Chapter 9

November 1, 2006

After Halloween, it seemed that life had returned to normal. Gone were the manifestations that had plagued the lab and it felt like the spirits had gone home until another time at least.

Horatio stood outside the crime lab awaiting Belladonna to arrive in a cab. A few minutes ago she had called and asked to meet with him if he wasn't terribly busy and he accepted wholeheartedly. When the cab did arrive and she got out a smile broke out onto his face and she did likewise. Today she looked well and happy, dressed in a rust colored camisole and chocolate colored skirt and her usual pentacle necklace.

She hugged him and he hugged back. "Thanks for meeting with me," she said.

"No problem," he replied. "What's going on?"

Belladonna's smile faded a little. "I'll be leaving for Georgia tomorrow," she said. At Horatio's look of surprise she continued. "It's only for three weeks, Horatio, I promise. My parents saw me all over the news yesterday and they called me, telling me how worried they were. It's only a visit to tell them I'm OK."

"So long as you come back," said Horatio. "Miami won't be the same without you."

She smiled again. "And Georgia's going to be pretty dull without you," she said. She took off one of her rings and placed it gently in his hand. "Could you hold onto that for me while I'm gone? Just until I get back?"

Horatio glanced at the ring then back up at her. "Of course I will," he said.

"Good." The cab driver honked the horn and Belladonna glanced back over her shoulder for a second then back at Horatio. "Guess I better get back home," she said.

They embraced again and once more Horatio felt the soft touch of her lips on his cheek. "I'll see you in three weeks," she whispered.

Three weeks seemed a long time and as Horatio watched her pull away from him that feeling made his heart sink. Not this again, he thought. Anything but this…

Belladonna paused at the cab door and looked back at him. For a moment their eyes stayed clued onto each other and in a heartbeat she was back in his arms and they were sharing one final kiss. When she pulled back a second time her eyes were moist and she whispered, "I'll return to you, I promise. I love you."

"I love you too."

With one last kiss she went back to the cab and, with one final gaze, climbed into it and shut the door.

As the cab drove away, Horatio looked down at the ring she had given him for remembrance. It was sterling silver and a heart-shaped garnet stone sparkled up at him. Inscribed around the inside of the ring were these words:

When you wear this…remember me.

Oh, yes. He most certainly would do that.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Three weeks went by slowly but eventually Belladonna returned, just like she promised.

Having coffee at the local coffee shop, Horatio quizzed her about her family and she reported that all of them were doing well. "My stepmother said that she

wanted to meet the man who saved my life," she said smiling. "I told her to hop on over here. She would have none of it…she hates palm trees."

"Are you here to stay?" asked Horatio. She smiled back at him and reached over to take his hand.

"Yes," she said. "I'm here to stay."

As Horatio watched her as she put the ring that he kept safe for her back on her finger, he wondered where this relationship was going to go. He and Belladonna had been going steady for while and he could help but question if there would be wedding bells for them in the future.

With relationships like this one, he thought, anything can happen. He didn't know who to thank for giving him this second chance at loving someone, the Goddess, the spirits, or the universe itself. But one thing he did know: here was a woman who loved him, and love, as everyone knows, is worth everything.

End