"Forevermore: A Prequel to Alone"
by Lisette: Lisette_1@lycos.com

Created on: 12/01/98

Revised on: 11/28/01

Legalese: Nothing here is of my own creation. Goliath and his crew belong to Buena Vista and Disney. In no way will a profit be made from this.

Brief summary: The prequel to Alone where the world is challenged in the name of an undying and unspoken love

Rating: PG-13 due to language and content

Forevermore: A Prequel to Alone

"Move! Move!" Elisa yelled as she pushed through the crowds, shoving at the people who were ignorant of the turmoil she was feeling. Everything was happening too fast, too damn fast.

It had been a normal night filled with the normal events of patrol -- always patrol. Suddenly, the squawk of her police scanner broke the monotony of the night. It was an order for every car to get to Central Park ASAP; a Quarryman rally had turned into a full-fledged riot when two unsuspecting gargoyles had been spotted in the night sky above. According to the bulletin, one was shot down and now both were cornered by the growing mob.

As the words had filled the empty car, Elisa's blood froze. Turning her car around, she hightailed it towards the indicated location, all the while cursing Matt for taking the night off. Soon, a single phrase began to repeat in her mind: "Please don't let me be too late.. please don't let me be too late... please don't let me be too late..."

Even as she pushed through the crowds, Elisa's fear escalated ten fold. After following the directions given by the police dispatcher, Elisa realized that she was the first on the scene. Jumping out of her car, she had raced down the twisting paths until she reached a clearing in the trees. There, she was assaulted by the sight of hundreds of New York City's citizens gathered in a tight ball, all struggling forward to try and glimpse what lay beyond. As her heart began to pound, she saw that most were yelling hateful things while a few brandished weapons. Far ahead, she saw that the group converged around a single rocky outcropping.

Now she yelled and screamed for people to move as she shoved through the mob. All her cries of police did nothing to deter the mob as she struggled ever forward. Soon, she broke free from the massive crowd and was stopped dead by a sight that choked the breath from her breast. Lying curled in a small ball against the stony outcropping of rock was Lexington, a pool of red beneath him -- he wasn't moving. Standing protectively before him was Goliath, wings stretched out imposingly while his eyes glowed a deadly white. Even worse, in front of the crowd with their backs turned towards them was a line of Quarrymen, armed with their charged hammers and a few guns -- all trained on Goliath.

"Oh, this is bad," Elisa murmured as she drew out her badge and gun.

* * * * *

Roaring out into the night, Goliath kept a wary eye on the assembled Quarrymen and the mob standing beyond. How could a night of patrol have turned so wrong? Why didn't he think to avoid Central Park on a clear night such as this?

Shaking his head, Goliath knew that he had no answers for his foolish actions. He and Lexington had been carrying out patrol as usual when a sudden roar broke through the quiet night. Startled, he and Lex had quickly turned in that direction, fearing that someone may need help, not knowing what lay ahead... not realizing that before them lay a Quarrymen rally that was about to turn deadly.

The minute that they saw the searchlights, the people gathered, and the deadly hammers that glinted in the moonlight, that knowledge had come too quickly. Acting purely on instinct, Lexington and Goliath had veered quickly -- not quickly enough. For as the loud ticks of gunfire filled the night sky, Goliath watched in horror as Lexington took a hit in his arm. Before he could react, Lex then began a quick dive down that was thankfully broken by a few trees. Turning, Goliath began to follow and landed hard on a patch of soft grass. There, he found Lexington laid out in a small heap against a large outcropping of rock. But before Goliath even had a chance to lift the young warrior into his arms in order to make a hasty retreat, they were quickly surrounded by the mob -- and such was their position now.

Each time the group started to advance a little, Goliath would quickly roar and flare out his wings to make them change their minds. Still, he knew that this hold off was only temporary, and that with the immense number of Quarrymen and the mob beyond, he would be of no match. They seemed to be waiting for a word from a superior before they would advance.. Goliath could only pray for a miracle before that word arrived.

It was then that Goliath caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning quickly, all the while maintaining his threatening pose, Goliath watched in amazement as Elisa emerged from the mob of people. Even as a faint breath of hope filled his body, realization also struck it away. Elisa, amazing as she was, was just one human amongst hundreds... there would be no salvation in her. If anything, her association and protection of them would only provide danger for herself. This was bad.. very bad.

* * * * *

What could she do? What on Earth could she possibly do to help her friends.. to save her friends?! In the end, there was really only one thing that she could do. Knowing the odds were against her but not caring, Elisa quickly dashed forward, breaking through the line of Quarrymen till she was standing in front of Goliath. "Police! Lower your weapons!" she yelled as she held her badge for all to see, all the while rotating her gun around till it focused on each member of the group in turn.

Startled, a few did as they were told while a greater number just held their weapons tighter as they sneered at her through their masks. "Gargoyle lover!" they yelled, causing the mob behind them to become even more agitated as they picked up the yell.

"Demon lover!" they screamed in response.

"I said, drop your weapons!!" Elisa yelled even louder, her eyes glittering coldly as she felt Goliath shift anxiously behind her.

* * * * *

What was she doing? How could he possibly protect her when she was standing protectively in front of him. Squeezing his eyes shut, Goliath shook his head slowly. He didn't like the current change of events -- he had a bad feeling. It was more than obvious that any control that at first stood over the mob was quickly slipping. Now, not only was Lexington and his life in serious jeopardy, but that of Elisa as well.

"Monster ally!"

"Gargoyle lover!"

"Kill the Demons!" were the screams that broke the night as the Quarrymen inched forever closer to them, always tightening the circle.

* * * * *

"Drop them!" Elisa screamed as she moved her gun around the line of Quarrymen, her finger tightening slowly.

Suddenly, a loud roar covered the sounds of the bloodthirsty mob. Turning, Elisa and Goliath pivoted their heads till they saw the cause: the miracle that they were waiting for. As three helicopter blades cut through the night air, numerous search lights pierced the darkness and focused on the mob. "This is the police! Drop your weapons and disperse now or we will be forced to take action!" a voice boomed through a loud speaker.

Hearing this, the crowd became even more panicked as they quickly turned and fled from the scene, none wanting to be caught in the event that was sure to follow. As the crowds left, the Quarrymen realized that no longer did they either have any backing or cover from the eyes of the police above. Yet without word from their superior, most were confused as to the next course of action: should they leave the battle to fight another day or do they exterminate the gargoyles and gargoyle lover now? Cursing loudly, they came to their decision as the ring of Quarrymen did the same as the confused citizens -- they scattered.

Sighing in relief, Elisa turned quickly and met the concerned eyes of Goliath. Smiling, she quickly stepped to his side and hugged him briefly, oblivious to those who were left to watch the exchange.

"Elisa, that was too dangerous," Goliath rumbled as he held the detective tightly against him, breathing in the familiar scent of her hair. "You may have been hurt.. or worse."

"Later," Elisa ordered firmly as she stepped out of his embrace and rushed to Lexington's side. Touching him gently, she was relieved when he groaned quietly and shifted away. "Thank God he's still alive," she murmured quietly.

"He was hit in the shoulder," Goliath acknowledged as he stepped closer.

Turning, Elisa quickly grabbed Goliath's hand and pulled him beside the fallen gargoyle. "Hurry, Goliath... grab Lex and get out of here!" she urged quickly.

"But what about you?" Goliath asked urgently as he lifted Lex into his arms.

"I'll be fine! Now get out of here before someone changes their mind about leaving before there's blood to be shed!" Elisa said quietly as she stepped close and gently touched Goliath's cheek, her eyes full of unspoken love.

Nodding, Goliath smiled softly as he turned away and rushed towards the granite wall.

* * * * *

From a distance away, one man dressed in the traditional Quarryman garb watched this exchange with cold, glittering eyes. "Gargoyle lover," he hissed quietly as he slowly walked forward, his eyes watching as the exotic detective followed the gargoyle's slow movements up the granite wall with love-filled eyes. In his mind she was even worse than the demon itself.. a woman who was so twisted that she dared to befriend one.. to love one not of her species.

Snarling, the man slowly lifted his handgun and pointed it at the young detective's heart. Smiling in hate, he slowly cocked the hammer of the gun. As he pulled the trigger, he watched in amazement as the detective swiveled and fired her gun at him, alerted by the sharp click of his gun cocking. Almost in tandem, the two booms of the fired guns filled the night as both fell to the ground; the man with a bloody hole marring his forehead and the woman with a hole in her heart.

* * * * *

Hearing the echo of the guns, Goliath turned quickly away from the granite wall and watched in horror as his beloved flew back from the force of the bullet and landed on the hard ground. "Elisa!" he yelled urgently as he jumped as if in slow motion and glided the short distance to the ground below. Without even thinking, still working in that same damn slow motion, Goliath lay Lex on the ground and rushed to kneel by her side. Screaming out her name once more, Goliath drew his love into his arms and cradled her there. Shaking his head in disbelief, Goliath pressed his taloned hand down firmly on the wet hole in her chest that seeped a dark red fluid -- all the while trying to avoid her blank stare.

"No," Goliath moaned as he held her limp body even closer. "No," Goliath moaned again as he slowly began rocking himself and his love. As the tears dripped down his face and as the sobs racked his body, Goliath slowly lifted one blood smeared hand and gently closed his love's unseeing brown eyes for the last time. "NOO!!" he roared suddenly as he yelled to the unforgiving sky above and as he admitted the hard truth to himself: Elisa was dead.. she was dead even before she hit the ground. His love was gone forever... even before he had a chance to tell her of that love... gone away from him forever. Never again would he hold her in his arms.. never. Her blood surrounded him.. it was everywhere.. so much blood. Her giver of life was lying in pools around him.. on his body.. on his hands.. it was even smeared by his hands across her beautiful face.

"NO!!" Goliath roared, the pain of his loss cutting him like a knife.

"Over here! Over here!" someone yelled off in the distance.

People were coming.. he had to leave... had to get Lexington out of there. But he couldn't leave her there.. not his love with these strangers. Yet he couldn't carry both her and Lexington.. and Lex could die if he didn't get medical attention soon. Shaking his head, Goliath bit his lip at his burning tears. Fighting the pain that cut his chest and made it so hard to breath, Goliath gently laid his love back on the cold, unforgiving earth. Bending low, he brushed his lips over her cooling skin -- his last kiss -- before turning away and scooping Lex into his arms once again. Without looking back, Goliath then climbed the rock cropping and jumped out into the dark night sky.

As he caught the drafts that would take him home, three images flashed in his mind's eye: Elisa with the moon shining down upon her in all her radiance, murmuring devotions of love; of the way Elisa had jumped so boldly before the Quarrymen in order to protect him -- putting her life on the line; and then of Elisa lying so still on the ground, her raven hair flowered out beneath her in the bright moonlight as a stain of dark red spread over her jacket and as a pool of the liquid formed beneath her. His love was dead forevermore. Forevermore.