Gargoyles are the property of Walt Disney. I just borrowed them for a 
while to have a little fun and I promise to give them back when I’m 
done. No copyright infringement is intended.


The Next Step
by Kelly Weingart


It wasn’t the hardest thing she’d ever done. After all, she’d faced 
psychotic gargoyles, jealous ex-girlfriends, evil clones, mad scientists, 
evil multi-billionaires with delusions of grandeur, assassins, 
mercenaries, magical entities and genetically engineered beings. So 
this definately wasn’t the hardest thing she’d ever done.

But it certainly wasn’t the easiest.

Risking her life was one thing. As a cop she had become used to it, 
had accepted the necessitiy of it. But risking her heart was another 
entirely. She wasn’t sure she was strong enough for that. But could she 
*not* risk it? Could she really keep going the way she had been when 
so much had changed?

She’d ask him tomorrow.

***

Elisa Maza stood in the courtyard of Castle Wyvern, head back, eyes 
closed, enjoying the feel of the warm breeze against her skin. It was 
early summer, and the weather was a welcome change after a harsh 
winter and a chilly spring. She’d been standing there like that for 
almost an hour. The Xanatoses and Owen had left her be, recognizing 
the pensive expression she wore on her face and knowing she needed 
to think. She was grateful for it. Her thoughts were jumbled, her mind 
whirlling and her stomach churning. This decision was so hard for her 
to make, so important to her that it was, quite literally occupying every 
second of her thoughts. She didn’t think she would have been able to 
uphold an intelligent conversation if her life depended on it.

She felt, rather than saw, the sun sink beneath the horizon, heard the 
wakening roars of her clan as they broke free of their stone sleep. 
Goliath would be here in just a moment. He was always there when 
she needed him.

“Elisa?”

She smiled gently. “Hello, Goliath. Sleep well?”

She felt his arm come around her waist, pulling her close against him. 
She let herself be sheltered and held, relishing in the warmth of his 
skin, his strong arms around her, his firm chest She buried her face 
against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him, suddenly not 
wanting to be apart from him.

“Beloved?” Goliath asked her. “What is wrong?”

“Nothing.” And she felt almost like crying, but almost like laughing; 
such a simple word that was so true and so false at once.

“I know you too, well for such evasions,” Goliath said, pulling back 
slightly so he could look into her eyes. “Please, tell me what troubles 
you.”

He was so handsome. Granted, he didn’t exactly fit the standard 
perception of beauty, but his strength, his honor, his courage made 
him beautiful. And the wings, the tail just added to his exotic nature, 
making him appear as some sort of mythological warrior. Even the 
scent of him was attractive. ‘Like concrete and old leather. But in a 
good way.’ “Can you stay home tonight? So we can talk? I know 
Broadway was supposed to be on watch...”

“I am sure it can be arranged,” he assured her. “Come, let’s go 
inside.”

An hour later she was sitting side by side with Goliath atop the castle 
tower, curled against his side. The sky was dark enough for the stars to 
shine through. For now Goliath was content to sit and stargaze, but 
eventually she knew he’d have to ask her what was wrong, and she 
wasn’t sure what she’d say. Really, what could she say? ‘Oh, my love, 
I am so happy here with you, but if things don’t change I just may go 
insane?’ It was certainly the truth. 

“Goliath?”

“Elisa?”

“Have you ever wanted...more out of our relationship?” She whispered 
the words, half afraid to say them, more afraid not to. His hand came 
to rest on the top of her head, running through her hair, gentle and 
reassuring. “Of course, beloved. Ever since that kiss two years ago I 
have realized that I want nothing more than to be with you.”

“Then why haven’t you said anything?” 

She couldn’t see the look on his face, but could imagine it from the 
lonely tone in his voice. “Elisa, for all the loyalty you have shown us, 
for all that we are your family as much as if you had been born 
amongst us,  for all that: I am not human, you are not gargoyle. The 
relationship we have now is dangerous to you. If we were to 
have...more, as you put it, and if anyone ever found out your reputation 
would be ruined. The Quarrymen and any number of anti-gagrgoyle 
factions would target you for their hate crimes and senseless violence. 
It was not worth ruining your life simply because I wanted more.”

“What if I want more, too?”

She felt him shift beside her, then felt his talons cup her face. His eyes 
were deep and midnight and so totally open that whatever defenses she 
had left melted instantly. “Elisa...”

“I love you,” she murmurred. 

“And I love you. But the risk-”

“Is more than worth it.” She felt tears in her eyes, her heart was 
pounding. “Goliath, I want you, I want to be with you. Please, don’t 
turn me away because someone else says what we have is wrong.”

He hesitated for just a second, just long enough to make her heart sink, 
before leaning over and claiming her with a kiss. 

***

She awoke wrapped in his arms, cradled against his chest. She savored 
the sensation, the feeling of *wholeness* that surrounded her. She 
looked up and saw him looking down at her, a smile on his lips. She 
traced a finger across his lip, along the skin of his jaw and buried her 
hand in his thick hair, pulling him close for a deep, hot, lingering kiss. 
“`Morning,” she murmurred softly.

“It is almost sunrise, Beloved,” he replied. “I must leave soon.”

“Do you have to?”

His smile was quick, genuine. “I doubt this bed could hold a 2000 
pound stone gargoyle.”

Elisa suddenly dissolved into giggles. “I can just see trying to explain 
that to the repairmen.”

Goliath laughed, deep and loud. “They would think you insane.”

“I love the way you talk. All medieval and Shakespearian.” 

“And I love you.”

“Good.” Elisa smiled sultrily, laying back against the pillows. “Too 
bad you have to leave. Still have a half hour to sunrise and it only 
takes fifteen minutes to fly back.”

“My love, I doubt either of us would be satisfied with fifteen minutes.”

“I know I wouldn’t. So I was thinking...”

Goliath smiled resignedly. “Have I ever mentioned that the great 
majority of your ideas frighten me?”

“Hey, if it weren’t for my ideas we would have spent last night on 
patrol. And while taking down muggers does sound like fun-”

“Point taken.” He kissed her forehead. “Have I mentioned I liked your 
last idea particularly well?”

“You’d better have.”

“What I had better do, is dress.”

“Not so fast, lover.” Elisa delighted in the simple liberty of finally 
being able to call him that. “I had an idea, remember?”

“I had hoped you would let it go,” Goliath admitted.

“Fat chance. Go on, I’ll tell you while you dress.” She sat up, running 
her fingers through her hair. “Although I don’t see how it can take 
that long. I mean, all you wear is a loincloth. You know, Fox and I 
have discussed this, and we both think you’d look great in jeans.”

“Jeans?” Goliath gave her a vaguely skeptical glance. “They would 
make flying rather difficult.”

“Yeah,” Elisa admitted, “but you’ve got such a great butt.”

Goliath gave her a scandalized look. “Elisa, really. You and Fox 
discussed *that?*”

“What do you think ‘girl talk’ is? We certainly weren’t planning 
patricide or world domination. Anyway, my idea was,-” she took a 
deep breath, “would you like me to move into the castle?”

Goliath stared at her, surprised. “That is not what I expected.”

“I hate being predictable.”

“Then you have nothing to worry about. But, Elisa, moving into the 
castle...You do realize what people would say. At the very least half 
the tabloids in the city would have you pegged as David Xanatos’s 
newest love slave. The other half would assume worse.”

“Worse?” Elisa asked. “What would be worse?”

“Owen’s love slave.”

Elisa doubled over with laughter. “You are so horrible!” She felt him 
stand and move away from the bed. When she had her breath back she 
looked up at him. She had been right, it hadn’t taken him long to 
dress, just the few moments it took her to catch her breath. “I told you 
last night I don’t care what people think. Or what people say. Or what 
people print in sleazy tabloids. Besides,” she grinned, “I could do 
worse than love slave to the world’s richest man.”

“I shudder to think,” Goliath said sarcastically. “But what if the stories 
weren’t in ‘sleazy tabloids?’ What if it was in a respectable 
newspaper? The New York Post? Or the Washington Post?”

“You call the Post respectable?” Elisa eyed him strangely. “Have you 
*read* a newspaper in the past four years?”

“You are avoiding the question.”

“My father was Native American. My mother was African-American. 
Do you know what that means?”

Goliath frowned. “Not really.”

“Get Lex to give you a history lesson. Back then it meant my mother 
was a sub-human and my father was some kind of twisted pervert. At 
least to some people. Usually the most outspoken people. It meant that 
when I was a little girl a great many people thought I was some kind 
of freak. Not as good as the children with light skin. It took a long 
time for attitudes like that to wear off, Goliath. They still exist to a 
degree.” She got out of bed and rested a hand on his arm. “So don’t try 
to protect me from public opinion. I know what people can do and say. 
It doesn’t scare me. I can handle it if it means that I can be with you.”

He held her close. “I continuosly underestimate you. Is this truly what 
you want?”

“Yes. Is it what you want?”

He smiled at her, so openly that it almost took her breath away. “I 
have wanted little so much as I want this.”

“Well, then. I guess I need to give my landlord notice.”

“Perhaps we should work this out with David-”

“I already did.”

“You did?” 

She smiled slightly, hearing the surprise in his voice. “A long time 
ago. Right after you and the others moved back into the castle. David 
told me that if I ever decided to join you I would be made more than 
welcome. He’s been saving a room for me for the past two years.”

“I’ll have to speak with him,” Goliath muttered. “Planning my social 
life before I fully realized I had one.”

“Fox is worse.”

“I don’t doubt it.” He sighed and pulled away. “I must go. Will I see 
you tonight?”

“You’d better count on it. We can tell the clan then. In the meantime, 
I can move some of my stuff over today.”

He kissed her. “I love you.”

“And I, you.”

“Until tonight,” he called, before speading his wings and taking to the 
air.

Elisa watched him go, half sorrowful at their parting, half overjoyed to 
know that they would meet again that night. To think that just twelve 
hours ago she had despaired of ever being able to love him this way, 
and now - now he wanted it as much as she did! Elisa suddenly threw 
her head back and laughed with pure joy. She couldn’t wait until 
sunset.

***


End