She drifted over him as he stared at the family tree;he was completely unaware.

'I wondered when I'd be seeing you again,child.'

Her cold hand came to a rest at the side of his neck,and still he payed no notice. She curled her fingers so her nails could dig into his skin. She clawed at the skin leaving thick bloody scratches as she dragged her hands and gouged out the soft flesh.

He still didn't noticed. He was too busy talking with his friend now.

Then she heard the voice.

''Horatio,your neck!''

Horatio shot up from his bed,eyes wide and chest rising and falling rapidly. The clock on the nightstand read 9:33. He was really late for work.

Pupils dilating and focusing as he tried to get a grip on the world around him,he then noticed he wasn't alone. There was someone standing in his room trying to get his attention.

''Dammit H,come on!'' Frank grabbed both of the redhead's shoulders and shook him brutally,trying to drive him out of his apparent day dream.

For several minutes Frank shook him until Horatio's eyes focused as he stared at him.

''...Frank...?...When did you get here...?'' ''I've been here for at least a half hour trying to wake you!''

When the Texan went silent,Horatio pressed a hand against his neck,hoping and praying that it was just a dream. His hand came away,and Frank gulped,but he remained silent.

Horatio's hand looked as though it had been doused in blood. The redhead launched up from the bed and ran to the bathroom to look in the mirror.

There they were;four thick bloody scratches that despite how deep they were,they had managed to miss his artery,though his pillows wanted to claim otherwise,the white cloth now a deep crimson. It almost looked like a bear had had gotten to him.

There was a giggle in the back of his mind.

'You remember how this works,Horatio. I know you remember.' Her grip on his mind tightened and she triggered his knees to give away.

Just as his knees gave out,Frank caught him before he hit the floor.

'No! Anything but this! Please!'

'But Horatio,dear child,we had so much fun those many years ago.'

'You made me kill Violet!'

'She was a pest.'

Horatio clutched his head in pain,the blood on his hand staining strands of hair to a deeper red. Frank watched him carefully as he held him.

Blue eyes were strangely darkening. Something had passed through them. He saw it. Horatio's eyes turned black as she robbed him of his sight and took control.

Frank was shoved back as Horatio's last instincts kicked in.

''Frank,shoot me...''

''What?!''

''JUST DO IT!''

The Texan hesitantly took his sidearm in hand. He didn't want to do this.

'Violet said he was like a wild demon...I hope she was just saying that.'

Horatio could feel himself losing to her,and there was nothing he could do.

''FRANK,PLEASE!''

Frank looked away just as he aimed his gun and pulled the trigger. The gunshot alerted neighbors and startled dogs. Sirens were blaring,both police and ambulance.

The redhead went still as the bullet settled in his side. He coughed up blood,and Frank just stared. There was a loud screech and a black entity appeared as he collapsed to the floor. He couldn't tell what the entity was,only that it was pissed.

It glared at him and snarled. Its host was unconscious. Frank returned the glare. It hovered towards him before it disappeared into thin air.

That was when he heard people storming upstairs. Natalia shoved past him to get to Horatio. She saw the blood spilling from his side and Eric nearly punched Frank.

''What the hell did you do?!''

''He told me to...''Frank answered quietly.

Natalia felt his neck for his pulse. She felt relieved when she found it,though it was barely there.

Her hands found his side where he was bleeding and she pressed her hands there,controlling the rate of blood loss. The paramedics came and lifted Horatio's seemingly lifeless body onto a stretcher. His skin was growing paler by the minute.

''Why did he tell you to shoot him?''Natalia asked Frank quietly.

''Something was wrong...I don't know how to explain it.''

''Just explain as best as you possibly can.''


Horatio's eyes drifted open and he hissed at the hospital's florescent light bulbs.

''You feeling any better?''he heard someone ask. He turned his head and saw Natalia sitting beside the bed with a concerned expression on her.

Horatio sat up and winced at the wound in his side. ''A little. What happened?''

''Frank said you told him to shoot you. He also mentioned that you were being possessed.''

The redhead sighed and buried his head in his hands. Now he remembered.

''It was Erzsébet...''Horatio stated quietly.

''Well,that aside,when Frank mentioned possession,I started looking for help.''

''And?''

''I found someone,but she's not willing to help unless she gets a home,''Natalia replied.

''A home?''

''Her name is Rain. She has no family history and her parents are both dead. No one knows how they died except her,and she won't share the tale with anyone. No one wants to adopt her because of her gift. She's a spirit walker.''

''Why would she hide so much?''

''Though she's only ten years old,Horatio,I'm sure she has her reasons. She simply said no one would believe her if she explained.''

''Did you have any luck finding her a home?''

Natalia went quiet. ''I like her. I really want to adopt her because I hate seeing children cast out of the world because of their differences...but I haven't filled out the paperwork yet,though I have received it. I'm setting up a room for her. She's kind of cute,too. She almost looks like you.'' Natalia smiled.

Horatio quirked a brow.

''She's a redhead,she's quiet...stubborn on some levels...''

''Hey,I'm not that...bad...ugh...''he started clutching his head.

'Not again,not now!'

'You know I don't give up that easily. It was just as easy to control you when you were still a boy,despite your stubborness.'

''Horatio,what's wrong?''

''She's at it again...Get me a sedative! Now!'' He thrashed on the bed,and Natalia followed his demands to the letter. To the point that she had several nurses in the room holding him down.

Horatio screeched at the sudden jab of a needle in his arm. Natalia watched his eyes as a pained expression took hold. She could hardly believe that her own boss was possessed by a spirit. His blue eyes had been hazed over and turned black again,and that was what got her.

The blue eyes that were filled with life were gone in those last moments as the sedative took over. He went still and became silent on the bed.

His skin was deathly pale,almost matching the sheets on the bed.

''Oh,Horatio...''Natalia stroked her hand softly through his hair in soothing motions. He turned towards her in his state of forced sleep.

''I hope Rain is willing to help you...''


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