I'd like to take a moment and apologize for being possibly the worst writer when it comes to updating my stories. Life gets in the way and I never seem to have time anymore to update.
So to make up for it I decided to post this short Christmas inspired story. It might not be as well written as some of my others and the chapters are really short, but I literally wrote this entire story yesterday, proof read it and did some editing today, and now I think it's ready for the world to view it. This story is inspired by one of my favorite Christmas movies "It's a Wonderful Life," as you can probably guess by the title. It features Horatio and his daughter and her family, Ryan and Oliver Wolfe, along with a new friend for everyone to love. This story does coincide with my main series, but doesn't have an effect on the actual storyline.
It's a Wonderful Life
Chapter One
Horatio ducked behind the hood of his Hummer as more shots were fired in his direction. When he heard a brief pause in the pinging sound of the bullets hitting the steel frame he just barely looked above the hood, fired several times, and ducked back down into safety. Then the firing ceased all together. He slowly looked around the Hummer to see the three men that were firing at them laying on the ground, wounded or dead, he wasn't quite sure. Horatio didn't see his daughter at first, but the sight of his son-in-law running across the construction site told him something wasn't right.
Horatio rushed after Ryan to where he could now see his daughter crumpled on the ground, blood pouring from her side. Jessica gasped for air and clenched her hands tightly on the spot on her ribcage. Blood poured from her mouth as she looked up at her father. There was something in her eyes she was trying to tell him, but Horatio just couldn't read the words on her face properly.
Horatio waited as patiently as he could on the couch in the hospital. He watched Ryan pace from one end of the room to the other. He chewed at his nails and was practically tearing his hair out. Horatio understood how he felt, he wanted nothing more then to do the exact same thing, but he had to stay strong, for all three of them.
Calleigh walked into the waiting room and silently hugged Ryan and then Horatio.
"Someone just called and said Alexx finally has the slug out of Jessica's shoulder blade," she said as means of explanation.
"You're here to retrieve the evidence," Horatio said, his voice hoarse after not speaking for so many hours.
"Yes, we finished the scene about an hour ago. We've just been waiting on Jessica's clothes and the bullet."
"What about the others?" Horatio inquired.
"One dead, one in serious condition," Calleigh answered.
"What about the third?"
Calleigh was about to answer when the door leading to the operating wing opened and Alexx walked out.
"I was hoping you were already here," she said, handing the large paper bag and a manila envelope to her. She held out a small glass jar and Calleigh accepted it as if it were a delicate flower. She held it up and watched the bullet roll around inside.
"Nine millimeter," she said mostly to herself.
"What were the suspects using?" Ryan asked.
"One had a .45, the other a .38."
"What about the third man?" Horatio asked for the second time.
Calleigh and Ryan just stared at Horatio as if he had just spoken the most absurd thing ever.
"What?" Horatio asked.
"Horatio, there wasn't a third man there," Ryan answered. "There was only two."
"No, there was three," Horatio retorted. "I remember. I shot at the third one."
"What color shirt was he wearing?" Ryan inquired.
Horatio looked at Ryan carefully, a suspicious look on the younger man's face. "Green," he finally said.
"Calleigh," Ryan said, gesturing to the envelope Alexx had handed her.
Calleigh slid out several eight-by-ten pictures the hospital had taken and developed of Jessica when she arrived. The top one was of several people working to remove her clothing. The photographer didn't have the space or time to carefully document each wound, but it was clear as day Jessica was wearing a green shirt.
Horatio felt his blood suddenly run cold and his heart stop. He looked up at Ryan. The younger man was staring back with a burning hatred in his eyes.
Horatio paced the ballistics lab, watching Calleigh test fire.
"You know you shouldn't be here," she said as she retrieve the slug and walked over to the comparison microscope.
"I know as an investigator I shouldn't," Horatio mumbled, "but as a father I have to be."
Calleigh attached the slug to the magnetic mount and peered down the scope. Eric walked in and just looked from her to Horatio. Calleigh looked up at him and motioned him over.
"I want a second opinion," she said.
"On what?" Eric asked.
"Just compare these and tell me what you think."
Eric looked into the eyepieces and adjusted the focus. He examined the slugs for a few minutes and then looked back at Calleigh. "The recovered slug is damaged pretty badly, but there's enough detail I'd call it a match."
"Alright," Calleigh whispered.
"Is this the slug Alexx removed from Jessica?" Eric inquired, looking down the scope again.
"Yes," Calleigh said again in the same small voice.
"Slipped between her ribs, tore through a lung, and crashed into her shoulder blade from what I hear," Eric commented. He placed his hands palms down and leaned into them, stretching his back. "So which bad guy shot Jessie Bug?"
Calleigh was silent for a moment. She blinked several times, as if she were about to cry.
"Calleigh?" Eric whispered walking towards her.
"The test fired slug came from Horatio's department issued Glock."
Eric looked at her for a moment, not completely understanding what she was saying. "Calleigh?" he repeated.
"Horatio," Calleigh whispered. "Horatio shot Jessica."
Ryan barely glared at Horatio as he walked into the hospital room. The younger man was holding Jessica's hand as she laid in the bed covered with wires and tubes. Her eyes barely opened and she almost managed a smile for him as he sat in a chair across from Ryan.
"Hey Daddy," she whispered.
"You shouldn't speak, Jessie," Ryan snapped. "Alexx said you need to rest."
"I can talk to my father if I want," Jessica weakly retorted at him. "It's not like I'm running a marathon or anything."
"You need to rest your lungs. One was severally damaged today. Don't waste what little air you can breathe."
"God damn it, Ryan!" Horatio suddenly snapped, standing from his chair with enough force to knock it over. "It's not like I shot her on purpose!"
"But how the hell could you not notice?!" Ryan yelled back, rounding the end of the bed and walking towards him.
"There was a lot going on! I made a mistake!"
"A mistake that could result in the death of my wife!"
"She's my daughter, too!"
"Yeah? Well what kind of father shoots his own daughter?!"
Horatio felt the anger burn deep within him. He was standing toe-to-toe with Ryan. The other man was close enough for Horatio to feel his breath on his face.
The fight that was sure to happen was interrupted by a loud beeping sound. They both turned to see Jessica convulsing on the bed, her eyes rolled into the back of her head and blood pouring from her mouth and nose. Nurses and doctors rushed into the room. They pushed both men out of the way and somehow Horatio was shoved into the hall. The door slammed shut and he was locked out. Horatio grabbed the doorknob and tried to get back into the room. He pounded on the door and called out to anyone who would listen. Finally the door opened and Jessica's bed was rushed into the hall and out of sight. Horatio stood there for a moment and just stared at the set of doors that clanked shut after the parade. He looked back at Jessica's room just in time to watch Ryan slam the door in his face. Horatio collected his thoughts and finally left the hospital.
Horatio was distracted as he drove his Jeep down the highway. He wasn't sure where he was going and he didn't really care. He just needed to get away for a few hours before he went back to the hospital to check on his daughter's condition. He stared off into the distance and watched what few other cars there were pass him by. He sighed and leaned into the headrest of the seat.
"Dear Lord," he whispered, "help me. I've made a terrible mistake. I can't loose my baby girl. My children are all I have left in this life. I don't care about loosing my job or integrity or respect from my coworkers because of this mistake. Miami Dade could fire me for all I care. I've already been placed on administrative review. I'll pick up my last paycheck and leave forever if it saves my daughter. I can't live without her. I need my baby, Lord. Please God, send me a sign that she'll be alright. I just need to know my little Bug's going to make it."
The Jeep continued to roll down the street. Nothing seemed to change and Horatio sighed again.
"Maybe everyone's life would have been better if I'd never been born," he whispered to himself.
Suddenly a body struck the front of his Jeep and smashed into the windshield. Horatio screamed and slammed on the brakes. His tires screeched and his entire car veered to the left. He crossed the median and entered traffic going the opposite direction. He pulled hard on the wheel and the car spun. He lost control again briefly and the passenger side smashed into the guard rail. Finally the SUV came to a rest, the engine hissing and clanking as steam rolled out from beneath the hood.
Horatio groaned and closed his eyes against the pain. After a minute the pain began to subside. His door seemed to open on its own and Horatio slowly climbed from the Jeep. He walked around to the front end. The grill was smashed in and the windshield shattered. The entire passenger side had nearly been ripped from the car. Part of the engine was now hanging in the road. There was no doubt in his mind that his car was totaled.
Horatio looked back in the direction he thought he had come. He followed the skid marks across the road and over the median and back where they started. He stood in the middle of the highway and stared at the spot where he was sure he had hit someone or something.
"Looking for me?" a voice said behind him. Horatio turned to find a man not much shorter then him wearing jeans, a gray t-shirt, and red plaid flannel shirt looking back at him. He head was shaved and shined in the Miami sun. His warm brown eyes seemed to twinkle with a light of their own. He had a scruff on his cheeks and a goatee around his mouth. He scratched his chin with short nails on hands that clearly belonged to a labored worker. He wasn't much older then his daughter. "My name's Jason and I'm here to help you, Horatio."
Horatio just stared at him, unable to comprehend what was going on. "How…what…who…but I…" he stuttered, trying to figure everything out.
"Breathe, you'll be just fine."
"What the fuck!" Horatio exclaimed, suddenly finding his voice again. "I just hit you with my god damn car! How are you standing here talking to me?"
"Careful, Horatio, the big guy doesn't like it when people take his name in vain," the man said with a smile.
"The big guy?" Horatio repeated, still fuming with confusion.
"Yeah, you know, the Big Guy. The man upstairs, the Almighty, the Father, God."
"What?"
"God, Horatio. God sent me to help you."
Horatio couldn't help but scoff and laugh. "You expect me to believe you were sent by God. To help me. Are you crazy?"
"Nope, just doing my job."
"So what, you're an angel?"
"Exactly, now you've got the right idea."
Horatio just stared at him. "You expect me to believe you're an angel, sent by God to help me. I must have hit you harder then I thought."
"You did, but it didn't hurt since, you know, I'm dead anyways."
"Then how did I hit you with my car? If you're an angel shouldn't you have been able to just fly out of the way?"
"I haven't got my wings yet. That's why I'm here. I've been sent to Earth to show you what your purpose in life is and earn my wings."
"You don't have wings?"
"Nope, that's why I fell onto your car."
Horatio laughed and shook his head. "Alright, that's it, I'm calling the cops."
"Go right ahead, if you can."
Horatio eyed him suspiciously and Jason just smiled at him. He reached into his pockets but his phone and wallet were gone. "Where's my phone?" he snapped at the mysterious other man.
"You mean this thing?" Jason asked, holding Horatio's phone. "Won't do you any good now, even if it was yours. Screen's scattered and the battery actually broke in half under the impact of the steering wheel crashing into your lap. It also broke your left femur."
Horatio looked at him dumbfounded and then down at his legs. Everything looked perfectly intact. "What the hell are you talking about? I'm just fine."
"Oh you are, but that guy over there," Jason said looking over his shoulder, "Well, he's not doing so hot."
Horatio leaned to the right and stared across the road. He couldn't help but yell from shock at the sight of his blood covered and mangled body laying in the road next to his Jeep. He quickly ran across the highway and dropped to his knees next to himself. He touched his neck and chest and was met by silence.
"Am I dead?" he whispered.
"Not yet," Jason answered, suddenly next to him. "Of course you can't die if you haven't been born."
Horatio slowly stood and looked into his brown eyes. "What are you playing at? What kind of psycho has my mind generated while I clearly lie here unconscious?"
"I told you," Jason said with a smile, clearly not offended. "I'm not a psycho, I'm an angel."
"Fine, you're an angel, prove it to me."
"Ok, why haven't we seen any other cars?"
Horatio quickly turned in circles, looking around the suddenly deserted highway. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. Rush hour hadn't started yet but traffic should have been fairly steady.
"That doesn't prove anything," Horatio quickly answered.
"Alright, then where did your car go?"
Horatio spun around and looked at the place his car previously had been sitting. Everything was gone; the car, the skid marks, even his body.
"What kind of joke is this?" he hissed at Jason.
"I don't know why you're getting so defensive, Horatio, I'm only here to help prove a point."
"And what point is that? How do I know I can trust you?"
"How did I know your name without you telling it to me?"
Horatio was shocked into silence. He eyed the man other carefully, trying not to show how surprised he truly was.
"Where did all your injuries go?" Jason whispered.
Horatio touched his face. Blood had been running down his face when he climbed from the car just minutes ago. He hadn't seen his face yet, but he knew something had to be damaged to cause blood to pour from his skin like it had been. He looked at Jason again and suddenly felt maybe the younger man was telling the truth after all.
"What are you trying to tell me?" he quietly asked.
"I've been sent here to help you realize all the good you've done in the world," Jason answered with that same smile.
"What do you mean?"
"Just before the accident you said, and I quote, 'Maybe everyone's life would have been better if I'd never been born.' I'm here to shown you all the good you've done in everyone's lives. You're having a midlife crisis. You're upset about shooting your daughter and you need to be reminded why you were sent into this world. I'm here to help. I'm your guide through the life you almost didn't live."
Horatio continued to just stare at him, still unable to comprehend what he was saying, yet still believing him.
"Here, take my hand," Jason said, holding out a callous covered hand.
"Why?" Horatio quickly asked.
"Because I have somewhere to take you."
Horatio hesitated for a moment and then slowly reached toward Jason's hand. Jason smiled at him as his palm came to rest in his own. Then there was a sudden flash of light and the world went black for a moment.