"Familiarity"
by Lisette:  Lisette_1@lycos.com

Created on: 05/18/99

Revised on: 08/20/01

Legalese: Nothing here is of my own creation.  Goliath and his crew belong to Buena Vista and Disney.  The characters of Talika and Lisette, on the other hand, are of the others creation and should not be used without her express permission.  In no way will a profit be made from this.

Author's Note: This story is the seventh part of the Talika series. 

Brief summary: Can adversary bring two strangers closer together? 

Rating: PG-13 due to language and content

Castle Wyvern, Library

    Sighing softly, Elisa leaned back against the hard planes of Goliath's chest as the soft flames of the fire flicked before her eyes.  "You know Big Guy, we should really do this more often," she whispered quietly, smiling softly at his warmth, nodding her head as the soft notes of Johann Pachelbel's 'Canon in D' floated out around them.

    Nodding at her words, Goliath slowly tipped his head forward and kissed her raven locks softly before brushing his lips against her ear, all the while breathing in the scents that belonged only to her -- the scent of sunshine on a warm spring day mixed in with something exotic.  "I agree, my love," he replied, his voice warm.  Sighing, he pulled Elisa tighter against him and just thanked the heavens above that he had her there to hold.  While it was true that he wasn't conscious and able to witness the majority of the events that took place with Caleb, he had heard plenty about what had happened to realize how close he had come to losing her.  How it was possible to think that he could lose someone that he just recently discovered was immortal was something that his mind was still trying to deal with.  Still, the events were enough to make both he and Elisa realize that not a second should be taken for granted between them both.  So, ever since he had awakened a few short hours ago the two had spent the evening snuggling next to each other on a soft Persian carpet that sat before a large roaring fire in the library.  Feeling content to just be with each other and talk -- just like old times.

    "What are you thinking of?" Elisa asked quietly, noting Goliath's thoughtful silence as a piece of wood popped in the flames before them.

    Sighing, Goliath squeezed her gently in his arms, ever aware of the tender spot where she had been stabbed a few months before.  "Just of how close I came to losing you... again," Goliath said, his voice wry at the irony of how often they both had to deal with that predicament.

    Smiling, Elisa leaned further into his arms and rested her hands on top of his over the healing wound, her feet spread out before her.  "But you didn't lose me, and that's all that matters."

    "I know," Goliath replied, his expression thoughtful.  "And for that we have our new friend to thank."

    "That we do," Elisa replied, her thoughts wandering to the young woman who had captured all of their hearts.  Her words to the young mage those few months ago had come from her heart -- the girl was priceless and a wonderful addition to their clan.  Plus, their short fiasco a few weeks before also managed to prove to the clan that life would never be simple with so many magic users around... especially a French mage with too much of a memory when it came to French fairy tales.  Suddenly, a strange thought occurred to her.  "Goliath," she asked slowly as she pulled away and turned till she was looking up into her love's dark eyes, "when is the last time that you've spoken with Lisette?"

    Slightly surprised, Goliath looked down into Elisa's beautiful brown eyes.  "Why, this evening when we awoke I spoke to her before she and Brooklyn left..."

    "No, I mean REALLY spoke to her."

    "Well..." Goliath trailed off, trying to remember a specific instance.  But the more he thought, the quicker Goliath realized that he had NEVER really sat down and talked to the young woman.  While the rest of the clan had become quickly acquainted with her -- Angela and Lisette almost to the point of being inseparable -- he had never taken the initiative.

    "That's what I thought," Elisa said quietly, a playful smile on her face.  "Perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad idea to take the time one of these nights to get to know her," Elisa said gently as she turned back towards the fire, leaning her head back on Goliath's shoulder.

    Sighing, Goliath mulled over Elisa's words quietly.  "I suppose that I shall," he said quietly as he leaned forward and nuzzled his cheek against her smooth hair.  After all, what good was a leader if he didn't know his clan?

    Suddenly, a loud and irritating beeping nose broke the tranquil mood of the library.  Surprised, Elisa quickly pulled away from her love and took a small black box from her belt.  Holding it up to the light, she muttered something quietly under her breath as she climbed to her feet.

    "What is it, Elisa?" Goliath asked, confusion and disappointment entering his voice as he too climbed to his feet.

    Sighing, Elisa headed over towards a small table sitting beside the door to the library.  "The captain is paging me," she said quietly over her shoulder as she scooped up the telephone and dialed a number quickly.

    His disappointment deepening, Goliath stepped quietly to Elisa's side and slid his arms around her small waist as he listened to her side of the conversation.

    "Yeah, Captain, this is Maza," Elisa said quietly, her tone masking her irritation at being disturbed on her night off.  "Uh huh.." Elisa murmured, her posture turning rigid as she listened to her boss.

    Instantly alert, Goliath slowly stepped away from his love and walked round till he was gazing into her tense eyes.

    "Okay, hold on a sec," Elisa murmured as she quickly pulled open a drawer on the desk and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen.  Almost immediately, she began to scrawl notes on the paper in her soft, slanting pen.  "Got it," she replied quickly, breaking the silence as she put down her pen.  "I'm on my way," she said as she broke off the conversation and replaced the phone on the cradle.

    "What is wrong?" Goliath asked, concern coloring his voice as Elisa spun on her heel and rushed to the couch.

    "There's a hostage situation on the other side of town," Elisa murmured quickly as she picked up her holster from where she had deposited it on the couch earlier.  While strapping it on, she turned and gave a sympathetic smile to Goliath.  "Chavez said that Matt's already on the scene and that she needs me there.. now."

    Sighing, Goliath tried to hide his disappointment as he reached down and picked up her familiar red bomber jacket.  Fingering the soft material, he turned and pressed it into Elisa's waiting hands.  "Then I suppose that you should be going," he said simply, an understanding smile gracing his lips.  "Where at?  I shall join you..."

    At this, Elisa quickly shook her head as she shouldered her way into her jacket.  "Not necessary, Goliath," Elisa answered quickly as she stepped forward and placed her finger over his lips.  "This thing shouldn't have to ruin both of our nights off," she whispered, a small smile on her lips.  "Besides, if I need backup, I can call Brooklyn and the others."

    Shaking his head, Goliath drew Elisa into his arms and held her close to him.  "Be careful, my love," he said quietly, breathing in her scent once again.

    Smiling against Goliath's lavender skin, Elisa felt her feet slowly touch the ground once again as Goliath released her from his grip.  "Aren't I always?" she asked with her traditional smirk.

    Laughing softly, Goliath rubbed the back of his hand gently across her cheek.  "If you need any assistance, remember that Brooklyn and Lexington are patrolling together in a team as are Broadway and Angela.  They should all be somewhere out in the city."

    Nodding her head, Elisa smiled her thanks as she quickly headed towards the door.  "I'll try to stop by before sunrise!" she cried out over her shoulder as she disappeared around the corner.

    Sighing, Goliath let the smile drop from his face the minute that she was gone.  "And another evening together is squelched by our responsibilities and our duties," he muttered quietly as he turned back towards the roaring fire.  No longer in the mood for the soft strains of the Pachelbel Canon, Goliath gently pushed the stop button on the small remote with his sharp talon as he regained his spot on the soft carpeting.  Instantly, the hidden speakers throughout the room burst into silence.  Sighing in the rush of quiet, Goliath slowly reached to his side and withdrew a book that had been sitting beside him.  "'Dark Rivers of the Heart, by Dean Koontz' screamed at him from the cover.  Smiling, he couldn't help but think that at least he'd get to continue with his reading.  Stretching out, he then leaned back against the couch and flipped open the novel, enjoying the crisp sound of the new pages.  A moment later and he was lost in the dark world of Spencer Grant.

A few hours later

    Humming quietly to herself, Lisette held the book before her, savoring the every word of Dean Koontz as she walked the dark and twisting hallways of the castle.  It had been a quiet night, what with the majority of the clan out patrolling the city.  And despite the fact that she had been left alone to her pursuits, she still found the night off a relaxing thought.  She'd even had time to work out in the gym with Fox and David, have a short lesson with the Puck and Alex, and take in a television program with Hudson later on.  Still, she always found herself wandering back to the written word -- it was that which had her so fascinated.  Smiling softly, Lisette realized that her passion was slowly spreading to Brooklyn, who now joined her often in the library, a good book held in hand.  So, with the thought of Dean Koontz's new novel in mind, she had hurried away from the noisy television room to her own where the book lay waiting on her bed stand.  Grinning softly, she had then delved into its dark depths while she walked the distance to the library -- her favorite reading spot.

    Chuckling softly to herself at a particularly funny part in the novel, Lisette reached out a hand mechanically and opened the large door to the library.  Without taking her eyes off of the worded pages, she slowly entered the bright room and closed the door behind her.  Shaking her head, amazed at the troubles that the main character was finding himself in, she continued further into the room, intent on starting a fire to warm the large room -- when she realized that there was a fire already roaring in the pit of the fireplace.  Surprised, she finally tore her eyes away from the novel and glanced about the room -- and locked eyes with Goliath.

    "Goliath!" Lisette called out quickly -- a little too quickly.  What are you doing here?" she asked.

    "I was reading," he replied quietly, his eyes as somber as always as he took in the young woman.  Per usual, she was dressed in a flowing gown that was from his own time -- tonight, it was pale blue in color with long sleeves and a form fitting bodice that spread out from her small waist.  What was unusual was the fact that her confident smile now showed a bit of hesitation and uneasiness.  Noting this, Goliath slowly lowered his book to his lap and took in the young woman.

    "Of course, I am sorry," Lisette replied quickly, kicking herself mentally as Goliath gave the obvious answer.  "Um.." she said quietly as her eyes strayed across the room, an uncomfortable silence falling between the two.  Suddenly, her eyes lit upon the book that Goliath held loosely by his side.  "What are you reading?" she asked quickly, her soft French accent making easy work of the words.

    Relieved at having the uncomfortable silence broken, Goliath quickly held up his book and displayed it to the young woman.  "It is called 'Dark Rivers of the Heart', by..."

    "Dean Koontz," Lisette answered quickly for him, a soft smile playing across her lips.  At Goliath's questioning glance, she quickly held up her own book.  "I have read his books before -- he is.. quite good," she said quietly.

    Nodding his head, Goliath looked at her own novel.  "Yes, he is at that.  Although, I have yet to read the novel you are working on."

    "Well, so far it is very good," Lisette murmured, her voice trailing off as her eyes dropped back down to the book in her hand.  Shaking her head, she felt the uncomfortable silence build once more in the room.  "Well, excuse me then," she said quietly as she turned to leave the room, unsure as to what else to say to her leader.

    Suddenly, Elisa's words from earlier flashed through Goliath's mind.  Knowing that there was no time better for getting to know the newest addition to the clan, Goliath quickly cleared his throat.  "Wait," he called out quickly as he slowly got to his feet, setting the novel aside.  "Please, stay," Goliath instructed as he watched the hesitation flicker across her face.  Perhaps he wasn't the only one who noticed that they had never really spoken.

    Nodding her head slowly, Lisette backed away from the door and stepped further into the room, her book held by her side as she met Goliath's dark eyes.

    Nodding slowly, Goliath racked his brain for something to say.  Once more, a tense silence had fallen over the room -- the silence that came only from two strangers trying to make conversation.  Silently he cursed himself.  Lisette was staying because he had asked her to and now he didn't know what to do with her.  "Well," he finally said as he cleared his throat and met her light blue eyes, "why.. why do you wear gowns?  What happened to the jeans and tee-shirts that you used to wear?" he asked, grasping on the first subject that came to mind.

    Smiling softly, Lisette glanced down at her powder blue dress and smoothed the fabric softly with her hand.  Looking up, she met Goliath's gaze and shrugged her shoulders delicately.  "Why do you wear a loin cloth from the 10th century?  Why do you not wear modern garments?" she asked, her voice musical as her smile broadened.

    Nodding quickly, Goliath felt a small smile lift the corners of his lips.  "Because that is what I am accustomed to," he replied, finally understanding.

    Smiling, Lisette nodded her head quickly.  "As am I."

    Before Goliath could comment further, both were spared from another uncomfortable silence as the doors to the library burst open.  Surprised, Goliath turned quickly and watched as Lexington stumbled a little ways into the room before collapsing to the floor.  "Lexington!" Goliath cried out quickly as he rushed over to the smaller gargoyle and turned him over slowly.  As his eyes focused on a smear of red over the small green gargoyle's shoulder, he felt his eyes blaze white in anger.  "What happened?!" he roared, watching as his young friend fought to stay awake.

    "I was.. patrolling in the warehouse district," Lexington said slowly, his face twisting up in pain as the wound in his shoulder trickled out red blood.  "I saw movement by the waterfront.. but when I went to take a closer look I was ambushed," he said, wincing as another flare of pain washed through his shoulder.

    "Why did you not call on your communicator for help?" Lisette asked quickly, her face filled with concern as she knelt on the other side of the small gargoyle, her hands gently touching his face.

    "It.. it was destroyed," Lex moaned, fighting against the sea of darkness that threatened to overtake him.

    "Where is Brooklyn?" Goliath interrupted quickly, his mind focusing on the fact that his second was no where to be seen.  "You two were assigned to patrol together!" he growled, trying to contain his worry and anger.

    "It's not his fault," Lex gasped quickly, his eyes brimming with unshed tears.  "He went over to help Elisa, Broadway, and Angela with the hostage situation.. on the other side of the city.. I was supposed to head over there next..."

    Nodding curtly, Goliath gently squeezed Lexington's good shoulder before turning to Lisette.  "I know that tonight was supposed to be your night off," he began slowly as he looked into her somber eyes.

    "Say no more, Goliath," Lisette said, cutting the leader off as she turned to look into Lexington's pale face.  "Lex, I know that it hurts but we need your help," she said quietly, her voice calm and reassuring.  "Can you tell me exactly where the warehouse was?"

    Biting back his pain, Lexington looked into Lisette's deep blue eyes and nodded slowly.  "It was right on the docks... an older wooden warehouse that looks abandoned... there's a warehouse on each side, both steel and a little ways away."

    Nodding, Lisette gently touched the young gargoyle's cheek.  "Thank you, Lex," she whispered.  Quickly, she climbed to her feet and indicated for Goliath to do the same.  Then, closing her eyes firmly, she slowly gathered her magic to her, whispering a short spell.  Seconds later, Lex disappeared in a flash of green light.

    "Where..." Goliath began to ask, confusion clouding his features.

    "I sent Lex and Owen to the infirmary," Lisette quickly explained, knowing Goliath's question.  Then, without saying further she quickly murmured her spell of transformation and a moment later she stood in her gargoyle form.  Shaking her head to clear the mists of magic, she then moved to stand beside Goliath.  "Are you ready?" she asked, her voice soft as she stared up into Goliath's dark and stormy eyes.

    "Let us find who did this to Lexington," Goliath said slowly, his voice cold and hard.

    Nodding her head, Lisette raised her arms above her and smoothed her hands against each other.  While conjuring her magics to her once again, she then cast a quick spell that enveloped them both in green light, causing the library to disappear from around them.

    A moment later, the shelves of books to be found in the warm library were replaced by a bitter wind that rolled off of the sea.  Turning around, Goliath took in the dark moonlight that glittered off of the equally dark bay.  Even though it was only the beginning of fall, already the briskness of winter could be felt in the dark nights.  Shrugging, he turned and surveyed the empty and desolate warehouses that surrounded them.  Instantly, his eyes lit upon a dark warehouse made of wood, seemingly deserted and abandoned.  With narrowed eyes, he quickly surveyed the building and saw no sign of the fight that Lexington had mentioned or of the movement that had first warranted his investigation.

    "Goliath, it looks as though our enemies have already departed," Lisette said quietly as she, too, surveyed the darkened warehouse.

    "So it seems," Goliath murmured as he took in the equally dark and quiet night.  "Still, we shall look further.  I will enter from the front and you shall take the back," he continued, his bass voice low in the dark night as he glanced at his companion for confirmation.

    Nodding her head in answer, Lisette quickly turned away from the large lavender leader and lifted her wings.  Instantly, the brisk wind off of the water filled their depths and lifted her into the dark night sky.  For a second, she wished that she wore something dark to mask her in the night sky instead of her white loin cloth and halter, but almost instantly her thoughts turned to that of the matter at hand.  And with a grace that could only be found in gargoyles who were trained and accustomed to such modes of transportation, she gently alighted upon the dirty pavement to be found behind the large warehouse.  Ever careful and remembering her training from that of the past and the present, Lisette slowly glanced around the dark area.  From all appearances, it seemed to be the same as to be found anywhere -- just a grimy area with bad lighting, warehouses made of steel and other metals on all sides.  If anything, the only difference would be the apparent sign of misuse and the distance to be found between the warehouses.

    Shrugging her shoulders gently, Lisette turned away from all of this and crept up to the single door that was to be found at the back of the rather large warehouse.  Not surprising, it was but a single door made out of wood that was attached to the wooden structure.  What was surprising was the fact that the door was unlocked.  Instantly, her suspicions about the building multiplied, for even if it were abandoned, the door would still be locked tightly.  Shrugging away the tendrils of fear that snaked around her spine, Lisette slowly opened the door with her taloned hand and stepped into the dark interior of the building.  At first, all she saw was darkness as her eyes slowly adjusted from the bright moonlight outside of the building.  Finally, a few seconds later the fog passed from her vision and she beheld the view before her.

    "It's empty," Lisette murmured softly as she turned and closed the door behind her.  And it was true.  For the entire warehouse, which was about a quarter the size of a football field and two stories tall stood completely empty, with a bank of dirty windows lining the top floor.  Shaking her head in confusion, Lisette stepped further into the building and glanced up at the towering rafters above.  Suddenly, a soft noise fell to her ears.  Alert, she turned quickly and watched as another swath of light filled the room as a door directly across from her opened.

    Easily recognizing Goliath's tall frame, Lisette quickly started across the cavernous room till she and the large leader met halfway through the building.  "There is no one here," Lisette said softly, her voice betraying her suspicions, "yet the door was unlocked."

    "Mine as well," Goliath replied quietly as he looked around the large room.  "Are you sure that this is the place that Lexington was referring to?" he asked, his voice betraying his doubt.

    Shrugging her bare shoulders, Lisette glanced around the room once again.  "This is the only warehouse that I have ever seen that is composed of wood and fits Lexington's description so," she replied quietly, her eyes glancing around the deserted structure.  "But why anyone would be breaking into here is beyond me."

    Sighing, Goliath quickly nodded his agreement.  As Lisette changed back into her human form, Goliath slowly walked away and pondered the situation, his taloned feet clicking off of the old, groaning wood floor beneath them.  "Why would anyone contain anything worth stealing in here?" he puzzled aloud.

    "No person of their right mind would," Lisette replied as she moved towards Goliath.  Suddenly, a small object a few feet away caught her eye.  "Goliath, what is that?" she asked quietly, surprised that she had missed it before upon her first inspection.  After all, with the warehouse being devoid of all objects, it was pretty surprising that they had skipped over the only object that the building contained.

    Instantly alert, Goliath turned quickly and began walking towards the indicated location.  As he drew closer, Goliath could see that the object was in fact a very small box sitting on the wooden floor.. a small box that had red numbers proudly displayed on the cover... numbers that were quickly counting down from five.  As realization hit, Goliath quickly turned on his heel and thundered towards Lisette.  "It's a bomb!" he roared, his eyes blazing white as he grabbed the young woman by the arm and began dragging her across the floor.  And just as his foot touched down on the wooden floor and as the number hit one, the floor beneath Goliath and Lisette gave out with a loud crack.

    As gargoyle and mage fell through the splintered wood, the bomb beeped loudly and then exploded in a wave of fire and heat.  Instantaneously, similar bombs that were attached at strategic locations around the building exploded as well, causing the walls and roof of the building to collapse in on each other.  And just as the shock wave and flames reached the spot that Goliath and Lisette had just occupied, both disappeared into the floor below.  Crying out, both plummeted down quickly, not through just one, but two floors as the wood and plaster followed them down through the basement and sub-basement, their fall only being broken by the hard stone floor below.  And as the roar of the explosion pushed through the quiet night, breaking its silence, a single scream and roar joined the cacophony... and then the silence returned.  Silence that surrounded a devastated building.

NYPD 23rd Precinct

    Startled from her work, Chavez quickly began shoving the paperwork aside, rushed by the shrill ringing of her telephone.  Finally, a few rings later, the blasted device was uncovered at the bottom of the unruly pile.  Snatching up the handset, she quickly brought the device to her lips.  "Chavez," she ground out, not pleased at being interrupted.

    "I'm sorry to disturb you, Captain," a pleasant female voice broke in from the other line, "but I've just received a call about an explosion in the warehouse district."

    Sighing quietly, Captain Maria Chavez finally placed the familiar voice as belonging to one of the police dispatchers.  "What's the emergency level?" she asked quickly, her voice betraying the hectic night that she was living.

    "If you'll hold for a sec, Captain, I can patch you through to the caller," the woman replied.

    Instantly curious, Chavez sat straighter in her seat.  This was definitely unusual protocol for a crime being committed.  "Go ahead," she said as she withdrew a pad of paper from the mess on her desk.  A few clicks later Chavez heard two male voices conferring in the background.  From the static that accompanied the voices, she quickly concluded that the caller was on a cell phone.  "Hello?" she asked quickly.

    "Hello, Captain Chavez?" an older male's voice asked quickly, echoing from the cell phone.

    "This is," Chavez confirmed as she switched the phone to her other ear.  "And who am I talking with?"

    "This is Frank Johnson," the man replied, slipping into an easy drawl.  "I'm a security guard over at the Xanatos warehouses.  I was just calling because there was an explosion at one of the warehouses," he stated, a certain calmness in his voice.

    Slightly surprised at this, Chavez felt her eyebrow raise.  After all, most people didn't sound so at ease when one of their warehouses they were supposed to be guarding had been destroyed.  "Well, what happened?" she asked, her voice a bit impatient.

    "I dunno," the man said quickly.  "It just up and blew up -- but not to worry," he replied, as if reading Chavez's mind.  "The building was old and abandoned and there's not a fire.  You see, it collapsed on itself and snuffed its own fire out," he explained.

    Nodding her head, Chavez finally understood why the man was so calm as she breathed in relief.

    "Sure don't know why anyone would bother going to the trouble of blowing up that old buildin' anyway..."

    "So there are no injuries?" she asked quickly, getting right to the point.

    "No, ma'am," the guard quickly replied.  "It's just me and Hank here tonight, so it's a real low priority level..."

    Sighing once more in relief, Chavez quickly put her pen down.  "That's good.. the city is so crazy tonight..."

    "I know what you mean, Captain," the man said quickly, conveying his understanding and sympathy over the phone.  "Hank and I have been listening to the scanner tonight, and that's why I asked to speak with you instead of putting it through the normal channels."

    "Thank you Mr.. Johnson," she said quickly as she glanced down at his scrawled name.  "I'll send someone out as soon as.."

    "Ah, shucks no," the man interrupted quickly.  Oddly enough, Chavez felt as though she could hear his smile through the telephone.  "There weren't nobody over by the warehouse and it's not going anywhere.  Just take your time and send someone out when they're free."

    Smiling, Chavez curtly nodded her head.  "We'll have someone out there then as soon as we can spare them."

Meanwhile...

    Muttering under her breath, Elisa hunkered lower down by the shiny red paint of her car door, breathing in the tarry fumes of the road beneath.  "Of all the nights," she muttered quietly as the roar of gunfire broke the air around them.  Suddenly, she heard a distinct ping of a bullet striking off of the opposite side of her car.  Groaning, she quickly closed her eyes and tightened her hold on the cool and sleek grip of her gun.

    Suddenly, silence once more reigned through the night.  Ever cautious, Elisa slowly lifted her crouch higher till she was staring through her driver's side window, through the car, and out the other side at the house beyond.  It was relatively small, run down, with the sickly white paint peeling off of the siding in large strips, crowded close on the sides by houses of similar repair.  Sighing, she swiveled her head slowly and took in the multitude of cops and cop cars that made up a barricade around the house, the houses beside it covered in darkness, the residents having been evacuated once the shooting began.  "Who would've thought that a simple battery call could turn out like this?" Elisa asked, her voice filled with sarcasm as she turned her dark eyes to her partner, who was squatting opposite of her, his gun clutched firmly in one hand, a bullhorn in the other.

    "Yeah, well just be glad that no one's been hurt.. yet," Matt replied, his voice betraying his worry that the night wasn't going to have a happy ending.

    Suddenly, a different voice rang out through the night.  "I've said it once, and I'll say it again!" a man's shrill voice screamed out from the decrepit house.  "I have a gun trained on that bitch and her brats, and I WILL KILL THEM if you pigs don't back the hell off!"

    Groaning, Elisa ducked lower behind her car as the man once more began to fire wildly at the string of police cars that lined his house.  "Idiot," she muttered as she reached a hand up and gently touched the small microphone that was clipped to her jacket lapel.  "Hey guys, I need for you to stay back for awhile," she whispered quietly, just loud enough for her voice to carry through the receiver and for Matt's ears to hear.

    "Elisa, what's going on?" Brooklyn's worried voice broke through, crackling slightly.

    "Some idiot is holding his wife and two little kids hostage..."

    "Who would do such a thing?!" Angela's voice broke in quickly, worry and horror evident in her voice.

    "A psychopath," Elisa replied simply, shaking her head at the situation.  "Dispatch got a call from a neighbor earlier this evening about a fight going on next door.  When the patrolmen showed up to check it out, the guy started firing on them," Elisa explained quickly, ducking even lower as a bullet whizzed over the top of her red baby car.

    "Are you sure you don't want us to go in and clean this guy up?" Broadway asked quickly, the excitement evident in his voice.

    Smiling, Elisa quickly shook her head.  "No, it's not safe for you OR the hostages right now," she whispered back as Matt quickly lifted the bullhorn to his lips once again in an attempt to calm the man down.

    Sighing, Elisa ducked back, hugging the ground once again as she ignored the crackle of her police radio from within her car.  "An explosion at 12216 W Thornton Street in the warehouse district..." the woman's voice crackled.  "Lowest priority... please call in when available."  She had more pressing matters to worry about.

Abandoned warehouse

    As the plaster and dust filled his lungs, Goliath felt a wracking cough constrict his chest.  Groaning, he felt his eyes flutter open, only to be greeted by darkness, as an oppressing weight built above him.  What happened? Goliath asked himself as he slowly pushed up at the mass of rubble, plaster, and brick that covered him till the pile fell to the ground beside him, sending up yet another wave of powder that clogged his nose and throat.  Gagging, he slowly and unsteadily climbed to his feet in the darkness as memories of the bomb filtered through his hazy mind.  Suddenly, a flair of pain in his shoulder made everything come clear in his head.  Gasping slightly, he slowly reached up and massaged his left shoulder.  Instantly, he knew that it was dislocated as a sticky wetness covered his powdered hand.  Blood.  Groaning, he was about to start muttering about his luck when a soft moan sounded in the darkness around him.

    Instantly alert, Goliath quickly turned in the direction that the sound came from.  "Lisette?" he called out, dismayed by his weak voice and by the fit of coughing that quickly consumed him.  Suddenly, a loud rumble filled the area around him till it was resounding off of the invisible walls.  Cringing, Goliath dropped down to the hard cement floor as whatever lay above him shifted, sending more debris crashing down and more of the airway clogging particles up around him.  And then, the darkness was broken as a single board fell, revealing a small opening that let in the bright moonlight from up above.

    Blinking at the sudden onrush of light, Goliath squinted quickly and rubbed the dust from his eyes.  Then, very slowly he lifted his head and surveyed the room around him.  Actually, it wasn't even a room but more of a small enclosure, about ten by twenty feet with piles of rubble on the ground.  Dismayed, he then saw that the walls of the room were actually just piles of intricately weaved debris, which was also what constructed the roof above them -- it was just a structured mess of rubble that was weaved together to make a covering above him.

    Suddenly, the soft coughing filled the room once again, followed quickly by a pain-filled moan.  Spurred into action, Goliath painfully climbed to his feet and surveyed the wreckage more closely.  Turning, he barely made out movement on the far side of the structure in the weak lighting.  Worry filling him, he quickly stumbled through the mess till he stood before the small form.  "Lisette?" Goliath asked quietly as he knelt down beside her.

    The young woman was lying on her back on the cement floor, with just her pale face and bits of her ripped and dirty blue dress showing beneath a large pile of rubble.  "Lisette?" he asked again, concern coloring his voice.

    Suddenly, her eye lids fluttered open, revealing her pain filled blue eyes beneath.  "Goliath?" she murmured quietly, gasping as another wave of pain flared from within.  "Oh, that hurts," she moaned, closing her eyes against the pain.  "Get 'em off," she begged, her voice weak as she opened her eyes and looked into Goliath's dark ones.

    Nodding quickly, Goliath stood back up and moved to her side.  Very gently, he quickly began clearing away the bricks, wood, and other debris that lay littered over the young woman, all the while wincing at her grimace of pain.  "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he murmured quietly as he worked.  Soon, only a large plank remained, which he heaved off, frowning as Lisette screamed out in pain.  Shaking his head, he quickly reached down and gently began moving her when another scream of pain stopped him in his tracks.  Biting his lip, Goliath quickly stood back and watched in concern as Lisette weakly reached up and gently laid her hand upon her stomach.  Turning, he met her pain glazed eyes.  "I will get us out of here," he said, his tone firm as he turned away and hurried towards the shaft of light.

    Upon reaching the light, his frown deepened even more.  Turning, he arched his back and looked up through the hole, which was no larger than Cagney, Elisa's cat.  Through there, he was able to see a tunnel of rubble that stretched up two stories.  Instantly, what happened became clear to him -- as well as how bad their situation really was.  Groaning as his shoulder flared in pain, Goliath couldn't help but wish that Elisa had reestablished the link between them both, therefore establishing his immortality and hopefully improving their current situation somewhat.  Sighing, he turned away and walked slowly back to Lisette's side.  Surprised, he saw that she was now sitting up as best as she could, reclined against a slab of concrete with her hand still lying delicately on her stomach.

    "Not going to work?" she asked quietly, her voice soft and weak as she smiled softly, meeting his somber eyes.

    "No... it seems as though we fell through the main floor and down through two basements to this level," Goliath explained quietly.  "The only thing above us is a mass of wreckage that is.. very unstable," he continued, recounting what he was able to surmise just from his glimpse through the hole.

    "And the light?" Lisette asked, hope in her voice.

    Quickly, Goliath shook his head as he turned and regarded the thin shaft of moonlight.  "If I try to move it, then we would be crushed beneath the rubble," Goliath said quietly, his eyes returning to Lisette's.

    Sighing, Lisette nodded slowly.  "I.. was afraid that you were going to say that," Lisette said quietly, flashing him a weak smile.

    "Can.. can you use your magic to get us out of here?" Goliath asked slowly, unsure of his request.  Even though there was no blood evident on the young mage besides from a wound on her shoulder, he knew that she was hurt bad and severely needed some medical attention.  With all of the weight that was piled upon her after the long and hard fall in a human body, she was no doubt hurt badly.  Definitely not a good thing.

    Groaning at a wave of pain that flared from inside her stomach, Lisette closed her eyes and scrunched her face as she waited for the pain to subside.  Her whole chest and stomach ached like nothing before.. and when mixed with the dark matter that was still running through her veins, weakening her already battered body, Lisette too, knew that she needed help, and fast.  "I.. I will try," Lisette whispered as the pain subsided and she once more met Goliath's dark eyes.  Screwing her face up in concentration, Lisette gathered her magic towards her as she focused on the image of the library in her mind's eye.

    Suddenly, Goliath watched as Lisette's face drained completely of color, now a pasty white.  Almost at the same instant, a soft, weak green field of energy began to build around them.  Even though the magic was there, Goliath could see how weak it was by the light coloring.  Suddenly, the green field disappeared as Lisette's moan of pain once more filled their enclosure as she slumped back against the slab, her eyes fluttering shut.  "Lisette?" Goliath asked quickly, concern crossing his face as he gently took her soft hand in his and squeezed it gently.

    Very slowly, Lisette's eyes fluttered open once again.  "I'm sorry, Goliath," she whispered quietly, her voice even weaker.  "I.. I am just too weak," she murmured, her eyes filled with sorrow and defeat.

    Shaking his head quickly, Goliath forced a large smile on his face as he tried his best to look reassuring.  "Do not worry, Lisette," he said quietly, his voice strong despite his own pain.  "Lexington knows where we are and he will send the others to help us."

Aerie building

    As the hard soles of his shoes tapped on the stone floor, Xanatos threw open the infirmary door and stepped into the large, spotless white room.  "Owen, what's going on?" he asked as he quickly stepped up beside the bed where Lexington lay unconscious.

    Shrugging his shoulders in a very Owen-like manner, the manservant continued treating the young gargoyle's shoulder wound.  "I cannot say, Mr. Xanatos," he said quickly as he applied a gauze bandage to what appeared to be a laser burn.  "Young Lisette transported both Lexington and I here, but besides that, I cannot say.  We shall have to wait until Lexington regains consciousness."

    Sighing, Xanatos nodded and slowly backed out of Owen's way.  "Where on earth is Goliath?" he murmured quietly, not expecting, and not receiving an answer.

Abandoned warehouse

    Wincing against the wave of pain that slowly wound its tight grip around her tender stomach, Lisette focused her hazy eyes on the large gargoyle that sat beside her.  The concern on his face was evident for all to read and it didn't take a psychic -- or a mage -- to realize that he knew she was dying.  Then again, she knew it herself.  The pain from her wounded shoulder was insignificant compared to the pain that she felt on the inside.  From a movie she had watched with Brooklyn, she knew that she was bleeding internally.  Truly, she didn't know why this was so bad except for the fact that if she didn't get medical help soon, she didn't believe that she would make it.  The character in the movie she had watched who was in the same predicament certainly didn't.

    "Lisette, what are you thinking?" Goliath asked, drawing the young woman away from her thoughts till she met Goliath's dark eyes.

    "Of life," Lisette murmured with a sad smile.

    "I will get you out of here," Goliath vowed, his frown deepening as he gently took Lisette's hand in his own, wary of how weak she was already growing and of how limp her slender hand was.

    Sighing, Lisette slowly smiled once more and met Goliath's dark eyes.  "Do you think often of.. of your other clan?" she slowly murmured, her voice soft.

    Surprised by her question, Goliath sat back quickly and stared at the young woman with dark eyes.  "What do you mean?" he asked slowly, wary of the direction that her question was no doubt leading.

    "I... I find myself often thinking of my clan," Lisette murmured, her eyes taking on a faraway cast.  "I think about the good times with them... as well as that final night and day before they were destroyed," she whispered, a single tear trailing down her cheek.  "Do you think of your clan as well?"

    Sighing, Goliath slowly closed his eyes and thought deeply over Lisette's words.  "Who wouldn't?" he finally murmured, his caring eyes snapping open as they focused on the unfathomable depths of Lisette's sapphire blue eyes.  "They were my clan and I was their leader..." Goliath said slowly, his thoughts drifting back to so long ago.  "And their deaths shall forever rest on my shoulders."

    "No," Lisette quickly interrupted, her voice gaining a semblance of strength as she quickly squeezed Goliath's hand.  "Brooklyn.. has told me of what happened to your clan.  It was your mate who betrayed you all...."

    "Yes," Goliath acknowledged as he met her eyes solemnly, "but as their leader, I must share in that blame.  Even if I wasn't directly responsible for their deaths, I was their leader and my duty was to protect them."

    "But..."

    "No buts," Goliath said quickly, a sad smile on his face.  "That is something that all leaders must deal with -- the responsibility.  And then they must live with the consequences."

Hostage Situation

    "That's it," Elisa murmured, her voice deadly as yet another bullet winged off of her bright red and shiny paint job.  "Something has gotta change!" she hissed as she turned her dark eyes to her partner.

    Seeing that familiar look in his partner's eyes, Matt quickly began shaking his head.  "Just sit tight, Elisa, we'll get your car in the shop when this is all over with," he argued quickly, trying to brighten her mood with a little bit of insane humor.

    Shaking her head, Elisa felt a smile pull at her lips as she lightly reached over and punched her partner in the shoulder.  "You know what I mean Matt, we have to end this before someone gets hurt.  I'm going in there -- alone," she said, her voice as hard as steel as she dared Matt to contradict her.

    Something that he could easily do.  "Oh, no you're not!" he quickly whispered back, his voice fierce.  "Elisa, it's way too dangerous to send you in!"

    "Matt, there's nothing that any of us can do from out here," Elisa quickly argued as she put her gun on the hard concrete and began slipping off her red bomber jacket.  "Remember, there's a lady and her son and daughter inside with that psycho!" she hissed as she then slipped out of her holster.

    Sighing, Matt slowly nodded his head.  Per usual, his partner was right.  "Well, good luck partner," he whispered as he accepted her gun from her.

    Seeing how anxious Matt was, Elisa paused and reached over and squeezed his shoulder gently.  "I have to go, Matt," she said quietly, her voice never rising above a level so that others would hear.  "It's my job," she whispered, making it more than obvious that she wasn't just speaking about their jobs as being detectives.  "This has gone on long enough and I can't help unless I'm in there with them."

    Nodding, Matt quickly met his partner's dark eyes.  "I know.  Just promise to be careful and take care of the family.. remember, it's my hide by Goliath if you get hurt," he muttered with a small smile as he once more picked up the bullhorn and put it to his lips.  "Listen, this thing isn't going to be over until we work something out!" he yelled out, his voice carrying out above the noise of the cops, the yelling of the man, and the occasional gunfire.  "Can we send in an unarmed officer to talk with you?"

    At the words that issued throughout the noisy night, Broadway quickly shot his two other companions a sharp look.  From their position on the roof of the three-story building across the street from the man's home, the whole situation was apparent to their bird's eye view.  "You don't think Elisa would..." he trailed off uncertainly as he met Angela and Brooklyn's concerned gazes.

    "Fine, send him in!" the psycho from across the street yelled out, finally stopping the barrage of fire that he had been unleashing upon the police force.

    Turning quickly, the three gargoyles watched as Elisa slowly stood up from behind her car, wearing nothing but her thin black tee-shirt and her jeans.  "Everyone, hold your fire.  We have an unarmed officer coming in to negotiate!" Matt's voice filled the night as he yelled through the bullhorn.

    Shaking her head, Angela watched as Elisa slowly began approaching the bullet ridden front door to the home, her hands in the air and in plain sight of everyone.  "Yes, she would," she grimly answered her love's question.

    Groaning, Brooklyn quickly buried his head in his hands.  "Ah man.. where's Lex at?" he muttered as he once more looked up to see Elisa's disappearing figure.

The Aerie Building

    Groaning, Lexington slowly put one green hand to his aching head as he glanced around the brightly lit room.  "Oh man.. what happened?" he muttered as he met the concerned eyes of Hudson, Xanatos, and Owen Burnett.

    Shaking his head, Hudson tore his eyes away from the young lad's bandaged shoulder and met his bright eyes.  "We were hopin' that ye could tell us, lad."

Abandoned Warehouse

    "Do... do you love Elisa?" Lisette asked softly, her gaze curious.

    Surprised by the sudden change of topics and her straight forward question, Goliath looked at the young woman with a shielded gaze.  "Yes, I do," he finally answered, unsure as to why the personal question had been asked.

    "Why.. why do you love her?" she asked slowly, her voice growing weaker.  "How do you know?"

    Usually, Goliath wasn't the type of gargoyle to talk about things that were so personal to his heart.  Then again, he could easily see that the conversation was the only thing that was really keeping Lisette with him in the dark and musty space that they were enclosed within.  It was true that he knew little about human medicine or procedures as such, but even he knew that for Lisette to fall into sleep or unconsciousness was not something that would help her any.  So, that left him no choice but to answer her questions, and seeing as how he never really lied, that left nothing but the truth that was hidden so deeply within him.  "I love my Elisa, because she is everything that I ever wanted in a mate," Goliath finally answered, speaking straight from his heart.

    At Goliath's words of love, Lisette felt her smile grow even larger.  "Oui... vous êtes parfait pour chaque autre," Lisette murmured dreamily.  "She is beautiful," she finally whispered, returning to English without even realizing that she had been speaking in the language native to her.

    Worried at the foreign words, Goliath quickly shook the thought away and focused on the conversation at hand.  Immediately, a picture of his Elisa popped into his mind's eye -- his beautiful Elisa.  "Yes, but there is so much more to it," he said quietly, his smile growing wide.  "She's intelligent, a good leader, loving -- so much so that she cares for everyone else so much more than her own well-being," Goliath murmured, his expression turning thoughtful.  "A true protector and so very brave..."

Hostage Situation

    Muttering under her breath and once more wondering how her cozy night with Goliath had turned into such a mess, Elisa slowly lifted her hand and knocked on the old wooden door that marred the front of the house.  As a warm breeze slowly filtered through her long masses of black hair, the door was jerked open, revealing a desolate living room beyond.

    "Get in here!" a voice snarled from its point from behind the door.

    Sighing, Elisa quickly stepped into the room as the door was slammed shut behind her.  Turning, she found the business end of a sawed-off shotgun in her face, her adversary just behind it.

    "You the negotiator?" the man snarled in disbelief as he ran a sweaty hand through his neatly combed blond hair.

    Nodding slowly, Elisa took in the cause of the all the mess.  The man looked to be only a few years older than herself, in his early thirties, with neatly combed blond hair tousled off to one side, a nice pair of slacks, and a business shirt to top it all off.  Overall, the man looked like he belonged more in an office setting than in the grimy house she now occupied -- that is if it wasn't for the obvious look of hate that was plastered across his face or for the small splatter of blood that speckled his neatly pressed shirt.  "Detective Maza, NYPD," she said calmly as she slowly lowered her hands and pointed at the shining badge that was clipped to her jeans.  "You Tom Johnson?" she asked as the man took in her badge and then slowly circled around till he was standing opposite of her and the door.

    "Yeah, that's me," he growled as he kept the shotgun aimed at Elisa's head.

    Nodding slowly, Elisa let her gaze travel around the room.  Instantly, her eyes alighted upon three huddled figures in the corner of the room.  With narrowed eyes, she saw that the woman, most likely the man's wife, was once beautiful with glossy red hair and a model's figure -- but now she cowered with her eye darkened and blood trailing down her nose and lips.  Biting back her disgust, she then saw the two little children that hid with their mother.  Both looked to be in good condition, from what she could see of them from behind the mother.  The girl resembled her father with curly blond hair, about four years of age, while the boy had the red hair of his mother, only about three years old.  Turning her gaze, she once more focused on the deranged man.  "You mind telling me what's going on?" she asked slowly, her voice even and light.

    Obviously unsure about talking to a woman, the man slowly nodded his head.  "Yeah, that whore over there didn't have my supper fixed when I got home!" he cursed, his eyes burning with anger as he nodded towards his cowering family.

    Biting back her disgust for the man, Elisa slowly shook her head.  "Uh huh," she murmured as she racked her brain for ideas.  Now that she was inside the house, she had to quickly defuse the situation before anyone was hurt and without giving herself away.  Within a few seconds, a solution was evident.

    "Well, Tom," she slowly continued as she met his deranged eyes, "we're going to have to work on a solution."  From the moment that she had stepped into the room, she knew that there would be no way of talking the man into putting his gun down and into surrendering.  One look into his deranged eyes and it was obvious.  Which meant that she had to rely on Plan B.  As she continued to talk to the man in low and soothing tones, she slowly concentrated her magic on a glass vase that rested on an end table behind the man.  As the man's eyes were trained on her, she slowly used her magic to gently nudge the vase till it finally clattered over the edge of the table where it crashed on the hardwood floor beneath.

    Yelping in surprise, the man quickly turned and swiveled the gun till it covered the area of the noise behind him.  Moving at the same time, Elisa quickly darted forward and tackled the man, the gun falling in between them.  Moving with the fall, Elisa firmly grabbed the gun from the man and rolled with it till she was resting on her knees and swiveled before him, gun held firmly in her hands and trained on the psychopath.  Smiling, she looked down to see his astonished gaze resting upon her.  "Don't move," she murmured, her voice low and deadly as she slowly climbed to her feet.

    Shaking his head, the man could do nothing but nod in agreement as he now stared down at his own deadly weapon, his astonished eyes never leaving the detective who stood before him.

    While keeping the man covered with the gun, Elisa slowly moved till she was standing beside the woman and the two children.  "Are you alright?" she asked, her eyes never leaving the man.

    "Yes, I think so," the woman murmured slowly as she climbed hesitantly to her feet, keeping her children hidden behind her.

    "Good, then I need you to move over to the door and head on outside," Elisa instructed as she nodded to the front door.  "The police are all waiting out there, so just send them on in when you get out there."

    Nodding her head quickly, the woman managed a brief smile at Elisa before shepherding her children to the door.  As they stepped outside, the man quickly began yelling after them.  "Come back here you little tramp!" he screeched as he slowly started getting to his feet.

    "Oh no you don't," Elisa ordered as she slowly stepped forward, the gun poised and ready.  "I want you to lie back down and wait there with your hands resting above your head like a good boy."

    Cursing, the man slowly slid back to the floor and did as was told.  A few seconds later and the house was swarming with cops.  Grinning, Matt hurried up to his partner and clapped her warmly on the shoulder as the man was being handcuffed.  "Nice work, partner!" he cried out with a large grin.

    Smiling, Elisa finally allowed her posture to relax as she passed the gun off to a uniformed officer that was passing by.  "As always," she replied with a grin as she slowly stepped out of the humid house and into the cool night beyond.

    Laughing, Matt followed his partner back to her car where he watched her rubbing her hand gently over the many bullet holes that decorated the passenger side of her car.  "Hope you're insured!" he laughed as he picked up Elisa's soft red bomber jacket from the ground and passed it over to his partner.

    "Very funny," Elisa murmured as she shouldered her way into her coat, her face twisted into a scowl as she thought of how much the repairs were going to cost her again.

    Suddenly, a symphony of voices began filling the night air: "Elisa!  Elisa?!"  Surprised, Matt realized that the voices were drifting out of the tiny mic that was attached to the collar of Elisa's coat.  Arching an eyebrow, Matt quickly nodded towards Elisa's car as she grabbed her holster and gun from the road and followed his lead.  Before anyone else could overhear the voices, they were both once more in the privacy of Elisa's, now battered, red fairlane.

    "What's up guys?" Elisa asked quickly as she started her car and began pulling away from the scene, knowing that her uniformed co-workers could handle the paperwork and hauling the perp in.

    "Elisa!  We have a problem!" Brooklyn's low voice flowed out of the small mic, his concerned voice quickly filling the small car.

    Arching a concerned eye over at her partner, Elisa quickly pulled the mic closer.  "What's wrong, Brooklyn?  Where are you guys?" Elisa asked as she overheard the sounds of the city passing below the gargoyles, making it obvious that they were on the move.

    "Angela, Broadway, and I are on our way over to the warehouse district."

    "What's going on over there?" Matt asked, overhearing the second in command's worried words.

    "Yeah, what's going on?" Elisa asked, repeating her partner's question.

    "Don't know," Brooklyn's voice replied vaguely.  "We just got a call from Xanatos saying that Lexington was ambushed earlier this evening over in the warehouse district..."

    "Is he alright?" Elisa asked quickly, worry clamping a firm hand over her heart.

    "Yeah, he'll be fine, but Goliath and Lisette went on over there over an hour ago and no one has heard from them since," Brooklyn's voice crackled through, easily betraying his own worry.

    Shaking her head, Elisa felt the small tendril of fear that had coiled around her heart grow even larger with Brooklyn's words.  "We're..." she began when the police radio in her car burst into life.

    "I repeat," the dispatcher's voice filtered through the speakers, "an explosion at 12216 W Thornton in the warehouse district..."

    Instantly, Matt turned his head to his partner and watched as she clamped her foot down on the accelerator.  Turning, Matt quickly reached forward and snatched the microphone from the handset.  "Maza and Bluestone responding," he quickly murmured, trying to maintain a facade of calm.  "We're on our way."

Abandoned Warehouse

    "Do you.. do you think that Brooklyn loves me?" Lisette asked slowly, a small frown covering her face.  "Like you love Elisa?"

    Smiling, Goliath gently squeezed the young woman's hand, all the while noticing how her skin had become cooler over the last few minutes.  "I can't say for sure what my second's feelings are," Goliath answered slowly.  "But I can say for sure that he does care for you.. quite a bit, too."

    Wincing as another wave of pain filled her body, Lisette slowly managed yet another weak smile.  "I have never.. I've never had someone care for me as Brooklyn does," she said, her smile growing wistful.  "Has he ever... cared about others like he does with me?"

    At this, Goliath paused and thought over the young woman's question.  Instantly, thoughts of Brooklyn's perusals of Angela and Maggie passed through his mind.  He had obviously tried very hard to win their affections, yet at the same time, Goliath doubted that Brooklyn ever really did care for the two as he obviously did for Lisette right then.  "Not the way that he cares for you," Goliath finally answered, feeling that he was speaking the truth.

    Smiling, Lisette felt her cooling heart warm a little at the large gargoyle's words.  "That is good," she murmured as her eyes fluttered for a moment.  Straining, she fought the darkness as Goliath squeezed her hand.  "Please.. please tell Brooklyn that I did love him," she murmured as another wave of pain consumed her body, causing her to scream out in pain.

    And as though answering against her plea of salvation from the pain that she was feeling, the structure above them, no longer even fit to be called a building, let alone a warehouse, shifted and groaned.  Crying out in fear, Lisette watched through hazy eyes as Goliath immediately tensed and crouched over her, shielding her from the array of falling boards and plaster.

    When the structure once more gained a semblance of stability, he slowly pulled back and saw that Lisette's pale face was now filled with not only pain, but fear as well.  "Just hold on," Goliath murmured, the worry thick in his throat.  "The others will be here soon..."

    Cursing, Elisa slipped her battered car in and out of the busy traffic of Manhattan, trying her best to get there as fast as she could.  "Elisa," Matt warned, his voice betraying his fear as he clutched the roof of the car for dear life, "we're not going to help them any if we end up in a wreck."

    "This is taking too long, Matt!" Elisa hissed, her eyes flashing green with worry and fear.  "They could be in trouble..."

    "Or they could be just fine!" Matt protested as they cut off yet another taxi cab to a hail of angry words and honking.

    "No, it's been too long.. something's wrong," Elisa murmured as she swerved around a slow moving Cadillac.  "And this is taking too long!" she cried out in frustration as she swerved her car into a nearby dark and deserted alleyway.  "Guys, where are you?" she half roared into the mic as she stepped outside of her car, Matt following her with a curious gaze.

    "Right here," Broadway called out as he alighted on the ground beside him.  Instantly, he began massaging his sore wings -- after all, it wasn't the easiest trying to keep up with an Elisa Maza who was bent on breaking every traffic law there was in the book to get to the warehouse quickly.

    "What is it, Elisa?" Angela asked, obviously wary of taking even a short respite from their hurried pace to the warehouse.  Unlike the guys in the group, Angela shared her friend's worry for her father.  There was something wrong about the whole situation -- she had a really bad feeling.

    "This is taking too long, and this will be faster!" Elisa cried out as she indicated for the group to gather closer to her red fairlane.

    "Elisa, you don't want to..." Matt began to warn as Elisa quickly murmured a spell beneath her breath.

    He didn't even have a chance to finish his words when the car was surrounded by the eerie green light of Talika's magic.  A second later, the group disappeared from the grimy alley, a few drunken winos the only witnesses to the bizarre sight.

    "Did you see that?" one man with stringy black hair asked to his red headed companion.

    Blinking her eyes, the woman quickly looked from the sight where the car and the monsters had so recently occupied and back to the large bottle of Jack Daniels that she held.  Grinning a smile that was devoid of most teeth, she quickly brought the bottle to her lips and passed it to her friend.  "Nah, not a thing," she cackled, her dark eyes twinkling in the dark night.

Abandoned Warehouse

    As the green mist dissipated from around them, the wary group took in their surrounding.  Instantly, though, their eyes lit upon the devastation of what was once one of Xanatos's old and abandoned warehouses.  And just as quickly, the hearts of three were clenched with fear as they rushed the rubble that was almost level with the land, signifying that the building had fallen in upon itself.

    "Goliath!" Elisa screamed out, all hopes of her future crashing before her very eyes as surely as the building had.  Unwilling to lose hope, Elisa nonetheless felt the weight of centuries lie on her shoulders as the unnerving prospect of spending eternity alone shone starkly at her in the dark night.

    "Lisette!" Brooklyn roared as he joined Elisa at the precipice of the pit of debris and destruction.  When the call had come in from Xanatos, Brooklyn hadn't been too concerned.  He knew that Goliath and Lisette were more than capable of taking care of themselves.  Then again, with Elisa's obvious worry and the obvious destruction before them... well, his worry was finally right up there with the clan's most trusted friend... worry and fear.

    "Father!  Lisette!" Angela's voice rang out almost simultaneously with the others.  If the two were anywhere near the old warehouse at the time of the explosion, Angela knew their chances weren't good.  And then when considering that no one had heard from them in over an hour either, to her that signified that without a doubt they were.  Then again, the thought of losing her father and her closest female friend since Ophelia was unimaginable -- it brought her desperate hope.

    "Goliath!  Lisette!" the clan yelled as one as they lined the pit.

    Jerking back in shock, Goliath trained his sharp ears to the world above.

    "Goliath, what is it?" Lisette murmured, her eyes fluttering open as she felt her companion's hand go tense within her own.

    "I thought I heard Elisa's voice," was Goliath's puzzled reply, a small frown once more returning to his face as he turned back to the young mage.

    "Elisa, where are they?" Angela asked slowly as Broadway held her tightly.  The fear on her young face was plain for all to see.  "Why aren't they answering?"

    "I don't know, Angela.  I don't know," Elisa murmured quietly.

    Shaking his head, Matt quickly met his partner's large brown eyes.  "You stay here and find them.  I'm going to go find out what happened and keep the guards busy."

    Nodding her head, Elisa gently closed her eyes and focused her senses on the surrounding night -- all six of them.  "Come on, Lisette.  Talk to me," Elisa murmured quietly.

    Hearing Goliath's words, Lisette gently closed her eyes and slowly began gathering what magic she could towards her battered body.

    "Lisette?" Goliath asked urgently, cold dread filling his body as he watched a very pale field of green build around her body.  "What are you doing?"

    "We cannot hear them... or they us..." Lisette murmured as she drew even more upon what little strength remained -- more like she was using up what little she had left in reserves.  "Not with everything above... I must find out if she is near..."

    "But," Goliath broke in, knowing that Lisette obviously didn't have the energy to waste on such things -- even if it meant their salvation.

    "Goliath, fermez ton bouche so I can concentrate!" Lisette suddenly snapped, her voice showing a strength she didn't feel in her impatience, her sharp blue eyes boring into his own.

    Instantly, Goliath quieted and allowed the young mage to do her thing.  In truth, he had no idea what she just told him to do, but as a long time leader of his clan, he instantly recognized the tone in her voice as one he often used... and one that he rarely heard directed at himself -- except when used by Elisa when she was fed up with his stubbornness.  For that fact alone, Goliath knew he would not be able to convince her otherwise.

    And so with silence reigning in their make-shift tomb, Lisette weakly sent forth with her magic with the wild hope of finding help.  Amazingly, her call was almost immediately answered when she felt a strong magical presence that she instantly recognized as Elisa's touched with her own magic.  "Elisa and the others... are here.." Lisette murmured quietly with the smallest of smiles as her eyes slowly slid shut and darkness finally claimed her.

    Even as his heart was warmed by her words, so did Goliath's heart freeze as Lisette's hand went limp in his.  "Lisette?  Lisette!" Goliath roared, forgetting his own pain as he slipped closer to the young woman.  As he felt for a pulse, all of the training that Elisa had forced the clan to go through after the Caleb incident kicked in.  "Not breathing.  No pulse," Goliath murmured as he began administering CPR, all the while weary of his strength and the force he used.  In the back of his mind, Goliath realized that were it not for his new training, Lisette would not survive.  Heck, even with his training she may not survive.  Still, Lisette, le mage magique as she was sometimes called, friend to the clan, was technically dead.  On this dark night, Lisette had died.

    "They're alive," Elisa breathed quietly as a frown creased her brow.  She could feel Lisette's magic, but the field was so weak that it was almost nonexistent.  Then, just as quickly as Elisa had formed the connection it was broken as Lisette's magic died away.

    "Elisa?" Broadway asked hopefully as he held Angela's thin frame even tighter.

    Suddenly, the detective's large eyes snapped open as she stepped closer to the pit, her expression frantic as she scanned the ruinous building.  "Lisette," she whispered quietly, her voice filled with such a profound pain and despair that Brooklyn's heart immediately froze.

    Closing her eyes once more, Elisa desperately searched for the remnants of Lisette's magic, of anything she could use to discern her location.  And then she had it -- the faintest wisp of the young woman's magic that she snatched onto like a bulldog.  It was so filmy and faint that Elisa knew instantly that it was just residual from their brief contact.  Still, she latched onto it and slowly began to trace it back to its source.  Painstakingly she went further and further back until after several agonizing seconds she felt Goliath's comforting presence -- she had found them.

    Without wasting a second, knowing there were none to waste, Elisa quickly cast a spell of transportation.  A moment later, a bright circle of green light broke the night darkness before the clan.  When it disappeared, in its place lay the still body of Lisette with Goliath's towering frame kneeling over, breathing into her mouth.

    "Lisette!" Brooklyn yelled out as he quickly knelt opposite of Goliath.  Without thinking, he then took over the breathing as Goliath pumped the young woman's unmoving chest.

    Shocked at the sight, Elisa quickly tore her eyes away from Goliath's bloodied shoulder and then focused on the broken and battered figure that held everyone's attention.  Even as she wondered whether her words had been spoken too soon, Elisa rushed forward and knelt beside Brooklyn.  "Move out of the way," she ordered as she placed her hands on Lisette's dirty and tattered blue dress that hid her flat stomach.

    "No, get back!" Goliath grunted as he continued pumping her chest, pausing only when it was time for Brooklyn to breathe.

    "Goliath, I'm immortal.  I'll come back!" Elisa argued as she stared at the pale tinge of Lisette's normally tanned skin.

    "No, you're not.  She's still got the darkness within her," Goliath murmured as Brooklyn quickly shouted, "She's breathing and I've got a weak pulse!"  Knowing that Lisette wasn't out of the woods yet, Goliath quickly looked at Elisa.  His love still sat opposite of him with shock written upon her face as she stared down at Lisette's still body.  From her reaction, it was obvious that Elisa had been unaware of the dark matter that lingered in Lisette's veins.  "Can you get us out of here?" he asked gently, breaking his love's shocked stupor.

    Nodding numbly, Elisa waved Broadway and Angela closer before murmuring the spell of transportation for a third time that night.  A second later, the group of six disappeared in a flash of green light.

    "I already told you," a single voice broke the quiet of the night that had once more fallen on the devastated building, "that my partner is handling this..."

    "Nonsense, Detective Bluestone," Frank Johnson, the old guard who had called in the bombing, argued as they walked between the warehouses, drawing closer to the ruinous pit.  "Until we get a hold of Mr. Xanatos and hear from him, I insist that one of us be there with you.  And with Hank watching the front, that means I'm with you and... Detective Maza?" he trailed off as he entered the clearing that was once a warehouse a few short hours before.  Scratching his head of white hair, Frank surveyed the familiar site that was empty of everything save for a shot up red fairlane.  Puzzled, he turned his portly figure towards the lanky detective that stood beside him.  "I thought you said Detective Maza was down here," he muttered slowly, his puffy white eyebrows raising in confusion.

    "Uh..." Matt stuttered as he groped for a plausible explanation.  "I did.  She was," he said quickly.  "But she left."

    "Without her car?" the old guard asked in disbelief.

    "Um... yeah," Matt agreed, making a mental note to kill Elisa later.

    Shaking his head, Frank slowly started towards the pit of debris.  "First you guys drive through the front gate without us seeing you or your car and then your partner leaves without her car... I need a drink," he finally muttered as he shuffled forward.

    Unable to even form a small smile for the guard, Matt trudged on, his thoughts on Goliath and Lisette, speculating on their condition and their whereabouts.  Suddenly, a single thought struck him in place.  "Elisa better have left her keys!"

Castle Wyvern

    Sighing softly, Goliath followed Brooklyn's frantic pacing of the infirmary's waiting room's tiled floor.  Shaking his head, he glanced into Elisa's warm brown eyes as she gently patted his bandaged shoulder.  Sighing once more, he then watched as Broadway tried to reassure Angela of Lisette's condition in a corner while Xanatos did much the same with Fox.  On the other side of he and Elisa sat Hudson and Lexington, the latter also swathed in white bandages.  "Xanatos, why did this happen?" Goliath finally asked, his voice betraying his weariness of the long night -- a night that still had many hours to go before it saw the coming dawn.

    Shaking his head, Xanatos quickly met Goliath's eyes.  "To be perfectly honest, I have no idea.  From the information that Owen was able to gather for me before your arrival, there was no reason for anyone to want to blow up the warehouse; it was empty and old," David Xanatos answered truthfully, his arm still wrapped reassuringly around his wife's shoulders.

    "A scare tactic?" Elisa asked, jumping into the conversation -- anything to keep her mind off of what was going on just beyond the door that stood before her.

    "Against me personally or my company?" Xanatos asked, obviously intrigued by the detective's suggestion.

    "Neither," Goliath broke in solemnly before Elisa could respond.  "It was a sign, a scare tactic, for the clan."

    "What do ye mean, lad?" Hudson asked as he slowly got to his feet.

    "It is too coincidental that the timer to the detonation devices were set to go off when we were inside," Goliath murmured quietly.  "Especially so soon after Lexington had been wounded..."

    "Wounded just badly enough," Elisa interrupted with a thoughtful look, "that he would be able to make it back to the castle..."

    "And send others," Lexington finished grimly, realizing that he had played an unwilling and unknowing part in a plot against his clan.. again.

    "So we have a new enemy," Broadway mumbled thoughtfully.

    "Or an old one," Goliath added as he turned and watched as Brooklyn continued to pace, never having taken part in the conversation.  "Brooklyn, she will be alright," he said simply, praying that he was right.

    "How do you know?" Brooklyn asked quickly, no disrespect evident in his voice as he finally stopped and looked earnestly at his leader.  "They've been in there for hours and we all know that she was hurt bad!" he said, his voice cracking as a picture of the President's wife in 'Independence Day' flashed before his eyes.  He had recently watched the movie with Angela, Broadway, and Lisette, and even though he and Broadway had laughed over the way the girls had cried over the mother's death, now it wasn't even remotely funny.

    "Brooklyn," Elisa began to say when the door to the infirmary opened as a neatly pressed Owen stepped out.

    Before anyone had a chance to badger him with questions, Owen calmly gave them the information that they so desired.  "Miss Lisette suffered from severe internal bleeding and three broken ribs..."  Instantly the questions began pouring forth, causing once more for Owen to raise his hand for silence.  As a hush fell over the room, Owen began speaking once again.  "I was able to stop the bleeding, and while she is still in critical condition, I believe that she will survive till sunrise when, hopefully, Detective Maza will change her form into a gargoyle so that she can heal in stone hibernation."

    "Of course," Elisa answered quickly as she squeezed Goliath's arm gently.

    "Can we see her?" Brooklyn broke in quickly, his voice betraying his impatience.

    "Young Lisette is still unconscious, but I will allow one of you at a time to sit with her..."

    "I'll go first," Brooklyn quickly interrupted as he darted into the room.

    Shrugging his shoulders at the amused group, Owen turned and followed the young second-in-command into the room, closing the door gently behind him.

    Shaking her head, Elisa felt her small smile slip off of her face as she turned and looked up into Goliath's twinkling eyes.  "Would you care to join me in the library?" she asked, her expression somber.  "There something that we need to do."  And as if able to guess any words against her idea, she quickly continued.  "The clan will notify us if anything changes and besides, with Brooklyn in there, I doubt we would get to see Lisette anyway."

    Nodding his head in agreement, Goliath gently began leading Elisa from the room and then down the twisting halls of the castle.  Minutes later, they were once more in the room in which the night had begun.  "What is it, Elisa?" Goliath finally asked, worry creasing his brow ridge.

    Sighing, Elisa suddenly pulled Goliath towards her and hung on for dear life.  Sensing Goliath's surprise, she felt her love hold back for a moment before finally wrapping his strong arms around her and then shielded them from the world with his large, velvety wings.  "I could have lost you tonight," Elisa murmured, silent tears dripping down her cheeks as she realized how truly close she had come to just that.

    "But you didn't," Goliath answered simply as he pulled back and smiled down at her.    

    Showing the faintest of smiles, Elisa slowly reached a small hand up and gently caressed Goliath's smooth cheek.  "Goliath, because of who I am, it's eternity for me.  The Creator even warned me to tie you to me before you almost died again."  At her words, both felt a small laugh escape their lips.  "I guess that I should have listened better, huh?" Elisa asked with a smile.

    "I take it then, that you would like to cast the spell right now?" Goliath asked with a teasing smile.

    "Before the castle fell upon us before I had a chance?  Yes.  But only with your permission," Elisa grinned.

    "And you will always have it, my only love," Goliath answered seriously as his eyes slid shut.

    Nodding slightly, Elisa stepped out of Goliath's embrace and called her magic to her.  "Magics of creation granted to me, hear my plea and do as I command.  Across the mists of space and time, I pose this covenant sublime.  The Creator hath granted his permission to link us as one till the end of time.  While he with fang and claw and wing doth swear, sweet love shall we forever know.  By our acceptance we are confined unto each other's fates; aligned forever an eternal vow and each the others pain resound.  The pact is made and my work is done, make our love eternally spun."

    When the spell had been cast and the bind had been done, Elisa gratefully stepped within Goliath's embrace once more.  "What are you thinking of?" she asked quietly, unconsciously repeating the very same question that she had asked of him earlier in the evening.

    "About what a wonderful addition to the clan Lisette has been," Goliath murmured, feeling Elisa's smile against the skin of his chest.

    "And what brought about these sentiments?" Elisa asked coyly.

    "I took advantage of a situation and followed the good advice of a friend," Goliath answered, feeling the grin split his lips.

    Laughing, Elisa shook her head as she nestled deeper within Goliath's embrace.

    "Um.. Elisa?" Goliath asked, drawing her away from the warmth.

    "Hmm?"

    "What does... 'fermez ton bouche' mean?" Goliath asked slowly, recalling Lisette's words from earlier.

    Surprised, Elisa drew back and stared up into Goliath's dark eyes.  "Why do you ask?"

    "Because Lisette spoke them to me... quite vehemently this evening," Goliath answered with a wry smile, "using a tone that only you have ever really used with me."

    At this, Elisa once more broke into laughter.

    "What?" Goliath asked, a small frown appearing on his face.

    "It means, 'shut your mouth,'" Elisa giggled, as a strange look passed over Goliath's face.

    "She told me to shut up," Goliath murmured in disbelief as a slow smile spread across his face.  Soon, his booming laughter joined that of his love's and filled the small confines of the cozy library.  All would be well once more.