Disclaimer: Don' own. Enjoy though.


Tessa let out a sigh of relief as Joey's doctor stopped her in the hall and assured her he'd be out of the hospital within the next hour. That'd been eight hours ago. Now, it was one in the afternoon. Lena and Joey where staying what Uncle Joey for the day while Tessa stood in front of her burnt down house. Only the frame had stayed in place, and even that was tarnished. She shook her head as she stood next to Ryan, hesitating to cross under the crime scene tape to gather the belongings that could be salvaged from the fire.

"Looks like the serial case has hit home," a familiar voice broke Tessa from her thoughts. She turned to see Erica Sikes along with her cameraman approach her home.

"Get away from my home," Tessa growled.

"Do you have any comments about the case, CSI Wolfe? Detective Owens? Any on your child, Detective?" Erica smiled at Tessa, then turned to glance at Ryan. "I always knew you had to have been the father."

"I gotta comment alright," Tessa growled, lunging forward at the news reporter.

"Tessie," Ryan sighed grabbing her arms and pulling her towards his chest. "Come on. She's not worth your badge."

"Doesn't mean I'd still like to beat her senseless," Tessa growled, but didn't fight Ryan's grip. When he let go of her, she stood tall. "Get off my property."

"The side walk is owned by the public," Erica smirked.

"Ugh," Tessa growled, spitting right on Erica's microphone when she pushed it into her face.

"Hey!" Erica whined, watching Tessa and Ryan crawl under the tape

"I hate her," Tessa informed Ryan, coming to a halt at her burnt down house.

"I know you do," Ryan nodded his head. "Let's figure out if anything was saved in the fire."

"Yeah," Tessa nodded her head, taking a step into the burnt ashes that had once been her home. She let out a quiet sigh. She was sure nothing made it out. And she was positive she hadn't had Joey's first picture anymore. "Everything's gone she whispered, pressing her hand to her mouth. "It's all gone."

"Okay," Ryan nodded his head. Let's make a list of things we don't have. For the insurance company."

"Everything," Tessa shook her head, making her way towards the back of the mess. "God, Ryan. My safe. I need to find it. It's got all of Joey's records in it. His birth certificate. His pictures. Ryan. The letters my father and I wrote when he was in the Marines." She shook her head, and bit her lip, tears falling from her eyes. She didn't want Ryan to see her upset, so she turned her back from him and crossed her arms.

"Hey," Ryan whispered, grabbing her arm. "Tessie. Shhh. Don't cry, okay? I hate it when you cry."

"Too late," she whispered. Ryan wrapped his arms around her.

"We'll fix it, okay?" he whispered, running his hand through her hair. "You and Joey and even Lena. You…" Ryan let out a deep breath. "You can stay with me until they re-build your house."

"Ryan," she sighed. "I can't do that."

"Sure you can," he promised her. "I only have one spare room. But they can share for right now and I can sleep on the couch. It pulls out. "

"Thanks," she smiled. "We'll probably stay with my brother though." She shrugged away from him and turned towards the ashes. "It's gotta be here somewhere, right?"

"I'll look over here," he sighed, walking in the other direction. He leaned down when he saw a piece of paper, and slowly picked it up. He found it wasn't a piece of paper, but a burned photo of Tessa and his son, and slipped it into his back pocket.

He turned around and saw Tessa sitting in a pile of ash, her head in her hands, and immediately stood up. "Hey," he whispered.

"I'm fine," she sighed. "I just need to find that safe." She stood up.

"I doubt it," Ryan shrugged. "We're just tired. We're not looking well enough. You should get some rest."

Tessa slowly nodded her head. She turned around to see her close friend yelling her name from the other side of the yellow tape, eagerly waving. "Tessa!" Courtney Downs shouted.

"Who is that?" Ryan asked, as the two of them headed towards Frank.

"Hey," Tessa smiled. "She's good, Frank."

Rank let out a sigh, but lifted the tape for Courtney and watched her crawl under it. She immediately wrapped her arms around Tessa. "God are you okay? Where's Joey? Is he alright? I just found out or I would have been here sooner!"

"Well. I'd have called besides the fact my phone was melted in the fire…" Tessa mumbled, pulling away from Courtney. "We're fine though," she promised. "Joey and Lena are at my brother's."

"Good!" Courtney exclaimed, her blue eyes widening. "God I was worried sick about you!"

"We're fine," Tessa promised again.

"So who is that guy back there?" Courtney asked as they slowly approached the burnt down house.

"Frank," Tessa shrugged.

"He's cute!"

"Gross!" Tessa giggled, as Ryan shook his head in disgust. "Ryan this is my friend, Courtney Downs. Court this is Ryan Wolfe."

"Oh!" Courtney grinned, shaking hands with Ryan. "You're Ryan." Tessa elbowed her in her rib cage as she walked ahead of the two.


"Something isn't right," Eric shook his head, observing the pictures lying on the evidence table. Calleigh had photographed Tessa's home after it was burned down, but Eric wasn't finding them helpful. Nothing was suggesting arson, yet they all were so sure that had been the cause. No one knew where Tessa's safe was. It should have been safe during the fire. She had bought one of those indestructible ones in fear something like this would happen. But they couldn't find it, and Tessa was pissed.

"Maybe…" Calleigh started but let out a sigh. "Maybe it's under everything."

"Maybe someone stole it," Eric suggested. "Maybe whoever started the fire was in the house before."

"Calleigh's eyes widened. "That would be… sickening."

"It's possible though," Eric shrugged, sitting up. He watched Ryan and Tessa walk into the lab they were in. "Well. If it's not the infamous Tessa. Heard you spit in Erica's face today," he grinned.

Tessa rolled her eyes, her hair pulled back into a high ponytail, her brown eyes weren't glistening like they usually did. "I did not. Just in her microphone. Have you guys found my safe yet?"

"No," Eric shook his head. "We've got no clue where it could be, Tess."

Tessa let out a sigh. "Did he leave anything? I have a hunch it was Kurt."

"Tessa, we can't talk about it," Calleigh sighed sympathetically. "I apologize."

"It's fine," Tessa nodded her head. "I'm gonna go pick up the kids anyway." She slowly turned towards Ryan, and gave him a small smile. "I'll see yah later."

"Alright," Ryan nodded his head. "Tell Joey that I'll take him swimming later."

Tessa nodded her head and turned back to Eric and Calleigh. "See yah," she smiled, waving before she left.

"Damn Wolfe," Eric chuckled, shaking his head. "She's got you wrapped around her finger."

Ryan let out a laugh. "We're just friends."

"Which is why you offered to take her kid swimming?"

"Well," Ryan started, lowering his voice, and rocking his body as he scratched his eyebrow. "Sometimes a kid needs a father figure when he doesn't have one. You should understand that."

"I do," Eric nodded his head, suddenly feeling like an asshole. Calleigh cleared her throat to gather everyone's attention.

"We have one of our own going without a home right now. Let's not fight and help her out, okay, guys?" Calleigh asked, pulling her blonde hair back into a ponytail. "Let's get this guy behind bars before he does anymore harm than he's already accomplished."

Ryan slowly nodded his head and grabbed a pair of gloves. "How can I help?" he asked, tugging them onto his hands.


Ryan unwillingly came to Tessa's brother's home, scared shitless of the older brother. Dan Owens had muscle under his shirt. Not that he had worn a shirt when Ryan arrived. Dan had opened the door in a pair of basketball shorts, a towel around his neck, but no shirt in sight. He hadn't let Ryan in without giving him the stink eye, and then shaking his hand with a shockingly painful grip. And then he had left all together, mumbling something about being late for his girlfriend.

Ryan had glanced around the clean home, knowing instantly Tessa had cleaned it the second she stepped foot in the house, and Ryan wasn't sure where exactly she was. He headed up the steps however, guessing the bedrooms were up there. "Tess?" He called quietly, opening the first door he saw. Luckily it'd been the guest room where Tessa was staying. He stepped in and climbed into the bed where she was lying in fetal position, her eyes closed.

"Hey," she whispered, her eyes still closed.

"Where's the kids?"

"The neighbor's, swimming. Joey was asking for you. He really likes you." "I know," Ryan nodded his head. "I can go over there," he offered. "I brought my bathing suit."

"Nah," Tessa shook her head, opening her eyes. "I want you to stay with me, right here in bed."

Ryan gave her a grin. "I can do that," he smiled, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. She wrapped her arms around his waist. "How you dealing?"

"I'm dealing," she shrugged. "It's scary. Did you get any leads? Anything?"

Ryan shook his head. "H won't let me work it."

Tessa let out a sigh. "I need to know something."

"Sure."

"Are we…" she stared. "Was last night a one time thing or are we a real thing?"

Ryan didn't answer right away. "I don't know," he admitted.

"I don't either," she nodded her head. "I don't want us to think it's serious, and wind up hurting Joey because it isn't."

Ryan nodded his head. "I want it to be serious," he admitted.

"Okay," she whispered, closing her eyes again. "That's all I wanted to hear," she informed him, snuggling into him and closing her eyes for a quick nap before the kids came home.