Something to tell you ch 7

Two Months and One Week After Birth

Demona had buzzed Elisa in and went out to help the human with Delilah and the bags.  Elisa was late.  Dinner was cold and the gargoyle had been worried.

         The passenger's side front corner of the car was smashed and Elisa looked pale.  "What happened?"  Demona started to move more quickly towards the car.  "Are you and Delilah okay?"

         With a rough voice Elisa spoke quietly.  "A carjacker ran a red light."  Demona studied the way Elisa kept staring in the back window at their daughter and the way she was hugging herself.

         "Let's get inside."  Demona spoke softly trying to soothe the still very tense human.  She moved to unbuckle the car seat and had to pull a blanket off of her daughter to get her out.

         "I had to hide her before the cops came."  Elisa explained quietly.  "I couldn't let anyone see her."  The note of pleading for understanding was a new desperation that she hadn't heard in the ex-detective's voice even when she'd tried to kill her.  Elisa was not handling this well.

Demona nodded that she understood and with a tension that she worked hard to conceal started to inspect their daughter's stone form for any damage.  She'd never seen Elisa so shook up before and she just needed to be sure that the little girl was okay.  Since the blanket was still over Delilah when she got there Demona felt pretty sure that Elisa hadn't been able to take the time to do this.  It wasn't something she could do on a busy city street with cops circling the car.  Once the inspection was done she looked up to see Elisa looking completely distraught with tears falling down her cheeks.  Demona had only seen Elisa cry once and it clenched her heart more this time than the last.  "She's okay."  Demona told her and the tears started to fall more freely from Elisa's eyes.

Demona moved around the car and pulled Elisa into a hug.  "She's okay."  She whispered into the black hair while she felt the detective's body shuddering from the horror that had almost happened.  Elisa clung to her tightly seeking comfort and Demona started to caress Elisa's back.  It had to have been so horrible for Elisa to go through pretending to be okay while giving a statement.  It had to be hell for her to pretend she wasn't horrified that her daughter might have been killed and couldn't even go check.  Demona's voice became rough with her own tears.  "I've got you.  It's okay."  God she could have lost both of them today.  She had no doubt that the accident could have been much worse if it weren't for Elisa' s quick thinking behind the wheel.  Hijackers tended to move very quickly through intersections.  She pulled Elisa more tightly to her body and just held her.

Demona carried Delilah inside, but instead of putting the hatchling in her room she brought her into the kitchen with them.  She just didn't want the girl out of her sight right now.  Elisa set the bag on the dining room table and followed looking exhausted emotionally and her eyes were red.  How far had the human driven while wondering?  She came here when she could have turned around.  She came to Demona when she was in pain.  Elisa still looked like she needed someone to take care of her.

         "I'll reheat dinner."  Demona spoke gently while Elisa sat down at the kitchen island heavily.  She didn't get a response so she started the microwave.

         "My dad died in a car accident."  Elisa spoke quietly and Demona winced while her back was to the human.  That was the other time she'd seen Elisa looking so lost.  She'd been spying on the detective and was shocked to see Elisa sobbing uncontrollably on her couch.

         "But you didn't."  Demona had no idea what to say to Elisa.  She hadn't had to face mortality in a long time.  This was as close as she'd get to it unless MacBeth got lucky.  "Both of you are okay."  That response got nothing but silence.  Demona felt so helpless watching Elisa's pain.  She sighed.  She'd humble herself for this.  Goliath may be a jerk but he wouldn't rub her face in this.  "I could start visiting you.  Perhaps it would be best." 

         Elisa looked up at that moment and Demona could see she wanted to protest, but she glanced over at Delilah and just sighed.  "We could do that.  At least for now."

         Elisa wanted to pretend that this problem would go away and Demona didn't have it in her heart to tell her otherwise.  The human liked coming here.  She didn't like living at the castle with the constant crowds of gargoyles.  "And I could buy you a safer car.  You don't even have airbags in that old thing do you?"  Elisa just shook her head no.  Demona sat down across from her and reached out to cover Elisa's hand with her own.  "Maybe a Volvo or a Saturn.  I hear those are safe."

         "You don't need to buy me…"

         "I want you safe!"  Demona snapped out and regretted it when Elisa flinched at the harsh tone.  She tried to speak more softly.  It was hard to know how to deal with an upset Elisa.  She'd never had to deal with this.  "Are you okay?  Were you injured?"  Demona didn’t see any injuries, but that didn't mean there weren't any.

         "I'm fine."  Elisa looked up into Demona's eyes.  Demona really doubted she was speaking the truth at that moment.  Her body may be fine, but this was too close to the loss she'd faced just a little over a year ago.  If Delilah hadn't been in the car at the time Elisa wouldn't have even bat an eye probably, or she'd have hid her fear more easily.

         "I'm going to get you a safer car."  Demona spoke gently while caressing the hand underneath her own.  "You can pick out whatever color you want."

         "Okay."  Elisa actually agreed.  After the trouble Demona had getting Elisa to take money this quiet acceptance wasn't comforting. 

         "Well, good then."  The microwave went off and Demona retrieved their dinner.  They were going to be skipping Latin lessons tonight.

         Normally on visiting nights Elisa let Demona do most of the holding and playing with Delilah, but tonight they both just laid on the living room floor together while Elisa went through double checking every inch of Delilah's body for injuries.  Any evidence that there was a crack in her stone form that had translated to flesh. Demona let her even though she knew that if there had been an injury the hatchling would have been screaming in pain.  She'd suffered injuries like that before and they could hurt a lot.  It was confusing to wake from a stone sleep in pain.

         Normally it was Elisa that would reach out and touch Demona while she played with their daughter.  Elisa would sometimes just rest a comforting hand on Demona's arm.  The human wasn't doing that tonight.  She was completely focused on the hatchling and what looked like her own guilt.  Demona reached out to touch Elisa's arm as Elisa caressed white locks of hair.  She didn't say anything, just gave the ex-detective a comforting look and caressed the arm briefly.  It seemed to relax some of the tension in Elisa's shoulders.  Demona had to get Elisa's mind off of this.  It had been close but they were okay.

         "Have you put any more thought into working for me?"  Demona asked while knowing full well Elisa wouldn't accept any job offers.  The human was too noble for her own good.  If she didn't find a job rescuing humans in some way she wouldn't be happy. 

         "Thanks for the offer, but no."  Elisa's voice sounded a bit more like it normally did and Demona almost wanted to grin at her diversionary tactics working.  "Fox has a community service project she talked Xanatos into funding.  She's asked me to help get it rolling."

         That was pretty clever of Fox.  Demona felt a bit irritated at that.  Elisa wouldn't accept handouts, or normal business jobs, but whatever Fox had come up with was probably just created for Elisa's benefit.  That ex-mercenary wasn't all that concerned with community service.  It was probably the first such project Xanatos Enterprises funded.  "What is it?"

         Elisa's eyes gleamed with a sense of purpose.  "There are a lot of homeless people on the streets.  We're setting up a shelter that also provides education so that they are able to work and get themselves off the streets.  We'll also have links to several other community service agencies."

         Elisa wanted to help the homeless humans that lived like rats in whatever cubby hole they could find.  Not exactly what she'd expected from the human, but then not completely unexpected either.

         "We're going to call it the Labyrinth.  The idea is that we will help people navigate the maze of community services so that they can get out of the lives they are in."  Elisa's voice was now completely business.  "Fox is working on getting other backers right now, but once she has enough we'll start trying to get a variety of people on staff and look for a director."

         "You won't be the director?" 

         "It needs to be someone that can work full time."  Elisa glanced down at the squirming hatchling.  "While I want to work, I don’t want to be too tired to spend time with her."  Elisa caressed a tiny foot.  Her voice was now softer, "I never expected to be a mother.  I'd wanted kids, but… I just didn't think I'd get one." 

         "You could have had a human child."  Demona spoke softly while her fist clenched up at the thought of that.

         "I suppose I could have."  Elisa stared down at Delilah.  "But she's far more beautiful, and she's special."  Elisa's voice got a bit apologetic.  "She would have been special to me even if she were human…"

         "but you prefer having a gargoyle hatchling."  Demona was a bit surprised at that.  She knew Elisa was different than the other humans, but she would have thought the human would have wanted a child more like herself.

"Yeah."  Elisa glanced up at her and Demona couldn't read her eyes.  "I wish I could take her to the movies like Fox takes Alexander, but I wouldn't trade her gargoyle nature for anything.  She'll get to glide.  That should make up for missing the latest Disney cartoon at the theater, and I can always rent them later."

         Something in the way Elisa spoke of gliding touched Demona.  "Did you get to glide when you were a gargoyle?"

         Elisa's far away look and smile gave her the answer.  Demona suddenly regretted that being taken away from her.  "It was wonderful, but I'm human."  Elisa stared into Demona's eyes almost defiantly.  "While I loved the feel of wind under my wings, I'll always be human.  I don't want it any other way."

Demona stared down at their daughter.  For a moment she'd considered trying to find a way to make Puck change Elisa.  It would have made their lives easier.  It would have made caring about Elisa easier.  "Even in my day form, I'm a gargoyle.  The outside doesn’t change what I truly am."

         "I know."  Elisa spoke soothingly.  Demona got up to get something to drink.  She was feeling like she needed a little space for a moment.

         They both put Delilah to bed.  This time Demona didn't know what to do about going to bed.  She didn't need to worry about Elisa not staying anymore, because this was the last time.  This was the last time they'd be here instead of the castle.  While Elisa was in the shower Demona got ready for bed.  Elisa was still too shook up to drive, it was just better to not risk changing the human's routine.  Perhaps she'd offer to go with Elisa on the way back, just to make sure Elisa made it back.  She could always catch a cab home.

Demona knew that Elisa took long showers so she slipped into the bathroom to quickly wash her face and brush her teeth.  The steam from the shower was fogging up the mirror, but Demona could still see Elisa's form in the large shower behind her.  Demona had the shower area enlarged when she bought this home, because there were times that she'd need to spread out her wings.  While she brushed her teeth she took covert glances at the ex-detective's body.  Elisa seemed completely unaware that Demona was there and continued to shampoo her hair with the shampoo that she'd brought and left here.  Demona started to glance around the bathroom counter at other things that were Elisa's.  Elisa left several bathroom things here along with a change of clothes just in case.  Demona had even replaced that shampoo for the human when she noticed it had been getting low.

         She was in bed when Elisa came out and she noticed the surprised look on Elisa's face because she didn't have to round Demona up.  Demona just gave her a slight smile and rolled over to sleep on her side.  Perhaps Elisa wouldn't cuddle up to her if she weren't on her back.

Demona woke up groggily unsure what had woken her.  She was on her back again and there was a warm presence pressed up against her.  Elisa's sleeping expression was troubled and a soft whimper escaped the human's lips.  Nightmare.  After the day Elisa had yesterday that could be expected.  When Demona tried to slide out of Elisa's grasp Elisa held on to her and the sound of her whimper made it clear she didn’t want to be alone.  Demona sighed heavily and stared at the ceiling.  She had no idea what to do now.  At least this time Elisa's thigh wasn't rubbing against her sex.  It wouldn't be as embarrassing if Elisa realized she'd rolled over for comfort.  "Shh… It's okay Elisa."  Demona whispered very quietly to try and sooth her human.  "Everything is okay."

Once Elisa calmed down Demona just continued to stare at the ceiling holding her and caressing the arm that Elisa had around the redhead.  Her feelings were so jumbled and confused that she didn't know what she was feeling.  Elisa may be a human, but she was Elisa.  Elisa had supported her long before they got together, and continued to do it now.  Did it really matter that she was human?  It wasn't like she was a normal human.  Demona's shifted a little so that she could look into Elisa's face as the ex-detective slept.  A freed hand moved to caress the black locks that were fanned over Demona's body.  The shock hit her profoundly when it dawned on her that… it didn’t matter!  The breath caught in Demona's throat as she realized that she couldn't imagine how she would have felt if Elisa had been hurt in that accident.  Even if Delilah hadn't been in the car the idea that she could have lost this human made her heart ache.

         She was getting that new car for Elisa this week.  There would be no delays.  And that job Fox offered had better be safe.  Humans turned on their own far too often, and if those homeless vagrants that Elisa wanted to help hurt her there would be hell to pay!  Demona's eyes hardened as she thought of the threats to HER human. 

Demona managed to roll out of bed before Elisa woke up.  Her habit of not needing as much sleep helped her avoid the awkwardness of Elisa realizing that she'd let the human sleep cuddled up to her for hours.

         She was reading the newspaper when Elisa came downstairs to eat.  Demona kept her voice casual.  "I was thinking about that project you and Fox are working on."  Demona glanced up subtly, "I could make a contribution to that.  It isn't a bad tax write off."  She would never stoop to helping the vermin that the humans didn't even respect, the lowest of their kind, but money for this project could keep the Labyrinth a safer place for Elisa to be.  Elisa's shocked expression and slowly growing grin also were a good motivator. 

         "I don't know much about the money aspects.  That's really Fox's domain, but I could have her call you."

         "Sure, but have her call me at work."  It would give Demona a chance to carefully EXPLAIN to the ex-mercenary how safe Elisa's job better be.  Demona took another sip of her coffee and let Elisa work on lunch. 

Two Months One Week and Three Days after Birth

         Elisa woke up a little earlier than normal because Demona was going to take the day off of work to take her car shopping.  When Elisa tried to talk Demona out of it the redhead made it clear that Elisa was getting a new car and if she didn’t want to pick it out Demona would pick something out for her in a truly horrible color.  She might even put offensive stickers on it as well.  Of course the teasing glint in Demona's eye told Elisa that she was joking about the stickers.

         Fox was in the kitchen when she got there.  Elisa had told Fox about the accident and Demona's reaction, and Fox had been shocked.  Fox had also understood how horrible Elisa had felt getting into an accident with her infant, her tiny helpless stone baby, in the car.

         "So when is your sugar momma coming to get you and lavish you with gifts?"  Fox asked while Elisa was taking a drink of water, resulting in water spraying the counter in front of her.

         "Demona will be by in an hour."  Elisa glared teasingly at Fox while she pulled a paper towel out to clean up after herself.  In her desire to avoid more teasing this early in the day Elisa turned to look at Fox.  "Did you contact her about the donation?"

         Fox tilted her head a little and seemed to be studying Elisa for a moment, no sense of teasing in her eyes.  "Yes, I talked with her about the Labyrinth.  She's going to match David's contributions and we can use that to help with publicity, you know…"  Fox's eyes narrowed a little and Elisa felt like a specimen, "corporate enemies getting into bed together and all that.  People pay attention to things like that.  It'll help get even more donations."

         "Wow, so if Xanatos isn't a cheapskate she could really be shelling out a lot of money."

         Fox's grin was slightly evil, "David has already doubled what he planned to contribute.  He wants to see how much Demona is willing to pay to help the humans of this city."  Fox chuckled.  "With this we could house the homeless in a five star hotel.  David hates to be shown up and Demona doesn't back down from anything."

         Elisa had to laugh at that image, but she was a little concerned about Demona.  She had no idea how much the gargoyle had, and didn't think Demona would back down even if it were financially hurting her.  The gargoyle's pride was larger than the castle.  "Please ask David to not go too overboard."

         The teasing glint in Fox's eyes faded just a bit, "Afraid she'll overdo it trying to impress you?"

         "She isn't trying to impress me."

         "No, she just is really concerned about the welfare of thousands of homeless and wants to help mankind."  Fox's sarcasm was thick.  "She only had a few conditions to this contribution.  One was that you are in no way put in a position to have to hang around those disgusting humans.  Her exact words.  She also wants a metal detector for the entrances so that those disgusting humans don’t bring weapons in to harm the staff and give us bad publicity, but that really means just one staff member and we both know it.  She wouldn't really care if the rest of the staff got killed."

         Elisa stared at Fox in shock and sat down at the kitchen table.  "She said that?"

         "Yes, your girlfriend is willing to shell out a half a million dollars to make sure you are safe."  Elisa opened her mouth to tell Fox that they weren't together like that, it wasn't true… not yet, but Fox spoke before she could.  "You can't tell me there isn't something going on, there is a half a million dollars worth of something going on."

         Elisa took a deep breath.  "It's complicated with us."

         "So now you aren't denying there is something."  Fox sat down across from Elisa and her voice softened.  "I knew, I was just waiting to hear it."

         "She does such thoughtful things for me.  She gets this look on her face when she thinks I'm in trouble or upset that just screams she wants to slay all my dragons, but she never says anything."  Elisa slumped down in her chair.  She finally had someone to talk to about this.  She could have talked with Fox sooner, but she wasn't sure about Demona's feelings and didn't want to admit to anything and then find out there weren't any.  The phone call Demona had with Fox obviously indicated that there were.  Elisa's heart was pounding like it would in high school when she thought the object of her affections noticed her, only it was ten times more intense.  Her face held a happiness that wasn’t about the money that Demona was willing to spend, but about the feelings that inspired the spending of that money. 

         "You're in love."  Fox had the class to not tease Elisa at that moment. 

         "Yes."  Elisa felt a nervous flutter in her stomach at admitting that out loud. 

         "Have you told her?"  Fox's sympathy showed what a good friend Elisa had.  She felt so lucky to have a friend that didn’t think she was crazy for wanting this.

         "No, it isn't that easy with her."  Elisa sighed.  "I hint, I tease, but she needs to decide if she wants to be with a human.  We both know how she might feel about that."

         Fox gave Elisa a soft smile, "I think after that talk I had with Demona, that she may very well be willing to overlook it in your case, but the rest of humanity could crash and burn."

         Elisa smiled while staring down into her glass.  It was progress, and she didn't really expect Demona to suddenly put aside her hatred.  That hatred and distrust was well founded and it wouldn't go away, but Elisa found that she could accept that as long as Demona wasn't trying to kill off mankind, and the gargoyle didn't seem like she was thinking of doing that anytime soon. 

         "Well."  Fox's voice rose, "You put out once and you get over a half million dollars and a new car.  Really makes me wish you'd at least tried to seduce me."  Fox wiped an imaginary tear away, "I've got money too you know.  Perhaps I could buy you Canada if you rock my world."

         Elisa grinned mischievously, "Honey, you aren't immortal.  Your poor heart couldn't take my lovin'."

         "Oh,"  Fox's mouth opened as she stared in mock outrage.  "You dare mock my stamina?!  That's it, right here on the table.  I'll show you."

"Fox how many times do I have to tell you not to have sex with other people on the kitchen table.  I have to eat off of that thing."  David's deep voice was teasing and Elisa's face felt hot with her blush at having been caught teasing by someone she knew.  He winked at her while moving to the fridge for a drink.

         "Well, David if you insist on spending so much time with Owen I need to get satisfaction from somewhere."  Fox's grin was evil and Elisa found herself just watching the couple's verbal sparring.  It seemed friendly, but there was an undercurrent of true irritation in Fox's voice that made Elisa wish she wasn't there at that moment.

         "Well, I need to get ready to go."  Elisa stood up feeling very awkward and left the two lovebirds.  Hopefully Xanatos realized there was trouble in paradise before it got too bad. 

         It took hours to get a car.  Elisa found her eyes traveling to the more interesting and faster looking vehicles, but that wasn't why she was here.  When she started being able to drive Delilah around again, she wanted it to be as safe a car as possible.  That was why she was in this Volvo now.  It had a great safety record and she'd forgive its appearance if it was able to keep her baby safe.

Demona was in the car with her.  Shopping with the rich female had been an experience.  Demona put the car salesmen in their place quickly and managed to keep the negotiation tactics down as well just by her angry glare.  Even in the human form that redhead could scare humans.

Demona had more than enough money to pay their asking price, but she'd brought the price down viciously.  It was a battle of sorts and Elisa could tell Demona liked it.  She liked winning.  The amused smile on Demona's lips as they left in the new car was so cute.

         The normal relaxed way they interacted ended suddenly when they pulled into the parking lot at the Eyrie.  It was like Elisa could feel herself being shut out.  As they got out of the car it hurt to see the warrior in Demona's eyes.  She hadn't seen that in a while and didn't miss the way the gargoyle used to constantly watch her back.  It did however make it clear to Elisa how much Demona trusted Elisa with her real self as the arrogant attitude and stance of the redhead seemed to fill up the elevator on the way up.

         "Ms. Destine."  Owen just nodded to them both as they past him in the hall on the way to Elisa's rooms.  Demona glared at him and didn't say anything while Elisa opened the door.

         Once they were alone Elisa stared at the tense back of the woman she'd come to love.  This wasn't going to work.  Just being here seemed to upset Demona.  She kept her voice soft.  "Do you want to see Delilah's nursery?"  When in doubt talk about the baby.  It had worked so far.

         And it worked this time.  Some of the tension left the redhead as she followed Elisa into the room to look around.  "Elephants?" Demona asked as she glanced around at the various posters and knick-knacks Elisa had bought for the room.  Elisa had an elephant theme going on, because what kid didn't like elephants?  Elisa looked up to see a small hint of a smile on Demona's lips and found her own smile starting.

         "Hey, their elephants, what more needs to be said."

Demona walked over to the bookshelf and was glancing at the collection of Dr. Suess that Elisa had along with a few older looking books.  The redhead picked up a worn looking book and opened it up to the first page.  It had a scrawled Elisa in red crayon.  Elisa had put it there shortly after she'd learned to write her name because Derek was always taking her things.  Elisa was the oldest and was getting tired of sharing at that time.

         "We never had much in the way of toys."  Demona put the book back on the shelf.  "We had sticks we pretended were swords, but no real toys."  Demona moved to look at the view out the window of the nursery.  "We would play at battles and tag."  The sad smile on Demona's face made Elisa move closer and reach out to touch the hand resting on the window ledge.  "I was one of the fastest hatchlings, only a few of my brothers and sisters could keep up with me."  Demona let her hold her hand and sighed.  "The humans moved in when I was what you would think of as a teenager.  I watched them build this castle and then they started to act like it was their home and we weren't welcome.  We'd been living there long before them.  It was where I grew up.  They tore down the trees that I had played in as a hatchling, they dug up the ground and drove the game we relied on further away.  They completely changed everything."

         Elisa could feel the pain in Demona as she remembered old hurts.  It sounded so much like how she'd felt about Derek when he was born that it was clearly a young Demona that had felt this pain.  The humans of the castle had invaded Demona's home and changed it, and that was probably where Demona's anger started.  It all started with that and just grew.

         After some silence Demona seemed to straighten up.  "Well, we should get to work on your Latin."

         Shortly before sunset Demona went to the bathroom to change her clothes.  Elisa was getting more and more tense as the time passed.  She'd informed Goliath that Demona would be here today.  He didn't suggest guards and he'd completely understood why they made this change, but Elisa was still worried that something would go wrong.

         An hour after sunset the normal knock on the door happened even though the clan knew she had company.  Elisa almost growled her frustration as Demona tensed up and her warrior mask slide back into place.

         "Elisa."  Goliath's voice was soft when she opened the door.

         "I'm a bit busy right now."  Elisa glanced back meaningfully before looking at him. 

         "I just wanted to drop by and see how things were going."

Demona walked up behind Elisa and rested a hand on Elisa's shoulder while glaring at him.  "We are doing just fine."  Demona answered for Elisa and the tension between the two gargoyles could actually be felt in the air.

         Goliath seemed to recoil a little from whatever he saw in Demona's eyes, but Elisa couldn't see the female behind her.  "Oh, well that is fine then."  His eyes traveled to his ex, "You are welcome to visit here, but I ask that you don't walk about."

         "So I'm confined to Elisa's rooms?"  Demona's voice held a bit of a growl and Elisa reached up to place her hand over the one on her shoulder.  Goliath's eyes seemed drawn to that and he just stared.

         "Thanks for checking on us Goliath, but I have to go."  Elisa spoke quickly while apologizing with her eyes.  She closed the door when he nodded, and he looked more deflated than he had before, when Elisa had tried to nicely tell him that Demona was right in that Elisa didn't have those type of feelings for him.  He knew who really had her heart.  Elisa hadn't had to say that.

         "Did you want something to drink?"  Elisa asked softly when she turned around and Demona was still standing close to her.  The female's eyes were burning red and Elisa just wanted to diffuse her anger quickly.

A half hour later another knock on the door actually made Demona growl.  "They drop by to visit you all the time don't they?"  Demona snapped out obviously irritated with the interruptions.

         When she opened the door this time it was Brooklyn standing there, looking a little angry as he glared over Elisa's shoulder to verify that Demona was indeed in the castle.  "I heard she was here!" 

         "Brooklyn don't do this."  Elisa glared at him as his eyes started to burn.

         "It's bad enough you slept with her, but to bring her here…"

"Why you arrogant pup!" Demona's growl filled the room and Delilah started to cry.  Elisa stood in the doorway with a strong hold on the door blocking his entrance.

         "If you think you are going to start a fight with her here…" Elisa growled, angry that her hatchling was crying and his insulting attitude didn't help his cause, "I will rip you a new one."  He was acting like he used to and he might actually try to fight Demona with Delilah in the room.  Elisa glared into his eyes and bared her teeth.

"Brooklyn!"  A deep growl echoed in the hall as Goliath swept towards them.  "Leave Elisa and Demona alone! Demona is Elisa's guest and you will respect that!"

         "But she'll…"

         "ENOUGH!"  Goliath reached them and put a strong hand on Brooklyn's shoulder.  "Demona is Elisa's guest.  You will leave them alone.  That is an order."

         "I'm sorry about this."  Goliath spoke quietly, "There will be no other visitors tonight."  Elisa just nodded, but she felt shaken having to stand up to Brooklyn like that hurt.  She needed this place to be a safe place for Demona to visit and it wasn't.  She closed the door and turned to see Demona's red eyes glaring at the door while she gently rocked their child in her arms.

         "Well, I guess that could have gone worse."  Elisa sighed as she moved further into the room to caress Delilah's hair.  The hatchling had stopped crying.

         "He always was a bit of a hothead."  Demona moved to sit back down but her body was tense and the comfortable feeling between them was broken.  The rest of the night was full of meaningless talk and no real sharing or emotions.  Even the tender touches that Elisa had managed to get Demona used to didn't happen, because the gargoyle tensed up to her touch like she had in the beginning, and Elisa didn't have the heart to make Demona more tense than she obviously already was.  Demona even left before sunrise so that she could glide home and Elisa had to go to bed alone.