Archive of Our Own

Elisa let herself into her apartment. She started to take off her jacket but was so tired that she stopped, one arm out and one arm still in, too dizzy to do anything but lean on the door. Elisa took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She couldn't remember a time that she had been so exhausted. Not even the time Demona and Macbeth showed up at the clock tower and gargoyle-napped Coldstone.

Two weeks. Two weeks since the hunters showed up. Two weeks since the precinct got bombed. Two weeks since the general public got a very clear look at the clan on live TV. Two weeks since Xanatos buried the hatchet and welcomed the clan back to the castle.

Elisa rubbed her face. Two weeks of constant news coverage. Two weeks of gargoyle statues destroyed on almost every building in Manhatten. Two weeks of people calling the police for every noise their apartment building made. Two weeks of mass panic.

Two weeks of hearing everyone call her friends every name in the book. Filthy, dangerous, ugly monsters. Some of them had even been her fellow officers.

It was exhausting, wanting to defend them but having to bite her tongue instead. Now was not the time. There would be a time when cooler heads would prevail, and the clan would not have a giant bullseye on their backs. It didn't make any of this easier.

She finally got her jacket off and stumble farther into her apartment. The Captain had pulled her aside a few hours earlier and gave her an order. "You are taking the whole week off," Captain Chavez said, pointing the end of a crutch at Elisa. "If I see you in here before the end of the week, I will have your badge," she growled.

"Come on, Captain, there is too much to do," Elisa had tried to argue, but deep down, she was relieved. She needed a break but knew she wouldn't rest unless someone in authority made her.

"Rest, Elisa," Chavez had said, not unkindly. "I need my most qualified detective at her best."

And so, Elisa wondered what she should do first. Sleep, eat, or take a shower? Cagney meowed and trotted up to her. She gingerly lowered herself to the floor and started scratching behind his ears. "Hey, Cagney. You still love your neglectful owner?" If he hated her, he didn't show it as he purred and climbed into her lap.

She smiled but felt it fall off her face. "Hey Cagney, can you be a character witness for the gargoyles? Hm? Tell people that they aren't all that bad?"

She suddenly felt tears burn her throat, and she leaned back to keep the tears from falling. "Jalapeño," she cursed to herself. The tears started flowing, and she leaned forward to hug the cat to her chest. "Shit," she sighed. She stopped fighting the tears and just let them fall, silently stroking Cagney as he purred.

"Get a hold of yourself, Maza," she told herself after several minutes, fiercely rubbing her face. She figured the exhaustion was making her emotional, and she would calm down once she took a few days to recover.

She carefully got up, giving Cagney another pat before she padded to the kitchen to feed him. He yowled loudly and rubbed on her legs as she filled his bowl. "A little food and all is forgiven, huh?" she joked.

She checked her fridge as the cat ate in abandon. She winced. She hadn't gone shopping in a week, and there were only takeout containers, but she didn't trust any of them. She sniffed the milk, was glad it still smelled good and got a glass.

Elisa made a plan as she leaned on the kitchen counter. Shower, call for takeout, and then crawl into bed. It would be sunset soon, but she wanted to wait before she went to see the clan. She knew she looked awful and didn't want to make them worry.

Didn't want to make Goliath worry.

Elisa smiled and started to run a finger across her lips as she thought about Goliath. Oh, the kiss. The Kiss. Quick and chaste and unplanned, and maybe a little bit premature, the Kiss was. But the clan was alive and back in the castle, and Goliath had been looking at her with that look. The look she had caught him with so many times on their Avalon world tour. That soft smile, and his voice that low rumble.

"You know how I feel about you, right?" she asked. It had been crazy several days, and so much had happened, but she needed to tell him. She wanted to let him know that he was more to her than a friend. Almost falling for Jason had shown her that.

"How... we... both feel?" he replied, moving some hair away from her face, smiling. "Yes," he answered softly.

"Good."

And with that small admission, she was jumping up, hanging off his neck. She paused to enjoy the shocked look on his face. And then she kissed him. And when she let go, there was a smile on his face, a smile that made him look so good. Handsome. And he had been stuck with that smile all day because, at that precise moment, the sun rose.

She sighed. She didn't mean for two weeks to pass since that night. She had probably thought she would be able to go back to the castle and pull Goliath aside. Talk in private. Ensure that he was genuinely ready for a relationship with her if that was what he wanted.

But then things had gone crazy in the Big Apple. More insane than usual, and time had slipped away in the blink of an eye. What would happen if she went back to the castle now? Would he act as if nothing happened? Would he be happy to see her? Angry?

Cagney had finished his food and padded over to her. She downed her glass of milk and leaned down to scratch his ears. "Be glad you're fixed, Cagney," she joked. "You don't have to worry about romance."

Elisa stood back up and then paused. The room was spinning. She was so tired. "Come on, Maza," she told herself. "Shower, food, bed. In that order."

A shower at home helped make her feel more human, cleaner than a in the precinct's facilities. Elisa let the hot water work into her skin long after the sun had set. When the water was getting cold, she finished and got out.

She got into an oversized shirt and padded out to her living room, her head in a towel as she dried her hair when she heard the unmistakable sound of a gargoyle dropping outside her window. No, nope, not gonna happen. She didn't know who in the clan was stupid enough to show up tonight, but given Elisa's mood, they were getting a lecture before sending them back home.

She opened her window and stepped out. She saw an outline of someone folding their wings against the night sky, no other features to read to guess who it was. "Alright, I missed you guys, but you need to move on," she started. "I don't know if you have seen the news, but you shouldn't be he—" Her lecture stopped dead in its tracks when Goliath stepped into the light from her living room.

Something constricted in her chest, and the dizziness came back. Oh, I missed you, you shouldn't be here, please stay, you need to be safe, please wait for sunrise, please go home. Elisa felt so many conflicting emotions; she wasn't sure if she should hug the gargoyle in front of her or smack him for being stupid. He took that choice from her when he caught her in a hug as she swayed.

She tried to shake her head, get ahold of herself. "Goliath," she said in her own human version of a growl, "you need to go." Please stay. "It's not safe right now."

One of his wings snapped out and then curled around her and brought her closer to him. "Elisa," he rumbled. "I was worried. Are you alright?"

"Just tired," she admitted, leaning closer to him. "It's been... crazy the last few weeks."

He growled, a sound of worry. "Yes," he admitted. "We are aware. I haven't allowed the others to patrol. Too dangerous." He gently moved some damp hair from her forehead. "I apologize that I couldn't come sooner."

She smiled. "Yeah, well, I'm sorry I couldn't visit." She looked up and frowned when the distant sound of a helicopter caught her attention. "But you shouldn't be here, Goliath; it's too risky." She gently moved his wing, so it wasn't wrapped around her and then started to push him towards the edge of the roof.

"All the more reason for me to come inside," he rumbled, and she looked at him in shock when he gave her a mischievous smile and entered her apartment without another word. She huffed but followed him. Once he got an idea in his head, he wouldn't listen to anyone else, the stone-headed stubborn creature—one of the things they had in common, really.

Goliath was standing in the middle of her living room. Cagney meowed and jumped on the back of an armchair to get Goliath closer to scratch his ears. Elisa quickly closed the curtains, scowling. She paused when another wave of dizziness hit. Goliath was saying something, but Elisa couldn't understand it. "Huh?" she murmured, rubbing her eyes.

"I said, are you alright?" he asked. Elisa felt a hand placed on her shoulder, and she opened her eyes to smile at the look of concern on Goliath's face.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she lied. "Like I said, it's been nuts in the Big Apple lately." She had a thought and snorted. "I'm sorry to say, a lot of stone statues have been destroyed in the last few weeks. I'm sorry for your loss."

"If their demise means my clan is safe, they didn't die in vain," he rumbled, and she laughed. He led her to the sofa, and she sat down with a sigh.

"I was going to order some food," she said while yawning. "Would you like anything?" she added, rubbing her eyes.

"No, I'm fine," he said as he crouched down so they were eye to eye. "I'm more worried about you. Would you like me to make you something now instead of waiting?"

"That would be great," she said. Goliath had put a hand to her cheek, and she leaned into his touch, glad he was there. She hated to make him worry, but it felt nice to have his concern, his care. "But I have nothing in the fridge. Haven't gone shopping in over a week."

He hummed. "Then let us get you some food, and then to bed."

"Bed sounds nice," she said with another yawn. "Can you grab the take out menus from the kitchen?"

He grumbled but didn't say a word as he padded to the kitchen. Elisa slowly brought her feet up onto the sofa as Goliath carefully removed the menus attached to the fridge with magnets, his claws making a soft tapping sound as he worked. Elisa closed her eyes, smiling to herself.

"You need a proper meal," Goliath said as he walked back into the living room. "And you need to get food for tomorrow too." He paused when she didn't answer. "Elisa?" he asked. He leaned over the back of the sofa and wasn't surprised that Elisa was fast asleep.

Goliath growled to himself in anxiety. Elisa pushed herself too hard, always had. She needed to rest. He grabbed a blanket from her bedroom and returned to the living room to cover Elisa. He gently moved her so that she was lying down, not leaning on her arm. Goliath tried to ignore the flash of bare thigh he saw before he covered her in the blanket. He turned off the lights, letting his night vision take over as Elisa sighed in contentment. "Rest now," he murmured as he moved a strand of hair from her face. "Let me take care of you for once."

The first order of business was food. He returned to the kitchen, placing the take out menus back on the fridge. Elisa needed a suitable meal; that much was certain. He was not the cook Broadway was, but if he got some ingredients, he would be able to make something to tide her over. But Goliath was not able to get food. Unless he went back to the castle? Too hazardous. Elisa was right about one thing; the city was not safe for any gargoyle right now.

He paused and tapped a claw on a flyer on the fridge. It was an advertisement for a local grocer. They had a cartoon character beaming at the reader with a cartoon bubble that said, "We Deliver!" Well, there was his solution.

He made a quick search of the kitchen, making a list in his head of what was needed. She really didn't have anything, and Goliath growled to himself. As he looked over Cagney's two remaining cans of cat food, the cat yowled and sat by his food dish. Goliath gave the feline a look. "I assume your mistress would feed you before taking care of herself, so I will not be giving you seconds."

The cat yowled again, louder this time. Goliath held out a hand and pointed at the feline. "Are you trying to blackmail me?" he rumbled in his most commanding voice. Cagney just pushed his face into Goliath's claw, purring as he scratched his cheeks. "Fine," Goliath said. "I will feed you... this time."

With the cat eating his ill-gotten seconds, Goliath picked up Elisa's phone and dialed the number with the tip of one claw. While the telephone trilled in his ear, he brought out a black piece of plastic from a pocket sewn into his loincloth. A credit card, Xanatos had called it, for Elisa. Now to see if it worked.

"Yeah?" a voice rudely answered on the other end.

"Yes, I was wondering if you could still do a delivery tonight?" Goliath asked as lightly as possible.

"Hang on, I gotta check with the delivery boy," the voice said, and Goliath had to pull the phone from his ear when the man yelled. "Yo, Johnny, you wanna make a run?"

There was a yell in the background that Goliath couldn't make out the words to, but it didn't sound like it was an affirmative. "Yeah, he'll do it," the voice answered, much to Goliath's shock.

Goliath started making a list: Stew meat, onions, peppers, celery, chicken stock, cereals, flour, milk, buttermilk, butter, food for Cagney ("Fancy-Fancy Catfood?" Goliath said, reading one of the can's label while Cagney yowled again), bananas (Elisa had said she always ate one with breakfast), bagels and cream cheese (her favorite breakfast). He paused and looked in the fridge again. "Beer," he rumbled. "Suffering Bastard Brand?" He checked the freezer. "And ice cream."

"What flavor?" the voice asked.

"Chunky Monkey?" he said in a questioning tone.

"Alright," the voice said, a little friendlier than when it first picked up. "That brings your total to $97.42. An order that big, I need a credit card."

"I have one," Goliath said, turning the card this way and that. He never understood the concept of money, but he wasn't sure how this little bit of plastic replaced cash.

"I want to leave..." Oh, what was it called? "... a tip. Could you round up to one hundred and fifty dollars?"

There was silence on the other end of the line, and Goliath was worried that he had lost the man. "You want to give a $52 tip?" the man asked.

"Yes," Goliath responded. "Is that enough?"

"For a $52 tip, you could probably get Johnny to dance and sing I'm a Little Teapot at the same time," the man replied, and Goliath was so perplexed that he held the phone out and gave it a confused look. He put the phone back up to his ear.

"Just the delivery, please," he rumbled. "If he could leave it at the door and knock, it would be appreciated."

"Alright, it will be 45 minutes for us to get the food and run it up," the man said.

"That's fine."

He provided the information that the man needed from the credit card, and Goliath hung up the phone. He walked to the living room and checked on Elisa. She was sleeping peacefully, Cagney curled up on her stomach. He smiled gently down at her and moved a clump of hair off her face. She murmured in her sleep but didn't wake up.

He moved to the bookcase in the living room and started to run a claw tip over the book's spines. Elisa was not the reader that Goliath was, but she had a decent-sized collection of what she called "sci-fi." Who was the author she was always recommending?

"Octavia Butler," he murmured to himself as he found a book of short stories. He sat down and proceeded to read.

Forty minutes later, Goliath heard a light knock at the door. He got up to see who it was and almost stopped walking when he heard singing. "I'm a little teapot," a voice sang. "Short and stout!"

Goliath leaned on the door to look out the peephole to see a man standing in the hallway, dancing and singing. Goliath smiled as the man continued. "Here is my handle," his hand went on his hip, "here is my spout!" The other hand went up in the air. Goliath chuckled. What strange creatures humans could be.

"When I get all steamed up, hear me shout!" The man leaned over, so the hand being held up tipped towards the floor. "Tip me over and pour me out!"

Goliath smiled and started clapping, loud enough for the man on the other side of the door could hear it. The man leaned over and bowed. "Bravo," Goliath rumbled. "Thank you for the show."

"Nah, man, thank you for the tip. Can I shake your hand?"

"Sorry, I can't," Goliath said. "I am feeling unwell." He stood up, even that small lie making him feel bad.

"No worries, man. Next time you need a delivery, ask for Johnny, okay?" And with another bow, the man turned away, whistling to himself as he made his way to the elevator.

Goliath waited for several minutes, making sure the hallway was truly deserted, before opening the door and gathering the bags the man had left behind. He took everything to the kitchen and started to put the food away. When done, he grabbed a large pot and a sharp knife. Cagney jumped onto the counter and gave a soft meow.

"Let's see if I can make something passable," Goliath told the feline as he washed his hands.

Elisa stirred on the couch, the smell of something delicious pulling her out of sleep. Cagney jumped off of her stomach with a meow. Elisa stretched under the blanket, enjoying the warmth for a little bit until curiosity made her sit up and looked into the kitchen. Everything was dark, but she could see something tall standing at the stove. What the hell was that? "Goliath?" she asked, her voice thick with sleep.

"Elisa," he rumbled. "I was just about to wake you up." He walked over to the light switch and turned on the light in the kitchen. She blinked at the bright light as he padded back to the stove.

"What are you doing?"

"Cooking," he explained like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"With what?" she asked. She got up from the couch and turned on a light in the living room. She yawned and stretched as she joined Goliath at the stove to peer into the large pot he was using. "How did you get food?"

"The store delivered it. I hope you like it; it has been a while since I prepared something."

"But how did you pay for it?"

He reached into his loincloth and handed her something black. "Xanatos said to give you this. A... credit card?" he said, rolling the unknown phrase slowly off his tongue. "He said to use it if you needed to get anything for the clan; I concluded he could afford to buy you some proper food."

"Is this a black credit card?" Elisa asked. She looked in fascination at her name in gold letters on the front as she leaned on the counter. "These things don't have a credit limit. I'm surprised Xanatos trusts me that much to let me have it."

"You deserve it," Goliath said as he turned back to the food.

Elisa leaned in to take a deep breath. Maybe it was the fact she was starving, perhaps it was the fact she had been surviving on takeout for the last two weeks, but it smelled like the most delicious food in the world. And the fact that he cooked for her. Once again, she felt the urge to cry, and to make sure Goliath didn't think she was upset, she hugged him from behind, pressing her face into his back, between his wings.

"Elisa?" he asked, worry in his voice. He stepped back from the stove and gently turned so he could look at her. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she sniffed. "That nap was nice, but I'm still tired. I guess tonight is the night I cry at the drop of a hat."

He unhooked his wings and gently wrapped her in them. He pulled at her chin, so she was looking up at him. "You push yourself too hard, Elisa," he said, moving her hair from her face. The timer on the stove dinged, making them both jump slightly. "Come, it's time to eat," he rumbled, and he gently moved her back so he could open the stove.

While he took out a pan with bread rolls on it, she checked the fridge and was shocked to see it almost full. "What all did you get," she asked as he grabbed bowls.

"Milk, cream cheese, beer, ice cream, cereals, food for Cagney," he started to explain. He paused and looked at her. "Did you feed him when you got home?"

"Cagney? Yes, of course, I did."

Goliath glared at the feline who was sitting next to his food dish. "I had a feeling he was deceiving me," he growled.

Elisa laughed. "Did he con you for seconds?"

"He did," Goliath said. He picked up the pot and started to take it to the table. Elisa followed with the plates and a beer in her hand. "He was quite adamant that I feed him. I was worried that he would wake you up if I didn't."

They sat down, and Goliath ladled stew into a bowl. Elisa grabbed a roll, golden and covered in butter. She hummed after taking a bite. "This is so good," she said.

"Good," he said, and it fell silent as they ate.

"So," Elisa sighed as she leaned back from the table after finishing her second bowl of stew. "How is everything going at the castle?"

"Good," Goliath said, filling his own bowl for the third time. "It is strange being there with Xanatos and Fox, but I believe their truce is true. Becoming a father has changed him."

"Still, I wouldn't trust him as far as you can throw him," she said, and then worried that Goliath wouldn't understand the idiom.

To her shock, he nodded. "And I can throw him far," he joked, and she smiled. "Lexington is spending a lot of time with Alex. He has become attached to the boy. Hudson has taken to following Xanatos around the castle. He says he doesn't trust Xanatos. I think he is avoiding watching the television. All we see is the news of people panicking at our existence."

Elisa winced. "Yeah, the Big Apple is gargoyle crazy right now." She placed her hand on Goliath's. He looked at her with raised eye ridges. "Just be careful, okay? I know you want to protect the city, but you have to protect yourselves first."

"And I know you are working to keep order, but you need to take care of yourself as well," he countered. "I was worried about you."

"I didn't mean to wait this long. I was waiting for things to calm down before going back to the castle, but then they didn't."

He smiled but then shifted and cleared his throat. "Elisa, I wanted to talk to you," he started to say. "When we last saw each other, you and I..."

"You and I kissed," she said, not wanting to dance around the subject. "Yeah, I wanted to talk about that too."

"Kissing, like that, it means that two humans deeply care for each other, yes?"

She smiled. "Yes, it does." She sobered slightly and felt the smile leave her face. "But if you don't want—" She stopped, and he cocked his head to the side slightly. "Being with a human, that is something a gargoyle hasn't done before, right?"

"Correct."

"So if you don't want a relationship with me, a human, I would understand," she said. "I shouldn't have kissed you like that without knowing it was something you wanted. I'm sorry."

He blinked. "I meant what I said, Elisa. I care for you, and I may not be accustomed to kissing, but it was nice. But I need to know if being with me is something you want."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I was there..." Goliath started, but he paused and put down down his spoon. He folded his hands in front of him, looking at his stew, but Elisa had a feeling he was trying to avoid looking at her. "I came to see you, to check on you after you saved Angela. And I saw you... I saw you kissing Jason."

Elisa felt her stomach drop. "Goliath, I didn't know Jason was a hunter. There was no way—"

"No way you would have known he was here to kill the clan," Goliath finished for her. He finally looked up, and Elisa expected to see the anger in his eyes, but there was sadness instead. "I know. I am not upset that you were with a hunter. I was upset..." He paused. He took a deep breath and let it out in a rumble. "I had always told myself that if you found someone, a human, to be with, that it was for the best. You deserved to be happy. Someone to build a family with. Someone to go to baseball games in the middle of the afternoon with." Elisa smiled and dipped her head a little. "Someone who could give you the normal life you earned." He finished.

"But?" she asked, feeling like he had more to say.

"Seeing you with someone else... hurt. Hurt more than seeing Demona with Thailog. Knowing that I may have lost you, cut me more than Demona's betrayal." He picked up his spoon. "Gargoyles, when we mate, it is supposed to be for life. That may not be what you want. But I also want you to know that if you decide that a... relationship with me is not to be, that you will always have a place in the clan. You will always be family."

She smiled, trying to fight a lump in her throat. She carefully moved her chair out from the table and got up. Goliath watched her, a curious look on his face. When she stepped up to him, his eyes widen as she leaned in and kissed him.

This kiss was not rushed like the first one. Goliath froze for a second, but after a moment, he relaxed. He cupped her face with a hand, being careful with his claws. When she finished, she put her forehead on his and enjoyed the small goofy smile on his face. "My life hasn't been normal since I fell off that damn building," she confessed, and he chuckled, a deep sound of rolling thunder that made her toes curl.

Her smile died a little on her face. "The night I kissed Jason, did you hear what I told him?"

"That there was someone in your life? Someone that you cared for but could never be with?"

"Yes, but... I didn't say that because I doubt you care for me," she leaned back so he could see her face. "For the longest time, we thought you guys were the only gargoyles in existence. But the world tour showed us that wasn't true. You can find someone else, another gargoyle. You could have more hatchlings, make sure there are more generations to come."

He looked at her for a long moment, but then he smiled, that soft expression that he only showed her. He unhooked a wing and wrapped it around here, pulling her closer. She felt her face heat in a blush. "But she wouldn't be you," he rumbled.

Elisa felt tears burn in her eyes, and she wrapped her hands around Goilath's neck and pulled him into another kiss. This one was rougher than the first two, and she moaned when he placed a hand on her lower back and pulled her closer. Oh, this was nice, all that muscle and power underneath her palms, and it was all hers.

They parted after a minute, Elisa biting her lip, Goliath looking slightly dazed. "So," Elisa joked, somewhat breathless. "Does that mean we're dating, now?"

"Dating?" Goliath asked.

"When two humans hang out together, romantically," she explained.

"Ah, courting," he said with a smile. "Yes, I suppose we are."

"Good," she said. "We may have to talk about how physical we can get with each other later."

"Physical?" he asked. And then he looked surprised, eye ridges shooting up. "Oh," he said in a small voice. "Yes. Physical."

She laughed, leaning into his throat and hugging him. He wrapped his wing around her again. She yawned.

"But first, bed."

"Yes," she said, feeling a little disappointed. "Bed."

Elisa helped Goliath put the food away, and then they let the dishes soak in the sink. She grabbed his hand and started leading him to the bedroom, turning out the lights as she went. Goliath felt a little panic as Elisa turned down the blanket on the bed, seeing a flash of bare thigh as she leaned over. He was happy they had talked, overjoyed that she wanted to be his as much as he wanted to be hers, but being physical? Was mating the same for humans as it was for gargoyles? She climbed into bed and patted the spot next to her. "Don't worry, big guy, I won't bite," she joked with a smile.

"Elisa," he said with trepidation. "I don't know... I don't think we should..." He trailed off. This was unchartered territory for him.

"I know," she said, giving him a large grin. "I think we need to talk about the birds and the bees before we just jump into that. But do you mind cuddling for a bit?" She put her head on the pillow and smiled. "Until I go to sleep. Then you need to glide your butt back to the castle."

He hesitated but then climbed onto the bed with her. Her bed gave a loud groan, but Goliath got comfortable, and the noise died down. She placed her head on his shoulder and sighed.

"The birds and the bees?" he asked, pushing the hair away from her face.

"Sex," she said, and Goliath couldn't see her face, but he could hear the smile in her voice.

"Ah," he responded, not knowing what else he could say.

It was silly how nervous he was about this subject. Elisa knew about sex; he understood sex. Was it because Elisa was human?

"So, is there anything I need to know for the big night?" she asked. "Tab A still goes into slot B, right?"

He felt his lip twitch into a smile. She was trying to comfort him, he could tell. "I think the mechanics are the same," he said. "Granted, I have not seen many humans naked."

"And I haven't seen you guys naked," she said. "But the loincloths don't leave much to the imagination."

He chuckled. "There is one thing you may need to know." Elisa hummed in a questioning tone. "Gargoyles mate in the air."

Elisa's head whipped around so that she was looking at him. Goliath fought a smile so that his face would stay blank. "What the hell do you mean?" she asked.

"Language," he growled with very little malice. "We mate in the air."

"You mate in the air!?" she asked, and Goliath fought the smile with all his might. "As in you have sex while flying? What happens when you finish? You crash into the ground?"

"Not if you go high enough," he joked. And Elisa scowled, and he finally lost his fight with the smile and laughed.

"Nope, I don't believe you," she said while giggling. "It doesn't make any sense. Mating in the air."

"It makes the experience... very interesting."

"I would think so," she laughed while settling her head back on his shoulder. They chuckled for a few minutes, and then Elisa yawned.

Goliath rumbled. "Just know, Elisa, I don't want to do anything that upsets you."

"I appreciate it," she said.

They stayed like that for several minutes until Elisa's breathing became slow and steady. Goliath waited to make sure she was truly asleep, and then he gently shifted her so that she was not leaning on him. He moved so that he was standing by the bed, the piece of furniture groaning at his movements. Goliath smiled down at the sleeping human. "Good night, Elisa," he said softly. Cagney hopped on the bed and curled up into a ball as Goliath left the room.

He padded to the window and let himself out on the ledge. The air was starting to turn cool, and he paused to take a breath and look at the city. The humans who lived here may fear and hate his kind, but his clan was in their rightful home, and the woman he loved, loved him as well. The path ahead of them was unknown, but the future looked a little brighter tonight than it had in a long time.

Goliath let his wing unfurl, and he took a step off the ledge. The wind filled his wings, and he headed home.