And they're baaaacccckk! Here is number twelve in my series featuring Jessica and Ryan!

How long I've Dreamt

"I will never forget the moment that we made that decision. That moment when we realized that love has no limits, though society does. It was an enchanting moment. Your face was flushed and your hair fell around your face in light wisps. You had never looked more beautiful to me than you did in that moment. It was then I realized what it was that I felt for you. It was that night that I decided to love you no matter what anyone said."

An Afternoon Spent with Dad

"Ah, Oliver, no!" Ryan exclaimed as a stream of urine shot at him. He pressed the diaper back in place as his son laughed and smiled. "Damn it, Ollie," he muttered as he resumed changing his son's diaper at the changing station in the men's restroom at the park.

Another man washed his hands and smiled at the young Oliver. "Your son?" he asked.

"Yup, my little Oliver," Ryan proudly smiled.

"Beautiful eyes," the man commented.

"Thank you, he got them from his mother."

"You and your wife must be so proud," the man smiled.

Ryan shifted uneasily. "His mother and I actually aren't married," he commented as he placed Oliver back in his stroller.

"Oh," the man quietly said, "I see."

"It's not like that," Ryan quickly said as he began washing his hands, "We're engaged. Oliver was just a happy accident. We want children; Oliver just jumped the boat too soon."

The man smiled. "I see," he said, "Well congratulations, you have a beautiful son. I hope you have more children."

Ryan smiled weakly. "Thank you, he's actually our second."

"Oh really, you have another child?"

"Well, we had another child," Ryan quietly said, "Our daughter didn't make it."

The man's eyes grew twice in size. "I'm so sorry," he whispered.

Ryan nodded his head. He ran his fingers through Oliver's hair and smiled. "We almost lost Oliver during Jessica's last month of her pregnancy, but the little tike pulled through." Oliver grabbed his father's hand and bit his fingers. "Ouch, Ollie," Ryan said as he pulled his hand back, "That hurt." Oliver laughed and clapped his hands, smiling at his father.

"He laughs strange," the man commented.

"He's a baby," Ryan retorted, "Give him a break." Ryan pushed his stroller out of the restroom and resumed his walk through the park.

It had been six months since Ryan proposed to Jessica. They had already decided on a date and Jessica was quick to begin making plans. She had almost everything planned out, though they weren't getting married for another eighteen months.

It was a warm, sunny day, unseasonably warm for December, even in Miami. Ryan had decided to take Lucy and Oliver for a walk in the park. The black dog happily barked and leapt in front of Oliver's stroller and Ryan's son laughed with delight. Oliver was eight months old and was progressing in leaps and bounds. Ryan was elated to watch his son grow up, but saddened at the same time. Thoughts of little Oliver growing up made Ryan wish time would slow down just a little, so he could enjoy the life of fatherhood a little more.

Since their engagement six months prior Jessica and Ryan had been taking turns staying home with Oliver, switching off weeks depending on their current case load. At first Ryan had missed working at the lab full time, but quickly discovered the joys of being a stay at home dad. He took his son to the park and the store, often causing a commotion amongst other guests with how adorable little Oliver was. Oliver seemed to win over the heart of anyone who saw him. A few women had even asked for Ryan's number, though every time he explained he was happily engaged to the woman of his dreams.

Ryan held Oliver's hands securely as he helped his son attempt to walk in the grass. Though he wasn't even a year old, Oliver had taken to grasping any surface he could, in an attempt to travel quicker. His feet were clumsy and his attempts feeble, but Ryan encouraged him anyways. After a few minutes Oliver often tired and soon fell fast asleep. Sure enough Oliver's eyelids began to droop and Ryan scooped him into his arms and gingerly placed him in the stroller, before he began the walk back to his condo.

Shots rang out from every direction at the construction site. Horatio and Jessica each fired several times before they ran and ducked behind a large sewer drain pipe. They simultaneously clipped in new magazines and resumed their firing.

When the group of men began advancing towards them, they quickly changed their method. They each crawled into an end of the metal sewer pipe, their heads meeting in the middle. They grasped the other's arms and rolled the sewer pipe. It thundered and tumbled across the dirt and mud ground of the construction site, knocking over several of the gunmen.

The pipe crashed against a section of the tower and Horatio and Jessica slid out. They pulled out their guns again and faced the men. More shots rang out as the fight continued on. When the remaining men's gun slides locked, due to a lack of ammo, they charged towards Horatio and Jessica.

"You want to dance?" Jessica growled, punching a man across the face.

"Then we'll show you how," Horatio said in a low voice, jabbing his elbow into another's face. He smiled briefly at the satisfying crunch noise the man's face made.

It seemed men were rushing them from every side. One almost got the upper hand on Horatio, until Jessica promptly kicked him in the groin from behind, causing him to double over in pain. More charged at them and one managed to wrap his hands around Jessica's throat.

"Oh hell no!" Horatio snapped. He drew his gun and shot the man in the shoulder. "That's my little girl, you bastard!"

Soon every man was crawling across the ground, moaning in pain. Jessica and Horatio walked amongst the wounded until they found the one man they had been chasing. Horatio knelt down and grabbed the man by his hair.

"What the hell," Horatio said, panting from the effort of fighting, "Was that about? Officer Davidson pulled you over because you had a taillight out and you shot him. Then you ran and led us into the center of a gang war. Why the hell did you do that?"

The man stared up at Horatio with fear filled eyes. "I didn't want to go back to jail again," he quietly said.

Horatio pulled at his hair a little harder and the man cried out from the pain. "You're lucky Officer Davidson always wears a Kevlar vest," he growled, "Otherwise I would have put a bullet in your head."

As ambulances and other patrol units began pulling up to the scene, Horatio and Jessica walked back towards their Hummer. He gently wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close against his side. Frank shook his head and smirked at them as they walked towards him.

"I have to say," he began with a chuckle, "You'll never find a better crime fighting father-daughter team like Horatio and Jessica Caine."

Horatio smiled briefly at him and held Jessica a little closer.

"I did learn from the best," Jessica smiled, looking up at her father.

"That you did, honey," Horatio said with a smile. "That you did."

Jessica was immediately greeted by her dog, Lucy, as she walked into her condo. She followed the black dog into the living room and found her fiancé on the couch with their son. She smiled at the sight of Ryan lying on his back with Oliver lying on his stomach on Ryan's chest. Both were dead asleep.

Jessica smiled to herself as she carefully lifted her son off Ryan's chest. As she carried him to his bedroom, Oliver's eyes slowly opened and he smiled briefly as he looked up at his mother. His eyes fell shut again as he cuddled up to her chest, his hand pressed against her chest just above her left breast. Jessica carefully placed him in his crib and covered him with a blanket. She leaned down and kissed his forehead and gently stroked his cheek.

She walked back into the living room. She sat on top of Ryan's hips and leaned in to kiss him awake. Ryan smiled and laced his fingers into Jessica's hair, not even bothering to open his eyes. He kissed her and pulled her against his body.

"Hello beautiful," he sleepily mumbled.

"Good morning to you, too, handsome," Jessica chuckled. "Is this why you enjoy babysitting so much? Because you get to nap when our son naps?"

Ryan chuckled and ran his hands across her back. "No, I like being a dad because I love my son and I want to spend as much time as I'm allotted."

Jessica giggled and kissed his neck. "When you say it that way you make it sound like you never get to see him."

"No, it's really you I don't hardly ever see," Ryan muttered in a sleepy voice. He rolled over on the couch and began covering Jessica in soft, delicate kisses.

Jessica smiled and kissed him gently. Her hands wandered down his back and into the waistline of his jeans. She cupped his groin in both her hands and Ryan's body shuddered with delight.

"You need to wear gloves or something," Ryan chuckled as his hands wandered up Jessica's shirt. "Your hands are always so cold."

"Sorry," Jessica giggled, "It runs in the family."

Ryan sped down the street atop the blue Yamaha R1. He pushed down on the throttle and the bike shot off well over the speed limit. Jessica's arms rested around his waist and her head on his shoulder. Though they were both wearing full face shields, he could still feel her smile.

Ryan pushed the motorcycle to go faster and he skidded around a steep curve, almost too fast. He dodged in and out of traffic. Several drivers honked their horns and when he slowed to a stop at a traffic light a group of girls in a convertible stared at him with flirtatious eyes. Jessica lifted her face shield and glared at them. She stuck her hand right between Ryan's legs and grabbed his manhood in her hand, shooting them a warning look. Ryan chuckled and kicked the bike back into gear as he took off, already well over the speed limit.

They sped down the street and drove around the pier. Ryan swerved onto the wrong side of the street and passed a patrol car, waving at Frank as they left him in their dust. They shot around the corner and headed back in their original direction.

Ryan could see the maroon car in his side mirror and smiled to himself as he pushed down harder on the throttle. For a luxury car, it held its own keeping up with him. He cut through an alley and chuckled when he saw the car follow him, nearly fishtailing when it turned. He was going too fast, and he knew he would hear about it when he finally stopped.

Jessica held on tight around Ryan's waist and leaned farther into him. She smiled as the world zipped past them. Usually it was her that was always speeding and Ryan yelling at her to slow down. But this time Ryan was in control, and Jessica was loving every second of it.

They flew down the street, the maroon car still in sight. Ryan knew he had to shake it, but he didn't know how. He hit the throttle again and they zoomed through the beach district. He heard the roar of the engine of the car behind him over the rumble of his own engine. He swerved and just barely missed a delivery truck that seemed to appear out of nowhere. He did a quick u-turn and flew back towards the maroon car, relieved to see it safely stopped a block ahead of the delivery truck.

The car turned around as fast as it could and the chase resumed. Ryan smirked as he cut a quick left and his bike rushed through the mall parking lot. He thought he had lost the maroon car but it cut in front of him out of nowhere. Ryan had to hit his brakes quickly to avoid rear ending it. He swerved to the left and flipped the driver the bird as he took off speeding again.

Before he knew it his destination was in sight. Ryan leaned forward onto the handlebars and pushed the throttle to the limit. He then began slowing the bike down and eventually came to a stop inside the garage. He shut the door as Jessica unlocked and disarmed the house.

They ran through it and up the stairs to Horatio's bedroom. It took just a matter of seconds for their pants to disappear and Ryan to bury himself within her. They were together for a short amount of time before their bodies shuddered against each other's. Jessica gasped softly with her release and they panted for air as they redressed. They rushed back outside just in time to watch Horatio pull into his driveway in his maroon Audi A6. He cut the engine and climbed from the car, a perturbed expression on his face as he lifted Oliver's car seat from the back.

"Well I suppose you two have already defiled my bed," he said as he approached them.

Jessica and Ryan smirked and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him.

"Maybe," Ryan mischievously grinned.

"Well let me remind you, Mr. Wolfe, that's my baby riding on the back of that screaming metal death trap," Horatio sternly said.

"And that's my baby riding in your backseat as you recklessly drive through the streets of Miami," Ryan playfully retorted. "And he's a lot more delicate than your daughter."

Horatio couldn't keep up the angry act any longer. He started laughing and smiled as he shook his head.

"You win this time, Mr. Wolfe," he chuckled. He held out Oliver's car seat and Ryan accepted it with a satisfied smile.

"So I take it you like your birthday present, now that you have the appropriate license to ride it," Jessica said, kissing his cheek as all three walked into Horatio's house.

"Hell yeah I do!" Ryan exclaimed, lifting his son from his car seat. "It's frickin sweet!"

Jessica chuckled and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. She kissed his back and leaned her cheek along his spine.

"Is it better than the one I gave you last year?" she whispered.

"Well that depends," Ryan said, accepting a bottle Horatio handed him, "Do you mean the actual present you gave me on my birthday or do you mean the result that came eight months later?"

Jessica smiled and held him close. "Either," she said.

"Well I liked the present you gave me on my birthday, but I love the result so much more," Ryan smiled as he began feeding his son.

"Good," Jessica whispered. "Too bad it's hard to one up that present."

"I think I like the motorcycle just fine," Ryan smirked. "You don't have to try and one up every present you give me."

"Well I don't think I like the present you gave him this year," Horatio sarcastically said. "He drives it too fast with you on it."

"Only because you were chasing me," Ryan retorted.

"You still stared it," Horatio argued still laughing. "You said you were going to beat me back to my house and fuck my daughter on my bed. I had to chase you down. You don't talk to your future father-in-law like that, young man."

Ryan chuckled and cradled his son in his arms. He smiled at Horatio and the older man returned it with a caring one of his own.

"We're so close," Ryan quietly said.

Jessica gently placed her left hand on Oliver's head, the light shining off her ruby engagement ring.

"Yet so far," she whispered.