Chapter Text
December 20, 1996
The Eyrie
New York, NY
Elisa huddled deeper into her winter jacket and hiked her duffel strap over her shoulder. It was well past sundown and into her shift, but the recent snowstorm had seen a lot of criminals opt for staying inside. Too cold for crime, which she really shouldn’t complain about. It gave her a bit more time to study for her sergeants exam. Only a month away, she was pretty sure she was ready as she was ever going to be.
Which meant she deserved a break.
Rounding the corner, she found Goliath where he usually was on quiet nights. Though the library was a little more full than usual. It looked like everyone was planning on staying in. Goliath’s gaze found her right away. The open delight on his face clued in the rest of the clan, and they turned to greet her.
Goliath hung back, allowing the others to get their words in first, but it didn’t take long for her to make her way to him. He greeted her with a press of his brow to hers and a quiet, “Hello, Elisa.”
“Hey, big guy,” she whispered back. It had taken about a couple of weeks to get used to being openly affectionate in front of the others. Partly because she didn’t really have much of a choice. And partly because none of them so much as batted an eye about it. Gargoyles were not shy about this kind of thing. Though, she had detected a faint paternal kind of bemusement radiating off of Hudson for a while.
“Did you need more study help?” Broadway asked eagerly.
“Thanks Broadway, you’ve been great, but I’m taking a break from studying for Christmas. All work and no play, right?” She grinned, hoping he wasn’t too crestfallen about it. He’d really taken to all the study materials, and she’d bet even money that if he could take the exam he’d pass.
Now that would be a sight. Sargent Broadway of the NYPD.
“Yeah, I guess,” he said, but then Angela squeezed his hand and he brightened right up. Elisa had to admit, the kids were pretty cute with each other.
“We had Christmas celebrations, on Avalon, with the princess and the guardian and the,” Angela’s voice hitched only a little, “the magus.” Broadway squeezed her hand back. They might never know what would become of the magus, sleeping an enchanted sleep of near-death on Oberon’s magic isle. It reminded Elisa how brave Angela was, leaving her home to find a new one. She rallied quickly, though. “I am interested to see a modern human Christmas.”
“Are you sure that it’s okay that we’re all going to be at your parent’s house?” Brooklyn asked. “We know Christmas is a, you know, family thing.”
“And you guys are my family,” Elisa pointed out. “Besides, we talked about it, and yeah, it’ll be a squeeze, but better at the house than here. I don’t think Mom would be able to contain herself if she had to see Xanatos.”
“If there is anyone that man should fear, it would be your mother, lass,” Hudson said. His one good eye glinted under the electric lights, and Elisa grinned sharply at him.
“I’ll let her know you said that, but you could tell her yourself. Are you sure you don’t want to come?”
“No, lass. I have a friend, and he lives alone. I’d rather give him a bit of company on a holiday, if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t, at all. We’ll bring back some dinner for you, promise.”
“That’d be kind of you, but not necessary.” Hudson patted his belly, a bit bigger than when the clan had been living in the clock tower. Xanatos did not stint on feeding his now-permanent house guests.
It was still strange to have this truce with Xanatos. She still wouldn’t trust him as far as she could throw him, but so far he’d kept to himself, his family, and largely legitimate business ventures. Maybe the other shoe would drop one day, but if Goliath could handle living under the same roof as Xanatos again, Elisa could try to tolerate him. And yeah, Alex was incredibly adorable. It only stung a little, seeing the baby. Maybe she should seriously look into adoption one day. For now, she had other goals.
“Anyway, I’m here for another reason besides Christmas plans. I was hoping I could ask you a favor, Brooklyn.” She grinned as Brooklyn tried to simultaneously straighten up and do a double-take.
“Uh, yeah, you know, whatever I can help with, Elisa, you’re clan!” He only briefly glanced at Goliath, clearly uncertain about what was going on. Goliath eyed her, head tilted in almost birdlike curiosity.
“If you wouldn’t mind looking after the clan for the next couple of nights, I’m taking Goliath out of the city. Where we’re going, it’s too far to fly back and forth before sunrise.” Goliath contained his surprise well, but she caught the quickly suppressed but very pleased grin. There was a round of knowing smiles, and Lexington chuckled to himself. Well, he had fixed up a truck for her. He would’ve figured it out before now.
“You’ll be back in time for Christmas right?” Broadway asked. Angela nudged him with her shoulder and muttered, “Of course they will.”
“Um, I mean,” Brooklyn said, slumping a bit. “At least I’m getting notice this time.”
“You did well without any notice, Brooklyn,” Goliath said, placing a reassuring hand on the younger gargoyle’s shoulder. It made him stand a little straighter. “I named you second for good reasons, and those reasons still stand.”
Brooklyn’s smile was worth it, going this round about route. “Thank you, Goliath, and yeah, yeah of course I’ll step in. You, uh, won’t be gone that long will you?”
“No, we’ll be coming back the night of the 22nd, and I promise, we’ll avoid any magical boats, monsters, and amulets.” Elisa held up her hand like was going to testify under oath. Then she dug out a scrap of paper from her pocket. “This is the number for where we’ll be, and the address, just in case.”
“Right, thanks.” Brooklyn took the paper and tucked it away. “Don’t worry, I won’t call for anything short of a real emergency.”
“Come on, Elisa,” Lexington said brightly, “I’ll get you the keys for the truck.” He gestured, and Elisa followed with only a little backwards glance. Goliath dipped his head to her, apparently content to wait to see what she had planned.
It was about time he had a good surprise, she figured.
Goliath could sense the shape of what she had planned, some sort of get away, a thing she had mentioned once or twice before. Exactly what that would entail, however, he would have to wait and see. Though, the very fact that she had gone to some trouble on his behalf, it warmed the heart of him. As did the sight of her walking away. Though he was loath to part with her for any length of time, he could not deny the pleasant sight of her long legs and firm hind quarters moving with such strength and grace.
While she was away, he took the opportunity to check the pouch he carried upon his belt. There was little he truly needed, but there had always been an item or two that was useful to have on hand. It seemed prudent, however, that if they were to leave the Eyrie, he should ensure he had all he needed.
Elisa’s bootheels on the stone heralded her return. She still had her duffel bag, but had gained a set of keys that she twirled about her finger. Her smile was like the first rays of a summer dawn.
“You ready, big guy?” she asked, hand on canted hip.
“Lead on,” he said as he offered her his arm. She took it without a qualm, and they both followed Lexington down to the private garage Xanatos kept. It was an expansive place, like much everything related to the man, but he had more than readily agreed to give Lexington a workshop space.
Perhaps one day, Xanatos and the clan would find themselves at odds again, but for now, the truce held.
“Well, there she is!” Lexington said proudly. The truck was a large, boxy thing, almost bullish in a way that the newer vehicles of Xanatos’s collection were not. “Reinforced axles, extra space in the passenger seat—shouldn’t be so cramped for you, Goliath—augmented transmission, and increased torque. This baby could haul a small boat up a mountain, no problem.” Lexington patted the cherry red door with an unmistakable air of pride. “Oh! And I came up with this! Well, honestly, Xanatos helped, but check it out.”
Lexington scrambled into the cab of the truck, pulling the door shut behind him, and there was the unmistakable flick of a heavy switch. The windows seemed to fuzz and blurr for a moment, and Lexington was gone. Elisa was close on Goliath’s heels, but when he opened the door, Lexington was still there, a wide grin on his face.
“Camouflage! Kind of. The glass is a new material Xanatos is testing, he’s letting me use it for this. It can take a static loop and make it appear on the windows. No one will know you’re in there, Goliath!”
“That is… impressive, Lexington,” he said slowly. He eyed the truck anew, wondering what else Xanatos might have had a hand in.
“Look, I know, trusting Xanatos and Fox is weird, but he seemed really interested in what I was doing, and I think he saw it all as a challenge, you know? He likes that kind of thing.”
Elisa raised her brows and spread her hands, as if to regretfully agree with Lexington’s assessment. “It kind of rings true, Goliath. Maybe he really did just want to help? I get it, hard to believe for all of us, but you know, people’s priorities can change.”
Her fingers found his, and he huffed out an irritated breath. “I do, and perhaps this was well meant. Very well.”
“You both really like it?” Lexington asked eagerly.
“It’s perfect, Lex, you did an amazing job,” Elisa said brightly.
“Well, you got me a really good truck to start with. Sure, it was a lot of work to fix it up, but the chassis is solid steel.”
“Well, what do you think, Goliath?” she asked. Both Elisa and Lexington eyed him with some small measure of trepidation. He drew out the moment, rubbing his chin with his hand and eyeing the vehicle critically.
Then, after he thought he had let them both twist long enough, he grinned. “It is a fine truck.”
“Come on, Goliath,” Lexington said, waving him on, “let me show you what I did with the passenger seat.” And he allowed himself to be ensconced in the seat, which was more comfortable than any other he had been forced to squeeze into. In fact, he did not have to squeeze at all. Then Elisa started it up. She patted the dashboard happily, and with a final set of goodbyes and waves, they drove out of Xanatos’s garage and into the New York night.
He did not know where they were going, and he decided to not ask.
It was perhaps time to enjoy a surprise for once.
Elisa drummed her fingers on the steering wheel as they drove through the city. Over the bridge, the street lights began to space out, and quick flashes of orange light outlined Goliath’s profile. As they left the city behind, the bright smear on the horizon in the rear view mirror grew smaller and smaller. Then they hit the highway, and the wheels hummed over the road.
Weirdly, she felt almost like a teenager again. Driving out of the city with a guy next to her. She snuck a glance at him, and found that he was gazing at her. Honestly, gazing. Like she was a star in the sky.
She smirked. “See something you like?”
“Yes.” This voice was low on the word, and it sent a shiver down her spine. “I always do.”
Her smirk became a grin, and she felt actual regret as she had to keep her attention on the road. “I’m glad, but don’t distract the driver.”
He shifted in his seat, leaning toward her but managing to not block her view outside the car. Still, he was a lot closer, and it wouldn’t take anything at all to touch him.
“Would that be like how it was distracting for me at times to glide with you in my arms?”
“Only at times?”
His deep, rumbling chuckle filled the cab of the truck like a warm blanket. Oh, she’d really found out that she liked his laugh. She could count on one hand the number of times he’d laughed freely between their first meeting and when they’d finally admitted their feelings for each other. But these last couple months, she’d lost track of how many times they had laughed together.
Or how many times they’d kissed.
His grin didn’t disappear, but she could sense the shift in him. The sheer focus. On her.
“More than at times, yes.” His deep voice was a rumble, and it took all she had not to pull over on the shoulder and throw herself on top of him.
Her cheeks were suddenly very warm, and the warmth went down. Down her chest, past her stomach, and right to the core of her. She shifted in the driver’s seat, her whole body alive to his presence. One talon reached out and curled in a lock of her hair, and now that she’d gotten used to it, she understood how sensuous gargoyle hair-touching could be.
“Goliath.” His name was a sigh on her lips. Her heart was going a million miles an hour. They hadn’t done more than kiss and lightly touch. They hadn’t talked about anything more than that, but she wanted him. Wanted to unbuckle that loincloth, wanted to pull him on top of her, wanted to feel him on every inch of her skin. Did he want the same thing? Would they even be compatible? She didn’t know, she hadn’t asked, but warmth was pooling between her legs, and—
Red brake lights filled the night, and she quickly pumped the brakes while downshifting. The truck lurched to a stop on icy roads, their bumper dangerously close to the car in front of them.
“Elisa, are you alright?” Worry edged his voice, and he gently turned her face to his.
She nodded and patted his hand. “I’m more embarrassed than anything. Really should’ve been paying more attention to the road.”
“Hm, driving distracted is much worse than gliding. There are not so many who share the sky with us.” He frowned out the windshield, and she had a brief, hilarious image of Goliath stepping out of the truck to lecture the other driver about stopping short.
“I wish we could’ve glided to where we’re going, believe me, but it’s a bit outside your nightly range.” Traffic started moving again, and she cautiously accelerated. Winter night driving outside the city, it had been a while, and she kept her eyes on the road and her mirrors. Only a few glances Goliath’s way.
Only a few.
His grin was back, that satisfied grin that said he would be content to wait, which of course made her want to spill the beans right then. “Are you really not curious at all about where we’re going?”
“I assume we are taking a small vacation, and you seem to have gone to much trouble to surprise me. Why would I wish to ruin that?” The words were reasonable, but his eyes were laughing.
“You could at least try.” She couldn’t keep the grin off her face, though, and the pleasant warmth unfurled in her again as the sign started the countdown to their exit.
“Is it a human custom? To try to subvert the surprise someone has prepared for you?” His voice dripped with amusement, though behind it she could hear the honest curiosity. For all the time they’d spent together, there was still so much they both didn’t quite understand about each other.
“Honestly?” She shrugged, fingers flexing on the steering wheel. “It kind of depends.”
“Then I shall be content to wait,” he said. The hum of the road filled up the cab as they lapsed into silence. It was a comfortable silence, but before she could contemplate turning on the radio, he said, “I am glad Beth is returning from Arizona for the holiday. I know your parents miss her, but I think it will be good for Angela as well. She lost her sisters to join our clan, and I think she has begun to feel the lack.”
“Well, I can tell you, Beth is excited to see Angela again, though they’ve been talking on the phone, I guess. Beth said Angela offered to pick her up from the airport, and Beth almost said yes. But you know Dad, he’ll brave LaGuardia traffic for any of us.”
“Hm, yes, Xanatos has mentioned that long distance calls are expensive, however, I told him he could let Angela know that she could not speak to her friend.” Goliath’s grin was white and sharp in the dark cab of the truck. “He seems to have forgotten to inform Angela.”
Elisa sputtered in laughter. “You mean Xanatos, kind of crazy, cut-throat Xanatos is afraid of Angela? I mean, that’s fair because most people would be, but he’s not afraid of even you.”
“Perhaps, or perhaps he is aware that cutting Angela off from a friend would be an unkindness.”
Elisa raised a skeptical eyebrow.
“Or, he has wisely chosen to not fight about a thing he can easily afford,” he amended.
“That would check out,” she muttered, peering through the darkness. Their turn off was soon, and she started to migrate the large truck back over to the right lane. “I’m glad Angela and Beth have become friends, but sometimes I wish more of the Avalon clan had decided to come with us, at least that last time.”
“Some might join us, in time, but not all possess Angela’s spirit.”
Elisa turned on her blinker and took the exit. Around them, tall, leafless trees loomed and crowded close to the road. She kept her eyes open for deer—a bit late in the year for them, but you never knew.
“Speaking of spirit,” Elisa said, still carefully marking her way around the offramp. “Brooklyn’s seem a bit low. It really hit him hard, Broadway winning out, didn’t it?”
Goliath sat back then and hummed thoughtfully. “It did. I confess, I am not certain what to do, but I do not think it was Angela, exactly, who Brooklyn wished for.”
“He just didn’t want to be alone, is that it?” Elisa couldn’t fault Brooklyn for that. The desire to connect, to be seen, to be known, now that was something that was the same between both humans and gargoyles. She turned on her blinker and hung a right, headed north again.
“Yes, that is perhaps the best understanding,” Goliath agreed. “I believe Lexington only pursued her because his brothers were doing so. He seems much more at home with his gadgetry. Broadway, however, took the time to discover her interests, and shared his own with her. They have often frequented the movie theater, and Broadway’s reading has improved a good deal. It is good to see them being kind with each other.”
“You know,” Elisa muttered as she turned onto a gravel road. “Most human fathers find it hard to be that relaxed about who their daughters date, let alone pick for life.”
Goliath cocked his head at her, worry drawing heavy lines between his brows. “Elisa, does your father… not approve?”
“Forget it, I shouldn’t have said anything.” The headlights illuminated the cabin she’d rented, and she hit the breaks and forcefully popped the clutch into neutral. From wanting to throw herself on top of him, she couldn’t put a stop to the whirling irritation—anger—that welled up behind her chest.
It wasn’t that Peter Maza didn’t approve, no, he just didn’t understand.
“We’re here,” she said shortly. Car off, she pulled her duffel bag out from the back of the extended cab and slid out. The door slammed behind her. She fished out a flashlight and tromped to the door and cast about for the fake rock. It was easy to find and she upended it, put in the code on the keypad and retrieved the key. Behind her, she heard Goliath get out and gently shut his own door.
“What is this place?” he asked. She wasn’t sure if she was grateful or irritated that he wasn’t pushing her on the subject of her own dad. It had been going so well, and now she was going to throw away the whole get away she’d planned just because one unexpected thing had come up.
She reached for his hand, and he took it. Just holding his hand, it unwound a knot of tension from her shoulders.
“Come on, let’s get inside,” she said, a smile working its way back onto her face. “It’s a vacation cabin. Most folks use it for summer, but the owner still offers winter stays,” she explained as she turned on the lights. “I thought it would be nice to have some time, you and me, away from it all, and well, there was something I wanted to do for you.”
Goliath’s eyes widened, and then she found out that gargoyles could blush. His cheeks went a slightly darker grey-purple, and her own blush came back twice as strong. “Elisa, you do not have to—”
“Wow, okay, that came out wrong but, I want to—”
“I know you need time—”
“I just don’t know how—”
“I do not wish to hurt—”
“Okay, we’ve got crossed wires,” she said, throwing her hands up. The yellow electric lights shone softly, and the whole cabin was a soft, warm place in the middle of deep winter’s night out there. They stood a few feet apart in the living room, a low couch to her right.
Elisa let her duffel bag hit the floor, and instead of shove her hands in her pockets, she held her hands out. Goliath took them, his gaze fixed on their clasped hands. “I know how important your family is to you, Elisa. I would not wish to come between you.”
“First off, don’t worry about my dad. He’s getting used to the idea, but Mom will bring him around. He’s gotta get good with it, and we don’t have to do anything, alright?” She squeezed his hands as hard as she could, and breathed a little easier when he nodded. “Second thing, I mean, yes, I want for us to be… closer, but that’s not exactly why I drove us all this way. Just let me grab one of these blankets and I’ll show you.”
The fluffy flannel of the back of the couch was closest, so she snatched it up and tugged him through the cabin. He followed her past the kitchen and bathroom, and the doorway that led to the bedroom. Instead of going through that door, she threw the latch on the door back to the outside and they stepped out onto a back porch. All the outdoor furniture was covered and dusted with snow. But she hadn’t gotten the cabin for that. She pulled at his hand, and he followed her off the porch. A trail through the trees stopped at a small lake. The dock stretched about ten feet out from the shore, and she spread the blanket on a clearish patch of wood and sat down. He sank down next to her and peered around, curious. There was no boat to be seen, which was fine. She’d had enough of boats for a while.
What she hadn’t been able to get enough of were the stars.
Away from the city and the highway and out from under the trees, they were bright and clear. As clear as they’d been in Japan, in Guatemala, in Australia. In all the places they’d been to where the night sky had been theirs to take in.
“Merry Christmas, Goliath,” she whispered, gesturing up, “I know how much you miss the stars in the city, so that’s why we came out here. It’s kind of cheesy, but I really hope you like your gift.”
“I, Elisa, I,” his deep voice rumbled over his words. She hadn’t expected him to be so emotional about some stars, but he just pulled her close, his talons buried in her hair. His heart beat strong and steady under her ear. “I have never had such a gift as this. As you.”
“So you like it then?” she asked teasingly.
“I love it.” The sincerity in his words rung like a bell, and she relaxed fully against him. Eventually, they’d have to go back inside, and maybe they’d think about the bedroom, but for right now, they sat together, just they two, under the brilliant winter stars.