A/N: That's it for Dog Soup! Thank you for all the reads, reviews and all around support! I'm planning the next installment and hopefully will be able to get it up and running! But until then, go check out The Organ Thief over at the CSI: NY section (follows the same universe as my CSI: Miami storyline). Senza Fine is an Italian Opera that is roughly translated as "Without End" and also the Lacuna Coilsong that inspired this fanfic.

ENJOY AND HAPPY SUMMER! Reviews are welcome! characters, save for Marla, Dai and Sexie (c) CBS, Dai and Sexie (c) my sister lita_ann_kino, rest (c) mine!

15, Senza Fine

“You what?” Det. Tripp could barely believe what his friend just said. “I flew from that fourth floor window to here. I don’t even know how to hide these things…” Horatio continued, reeling in what just happened. He had jumped to capture Father Damascus before he could have a chance of eluding justice without so much as thinking that he would also die. Luckily for both men, Caine’s wings burst open and slowed the fall, making everything that happened to the lieutenant very much real.

Meanwhile, Eric stood staring at the crushed car window, picking out the bloody shards along with a couple of feathers that got stuck. “Patrol units are taking Damascus back to MDPD; you want to do the interrogation?” he asked his boss who politely refused. “If that man sees me again, he’ll have a heart attack.”

0000

“What I just saw was a validation of my doings…” the guilty priest muttered stupefied by the visage that saved him. “No, what you saw was a man doing the right thing. How did you first contact Marla Ruez?” Delko retorted alongside Calleigh, who was just as surprised as anyone when her partner told her what happened. “I am a servant of God and a wicked creature such as her could never enter His hallowed halls.” Fr. Damascus replied.

“But they weren’t so ‘hallowed’ anymore, were they? Marla Ruez is wanted on at least 25 counts of homicide and kidnapping in this state alone; why make a deal with someone like that?” Duquesne added to the argument, making the suspect cringe at his infidelity. “I met her while I was offering the same job to Fierari over at his dealership. He balked but that heathen was willing to do it at no monetary charge.” Once he said that, Fr. Damascus removed his habit and unbuttoned his black robe. There, on the right side of his chest, was a severely infected wound.

Both CSIs in the interrogation and the lieutenant looking inside recognized Ruez’s sadistic sense of humor. “When will this go away?” “Never; you made a deal with the devil.” Eric concluded as he motioned the guard officer to take Damascus away. The ballistics expert rubbed her temples as the fallen priest was walked to the next bus to prison along with other criminals. “Once again, we got so close to catching that horrible woman then she slips away to corrupt people like him,” she sighed. “But every time, we get one step closer.” Eric comforted.

0000

The day continued without hitch as Horatio watched his team close the Homer case: Ryan and Speedle were filing away the paperwork while Calleigh helped them pack the case box when out of nowhere, Natalia entered the break room. “Speedle, I’m sorry I called you a fake.” She said, catching the attention of everyone present. “Ok? We’re cool, now?” Tim responded a bit startled before returning to his duty.

Satisfied, Boa Vista thanked him and strutted out to a smug Kino. “Was that hard?” the British-American simply asked. “Not at all; see you tomorrow, asshole.” “You too, skank.” Both Daikonran and Natalia then headed on their separated ways with an unspoken peace treaty now between them.

“It’s a start.” Horatio commented with a grin on his face as the preternatural expert met up with him at the elevator. “I find it refreshing to have some combative element to my work. Anyways, we have one last thing to do to close this case.” Kino answered, arousing the lieutenant’s curiosity. “Meet me at the edge of the Everglades at sunset.”

Horatio arrived at the agreed upon spot to find Kino waiting with who was unmistakably Cathleen Homer cradling her baby boy alongside a boat. “Back when I was a bounty hunter, I ran into places like these… I did my research and turns out that the natives believed that the Everglades could ferry people’s souls to the afterlife.” Dai explained to a listening Horatio. “So why are we here?” the lieutenant asked.

“To hear my side of the story,” Cathleen answered while cooing her child. “It wasn’t like Jean told everyone; we met in a club one night. He wasn’t wearing his habit and he said it wouldn’t be a problem. But when I told him about the baby, he said he would handle it. I thought he was going to send him off to an orphanage…was I ever wrong.” Horatio wanted to comfort the dead woman but she seemed at peace and asked, “So what happens now?” Cathleen shrugged and replied, “Well, I have to pay my dues but at least my baby’s getting a fair chance.” The boat’s conductor, a hooded man, cleared his throat, signaling the end of the conversation. “Thank you, lieutenant.”

The dead hooker calmly stepped into the vessel and sat down. As the boat rowed on and disappeared in the unnaturally hazy horizon, Kino broke the silence with, “It is said that once a murdered soul receives justice, they are at peace.” Horatio took off his sunglasses and stared into the dying sun as he stated, “Then that’s our job.”

“Secondet told me all about the Covenant; Marla’s upping her game...” The former bounty hunter soberly notified. The lieutenant put away his trademark item, looked on to the coming nightfall, and sensing the vampire mistress presence near, stated, “And we’ll be ready for her.”

End of Dog Soup