ON THE WINGS OF AN ANGEL

Hey and howdy, folks. Don't worry, I'm still alive, as are my stories. School has just resumed again; it's only been two days, and already things are on a roll. You really need to learn to stay on your toes. But I managed to squeeze in some time for a fresh new chapter. Please be sure to send me feedback. As always, reviews keep both me and my stories going.

By the way, two of my classes are writing classes. While I already know how to write quite well, a little extra education never goes amiss. If you're considering college, take my advice and go for it.

Characters (with exceptions) © Disney

Story © unicorn-skydancer08

All rights reserved.

Chapter 11: Reacquainted Acquaintances

Though the cottage wasn't too far, and though Terence and Rhiella ran the whole way, the rain decided to come down in a sudden cataract, so that by the time the young man and woman reached their destination, they were both soaked through and through. Terence allowed Rhiella to go in first, then he quickly slipped inside himself. After making sure the lock was secure, he sighed and swept his dripping bangs out of his face while Rhiella wrung out her long hair.

"Goodness," Rhiella said, "what a storm."

"It certainly is," Terence replied. He hadn't seen a storm like this since the night he discovered Pinocchio in an abandoned alley.

He must have been gone longer than he'd thought, for Pinocchio ran up to him just then, looking enormously relieved. "Terence!" he cried. "There you are!"

With a start, Terence realized it was already a good half-hour past suppertime.

"Oh, Pinocchio, I'm sorry," he never hesitated to say as he knelt before the boy and they hugged, despite how wet he was. "I'm sorry—I didn't mean to forget about you!"

"I was so worried," Pinocchio confessed. "I thought something might have happened to you."

"I'm so sorry." Terence apologized at least six or seven more times before he finally stood up again and Pinocchio noticed Rhiella for the first time.

You can well imagine the boy was considerably surprised to see her, as was she to see him.

Terence could tell right away from their faces and their stunned silence that they were both acquainted with one another. "I see you've met before," he said, with a hint of a smile.

Neither Pinocchio nor Rhiella could speak for some time. When they finally found their tongues, Pinocchio ended up being the one to speak first, and he kept his eyes on his Mary Jane shoes as he said shyly, "Hello, Miss Rhiella."

"Hello, Pinocchio," Rhiella replied softly. "Fancy running into you again."

After another long, awkward silence, Terence suggested, "Why don't you go change out of those wet things, Rhiella? There's a trunk of fresh clothes in the room down the hall and to the left. I'm afraid we don't have any dresses."

He laughed weakly at his own weak joke.

Rhiella just said, "Anything that's dry and comfortable suits me fine." So saying, she disappeared down the hall.

Terence would have very much liked to change himself, but he needed to get supper going, and he figured the clothes would dry soon enough on their own anyway. Quickly, the young man set to work in the kitchen. Since soup was the easiest, fastest thing to make, that was what he threw together. As he imagined Rhiella would be joining them that evening, he made sure to prepare additional food. In no time, the wonderful, mouth-watering aromas of hot soup and fresh bread filled the house.

While Terence was working, Jiminy came to speak to him. The cricket's tone was a trifle sharp as he said, "What in heaven's name kept you, Terence? Poor Pinoke was scared half out of his mind!"

"I'm sorry," said Terence meekly. "I guess I wandered a little farther than I meant to…and I bumped into someone along the way, quite literally."

Jiminy shook his head. "I'm surprised that you, of all people, would leave Pinocchio hanging like that."

"I said I was sorry, Jiminy. You know I would never leave Pinocchio alone on purpose."

"Well, the fact is you did leave him alone, Terence. Who knows what would have happened to him had I not been with him?"

Terence sighed. "Jiminy, please…I don't want to argue with you. I'm just sorry, okay?"

Jiminy said no more, but he shot one last disapproving glare at Terence before hopping away. When Pinocchio appeared at his side a little later, Terence paused for a moment to ask the boy, "You understand, don't you, Pinocchio?"

"Understand what?" Pinocchio looked at him curiously.

"You understand that I never truly intended to leave you alone today."

"I guess so," was all the child could think of to say, though he wasn't so sure.

"I only went out to get a bit of fresh air, to try to take my mind off things. I wasn't planning to be away for so long. I certainly wasn't planning to run into Rhiella."

"Is it really her, Terence?"

Now Terence smiled as he answered, "Indeed, it is. The one and only."

"She is very beautiful," Pinocchio admitted shyly.

"The most beautiful woman in the whole world," said Terence softly, his voice emanating a special warmth, "in my humble opinion. She is beautiful inside as well as out. I can't believe I've found her again. I simply can't believe it."

"Is she going to stay with us for dinner?"

"Well, at the moment, she's not going anywhere," Terence said, noting the storm blowing outside their window.

Frankly, he was never letting Rhiella out of his sight again—not if it could be helped.

Without being asked, Pinocchio went to retrieve the bowls from the low cupboard, and he made sure to put out an extra bowl, just in case. He was just getting out the cheese while Terence dished up the soup when Rhiella entered the room. The young woman was now dressed in a loose-fitting white shirt, black trousers, and black boots. She had pulled back her hair, which was still considerably damp, and twisted it into an elegant knot.

"Mmm…smells heavenly in here," she remarked, inhaling deeply.

"Would you care to join us, Rhiella?" Terence asked.

"Well, I am quite famished, and that soup does look good. I suppose a bowl or two would be all right."

A few minutes later, they were all seated around the table, Jiminy included. If Rhiella seemed surprised to find a tiny cricket dining with them, she made no comment. Jiminy was visibly stunned at the sight of Rhiella; he gawped at her throughout pretty much the whole meal, and seemed hardly aware of what he was putting into his mouth. Terence also had a hard time settling down to eat. Rhiella, in spite of how hungry she was, could scarcely take her eyes off Terence. Pinocchio was the one to eat the most out of all of them, but even he couldn't stop glancing back and forth between Terence and Rhiella. They made a most beautiful couple, the boy thought.

He didn't know how to feel about that, didn't know whether it was a good thing or a bad thing. Perhaps it was a bit of both.

Talk between them was scarce that evening, and Terence sensed Rhiella was troubled about something, even though she was undoubtedly as happy to see him as he was to see her. He could see it in the girl's eyes, and he knew her too well to not know when something was bothering her. Rhiella knew Terence was fond of children—she herself had a soft spot for them—but there was something between him and Pinocchio, a bond unlike anything she'd ever seen.

She knew it could only mean one thing, and it was a very disturbing and painful thought.

It wasn't until after Pinocchio had been put to bed and Terence and Rhiella were sitting together in front of the fire in the parlor that they could finally have that long-overdue talk. The rain continued to spatter the windows while the thunder continued to resound, but inside the cottage, they were warm, dry, and perfectly comfortable. "I still can't believe you're actually here," Terence told Rhiella after a long moment of silence had passed between them. "Who would have thought we'd meet again here, of all places, after all this time? A part of me is convinced this is a dream…a perfectly glorious dream from which I hope to never awaken."

Rhiella looked at him, her lovely features well defined in the rosy glow from the fire, but she said nothing. Terence was sure he caught a glint of tears in her eyes.

"My love, what is it?" he asked gently, reaching out to stroke her cheek. "Are you all right?"

She drew back before he could touch her.

"Rhiella?"

Softly, almost inaudibly, in a voice of unmistakable pain, Rhiella asked, "Terence…how can this be?"

"How can what be, dearest?"

Now a tear did spill over Rhiella's lid, making a diamond trail down her cheek. "Don't pretend!" she burst out. "You know perfectly well what I'm talking about, Terence!"

"Rhiella—" he started again, but she cut him off, giving voice to the question that had tugged, teased, and tormented her all along.

"How is it that you have a son?"