H: A Time for Healing

Chapter 1

Horatio stopped in the foyer of the church. A shaft of late afternoon sunlight shone onto the cool stone interior like a spotlight, illuminating the woman in white. She was nervously moving the bouquet of trailing vines and red roses from one hand to the other as an elderly woman adjusted the cathedral length train of her white gown, tut-tutting as she fussed to gather the shimmering satin and lace, arranging it just so behind the bride.

Tilting his head to one side, Horatio found himself smiling. It was an unfamiliar action these days, he reflected sadly.

"You look beautiful, Jennifer," he said softly, walking toward her slowly. The young woman turned toward him, a wide smile on her face.

"Horatio! I … I'm so nervous. It means so much for you to walk me down the aisle." Offering her his arm as the notes of the Wedding March began to sound from the church, he murmured,

"I'm honored to do it, Jennifer. Ready?" he asked her with an encouraging smile.

Taking a deep breath, Jennifer nodded, and slowly they began the long walk down the red carpet toward the altar, and the man in her life that would take over the duty of watching over this young woman. Not that he had minded, Horatio thought to himself later, watching from the first pew as the two young people said their vows and exchanged rings. His history with Jennifer went back a long way, to his days as a New York City detective. And she had been part of the reason he had settled in Miami shortly afterward. A slim brown hand touched his lightly and he looked at the attractive woman beside him.

"Are you OK?" she whispered softly, her brown eyes dark with concern.

The barely perceptible nod of his head was her answer and though he saw the doubt in her eyes, she nodded herself that she understood and turned her attention back to the couple lighting the unity candle at the altar.

Horatio was about to slip outside the small reception when Alexx spotted him and came hurrying over.

"Horatio! I was looking for you! This is a perfect place for a wedding reception. It was so generous of you to do this for this for her." Her eyes were sympathetic. "How are you holding up?" she asked shrewdly, her brown eyes sliding over his tired face.

"It was the least that I could do, Alexx," he said. "And, I'm fine," Horatio's voice was mild, but she sensed the tiredness behind it. Blue eyes met brown in a battle of wills, and Horatio was the first to look away.

"You look tired Horatio. I can stay longer, if you need me."

"No, Alexx, but thank you for being here. I … It was good to have you here," he said simply, words failing him. His former ME and longtime friend, nodded understandingly. "All you have to do is ask, Horatio. I'll always be here for you." She hugged him affectionately.

"Thank you friend," he murmured returning the embrace.

Pushing her ash blonde hair behind her ear, Jo whistled and waited to hear an answering bark from her two four-legged companions. Standing at the top of the embankment, she held her breath, straining her eyes to see the two dark shapes down on the sand below. Impatiently she whistled again, all her attention on the sand some 10 feet down from where she stood. At last she heard Jezzie's deep bark of concern, but there was no indication that the rowdy 9-month-old mixed breed puppy Roxie was with her. With a sigh, Jo scrambled down the wet grass, her hand going into the pocket of her hooded sweatshirt. As her fingers closed around the six or so doggie biscuits, she pushed aside thoughts of the creepy crawly things that could be lurking in the dark grass.

Horatio heaved a sigh of relief as he got into his car. 'The night was over', he thought to himself, pushing his hand through his hair. Though he felt emotionally exhausted from the events of the day, the last thing he wanted to do was return to the empty house. Though he and Marisol had barely had a chance to call it home, the short amount of time they had shared there had been wonderful and now, without her, it was nothing but a lonely shell. Even Kyle had noticed his father's melancholy and asked why Horatio didn't sell it and find a new place, one without the memories. Sighing and putting the car into drive, he slowly left the parking lot, wondering if his son was right.

Love of mine, someday you will die,

But I'll be close behind,

I'll follow you into the dark,

No blinding light, or tunnels to gates of white

Just our hands clasped so tight

Waiting for the hint of a spark

The eerily glowing numbers on the dash read 11:46. The acoustic guitar and voice echoed from the speakers in the car, the plaintive melody and melancholy words seemingly at one with the heavy mist beginning to settle in and Horatio flipped on the windshield wipers as he waited at a stoplight. A movement caught his eye off to his left and he glanced toward the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street. He thought he saw the shape of a person fall head first down the embankment that led down to the beach. Habit took over and he drove quickly over and parked on the wrong side of the street, his hand reaching for the weapon he always carried on his person.

Getting out of the car, he glanced up and down the empty street, wondering if his eyes had deceived him. The heavy mist was soaking slowly through his suit and he felt its wetness against his face. Quickly, he turned and headed for the spot where he had seen the shadow tumble over. Peering down, he imagined he saw something running on the sand, but it was too low to the ground to be a person. Probably a deer or someone's stray dog, he thought, squinting into the darkness. Just as he was about to turn back towards his car, his eyes caught another movement, this time accompanied by a shrill whistle. Straining his eyes, he tried to make out who or what was down there.

Jo whistled again, her ears alert for some sign that Jezzie and Roxie were nearby. The heavy mist was soaking through her sweatshirt, causing it to cling uncomfortably to her bare skin beneath. Swiping at the wet bangs that were sticking to her forehead and catching in her eyelashes, Jo let out a yelp of fright as she stubbed her toe on something in the sand.

"Jezzie where ARE you?" she called out, then let out a sigh of relief. From the darkness to her left she heard the jingling of the big dogs' tags. As the sound grew nearer, Jo put her hands out, using them to locate the dog in the thick darkness as Jezabel hurtled up beside her.

"Hey you," Jo's voice was reproving. "You were NOT supposed to run off. And you've been in the water," she groaned as the soaking wet animal pressed herself against Jo's denim clad thigh. "Ugh! Jezzie, you know better than that!" she scolded softly, her fingers locating the ring on the dogs collar and quickly clipping the leash to it. "One down, one to go. Roxie! Where are you? Roxie!"

Horatio had made it down the slippery embankment, but he suspected his dress shoes were ruined beyond repair. The small, but powerful flashlight he held lit up the empty beach.

"Hello?" he called out, waiting a moment for an answer to indicate the direction he needed to move in.

"Roxie? Come here girl!" Carefully, Jo stepped hesitantly forward, Jezabel's leash firmly in her hand. "I have cookie bones, Roxie. Come here girl." Jo had seen the light appear some yards ahead of her and she hesitated, considering her options. Her sister's reminder that "Miami wasn't Minneapolis" rang in her ears, causing the hair to stand up on the back of her neck when she heard the voice calling out in the darkness again. The bobbing light was coming closer.

"So, Jezabel, what do you think? Can we trust this guy?" The big black shepherd looked toward the light, her large ears turning this way, then that as she listened carefully. Then she sat down beside Jo, her eyes never leaving the steadily approaching light. Shivering, partly from the fear that was beginning to set in and partly from the dampness that was chilling her to the bone, Jo tried to scan the murky blackness for some sign of her wayward puppy. Was that a splash she just heard? Jo held her breath, her situation forgotten for the moment. There it was again!

"Ma'am, you shouldn't be out here!" The husky voice nearby startled her. Jo glanced toward it quickly, the raspy timbrer of it sending little shivers down her spine. The splashes were louder now and without thinking, Jo held out Jezzies' leash to the tall stranger with the flashlight.

"That's Roxie! Hold this for me . Be right back." Horatio found himself with a leash in his hand as the woman disappeared out of his light and toward the water. A large, wet mass pressed into his legs, taking him by surprise. His flashlight revealed a pair of golden eyes staring calmly up at him.

TBC