Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story, except for Adam Maza, Eosine, and Tachia. All others are owned by those geniuses at Disney. No copyright infringement is intended. Don't sue me, pretty please?

A/n: I'm sincerely sorry for the extreme delay of this chapter. As you may or may not know, I was accepted to Medaille College (for a Masters degree of Science in Education) in January. Well, I am now a teacher officially (at the expense of everything else in my life...) So, I wanted to get back into the swing of things. I hope you will all forgive me and continue to read my stories, now that I have time once again to dedicate to perfecting my vision of where I want this storyline to take our favourite detective and her gargoyle husband. Enjoy!

Discussions to be Had, Affirmations to Expect

June 20, 1998, 2:54pm, Diane and Peter Maza's home

The summer sun shone brightly above the Ford Fairlane as it pulled into the familiar driveway. Adam was busy playing with his brown teddy bear and mumbling quietly to himself. Elisa glanced up at him in the rear view mirror and smiled. Soon, you'll have a little brother or sister. Let's just see how grandma will take it...

Elisa turned off the car and exited. She walked over to the back of the car, opened the door and helped Adam out. Once he recognized the familiar flowers and shrubs of his grandparent's house, he impatiently squirmed and fidgeted until Elisa could set him free from his car seat.

"Hold on, Adam! Jeez! Wait one sec!" She said, slightly annoyed by her son's sudden burst of energy. She watched him carefully as he almost ran to the front door. Since he had begun walking, she felt even more motherly and wanted to protect him from everything he might bang into, step on, or fall upon. Thankfully, he reached the front door unscathed. However, he couldn't reach the doorbell, so he pointed to it. As he still hadn't begun talking, he simply pointed and grunted childishly.

Elisa reached the door and picked him up as she pressed the doorbell. Within a few seconds, her mother was already ushering them into the house happily. She took Adam from his mother and swept him up into a warm hug. He returned the hug and then pointed to the ground, meaning that he wanted to walk around. She relented, and let him wander free. He instantly went towards the door to the backyard.

"He needs a big backyard, Elisa. All children do," Diane Maza commented, walking behind the toddler and opening the back door. He happily ran outside and began chasing after an almost unseen fly.

"I know Mom, but what can we do? We have a very high drop to consider. I don't even want to think about that..."

Diane sighed. "I know. Perhaps you should bring him over more often, then. You know he loves it here,"

"I love it here, too, Mom," she took a look around the kitchen where they stood watching Adam playing in the backyard through the window. She paused for a moment before deciding to ask her mother about the communication issue he seemed to be having. She was sure that he should have begun speaking by his current age. Diane Maza would have a good idea about whether this delay was normal, after having raised three perfectly healthy children.

"I actually wanted to get your opinion about him, though," She began. "He isn't really expressing himself yet. I keep saying mamma and dada to him, and he starts saying it, but stops before the word is done. Did we ever do that?"

Diane nodded and smiled. "Derek gave us problems when it came to language skills. We almost wanted to go to a speech pathologist. But by the 14 month point, he wouldn't shut up. Don't worry, dear. Children develop at their own pace. Give him some time. He'll finish his thoughts when he's good and ready."

They stood in silence a few seconds more, watching Adam trying to catch the fly that was eluding his grasp.

The real reason that Elisa came to her parent's house was to get their approval on the magical miracle that came to be only a few weeks earlier with Puck's help. Well, Elisa had to admit to herself that it wasn't truly approval that she sought from her parents; it was her parents' blessing that she hoped for. She and Goliath were trying to become pregnant whether her parents were on board or not.

Elisa nodded in affirmation to herself, smiling. Do it, Maza, she thought. "I hope all my children love it here..."

Diane giggled. "All? What do you mean...?" She seemed almost shocked at the turn of the conversation.

Elisa smirked. Here goes nothing...

"Mom, you know things at the castle are less than normal...well, normal for a regular person not married to a gargoyle, that is. And we've struggled with the idea that we can't have our own children..."

Diane narrowed her eyes and tilted her head, seemingly trying to understand the implications—or where the conversation was going.

"Yes, dear, I know your family and living situation is anything but run of the mill. But you are happy, and that's what your father and I care about."

At this, Elisa sighed. She had approved without knowing what she was approving to, she thought. Well, not in so many words...

"Oh, we are, Mom, incredibly. But that's why I came over today. We were just offered something unbelievable, and I wanted to get your opinion on it." Diane nodded, urging Elisa to continue wordlessly. The curiosity on her face was unmistakeable. Elisa took notice of this, and continued.

"Well...Goliath and I will be able to have our own child. As in, the both of us...together..." She smiled at the thought. Diane's eyes instantly showed her, what was it, disproval?

"Elisa," Diane began slowly, saying each syllable of her name with care. "How is this possible?"

"Mom, it's magic. Let's just keep it at that." Elisa stated simply. Diane looked almost appeased, but continued. After all, she had seen enough magic over the last few years to make her believe in practically anything. Besides, Elisa was married to a gargoyle--a creature of myth. Something like that was already strange enough. Magic wasn't that much more of a stretch...

"Adam isn't even a year old yet. Whatever this magic is that is allowing you to have a child with Goliath, can't you postpone it for a few more months, at least?"

"Mom, it was hard enough to tell Goliath that this wasn't a selfish decision to use this magic to have a child of our own. If we were to postpone it a few months, who's to say that he won't change his mind? Sometimes he's too noble for his own good..." Elisa commented with a smile at the thought of the stone protector she was fortunate enough to call her husband.

Diane's expression displayed her intention to protest again. "But what about the physical repercussions of this whole thing—not only for you, but for the child—will you carry the child? Will he or she have wings? Will his or her skin be purple?"

"Mom, you're the last one who should be asking questions about skin color," Elisa snapped in an annoyed tone. "I'm sure Grandma thought the same thing when you and Dad were planning for us. And I'm sure you didn't appreciate it very much." Diane instantly looked repentant. She sighed, understanding Elisa's annoyance all too well.

"You're right, Elisa. I'm...sorry. But you must admit that this situation is much different from ours. Your father and I are the same species at least,"

"I'm sure there were some who disagreed with you on that one, Mom, especially back then," Elisa's tone was still frustrated and annoyed with the prejudice her mother was displaying. Again, her mother looked sorry for what she had said.

"Those were difficult times for our family. When your father and I decided to get married, we would get all sorts of horrible looks thrown in our direction, from my family and from strangers." Elisa wondered how things might have been if her father hadn't decided to run away from the Native ways, and from his father. Would they have accepted the union between an African American and a Native American? Elisa liked to think that they would have accepted them, and her, Derek, and Beth. At that moment, Diane Maza's face became softer with understanding.

"I guess that's how things are with you two, only elevated to the thousandth degree," She smiled almost sadly, perhaps recalling the hardships she and Peter Maza had suffered at the hands of racists and bigots in the early 70's. Elisa just nodded.

"Ok, Elisa. I understand your position in this, sweetie," Diane placed a hand on her eldest daughter's hand and patted it a few times in a maternal way. "I know that having children is not something you put off or should look at negatively. If you're going to use this imagic/i to have another child, I will be here to support you in any way I can. After all, how often can someone say that they have a half-human, half-gargoyle grandchild!" She giggled. Elisa knew she was kidding about telling people about her newest grandchild, but it still made her nervous. What if it slipped one day at a dinner party? iNo, /i Elisa thought. iI've lived in the castle for eight months now, and I have never been approached about my less-than-normal living arrangements or my husband, so I assume that it's not a subject of conversation. /i

"Thanks, Mom," She said finally. "Now, what about you guys? How are things at the Maza camp?"

Diane smiled and rose from her seat. "That will involve another cup of coffee. Your father is in a speed phase—he wants to get a motorcycle!" Elisa shook her head. Sure, he had a motorcycle when he was a teenager, but he grew out of it, sold it, and was married. iOh boy,/i she thought, ithis is going to be an interesting conversation.../i

Almost two hours later, Elisa left her parent's house with Adam in tow with a satisfied grin on her face. This afternoon had gone better than she had expected. Well, in all honesty, she didn't know how it iwould/i go, but it made her happy that her mother had approved in the end.

As Elisa returned to the Eyrie Building, her good mood continued. It was nowhere near sundown, so it wasn't due to soon seeing Goliath or the clan. It was a renewed sense of purpose she felt after having spoken to her mother. Diane had gone through so much for love—love for her husband, Peter, and love for her children. Elisa related to her mother now more than ever. It gave her another ally in her battle against bigotry and ignorance, and she was glad for it.

Her good mood seemed to have rubbed off on Adam, who had been sleeping in the car, and was still sleeping when Elisa took him out of the car and placed him in the stroller to give her an easier time getting into the elevator with him. She glanced down at her peaceful son, and it appeared like he was having a pleasant dream because he wore an angelic smile. She pushed the appropriate floor number on the elevator and the doors closed quickly. As the elevator rose higher and higher, she watched Adam to make sure the height wasn't affecting him; it didn't, thank goodness.

Ding. The doors opened, and Elisa pushed the stroller out. It seemed only a few seconds after that Adam stirred and Elisa heard the word that she longed to hear from her son.

"Maaama," Adam said, almost asking Elisa where she was. Elisa stopped dead in her tracks, and looked around to see whether anyone else happened to be around at that exact moment. She might have been going crazy. She looked down at Adam. He was indeed awake. But had he ireally/i finally spoken? As if to answer her internal question, Adam turned around to see his mother looking down at him, and he said it again. "Maaaamaaaa," he said, slightly louder than before. Elisa shook her head, and walked to the front of the stroller. She kneeled down, undid Adam's restraints, and picked him up swiftly.

"Oh Adam!! You have just made my day!" She sung out happily, swinging him in her arms. "Mama's here, baby!" She laughed, hugging her son excitedly. She beamed proudly at her son in her arms.

"What a relief, sweetie!" She exclaimed at her son, though the child obviously had no idea what she was talking about. Elisa began planting sweet kisses on her son's coffee coloured face, making Adam giggle happily. Elisa didn't realise there was anyone else in the room until there was a throat being cleared from behind her. She straightened up and turned around to see Owen, standing stoically with his hands at his sides.

"I am sorry for interrupting, detective, but I have some news that might be of interest to you."

Elisa's mouth drew into a slight frown of confusion before relaxing. She smiled politely. "That's OK. We were just celebrating Adam saying his first word," She glanced down at Adam at poked him playfully, making him squirm a little and smile. He then pointed to the ground, asking Elisa to let him down. Once she did, she returned her attention to Owen. "Is there something wrong, Owen?" She asked. Owen shook his head instantly. "Not at all, detective. Actually, this news is most welcome for you and your mate," He paused, almost for dramatic effect, sucked in a breath, and then let it out again.

"The suspense is killing me, Owen!" Elisa declared. "What is it?" At that, Owen shook his head and within a moment, he had transformed into Puck, hovering three feet off the ground with his legs crossed. He wore a mirthful smirk on his fey face.

"My dear detective," He began in a sing-song voice. "I am pleased to report that you are with child" He placed excited emphasis on 'with child'.

Elisa's face lit up in elation. "Really? Wow! Puck, you're sure, right?" She asked cautiously. He nodded and pointed to his temple.

"Trust me on this one, detective. The spell we cast gave me radar on this sort of thing. And anyway, you guys must have been busy, because I was expecting it to take at least a few weeks..." His eyebrows rose and fell a few times in an inside-joke sort of way, which would have made Elisa feel like blushing under any other circumstances. However, this sort of talk was necessary—sort of.

"I guess you could say we were busy," She smiled. "Thank you for letting me know, Puck." Elisa paused. There were so many questions flying within the depths of her mind, but which ones would be the most relevant for this moment? Puck realized her pause was to gather her thoughts, and he decided to help them out a bit.

"According to my 'sixth sense' so to speak, the pregnancy will only be 4 months. It is an accelerated pregnancy, so everything is enhanced and sped up. Thank the spell for that. Also, you won't show at all. You may experience slight morning sickness, however," Anticipating more questions, he rose his hand. "I have no idea what the child will look like, but you will be able to carry him or her to term. Unfortunately, from the precedents set I am fairly confident you'll have to deliver by c-section." Elisa nodded. It was a lot to take in, but she would endure all of it for the good of her family.

"As I receive more information, I will let you know. All I can say is that you still must treat this pregnancy as any normal human one. You are not fully protected by the spell. Things can happen, and you must take care of yourself," Instantly, a long white lab coat and a stethoscope appeared on Puck. A clipboard and a pen appeared before him. He took both items and began checking his paper on the clipboard. "So, Dr. Puck recommends no heavy lifting, no strenuous exercise, and healthy eating."

Elisa couldn't help but grin widely at this picture. She had certainly never pictured Puck as capable of giving her medical advice, but it seemed appropriate. After all, technically, he had taken on the role of their personal fertility specialist.

She nodded. "For sure. Thanks again." Puck transformed back into his mundane human form and cleared his throat.

"It was my pleasure, detective. Please advise your mate of the good news. I will let you know should any further developments arise." With that, he bowed his head and left Elisa alone with her thoughts.

A few hours later, Elisa walked with Adam out onto the terrace, waiting for the sun to set behind the clouds and to awaken her family. Sunset was ten minutes away, so Elisa was comfortable with bringing Adam outside before the gargoyles reanimated and sprayed them with shards of stone skin. The closer Elisa and Adam got to the stone statues, the more Adam clapped with joy. Elisa noted that he had begun to link the statues in the courtyard with the breathing, living gargoyles who come to life after dark. So when Adam walked up to the stone figure of his adoptive father, Goliath, he patted it happily and looked back at his mother.

"Who is that, Adam? Do you know who that is, huh?" She asked him, crouching down to meet his gaze. She placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled at her son.

Adam looked back at the statue and appeared to think briefly. "Daaaaa..." he began, much to Elisa's shock. Her jaw dropped as she stared blankly at her son.

"Adam, say that again for mommy..." Elisa prompted.

"Daaa...daaaa..." Adam continued, patting Goliath's stone leg. Elisa swept her son in her arms and swung him around happily.

"I'm SO proud of you, my little man!! Your dad is going to be SO excited!!" She hugged Adam tightly again. "And now we know for sure that you're going to have a little brother or sister in only four months! Isn't that fantastic?" She asked him, laying a big kiss upon his forehead. It really will be, she thought to herself. I can't wait to tell Goliath!

As the sun set and the gargoyles awoke, Elisa's smile spread wider than it had been. Her excitement was displayed clearly upon her beautiful face. Goliath was sure to notice it the second he saw her. Not only was she excited because Adam was finally speaking, but she had just received confirmation that she was expecting Goliath's child. What a great way to greet her husband from stone sleep!

Elisa saw the stone shards sprayed across the courtyard from the doorway into the Great Hall; it was a safe enough distance for she and Adam to stand to witness the nightly ritual without being injured. As each gargoyle set off for their respective duties, she walked with Adam toward the remaining gargoyles. Instantly, Goliath turned to face his wife and their eyes met. Gazing deeply into her brown eyes, he knew that there was good news to be heard this night. His pace quickened and he met her before she could reach the castle ledge where they slept.

"Good evening, my love. You are positively glowing. What good tidings do you bring?" He asked her, taking her up into a gentle but passionate embrace. As he released her, they smiled at each other.

"Do you want the good news, or the good news?" She asked playfully. Just then, Angela walked by and heard Elisa's question.

"Oh, what good news is it, Elisa?"

"Ha ha. Well," She paused, deciding internally which piece of good news she would bestow upon her husband and her step-daughter first. "Adam said his first words today," She looked down at her son, who had just let go of her hand to be picked up by Angela. The two gargoyles' smiles broadened at the news.

"Elisa, that is wonderful news! We were so worried," Goliath commented, tousling Adam's hair lovingly.

"Yes, that is fantastic! What did he say?" Angela asked.

"Mama and dada," Elisa replied, turning her attention to Goliath to watch the reaction she knew he would have. He did not disappoint her—his face immediately showed a pride that Elisa hoped would only increase once her second piece of good news was revealed.

It appeared Goliath was at a loss for words; he was still struggling with how to react. He just stared at Adam with a big grin on his noble face.

"Big Guy, my news gets even better than that. Puck just told me that...I'm pregnant." She sucked in a breath and released it, awaiting his next reaction. Instead of words, Goliath took Elisa up into another emotional hug.

"Thank you, my angel," he whispered into Elisa's hair quietly. "You have made me the happiest being on the face of the earth. I did not think it was possible, but I continue to love you more every moment we share. Thank you." He breathed once again. Elisa became slightly emotional at Goliath's touching words and she felt a few tears escape her eyes.

"You are more than welcome, Big Guy," She replied almost as quietly. "I love you, too."

June 28, 1998, 9:36 am, Central Park

Elisa decided to take advantage of the wonderful summer morning, full of sunshine and high temperatures, and took Adam for a day in the park. In his stroller, Adam sat comfortably and contentedly wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a blue and grey striped golf shirt. To complete the look, he wore a New York Yankees cap upon his head. He gazed out the stroller, curiously admiring everything he saw. Elisa hadn't been to Central Park with Adam before, so she used her day to take him to see one of the nicest things about Manhattan.

Elisa and Adam made their way to the end of the park when Adam began to grow thirsty.

"Mamaaaa...baba..." Adam called, using his new word for 'bottle', which indicated to Elisa he wanted something to drink. Elisa stopped pushing the stroller to take care of Adam's needs. She was in tune with what he wanted, so instantly, she dug deep into the diaper bag that was hanging off of the side of the handle of the stroller in search of Adam's bottle of juice. Her fingers could not locate the bottle. Damn, she thought, I know exactly where it is. It's on the counter in the kitchen. Damn! Elisa internally lectured herself.

"Don't worry, baby. We'll get you some juice, ok?" She cooed. She then pushed the stroller to the street facing Central Park, in search of a Starbucks or variety store. She'd come across a Starbucks sooner or later; the variety store she wasn't sure about. After all, they were popping up everywhere lately…

A few minutes of walking proved her theory correct—she found a Starbucks. Elisa crossed the street, pushing Adam's stroller in front of her, to get to the Starbucks. She and Adam entered the café and stood in line to get a bottle of orange juice. As Elisa paid for the juice, the door to the coffee shop opened and a chime went off announcing the new arrival to the store—it was Dominique Destine.

"Detective," She said from behind Elisa. Elisa turned around quickly to see where that familiar voice came from. She huffed.

"Perfect. A great way to begin my day…" Elisa said sarcastically. Dominique appeared hurt. Or at least she played the part exceptionally well. Had Elisa been anyone else, she might have felt a stitch of remorse for her rudeness, but there was no chance of that towards Dominique; she had betrayed her and the clan once too many times for Elisa to even entertain the idea of politeness towards Dominique.

"Detective, I'm sorry you feel that way about me being here. However, I need to get a few coffees for the office."

Elisa scoffed. "Sure, Demo—Dominique. I'm sure you're being generous to your over worked and underpaid staff."

"Despite what you may think, I have grown fond of coffee, and somehow have become addicted to it." Dominique smiled, attempting to crack a joke, but it was lost on Elisa, who still questioned her motives behind her recent help to the clan and growth of a heart towards her brother. She realised this, and decided to ignore it, crouching down in front of the stroller to come face to face with Adam Maza. The child had stopped fussing over his thirst when presented with Dominique's visage. He tilted his head to one side, studying this new face before him. Dominique cleared her throat, and prepared to hurl a compliment Elisa's way about him, though she wished it were a ton of dull and rusty knives she was hurling.

"I haven't seen him since…well, since his rescue on television. He's grown so much," Dominique searched to find more chit chat to engage Elisa, but failed. Usually, at this juncture in conversation, people would say how sweet the child appeared, but since he looked like Elisa's son through and through, to Dominique, he looked atrocious to her. Elisa scoffed again.

"Stop talking and start walking. I don't want you anywhere near my children," Elisa stated bluntly.

Dominique rose and met Elisa's glare. "Children?" She asked with an eyebrow raised.

Elisa sighed. It probably wasn't a smart idea to let her know that Elisa was carrying Goliath's child, but it had just slipped. She had been so excited to tell everyone that she had her defences down and allowed it to slip to a few different people.

"Yes, Dem—Damnit, Dominique. You heard correctly." Elisa tried to keep her anger to a minimum so as not to cause a scene. Though Elisa wished to strangle Dominique where she stood, they were in public, and that sort of display could cause some uncomfortable questions to arise. Dominique smiled, though it was incredibly amazing that she could do so, knowing that her enemy was carrying her ex-mate's spawn.

"Well, that is exciting news. Congratulations, Detective. When is the new addition expected to arrive?"

"That most certainly is none of your business," She placed her hand upon her stomach, as she did when she was pregnant with Adam. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a day in the park to attend to." Elisa said, almost storming out of the Starbucks. As she left the shop, Dominique watched her in amazement. How could that possibly be?? No matter, Dominique thought. This is perfect. Now I know EXACTLY how to destroy Maza, and that spawn at the same time…As she paid for her order and walked out holding her tray of Starbucks java, the smile on her face made her cheeks hurt.

July 8, 1998, 2:48am: Location Unknown

Severius rubbed his eyes again. He looked down into the telescope and gasped. He had succeeded. It was dangerous to gargoyles only. The exhilaration that came with knowing the end of that horrid species was at hand was almost too much for him to bear.

He put down his glasses and looked at his findings again and again. From what his failing eyes were telling him, gargoyles' days were numbered when he decided to use the virus on them. He was beginning to pack his things up for the evening when he heard a loud whooshing noise, like the wings of a …gargoyle!

Suddenly, there was a thunderous crashing noise and Severius saw Demona dusting herself off after crashing into his window. He began to shake slightly at the sight of her. He knew she was reading his findings, but she had probably been staking out his secret laboratory for months and probably waited for the best opportunity to strike on him. He had underestimated her.

"Hello, Severius. How have you been?" Demona smiled sinisterly at him, stepping toward him slowly. He backed away slowly, trying to put up his best cocky front, but failing with every step he took backward. Demona could smell the fear coursing through his veins. She smiled at the thought.

When Severius didn't answer her, she continued. "I know what you've been cooking up, and I have a proposition for you."

Severius stopped stepping backwards and cocked his head in confusion. "I'm not sure I understand you..."

"Don't play the stupid human with me, Severius. As easy a role as it is for you, spare me. You know exactly what I mean,"

Severius gulped. "I'm listening, dear Demona," he said, attempting to keep his composure.

"I want you to make the DI/7 virus harmful only to pregnant humans. I know you can do it because I've been studying your dossiers and the data that you've been so gracious to leave lying around in your apartment."

Severius was at a loss for words. He began to step backwards again. He reached the wall, and had no where left to which to back away.

"And if I don't agree to do it?"

Demona laughed. "Then I'll kill you and do it myself using a spell. I would have to find the spell first, of course. At least if you do it, I will have less work and you can still be useful to me afterwards as well. It's really your choice." Her arrogance gleamed through her words.

Severius sighed heavily. So this was the end of mankind, precipitated by Anton Severius. As much as he enjoyed his fellow man, quite frankly, he enjoyed breathing even more. He nodded at Demona.

"I'll start right away."