A Painful Reunion (Goliath)

[~Elisa Maza~]

Elisa parked her car outside the Eyrie Building, her movements mechanical as she shut the ignition off and moved her hand back to grip the steering wheel. Her eyes stared straight ahead, her frame tight.

Diane sat next to her daughter in the passenger seat, her own eyes gazing at Elisa with concern. She placed a hand on Elisa's shoulder, a few moments going by until Elisa finally released a deep sigh.

"I can't believe this." She said, uttering the first words since they'd gotten in the car. "I can't believe him. How could he not tell me? How could he not find me?"

"Elisa," Diane began, knowing her words would do little to ebb Elisa's pain and anger. "I'm sure he had his reasons. He probably didn't want to disrupt your life."

"And who is he to decide what's best for me?" Elisa demanded.

In the back seat, one of the twins stirred in their sleep, a small whimper sounding off before settling back down. Elisa sighed, mentally berating herself. Maybe she should have left the twins at home, but it had been eating her alive for days now.

She still couldn't believe it. Goliath was alive. She had seen him outside her hospital window just after she'd given birth to the babies, and he had been following her, watching her for only God knew how long, and hadn't said a damn word to her.

"I know you have every right to be upset, Elisa." Diane said.

"Upset is not the word." Elisa said, ignoring her mother's sigh. As far as Elisa was concerned, she had the right to be angry. Regardless of Goliath's reasoning, she had the right to be a part of that decision to stay out of her life.

A part of her reasoned that had things been going differently for her right now, if she'd never been kidnapped and hypnotized by Melinoe, and if Tulio hadn't died, then maybe this news of Goliath wouldn't have hit her so hard. But even if her life hadn't have been turned upside down by the deceptive godling, she'd still be coming to the same conclusion: That this was her life, and she had the right to decide who was in it, and who wasn't.

Coming to a decision, Elisa unbuckled her seat belt and opened the car door.

"Watch Iris and Ramone for me." Elisa said. "I won't be long."

"Of course, dear." Diane said with another small sigh. She knew her daughter well enough to know that once her mind was set on something, nothing was going to change it.

Elisa walked through the doors of the Eyrie building, heading towards the elevators.

"Excuse me, miss." The guard at the lobby desk called out to her. "This is a private building, you can't-"

"Never mind, Reeves." A crisp voice said, stepping out of the elevator that had just opened. "Detective Maza has my permission to come whenever she likes."

Elisa glared at Xanatos, her mood clearly reflected in her expression.

"Should I even bother to ask how you knew I was here?" Elisa asked, stepping into the elevator at Xanatos's inviting gesture.

Xanatos didn't seem offended by Elisa's tone. His smile was, as usual, cordial, if not a little haughty.

"I knew it would only be a matter of time before you'd come here to see your friends, Detective." He answered smoothly. "You are, of course, welcome to come whenever you wish."

"Of course." Elisa repeated, the sarcasm still evident in her tone. While she didn't make it a goal to try and get any evidence of wrong doings on Xanatos's part, she still couldn't bring herself to fully trust him.

The pair rode the elevator in silence for a few moments before Elisa hesitantly asked one of the many questions that had been plaguing her.

"Do you... do you know how long it's been since Goliath returned?"

Elisa wondered for the briefest of moments of she was imagining things. It looked like a look of sympathy had crossed David Xanatos's features.

"It's been over two months, Detective Maza." He answered.

Elisa reeled back, her legs nearly giving out as she leaned heavily against the wall. The look of concern remained on Xanatos's face as he offered her a hand to steady herself. Elisa didn't fight.

"Two... months..." She repeated. Two months.... that meant Goliath had returned before Tulio had died, before she was kidnapped by Melinoe. He'd been alive this whole time.

Elisa finally regained control of herself as the elevator reached the entrance to Castle Wyvern's courtyard. Elisa steeped outside, glancing back at Xanatos.

"Take as long as you need, Detective." Xanatos said. "I'll give you your privacy."

With that, the doors shut, and the lights above the elevator signaled it's descent back downwards.

Elisa released another heavy sigh before walking towards the main tower. She could see the silhouettes of Angela, Hudson, and.... Goliath.

[Goliath]

The dark frown Goliath wore etched deep lines into his face. It was bold of Angela and Hudson to face the piercing glare he cast at them, his eyes gleaming white in the shadows; his wings were hooked tightly around him as if he were trying to guard himself from their comments. All this talk about going to see Elisa had really gotten under his skin but now he was reaching his breaking point.

“No!” he roared, clenching his fists. “I have told all of you already, I will not go and see Elisa. Say what you will about the hospital, Angela, but I do not even know if she saw me. For all I know she did not and I would much rather have it that way.” Goliath took a step towards them. “And I do not need another reminder about following her at night. That is entirely different! We vowed to watch over the citizens of Manhattan and she is one of them. I am protecting her as I would anyone else. There is… nothing more to it. Elisa is better off without me in her life and I will not hear another word against it! From either of you!”

Elisa had just had her heart broken, he told himself. She had lost her husband, the father of her children, the man she loved. She was vulnerable and if Goliath suddenly walked back into her life who knew what kind of shock that could bring. She was much better off drawing comfort from her friends and family. He left her world two years ago and did not need to be a part of it now. Although at the moment it was unclear as to who he was really protecting.

[~Angela~]

The two gargoyles didn't back down from their leader's angry glare and tone. Angela squared off against her father, her own talons clenched tightly as she tried to control her anger.

"She did see you, Father!" Angela insisted. "She said your name, I know you heard it too!"

Angela's exasperation was showing. Goliath was being ridiculously stubborn. However, his equally as stubborn daughter was not going to back down on this, not anymore. Goliath could paint it anyway he wanted, but his near-nightly ritual of following Elisa around had nothing to do with the clan's duty of protecting the city. He was watching over her because he still loved her. Angela could see that, the entire clan could.

"Father, Elisa knows you're alive." Angela said, her tone softening slightly. "You need to see her, what you're doing isn't fair to her, and it's not fair to you."

"Lad, ye know she's right." Hudson added, his own tone perfectly calm, despite the intensity of the situation. "I know ye think Elisa is better off in her life with the people she has now, but ye should let her make that decision."

"I couldn't have said it better myself."

Angela turned to face the sound of the voice that had suddenly joined them. Elisa stood at the top of the stairs, her eyes focused on Goliath.

"Elisa....." Angela said, her greeting laced with surprise. The conversation regarding Goliath going to her was effectively rendered a moot point. Elisa was here now, and did know that Goliath had returned. Had the situation not been so serious, Angela would have turned to Goliath and said something along the lines of 'I told you so.'

[~Elisa Maza~]

Elisa walked in on the tail end of what was clearly an argument between Goliath, Angela and Hudson regarding whether or not he should go see her. Elisa supposed she had just helped settle it, though based on what he was saying, she doubted Goliath would be happy with it.

Her hands clenched into fists at his words about following her around. 'I knew it.'

Elisa jammed her fists into the pockets of her jacket as she spoke up after Hudson, making her presence known. She didn't trust herself not to either run up to Goliath and hug him, or slap him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Elisa asked, her voice raw with anger and pain. "Why didn't you let me see you when you were watching me?"

[Goliath]

Goliath sighed bitterly but before he could deliver the prepared retort (because he knew Angela would never have given up so easily) the very woman they had just been discussing walked in on the scene. Goliath’s eyes widened in shock and he staggered backwards. His wings unhooked in the process and now hung limp behind him. It was like she was this phantom that had emerged from a past he wanted to forget but could not let go.

“E-Elisa.”

The gargoyle stood there feeling completely exposed and vulnerable; feeling all the things he expected Elisa to feel if he had ever showed himself to her. Right now she only looked angry. At the moment he could think of nothing to say to her, his body felt numb and his mind was completely blank. Angela and Hudson were seemingly washed from existence, all he could see was her. He saw the way the wind sent gentle ripples through her raven tresses, saw how tightly lips he once kissed were pressed, saw fury burning brightly in her eyes, and knew the hands stuffed into her pockets were being clenched so hard that her knuckles had turned white. He also knew, with a pang of guilt- the first emotion to pass through the numbness- that she had every right to be upset. The pieces of his heart that were so delicately held in place shattered at the tone of her voice.

“It was better this way.” It was better for me. “You were with child, I did not want to frighten you.” I could not face you. “You were not even in New York when I returned.” You abandoned me. “And when you did come back, I did not know if you wished to see me.” I’m still in love with you.

Goliath was still too surprised to actually find himself facing her for the first time in two months that he did not even think to question how she had discovered him. Perhaps she had gotten a detective’s hunch from a well known source named Angela. Or perhaps she really had called out his name like his daughter had said.

[~Elisa Maza~]

Elisa's hands were clenched to the point where she was losing the feeling in her fingers. She listened to Goliath's reasons excuses, torn between her anger and her relief and joy at seeing him again, hearing his voice.... A part of her wanted nothing more than to run to him, throw her arms around him in a hug, feel his wings wrap around her...

"You had no right." Elisa said, her voice shaken. "You had no right to just decide what was better for me. You know I'd never be frightened by you. And the fact that I wasn't in the city is irrelavent. Angela was able to come out and see me."

Reading between the lines, it was becoming obvious that had Elisa known about Goliath's return sooner, she'd have wanted him back in her life, hands down. Obviously, they wouldn't have been able to just pick up where they'd left off, but at least they would have had the other in their life... But as she mentioned the young gargoyle's name, Elisa suddenly seemed to realise that Angela and Hudson were still there.

"You couldn't have told me?" Elisa asked Angela, the pain starting to take more of a presence than the anger. "All those times you came to the Hacienda, you couldn't have spared one second to tell me Goliath was alive?"

"Elisa, I swear to you, all the times I'd come, my father hadn't returned yet." Angela said desperately, hardly caring that the words she was about to say would be admitting she sought to directly disobey Goliath's orders not to say anything to Elisa about him being alive. "And I wanted to tell you, I went to the Hacienda as soon as I could get away so I could tell you. But you had vanished, I couldn't find you, and...."

Angela trailed off, and Elisa finally took her hands out of her pockets to wrap her arms around herself protectively. She knew now... The reason that Angela didn't say anything to her was that at around the same time Goliath came back, she had been taken by Melinoe.

Elisa looked at Goliath, in one of the rare times of her life when she was simply at a loss for words. Everything she had been mentally rehearsing this evening was erased from her memory. Now she simply stared, waiting for someone to break the silence.

[Goliath]

She was, of course, right. There was no excuse that he could make that would justify not telling her he had returned. But, a voice argued stubbornly, What about you? Why could Elisa not grant him the time he needed to heal? Why should he be expected to immediately announce himself to her when he found it too painful to comprehend that she had moved on? Goliath knew it was hypocritical to now think that yes, someday he would have broken down and revealed himself to her if only she would have given him the time to do so on his own terms. The entire time she talked the gargoyle glanced away, casting his stare defiantly at the castle walls, his jaw clenched tightly. Only when Angela admitted to searching for Elisa did he look over at them and his expression softened. She had b een right in this matter too; they all had been. It was wrong of him to be so selfish, but all the same a part of him still wanted to be. It was a small part that refused to let go of the anguish he felt; it was a small part that wanted to protect him from an inevitable discussion about Elisa’s personal life and where he stood in it now. Goliath had never wanted to face the truth directly but looking at Elisa now, an old desire to comfort and protect her swelled within him and he sighed.

“You are right.” He glanced at Angela. “You both were.” Goliath turned and walked towards the edge of the building, passing Hudson on the way. He did not stop to look at the old gargoyle, but was grateful to have his friend there no matter what his opinion was. He felt the situation would have been far more awkward if Hudson was not there. Life experiences had taught him that females had a tenedency to bond together in matters and sometimes even act irrational in those situations. Goliath felt his talons meet the edge of the tower and for a moment he considered leaping off and letting the air currents lead him away from this scene. Of course it was only for a moment.

“I cannot explain my actions to you, Elisa,” he said quietly.

[~Elisa Maza~]

Elisa's heart skipped a beat as Goliath moved to grip the edge of the tower, a position she'd seen him take a thousand times before he'd leap off to take flight.

"No, don't leave." She thought desperately. She would have said the words out loud, but her throat was too tight to speak.

But thankfully, Goliath remained standing, his gaze directed at the city. Elisa heard his words, glancing down at her booted feet as the wind whistled past, filling the silence just a bit. Elisa considered the situation. Maybe she wasn't being fair. Goliath would have come back to life only to find out that she'd not only married, but had given birth to children. It had to have been devastating to hear. But... At the same time, she was still hurt that he would avoid her like this.

"I... I don't know what to say, either." Elisa said softly.

She considered her next move very briefly before slowly walking up to Goliath's side. She wasn't sure what she was doing, or even why, all she knew was that after all this time, after everything that had happened, she just... needed to be close to him again.

[Goliath]

Goliath watched her only through his peripheral vision. Though he would not admit it aloud, he was glad to have her by his side again- as it used to be. Even though he had only been watching her for a short time considering the amount he had been gone for, the gargoyle did feel relieved despite the awkwardness to be out in the open with Elisa. Time would perhaps allow them to say all that needed to b e said and then eventually heal whatever wounds it opened as a result. If Goliath was bold enough he may help start that process along right now.

“You have Younglings now.” The words were spoken in a low tone, difficult to muster and he felt as if he had swallowed a bunch of rocks after speaking them. “You will make a good mother.” And of this he was honest. From what he had learned of humankind thus far, he knew Elisa would be the most loving and protective mother every child deserved.

[~Elisa Maza~]

Elisa sighed at the pain in Goliath's voice as he mentioned her children. Before his death so long ago, it was one of the biggest obstacles that faced them. Elisa wanted children, she wanted to be able to do things like go to the park on Sunday and have picnics in the sun... Things that could never happen with Goliath.

But her love for him outweighed all of that. It took nearly losing him at Thailog's hand to realize it (truly realize it) but she loved him, and she wanted to find a way to make it work.

Now everything was screwed up again.

Hudson and Angela glanced at each other. The road ahead was unclear, shadowed by dark clouds of pain and feelings of betrayl. Would Elisa and Goliath ever find their way back?

"We should give you some privacy." Angela said, stepping back.

"No." Elisa said. "I'm not... I can't stay for long. My mother's waiting in the car with... Iris and Ramone."

She turned to face Goliath, her expresso eyes shining brightly as she tried to hold back her tears. She couldn't believe what she was about to say...

"I don't think... that we can..." Elisa said. Her heart was screaming at her that they'd lost enough time already, that she couldn't waste anymore of it because she didn't think they could get over what had happened in the past few years, but her mind had taken over, and was doing all the talking.

"Too much has happened, and... we need to, uh... take some time..."

"Elisa-" Angela began to protest, but Hudson placed a talon on the young gargoyle's shoulder.

"Let the lass speak." He said.

Elisa continued as if she hadn't been interrupted, though her composure was failing. She was speaking as if a vice had tightened around her throat.

"You're alive... and you don't know how grateful I am for that... I know you feel like I... abandoned and betrayed you..."

Elisa didn't have to say again that she too felt betrayed by Goliath's actions.

"We need time." She said again, never having felt so helpless in her life. "We need time to sort out... those feelings, so we can... try to move past them."

Elisa didn't think she had the strength to say anymore. She was about to walk away from her love again on the small chance that they might get over their betrayl and get back to where they were before everything in the world had spun off it's axis.

Oh God, where would she find the strength to do it?

[Goliath]

“Iris and Ramone,” the gargoyle repeated gently. “So those are their names… ” The names that had been chosen were strong and powerful… like their mother. Goliath was about to tell her so, turning toward her with a small smile when she spoke first. Before the words had even left her lips he knew the speech would be unpleasant; the look in her eyes said more than she could and the smile swiftly faded. His features tensed and as she stumbled over her words, Goliath knew that their relationship was over, though he gave her the courtesy of allowing her to say all that ne she needed to say.

“I do not think that you abandoned me, you thought I was dead… it was I who abandoned you, though it was done so unwillingly.” He was now ready to accept the truth, to accept that if he truly had perished his wish would be that she would find happiness, even in love. It was only after he had come back that these selfish thoughts emerged after learning that she had done exactly what he would have wanted. After a pause, Goliath added, “I should not have been so selfish.” His talons gripped the ledge of the tower and he glanced back at her. “I have all the time in the world.”

The gargoyle pushed himself off of the tower, spreading his great wings as he dropped down below; he caught hold of a current and arced upward into the night.

[~Elisa Maza~]

"No..."

The single syllable of denial sounded more like a sob than a word as Goliath spread his wings and glided on the night wind, moving farther and farther away from her. If she had wings herself, she would have followed him, told him that she'd been a fool, that she didn't want to lose time with him, that they'd find a way past it all together...

But all she could do was stand helplessly on the castle tower and watch the distance between them grow and grow until she could no longer see him. Wordlessly, she turned back and walked past Angela and Hudson. Both gargoyles said nothing, their expressions filled with sorrow at the pain that had suddenly gripped their clan.

Elisa managed to make it to the elevator and numbly pressed the button for the lobby. She'd barely made it halfway through the descent as tears filled her vision, and a strangled noise escaped her throat before the will to stand abruptly left her, and she punched the stop button on the elevator before dropping to her knees. Loud, anguished sobs wracked her body, making her tremble as she gripped one arm, her free hand covering her face.

How much more heartbreak could she take? She lost Tulio, and now for the second time, she'd lost Goliath. She could feel her heart aching, a crack inside it that was only getting bigger every time it managed a single beat.

"Lost... I'm lost..." She whispered between choked sobs.