Thanks to all for the feedback from my first story! J I thought I'd try it again. Let me know what you think and if I'm on the right track. Feedback is so kewl!

DISCLAIMER: Once again they aren't mine so please don't sue me, I'll return them in the same condition I found them.

This takes place four days after the events of the Hunter's Moon as Elisa finds herself in a situation that makes her question herself as well as her relationship with Goliath. Told from Goliath's point of view but truth be known it's Elisa story.

***** ***** *****

I hadn't intended to leave the castle. We all agreed it best to remain indoors until clearer heads prevail. Unrest hangs over the city and the inhabitants of Manhattan are on edge.

We have learned this lesson the hard way. Lexington has been monitoring the police frequencies and the sheer number of people who claim to have seen us is staggering considering we haven't left Wyvern since our return four days ago.

Tonight I overheard Elisa requesting back up.

We have all heard such calls before and for the past few days I have refrained from going to her. Tonight I changed my mind, although I doubt she will be pleased with me for responding to her call for assistance.

From the rooftop of a near by house, I can see clearly see what is going on. Elisa and her partner, Matt Bluestone, are standing on the grass in front of a home with weapons drawn.

A man stands a few yards away from them. He has a gun and is threatening to kill his wife. He holds her in front of his body like a shield and the sight sickens me but I am helpless to do anything about it.

If I am seen it will only lead to further problems since Elisa, Matt, and Xanatos are doing their best to convince the city we do not exist.

The area is nearly surrounded by patrol cars from the New York Police Department and several officers are moving into position, waiting for the tension to break or for all hell to break loose.

Elisa is asking the man to drop the weapon so no one will get hurt but he refuses. He claims his wife wants to leave him and he will not allow that to happen. I can hear the tension in her voice as she tells him this is not the way to solve anything. I try to focus on the situation but it is not the man who concerns me, but Elisa, as I fear for her safety.

She says something I cannot make out but I can see a change come over the man's face. He releases the woman and she runs to the safety of a near by officer.

But he still holds the weapon and his attention is now locked on Elisa.

Matt moves closer and the movement pulls the man's focus over to him. The man shifts the weapon around and even from here I can see his finger flex in the trigger. Elisa must have seen it as well and yells out to her partner.

"Matt! No!"

Risk or not I cannot allow this to happen. I am about to leap from the rooftop as Elisa fires. Her aim is true and the man drops to the ground but so does Bluestone. She rushes to him as the other officers move in.

Only now does she look up and see me as I slip back into the shadows.

***** ***** *****

The others are inside watching the television unaware of the night's events. Dawn is several hours away so I stand alone, looking out over the city.

I hear movement from behind me and turn to see Elisa walking out of the Great Hall. Instead of moving to me, she leans against the walls of the castle and slowly sits with her arms draped over her knees and head hanging down. "Matt's going to be OK… The bullet went through his vest but he'll live."

I am hesitant to ask but I can see there is more, "And the other man?"

When she looks up I can see the tears bright in her eyes, "He died… about the time Matt went into surgery…"

She pulls her eyes from mine, " It was like waking up from a bad dream and finding myself in a worse one…He said it was because he loved her… he loved her too much to let her go…"

I fear she now sees love through the eyes of a man who did not understand what it means to be committed to another. I can see the hurt in her eyes so I say the only words I know to be true, "Then he did not understand what it is to love…"

I can see the words only make her hurt worse, and I wonder if she understands the depths of my devotion to her. No matter what, I will always there for her, loving her, waiting for the day when she can truly be with me.

"I killed him," she whispers, "I killed him because he loved his wife too damn much."

I stand before her not sure what to say as the memories from tonight night flood over me. Even from this distance I can feel the uneasiness surrounding her. I know in my hearts she wants to be closer but she is fighting the emotions and I have to wonder if the damage has already been done.

I move to her, if only to hold her and assure her things will be all right. I reach down to her, "Tonight was not your doing. Do not take the responsibility on yourself."

She is silent, making no effort to reach back to me.

"Why…" she says softly. "Why do you even care about me?"

She collapses to her side, curling into a ball, her body shaking with the force of her tears, her chest heaves in an effort to bring air into her lungs. "I never encouraged it, I didn't even think I wanted it, but what I don't understand is why I feel like I can't live with out it…" she beats the hard stone floor beneath her, "What did I do to deserve you?!?!"

She lays there, allowing her body to be wracked by the uncontrollable sobs, crying out for the unfairness of it all. Slowly the tears cease and I can see she is emotionally and physically exhausted. Cautiously she rises from the ground and stands, still refusing to make eye contact.

Not since the night her brother was transformed by Xanatos has she broken down in front of me in such a way.

I reach out to her again but she jerks away from me and starts walking to the door, only to freeze and suddenly turn back towards me, "Damn you!" she yells out.

Uncertain as to how to react and not sure how she will respond, I place my hands on her shoulders and pull her to me, "My love…"

She shrieks and pushes me back. For someone so small, she has a considerable amount of strength and I step back in pure reflex. I have rarely seen such rage and anger in her, and certainly never directed at me. I now know this is not only about tonight, but our relationship as well.

She is trying to push me away, not for the moment, but forever.

"Who the hell do you think you are!" she demands, "Where the hell do you get off loving me!"

She shoves me back again, her voice already hoarse, sounding off pitch and shrill. "What right did you have to come into my life? I don't need this and I don't need you!"

I take a deep breath before speaking to her, "But I need you… please don't do this to me… to us."

The tears are streaming down her face again as she sinks to her knees in front of me, "Can't you see this is killing me…" it was barely audible, but I hear her words and it almost breaks my hearts.

When she looks back up at me I see the storm of emotions has passed but not the uncertainty, so I motion her to the edge of the castle and lift her to the ledge careful to insure she doesn't fall over. She is still very quiet and it is sometime before she speaks to me again.

"Tonight was… pretty bad… I almost didn't come over here." she takes a deep breath and shudders, "I can't count the number of times I've been forced to pull my weapon in the line of duty but tonight was the first time someone died because of it and it got me thinking about a lot of things… Mostly about the other night…"

She lowers her head still speaking softly, "I remember reading once about how we can't live our lives brooding over what could have been, but to be happy living with what is."

She finally brings her gaze back to me, "I want to be able to do that, but first I have to know if we can handle this. That if the worst happens and a relationship between us doesn't work out, that we can handle the fallout."

She allows me to see her fear and concern which surprises me. Never before has she bared herself to me in this way, so I say nothing until I'm certain she has said all she wishes to say.

"Goliath, if things work out between us, we are going to have a huge problem, and if it doesn't, we are still going to have a huge problem. My question is, can we deal with that? Being this close if things don't work out?"

I feel my hearts racing as she finishes speaking. There are so many things I want to say to her, but at the moment they escape me. I gently reach up a brush her hair from her tear-streaked face and smile at her.

She leans in so that her head rests against mine, "There can be no turning back and we can't do this half way… If we do this, we do it one hundred percent." She pulls back from me and leans back to stare at the stars above us. She chews on her lip then faces me again, "I guess what I'm asking is if I jump, will you?"

"Elisa, if you jump, you take me with you…"

She leans forward to place a hand against my cheek, "Big Guy, you are my best friend, and I don't know what I'd do if I screwed that up."

I take her hands in mine and bring them to my lips gently, "Then we will take this slow…"

She smiles at me for the first time tonight and my hearts soar. I feared tonight might have been the end for us before we even had the opportunity to begin. To see the magic come back into her eyes fills me with such joy that I can barely contain my own happiness.

For us to have finally reached this point after so many events have fought to tear us apart strengthens my resolve to do what ever it takes to keep this woman in my life.

I press my lips against her forehead, "I love you."

She wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me to her, "I love you too Goliath," she whispers.

I pull back from the embrace and trace my talons over her face. Gradually, I cup her face in my hands and bring her closer. I breathe in her sent and find myself slipping, slipping into a world of new possibilities. A shudder tingles through me as I cautiously bring my lips to hers.

This is much different from the first kiss we shared a few nights ago. It is unhurried and soft with no danger of me turning to stone at the last minute. I linger at her lips and suddenly feel her pull me tighter. The passion builds as we continue and I have to force myself to break the contact, as I'm no longer sure I can stop myself from going any further.

"So much for not rushing things," I mumble against her hair.

"Hmm, well you said jump, so I jumped," she shivers against me.

I chuckle softly, "Remind me to say that more often."

"Don't worry," she replies shyly, "I will."

"Why does that worry me?" I tease her casually, as this is a side of her I see all to infrequently. She grins as I pull her into my arms, lifting her from the ledge and holding her tightly.

"I don't know," she replies as I set her down on her feet, "but if you like I can always leave." She turns and moves toward the Great Hall, as if to depart.

"I don't think so," I grab her arm tugged her back and wrapping my wings about her, keeping her safe from the outside world.

"Give me one good reason to stay," she says softly.

I pull her tighter, "I will give you a lifetime of reasons, Elisa."