A/N: Chapter 3 wooo! HAven't gotten as muxh reviews as I'd hoped for,but maybe that'll change with my evil plot! muahahahah.

Disclaimer: I don't own.

Eric sat across from Tessa in the break room, a smile on his face. "Hey," he grinned, trying to get her to look at him, instead of watching Ryan with Erica Sikes in the hall. He watched her shake her head and turn to smile.

"Hey," she replied, tucking her hair behind her left ear. "What's up?"

"I was wondering…you free after work tonight?"

Tessa thought for a second. Dan had her brother for the night, she remembered. They were getting up early in the morning to go to a baseball game for his birthday. But did she really want to spend her free time with Eric? "I may be," she nodded. "Just gotta double check with my friend."

"She can come," Eric smiled. "A couple of us are going out for some drinks."

"Okay," Tessa smiled. "I'll let you know," she spoke, her eyes traveling back to Erica and Ryan.

"You know they're sleeping together, right?" Eric asked when he realized her attention was back on them once again.

Tessa's eyes widened, her head turning back to Eric. "No they aren't."

"They are," Eric nodded his head. "I mean I don't think they're serious but."

Tessa nodded her head. "He's retarded. She's just using him to get something from him so she can run a story. Like she did in Fort Lauderdale. She is gross. She had sex with my brother. Ehw. To try and get him to tell her about a case I worked. He didn't even know about it. She's so gross. She knew he had a crush on her in high school." Tessa bit her lip and then smiled at Eric. "I think my friend told me she's busy tonight," she told him. "So I'm free now. You wanna grab some dinner before we get drinks with everyone?"

Eric smiled, nodding his head, sat up a bit straighter in confidence, and opened his mouth to speak. "That sounds great," he nodded his head. "Really good."

"Okay," she nodded her head, giving him a smile. He recognized it as the same smile she gave Ryan every time he entered the room. Maybe he could get her to like him. She stood up and gave him a smile. "Lemme go get my things from the bull pen. I'll meet you outside?"

"Yeah," Eric smiled, standing up as well. "I'll walk with yah to the elevator. I've gotta clock out also. Any place special you wanna go?"

"Nah," Tessa shrugged. "I don't live in Miami. So whatever you think is good."

"Well. What kind of food would you like?"

"Seafood, maybe?" she suggested. "Do you like seafood?"

"Love it. Seafood it is," Eric smiled, winking at Ryan when they walked by him.

XXXXXXXXX

Eric waited for Tessa to slide into her side of the booth before sliding into his, a smile on his face. She had managed to pull half of her hair back into a loose braid and took off the navy blue suit jacket she'd been wearing, now dressed in the navy blue pinstripe pants, a red dressy wife beater tucked into her pants, navy blue peek-a-boo heels with fiery red toe nails. She looked good.

He watched her grab the menu and flip it open, setting her purse besides her. "What's good?" she asked him.

"Everything," he chuckled. "You like crab, shrimp? What do you like?"

"All of it," she admitted. "I think I'm leaning more toward the crab though." She hadn't had a chance to eat seafood in years, as Joey was always stealing what she picked at, and she was glad she could have a decent meal without her little rascal stealing food. That wasn't to say she didn't miss it. The more he ate, the less she did, meaning the less weight she'd put on.

She smiled respectfully when the waiter came back to ask what they wanted to drink, both ordering beer, and then turned back to the menu. "You like clams?"

"Yeah," Eric nodded his head. "You wanna order some for an appetizer."

"You read my mind, dude," she laughed, nodding her head. She noticed a basket in the center of the table filled with crayons and glanced at the tablecloth, which wasn't really a tablecloth, but a large sheet of paper. Oh Joey would love this, she thought, grabbing a green crayon.

"Wanna play a game?" she asked him, drawing her name in bubble letters. She grabbed another crayon to color in the letters.

"Sure," Eric shrugged. "Hangman?"

"That's what I was thinking," she nodded her head. "I love places like these. Great for little kids, or immature people like myself," she laughed.

"You want kids one day?" Eric asked her, grabbing a blue crayon to draw blanks for the word he was thinking of.

Tessa nodded her head. "I love kids," she admitted, trying to avoid a direct answer.

"Me too," Eric nodded. "So you and Ryan knew each other?"

"Yeah," Tessa nodded her head, turning towards her phone when she felt it vibrate. She grabbed her purse and pulled it out. "Homicide," she said, reading the text message Rick Stetler had sent her. "You might as well come. I'm gonna wind up calling you anyway."

"Alright," Eric nodded his head, putting down a ten for their drinks, giving the waitress a seven-dollar tip for the inconvenience.

XXXXXXXXXX

Eric watched Tessa and a patrol officer post the yellow crime scene tape around the alleyway where a badly burned body lay. She approached Eric who was kneeling besides the body. "Did yah check his wallet?" she asked, looking at the victim.

"I did," Eric nodded his head. "Alejandro Garcia. 32."

"Alejandro Garcia?" Tessa asked, squinting at the body. She knew an Alejandro. "He's a missing persons I worked with in Fort Lauderdale. My first one to be exact. I wonder if it's him."

"Alexx will be able to tell us that," Eric nodded his head.

Tessa nodded her head. "I'll ask around. See if anyone saw anything when Lou or Calleigh get here. Don't wanna leave you alone."

"I'll be fine," Eric promised.

Tessa turned around, glancing at the dark street ahead of her. "Okay. I'm scared of the dark," she whispered, making sure the patrol officer wasn't around to over hear her. "Really scared. Why do you think I'm on the day shift?"

Eric gave her a small smile and stood up, setting the strap of the camera around his arm. "Need me to walk you to the end of the alley?" he mocked.

"Shut up," she giggled, bumping him with her hip, a load obnoxious cough coming from behind them. They both turned to see Ryan standing in front of them, his kit on the ground besides him. "Hi Ryan," she whispered, giving him a smile.

"Tessie," he nodded his head, still unable to call her Tessa. "Eric. What've we got?"

"Alejandro Garcia," Tessa informed Ryan. "If he's the guy that I think he is…he's got a wife. A little boy," she shook her head. "I guess I should get his dental records for Alexx. I'm gonna ask around I guess," she sighed.

"Flashlight in my kit for you," Ryan smirked, causing her to stick her tongue out at him.

She walked down the alleyway and glanced around for any indication he could have come from somewhere else, her head looking up at the pink flashing light. "Of course," she mumbled looking at the strip club standing in front of her. The pink letters flashing just so happened to spell out "Club Seal," and had a picture of a Seal, a club over his right shoulder, and a flashing naked girl sign.

She let out a sigh, but crossed the street towards the strip club, and using the sleeve on her blazer to open the door, she stepped in. "Ehw," she shivered at the smell of cheap perfume. It wouldn't be as disgusting to her if these girls weren't gross. And cheap. And the guys that were there were pigs, she decided, looking at one drunken fellow who just looked like he was a woman beater. She turned to see a bouncer, missing two of his teeth. "You know this man?" she asked, showing him Alejandro's license.

"Yeah," the man nodded his head. "Kicked him out for gropin' on one of my girls two nights ago. Keeps tryin' to come back in. Guy's a sleaze ball."

"Oh? Not like these other gentlemen here?" she asked waving her arms around.

"Look lady. I don't question what turns these guys on, I just protect the girls."

"From what? STDs? That guy with the black jacket, and backwards Dolphins cap is HIV positive and he's about to pay your girl in the pink for sex. Hope they use a condom."

"How do you know?"

"I'm smart," she shrugged, watching the man cough. He wiped sweat nervously from his forehead. He was a sickly man, she knew by the looks of him he had a sickly immune system. He ether had cancer or AIDs, and her bet was on the latter based on where she was. "Listen. If you ever decide you wanna tell me what Mr. Garcia was doing here, here's my card." She handed him her business car and then headed out of the strip club, and back towards the crime scene.

XXXXXXXXXXX

H stood, standing over the body, looking up when he heard Tessa's heels clanking towards him. Like she needed them. She was a good 5'7 without the heels, and with them she was probably 5'10, towering over Ryan Wolfe as she came to a halt besides the shorty.

"Miss Owens," H spoke wisely. "You knew the victim?"

"Not him. His family," she nodded her head.

"Okay. Could I have a word with you?"

"Of course," she spoke, following him towards his Hummer. When he stopped besides it, so did she. "What's up, Lou?"

H looked behind her shoulder at Eric and Ryan who seemed to be arguing over something. "Your son?" Horatio asked, turning to her. He knew, only because her boss had informed him after Horatio complained Tessa had left a scene on more than one occasion without a good reasoning.

Tessa let out a deep breath, and looked towards the cement under her feet. "What about him?"

"Does he have a father in the picture?"

"No, Lou," Tessa shook her head. "It's just me."

"Does the father happen to be Mr. Wolfe, Miss Owens?"

Tessa let out a deep breath. "Yes, Lou. It's Ryan. He doesn't know, H."

Horatio slowly nodded his head. "Your secret is safe with me, Miss Owens. That doesn't mean I support it. Ryan deserves to know the truth."

She nodded her head as well, but stood alone as Horatio walked away. She knew he was right. But she also knew she didn't have the balls to tell Ryan she'd been lying to him for four years. Her cell phone buzzed in her pocket, her hand immediately reaching inside for her phone, a smile creeping across her face when she saw her house number.

"Hey baby," she spoke.

"Hi Mommy. Uncle Dan said I should call you and say night sine you are running late and you can't come over to say good night. He said you aren't getting home for a long time."

"Yeah, Hun. I won't be home for a while. You go night night, and I'll pick you up from Uncle Dan's tomorrow after your baseball game, okay?"

"Promise, Mommy?" Joey whispered on the other line.

"Promise Joey. I love you. Good night sleep tight baby." She tried not to give in when she heard her son let out sad sigh, and hang up the phone.

"Alejandro?" a female's voice cried. "Alex!" Tessa turned around to see the dark haired woman she'd met two years ago, frantically trying to look over Tripp's shoulder to see if the body lying in the alley was her husband's. "Alejandro," she cried, her hand clasping to her mouth when she saw the man lying on the ground.

"Mrs. Garcia," Tessa whispered, approaching Tripp and the woman. "How long has Alejandro been home?"

"Officer Owens?" Mrs. Garcia whispered. "Officer Owens! Please tell me that isn't Alex. Please, Officer Owens."

"Mrs. Garcia. Let's just focus on my questions for right now, alright?"

Mrs. Garcia slowly nodded her head. "A few months. We moved her when he came back. He said he'd been kidnapped. And he said we should move to Miami. So we did, Officer Owens. Please. Tell me that isn't him. Please."

"Where did he go tonight?" Tessa asked, ignoring Mrs. Garcia's question. "Where does he usually hang out?"

"We got into a fight," Mrs. Garcia whispered. "He comes here when we fight. I think he is having an affair with one of the girls. Officer Owens. Please tell me that wasn't him."

Tessa let out a deep breath. "We don't know yet, Mrs. Garcia."

"You'll let me know?"

"I will let you know," Tessa whispered. She watched Mrs. Garcia slowly stand up and walk away. She stood up herself and smiled when she saw Eric walk towards her.

"You look beat. Why don't you go home and get some rest?" Eric asked. "We'll pick this up tomorrow."

Tessa shook her head. "This was my first case ever. We need to close this one."

"Fine," Eric nodded his head in understanding. "I understand but H told us all to go home and pick this up in the morning."

"Fine," Tessa sighed.

"We'll get whoever did this, Tessa," Eric promised. "In the morning when we all have fresh brains."

Tessa let out a loud sigh. "Fine," she rolled her eyes. "I'll see you bright and early then."

"Yes you will," Eric grinned, giving her a wink as she walked away.

"First you get with Natalia man, now you're flirting with Tessa?" Ryan asked, approaching Eric, his arms folding across his chest. "Stay away from Tessie, got it?"

"Tessie?" Eric asked, raising his eyebrow, and letting out a laugh at Ryan's jealousy. "Dude. Get over yourself. Tessa isn't gonna go back to you. She obviously left you for a reason. Why don't you stick to that Erica girl? You know, the one you've been leaking info to."

"Back off her," Ryan demanded one last time before he walked away. Eric shook his head a pathetic laugh escaping his mouth. There was no way in hell he'd just give up that easily just because Ryan asked him.

XXXXXXXXX

"Ryan," she breathed, leaning against her front door at the sight of Ryan standing before her in dark jeans, a red t-shirt and a black fitted blazer. He'd just had a hair cut, she could tell by the fresh look. Her breaths began to even out when she realized Joey was out for the day. There'd be no way he could slip between her legs to introduce himself to his Mommy's guest.

"Hey," Ryan smiled. "You busy?"

"Just…no. I was just on the phone with H about Alejandro," she breathed, biting her lip. "You wanna come in or something? Why did you drive all the way out here?"

"I was dropping my kid off for the big brothers big sisters charity. He lives in Fort Lauderdale. Over in Kingsway."

"Oh," Tessa nodded her head. "That's the bad neighborhood right next to me," she spoke, opening the door. "None of our neighbors let their kids walk over there. Even if they got the pool. You can come in if yah want."

She immediately regretted the words that came out of her mouth when she realized Joey's shoes were lying by the door. Maybe he wouldn't notice. Maybe the OCD in him would be too overwhelmed by the mess in her living room he'd forget about the folded boy's clothes lying by the steps and the pile of toys in the living room. Who was she kidding? Ryan Wolfe would notice.

"On second thought," she shook her head. "I'm hungry. You wanna go out to eat?"

"Ugh sure," Ryan shrugged watching Tessa slam the front door shut, and hurry towards the steps. She grabbed anything indicating Joey and hurried up the steps. When she came down she let out a sigh and opened the door.

"Sorry about that. I just had to straighten up a tiny bit. I know you hate messes." She stepped aside and allowed him to come in, his eyes scanning the home. "How'd you even find my place anyway?"

"I'm a curious cop, Tessie. And I wanted to know where the girl I fell in love with lived."

Tessa blushed a bit as he stepped in front of her, and lightly brushed his knuckles against her right cheek. "Yeah? That why you're sleeping with Erica?"

"Who told you that?"

"I saw you two flirting by the elevator yesterday, Ryan. Don't play stupid. You're dating her after I warned you not to."

"Oh you mean like how you went on a date with Eric?"

"That wasn't a date," Tessa rolled her eyes. "Eric was hungry and so was I. We went out to eat that's all. Like you and I are about to do. As friends."

Ryan rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

"Yeah, whatever," she giggled, walking out of the house, Ryan following.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The silent beep of her pager had awoken her, another burn victim, same M.O. Someone was messing with them. The only reason they'd been paged during the nightshift was because of the similarities to the death of Alejandro Garcia. As she stood over the body, his info in her hand, she rattled off the basics to Ryan and Calleigh. Jackson Vader. Male, 42, married with three kids. And Ryan had shown shock. His eyes had widened, he had dropped his kit on the ground and ran his hands over his face. He knew him.

"Ry?" Tessa whispered.

"Tess," Ryan breathed. "That's the first guy I ever arrested in Miami."

"Well…" she breathed, turning to Calleigh, whose eyes widened as well. Someone was targeting the team. "Okay. So this guy is burning the first people we've worked with. Maybe. Maybe it's someone we know."

"I'll run the names through KODIS when we get back. Maybe they have a person in common."

"Who'd be next?" Tessa asked. "Should I look up everyone's first cases?"

"Yeah," Calleigh nodded her head, opening her kit. They had a long night ahead of them, and she wanted to get a lead before the sun rose.