels they're making a mistake. She is the one who pushed for Derek to stay away from Xanatos in Her Brother's Keeper and, after his mutation in Metamorphosis, made Derek agree to let the family see him and come to terms with his new form and life in The Cage.
So I think that Elisa would, perhaps subconsciously, take this opportunity with Hudson to justify her own position on things and even advise herself on ways to be more open with her loved ones. Unconsciously sure, but still. I feel that this would be a very in-character and a very human thing for her to do. Thus we have her words of wisdom and insight for Hudson to gain from while also completely understanding his position on keeping Robbins for himself. Speaking of that...
Finally we know specifically why Hudson hesitates to include The Clan in his budding friendship with Robbins. Well, at least some of the reasons, I can't just give the whole game away that easy, you know. Ultimately, I wanted the issue to be multifaceted and understandable from both sides, which is quite difficult to do. But I think I did okay. The Clan's position has always been that the more friends and allies they can make in this new world, the better for everyone. Welcoming in friends and allies will only help them moving forward, both from a mission standpoint and from an emotional and mental health standpoint.
But Hudson, as we see this chapter, has more than a few hangups concerning this fragile friendship of his. But critically, Hudson gets stuck in his own head and freaks out about all the things that could go wrong to the point that he freezes. Hudson is a cynic by nature, he's always waiting for the other shoe to drop, because it so often has dropped in his life. So he's on guard at all times, anxious and concerned about upsetting the delicate balance he's somehow found himself in. That is, unless someone can crack that armor of his, like Robbins and Elisa have been able to. Which is scary—excuse me—worrying for him.
Of course from an objective perspective, it's unreasonable to assume that The Clan coming to Robbins' house will alert too much attention and make Robbins a target to their enemies. And it's very unlikely that MacBeth gives enough of a crap about Robbins to even remember where he found Hudson hiding that one time. And it wasn't fair of Hudson to assume the rest of The Clan would be careless enough to blow their cover with Robbins. But since Hudson's too scared—sorry—worried to even ask Robbins if he's open to the idea of meeting The Clan, he's just stuck with these assumptions and fears that he's been holding in for all this time.
So I figured he would trust Elisa enough to ask her for advice on how to deal with his human friend because she's a human and she's Clan now. She has insight that Hudson just won't have, so she'll be able to answer his questions and concerns. Even if those questions and concerns only crystalized after his literary discussion with Robbins. And there's more still we have yet to address! So yeah, just keep an eye on this developing story, I guess XD
That's the big stuff out of the way, now for the small stuff that I love to talk about! I was a bit cheeky and included a reference to Owen's secret identity being Puck (or is it the other way around?). When Elisa is listing the different people that the Trio interact with in a measured and dignified manner, she says "Xanatos and his little stooge, that Puck guy". I deliberately ordered the character names in this way to clue in the connection between Owen and Puck. This is quite similar to how Demona subtly reveals Puck is Owen in The Mirror, when she says "You serve the human, now you'll serve me". She says he serves THE human. Singular, not plural, and present tense, not past tense. So who's the one human character that we know that has an official servant? That's right, Xanatos. So Xanatos's servant = Puck, meaning Owen = Puck. I just wanted to try my hand at a clever line like that, pardon my geekiness in that regard. XD
Brooklyn being a fan of Earth, Wind, & Fire and Elisa calling it an old song is just more setup. It'll be noteworthy, so just keep it in mind for later. Also, I chose Brooklyn as the one who would be into more "modern" music (compared to 995 AD, of course) because he seems like the most likely to be appreciative of music. To me, he was always the cooler, more hip and chill of the Clan.
Lexington is the tech geek, Broadway is the movie fanatic, Hudson has his Celebrity Hockey and in this fic, Robbins' interests are swiftly becoming his. Goliath is the literary enthusiast, more of a classic intellectual than the others. Which left Brooklyn the odd man out, he kinda isn't shown to have a specific interest like the others, he's just kinda along for the ride depending on what the plot of the episode requires of him. So I thought it'd be cool if he was the more artistic one, or at least an avid enjoyer of the arts. Hence, we open with him grooving to some funky tunes. Like I said, this isn't the last you'll see of this detail, so just hold onto it, m'kay? ;)
Also, for future reference, concerning Elisa's special friendship with each gargoyle, I always have interpreted it as thus:
- She and Goliath are the cute "will they, won't they" power couple, with mutual pining and concern for the other. They've definitely had a thing for each other since the night they met, you can go back and look yourself if you don't believe me.
- She and Broadway are like best friends, they just love hanging out with each other more than anybody else. They have a good time every time they come together. This turns into a cute buddy cop dynamic when we get to The Silver Falcon, and I think they retain that partner in fighting crime dynamic for the rest of their lives. But hey, that's just me. The point is they're quite close.
- She and Lexington are like big sister-little brother, in that he is more comfortable with her at a little bit of a distance, just like little brothers of a certain age start wanting their big sisters to let them have their own identity separate from them. That doesn't mean he doesn't love her, because of course he does, that doesn't mean she doesn't enjoy spending time with him either. It just means they're more okay with a little bit of distance between them, that's all. But if he needs her help or if she needs his, they're right there for each other no hesitation.
- She and Brooklyn, to me, are the snarky, mischievous type of best friends. Like a true partner in crime, catty, "spill the tea, sis" type of dynamic. I think out of everybody, Brooklyn would share her humor seeing as they're both extremely sarcastic and utilize dry humor to great effect. I imagine they have little gossip sessions when no one is looking and they may even play pranks on the others if they have the time. And of course, they'd tease each other to no end, loving every second of it. I dunno, they just seem like a messy duo of savage sarcastic infamy. And I love that for them. XD
- She and Hudson, as we see in the show, are closer to a father-daughter dynamic. They kinda have an unspoken alliance concerning Goliath's well-being, seeing as they both team up on several occasions against Goliath for his benefit. Most notably when they made an executive decision to move to the Clock Tower in Enter MacBeth. And in several other episodes, I have noticed her and Hudson looking to each other in solace during some crazy developments. But aside from Goliath specifically, I think she treats him as she would a father-in-law, which is fitting for extremely obvious reasons. But I think its telling that she has always treated him like this, well before she realized her feelings for Goliath.
So in this fic, I thought I'd play up on all these dynamics that I either noticed or headcanoned. So you get this entire chapter, the Anniversary chapter, and The Mirror chapters to show the dynamic between them as far more familial and paternal than we see in the show proper. I really like their relationship and I see quite a bit of potential in them as a duo, so hopefully you liked this chapter, cuz it's just a taste of things to come ;)
Some fun continuity details I carried over from previous chapters and the show itself, Elisa's mom hating chitlins and forbidding her from even being around it is definitely linking up with Robbins' own mother teaching him the same thing. Not just because Elisa's mom has some overbearing issues that won't be addressed until the Avalon World Tour, so I wanted to feature some of that here. But also, I just love that as a running gag for the human characters, all of them are forbidden from eating chitlins by their very concerned mothers XD
Then we have a little insight on Hudson's perspective of the big Rainbow Fish discussion from the previous chapter. Also we get the first rumination of disguises for the gargoyles this chapter, when Elisa can't think of anything other than the tried and true cliché. At least she tried to avoid it XD
Lexington working on Coldstone and running into an operating system or software problem is just compounding on what has to come before High Noon. Elisa offers to get him programming books this chapter, which she will deliver to him in that same episode. Also, Hudson appeared out of nowhere because as revealed in the A Long Way Out chapter, he feels incredibly guilty as well as traumatized and uncomfortable around Coldstone. So he elected to go somewhere else in the Clock Tower to avoid being anywhere near Coldstone. Which is partially why he was itching to take Elisa gliding. Hooray for continuity!
The cute little forehead touch is just continuing the culture of gargoyles, touching of the hair, horns, or head is a sign of true intimacy. Which is why Hudson does a little forehead touch after Elisa has come through for him and alleviated his many concerns. Again, it's like a father-in-law giving his daughter-in-law a kiss on the cheek after helping him out. I was generous with the hugs because gargoyles don't consider those too crazy, unless you involve the wings, of course. But Elisa obviously puts quite a lot of stock in them so Hudson went along with it without complaint.
And that's all for this chapter! As usual, if you noticed anything interesting or meaningful to you, feel free to let me know in the comments! Thanks for reading, until next time! C: