On the Wings of an Angel Chapter 25: The Rescue, a disney fanfic

ON THE WINGS OF AN ANGEL

I was as eager to write this next chapter as you were to read it. Fortunately, I didn't have too much trouble writing it down. In my original draft, I was going to have Terence and Duke rescue Pinocchio in the middle of a blinding snowstorm, but somehow this river scenario works a lot better. Especially since Rhiella plays a much bigger part in the action.

Characters (with exceptions) © Disney

Story © unicorn-skydancer08

Chapter 25: The Rescue

"Terence?" said Jiminy, after watching the couple embrace and exchange endearments for some time. When neither Terence nor Rhiella made any acknowledgment, the cricket put two fingers in his mouth and let out a clear, sharp whistle, making them both jump and turn to face him.

"Ouch!" Rhiella said, rubbing one of her ears. "I never knew a cricket could whistle like that."

"What was that for, Jiminy?" Terence protested.

"Sorry," said Jiminy, "but I had to get your attention somehow." Leaping onto a nearby shelf, so that he and Terence were a little more at eye level, he went on, "Remember what I said earlier about Pinocchio, Terence?"

All at once, Terence did remember. "Yes," he said slowly. "And?"

Making a slight gesture toward the two youths, Jiminy said, "Well…this is what I meant to talk to you about."

Terence knitted his silvery brows. "What?"

"What's going on?" Rhiella asked. "What's this about Pinocchio?"

Jiminy closed his eyes for a moment and took a few breaths before he elaborated. "Terence…there's really no way to go around this, or sugar-coat this, so I'll give it to you straight. Don't take this the wrong way, but I have good reason to assume that your relationship with Miss Rhiella is the reason for Pinocchio's…er…problem."

"What?" Now Terence released his hold on Rhiella altogether, as did she with him, and stared at the cricket in utter disbelief.

"He's jealous, Terence." With a sidelong glance at Rhiella, Jiminy emphasized, "Jealous of her."

"Me?" Rhiella's eyes widened. She took a step backward. "Jealous of…me?"

Jiminy nodded solemnly. "Mm-hmm."

"I don't believe it!" Terence said incredulously. "That's—that's ridiculous!"

"Ridiculous as it may sound," Jiminy said, "I'm afraid it's the gospel truth. Pinocchio told me so himself at yesterday's outing. That would explain why he flared up the way he did."

"Oh," was all Rhiella could find to say as she put a hand to her mouth, the light of comprehension now dawning in her eyes.

Terence was dumbfounded, to say the least. For a long time, the young man struggled for words before blurting out, "I—I don't understand. Why didn't he tell me this before?"

Jiminy just looked at Terence, and Terence knew the answer straight off.

Now the youth felt the tendrils of shame and guilt begin to tangle with his shock and incredulity. Like Rhiella, he backed a little way, only he put his hand to his forehead. "Oh, no," he said, partly in a whisper, partly in a moan. "Oh, no…what have I done? Oh, Pinocchio, my poor, sweet Pinocchio." Looking toward the hall leading to Pinocchio's room, he went on, "I've got to talk to him right now, to clear up this mess, to make the biggest apology I've ever owed him."

"I'll go with you," said Rhiella softly. "Perhaps it's time, past time, that I had a little talk with him, too."

"And I'll go with you both," said Jiminy, making a spring onto Terence's shoulder, "for moral support, if nothing else."

As they made the route to Pinocchio's room, Terence tried to play out in his mind what he would tell the boy, though he really didn't know where to start. The only two things he knew he would say were an avowal of his love for Pinocchio and a plea for Pinocchio's forgiveness. He could only hope and pray that Pinocchio would forgive him.

But when they reached the bedroom, they found the door already ajar. When Rhiella nudged the door further aside, none of them saw any trace of Pinocchio. The coverlet on the bed was slightly wrinkled, and Terry lay in an unusual heap at the other end. The wind was blowing through the open window, but Terence knew there was no way Pinocchio could have made it all the way up there by himself—not that he ever attempted an actual escape through that window.

"Pinocchio!" Terence cried, looking frantically about the room.

"Pinocchio!" Rhiella echoed.

"Where are you, Pinoke?" Jiminy chimed in.

No answer.

No sign of the boy whatsoever.

Turning the other way, Terence sprinted down the hall and began to search the entire house, with Rhiella and Jiminy searching as well. Working separately but jointly, the three explored every room, looked in every imaginable hiding place.

"Pinocchio!" Rhiella called. "Pinocchio, where are you?"

"Pinocchio, answer me!" Terence wailed.

Jiminy whistled like a songbird, but to no avail.

At one point, Terence came across Figaro, who meowed and pawed nonstop at his leg. "Not now, Figaro," Terence said, until the cat said something that made the man pause and look down. "What was that?" At Figaro's incessant mewing, Terence's eyes widened. "Duke's gone, too? The back door?"

Sure enough, he found the back door swaying back and forth in the wind. Realizing Pinocchio must be out there as well, Terence hollered for Rhiella, told Jiminy and Figaro to stay in the house, and then broke into a full run, with Rhiella barely keeping up.

The wind seemed to come in all directions, running like icy whips through Terence and Rhiella's hair and clothes. As they ran, they passed by Arietta and Armando, who were resolutely pushing their way to Terence's house. When Armando and Arietta learned what their friends were doing out here, they asked no questions, but simply followed.

Perhaps it was divine intervention, but Terence felt a strange prompting to head for the river. When he made it, it was another minute or two before he spotted Pinocchio and Duke in the rush.

"PINOCCHIO!" His voice was loud and vehement enough to rise above the howl of the wind and the roar of the water.

"Terence!" Pinocchio barely had the breath to cry back.

Even from a distance, Terence could see how cold, exhausted, and frightened the kid was, and he sensed Duke wouldn't last much longer, either. "Hold on!" he hollered desperately to them both.

By then, the others had caught up with Terence. At the sight of Pinocchio, Rhiella gasped, and Armando exclaimed, "Oh, my gosh!"

"We've got to help them!" said Arietta, which was probably the most unnecessary thing she would ever say.

Terence was the first to make his way down the bank, and one by one, Armando and the girls followed. While this bank was not quite as steep as the one where Pinocchio had tumbled, they still had to take special care. Fortunately, Pinocchio and Duke were on their side of the river. Unfortunately, the boy and the dog were not exactly within arm's reach. The adults were obliged to form a human chain, with Armando at one end and Rhiella at the other, using the thick branches for support.

With Terence holding onto her, Rhiella dared to make the venture into the rushing water. The sheer coldness made her catch her breath. While she could feel the graveled bottom, she feared to make a misstep any time. Bracing herself, she waded out as far as possible and stretched her arm as far as it would go.

"Pinocchio," she shouted at the top of her voice, "take my hand!"

Pinocchio didn't need telling twice. Like her, he reached out as far as he could; it was almost a miracle his arm didn't burst from its socket.

Their fingers just barely touched.

"Duke," Terence hollered, "bring Pinocchio in!"

Though Duke's energy and concentration were fading fast, he obeyed. He managed to drag Pinocchio close enough for Rhiella to seize hold of the boy's wrist. Pinocchio grabbed her sleeve in turn, and she pulled him against her.

As Pinocchio clung to her neck for dear life, she held onto Duke's ruff; working together, Terence, Arietta, and Armando hauled them ashore.

Once everyone was out of harm's way, they collapsed into a heap. Duke was too exhausted to even bother shaking the water off. Pinocchio's whole body shook with cold and sobs, and Terence was shaking every bit as badly as he gathered the boy into his arms and held him like he had no intention of letting go. Too overcome by what had happened—what had almost happened—to speak, Terence just hugged Pinocchio until it hurt. Rhiella joined them, putting her arms around both boys. She, too, was at a loss for words; she could only convey her emotions through her body language.

Armando, the driest member of the group, pulled off his own cloak and helped to bundle Pinocchio up in it. "Come on," Armando said, "let's get out of here before we all catch our death." The wind had quieted down somewhat by then, but it was still as nippy as ever, and the wetness from the river made for a terrible combination.

Rhiella offered to carry Pinocchio to the house, and Pinocchio made no objection.

Duke proved too weak to stand, least of all walk, so Terence picked him up, big as he was. As the young man gathered the dog close, he felt a wash of love for the gallant animal, and thanked the good Lord that they'd found him to start with.