ON THE WINGS OF AN ANGEL

Wowsers, these last two or three updates have come lightning-fast. Somehow, I knew just what to write. Like I keep on saying, some days are better for writing than others.

I'd mentioned earlier that chapter 7 was my most favorite, but now I take that back. This chapter is my all-time favorite. Read on, mates, and you'll see what I mean.

Characters (with exceptions) © Disney

Story © unicorn-skydancer08

All rights reserved.

Chapter 10: Unexpected Reunion

Terence took his cloak with him as he went out, for there was a bit of a chill in the air. Though the day was clear and sunny in the morning and most of the afternoon, gray clouds now blanketed the sky, and rain looked likely. Terence didn't mind; the gray clouds suited his mood perfectly.

Ever since Pinocchio had told him about Rhiella, he found himself floundering in a sea of confusion and despair. While Pinocchio was unable to sleep these last few days due to relentless dreams of Fabrizio, his lack of sleep came from relentless dreams of his former love. Even now, he could still see her beautiful face, hear her sweet voice, and unless his nose was deceiving him, he would swear he'd caught the faintest whiff of her perfume.

The idea of Rhiella roaming this country was absurd, bordering on downright preposterous. The odds of that happening were about a million to one.

But if what Pinocchio had said was true, and the girl really was here, what was she doing here?

Where was she now, and how would Terence get her back, assuming that was even possible? Even after all this time, he remembered all too well his last encounter with her; it had not been a pleasant one. He'd never expected to see her again, and he knew he could never love another girl in the same way.

If Rhiella was here, did that mean she still wanted him? But she hadn't been with Pinocchio when he found the boy. Maybe the rift wasn't yet healed, or maybe she was just plain scared. After all, Pinocchio would surely have told her about him, and if Rhiella was anywhere near as shocked to hear of Terence's presence in this country as Terence was to hear of hers, she must have been truly shaken.

So intent was Terence on his thoughts that he paid no attention to where he was walking, and he ended up colliding with someone else. He and the other person simultaneously cried out as they staggered. Terence was able to catch himself in midair, but the other person fell entirely to the ground.

When Terence recovered his balance and got a good look at his companion, he saw it was a woman. She wore a cloak much like his own, only it was rich blue instead of black. As her head was down and her hood was up, it was impossible to tell who she was.

At once Terence dropped to one knee beside her, asking anxiously, "Are you all right?"

"Yes," she answered in a low voice.

"I'm very sorry, miss," he said contritely. "Please forgive me. I—I didn't realize you were there. Are you sure you're all right? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," the mysterious woman said, lifting her head ever so slightly, but not enough for Terence to have a proper view of her face.

"Forgive me," he begged again. "I truly beg your pardon." When the woman would say nothing more, he studied her more closely. "Do I know you? You seem strangely familiar."

Now the woman did lift her head to his, revealing a face of uncommon beauty, the very one that had hunted Terence and haunted him all this time.

"I should hope so," she said.

Terence gasped. His eyes widened to several times their size, and he was quite sure his heart stopped beating on the spot. His face was as white as his hair and goatee.

For a long moment, he couldn't speak. When at last he regained his voice, he could only say in a hushed whisper, "Rhiella?"

She drew back her hood, letting it fall to her shoulders. "Yes, Terence," she said, also speaking in a whisper. "It's me."

Terence was sure he must be dreaming. He stared at the beautiful woman before him for another long time, hardly daring to so much as blink.

There were at least a thousand things he wanted to say, but the only logical words that left his tongue were, "By all the stars above!"

"Terence," said Rhiella, her voice thickening, tears pooling up in her green eyes. "Oh, my Terence."

She reached out for him and clung to him, weeping.

That was when the spell broke, and Terence swept his dear love into his arms and hugged her as hard as he could without crushing her to pieces.

"Oh, Rhiella!" he sobbed, tears gushing from him like water that found a leak in a dam. "Oh, my sweet one…my sweet one!"

He held her closer, were such a thing possible, and his tears mingled with hers; it was impossible to tell whose tears were whose. He buried his face and hands in her glorious brown mane, while she fondled his own luminous hair and the nape of his neck. Both of them were shaking all over with their sobs, and all rational thought eluded them. The rest of the world seemed to melt away.

It was unknown how long they held onto one another like that, but when they drew apart in the end, Terence promptly locked his lips with Rhiella's in a coveted kiss. The kiss was the nectar of life, and he kissed her again. He did so again, and again, until they were both quite gasping for breath. When he got some hold of himself, he gazed raptly into his beloved's streaming eyes and cried, "Oh, Rhiella, my darling—I just can't believe it's you! I never thought I'd see you again."

Rhiella touched Terence's wet cheek, as if to assure herself that he was made of genuine flesh. He immediately covered her hand with his own and turned his head enough to kiss the inside of her palm.

"How did you get here?" he asked her. "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you," she said simply.

"Looking for me?" Terence's heart fairly leaped into his throat. "All this time?"

"I must have searched in a thousand places—but I never would have expected to run into you here." Rhiella continued to cup Terence's face; not that she could have removed her hand anyway, since Terence kept it pressed into place. Tears continued to slide steadily down their skin, and their hearts swelled to bursting.

This was like a dream; it surely was too good to be true.

"Oh, my love," Terence choked out at length. "I've missed you so much."

"And I you, my heart."

"You can't even begin to imagine how glad I am to see you, how grateful. This is an answer to my prayers." Kissing her hand once more, Terence entreated, "Swear to me you'll never leave me."

"Only if you swear to never leave me."

"I swear it on my life." Terence leaned in closer, until their foreheads touched. He brushed his thumb along Rhiella's jawline with a feather's lightness, making her shiver. "I have so much to tell you," he told her, "so many questions to ask."

"As do I for you."

At that time, an ominous rumble of thunder sounded, and several large, ice-cold drops began to fall.

Terence stood, bringing Rhiella to her feet at the same time. "Come with me," he said. "There's a cottage close by, where I've been staying. We can talk there."

"If you have half as much to tell me as I have to tell you," Rhiella said, shaking her head bemusedly, "we're going to have a very long talk indeed."

Terence smiled, feeling strangely lighter and warmer despite the brisk wind and the icy raindrops that pelted him. "We have all the time in the world, my darling."