This was originally two chapters, but I combined them because one was just too short to be on its own. I think you can figure out where I combined them.

Finding the Truth

Jesse was looking over pictures on the light table when the fuming Horatio walked in.

"Jesse, pack this case up." Horatio ordered loudly.

Jesse was confused. "Why? We're almost done. If the trace results from Travers are right then we can book this guy."
"I said pack it up!" Horatio yelled. He shoved a stack of pictures to the ground and they scattered through out the room. "We have a new case we need to investigate!"

Jesse was paralyzed with fear. He slowly picked up the pictures and placed them back in the evidence envelope and back in the box. He carefully sealed it and initialed the tape. "What's the case boss?" he asked quietly. He had never seen Horatio so angry before.

"I want you to take Jessica and go see Tom." Horatio said, "I want him to examine her."
Jesse was lost. "Why?"

"Because I want to know what that bastard is doing to her!" Horatio yelled.

Jesse looked at him confused. "Who?"

"Ryan Wolfe!" Horatio was so angry he could hardly control himself.

"Ryan? What did he do to Jessica?"

"That's what you're going to find out!" Horatio growled, walking towards the door.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to wait for him!"

"Oh god H don't!" Jesse exclaimed, running after his boss.

Ryan walked out of the elevator. He was signing in at the front desk when he heard someone yell his name. He turned to see Horatio storming towards him, closely followed by Jesse. Ryan took a few steps towards Horatio. That's when he saw the anger burning in Horatio's eyes. He grabbed Ryan by the front of his shirt and slammed him against the wall.

"What did you do to her?" Horatio yelled in his face. "What did you do to my baby!"

Jesse grabbed his arm and tried to pull Ryan free. "H, stop! This isn't how you should be handling this!"

Jessica came running out of the Trace lab at the sound of her father's voice. "Dad, stop!" she yelled. Jessica grabbed Horatio's arm and pulled with Jesse. "Leave Ryan alone! He didn't do anything!"

"Stop it Jessica!" Horatio ordered her, "I know what he did to you!"

"I told you he didn't touch me!" Jessica yelled at him, "I tripped and hit my face!"

Jesse managed to pull Horatio off Ryan and held him back. He caught a glimpse of Jessica's face.

"Oh my god…." he muttered. There was a half circle bruise under her eye that looked like a fist. Blood vessels had broken across the white of her eye and red spots dotted her cornea. "Jess, what happened?"

"I tripped and fell into the bathroom doorknob," Jessica explained, "But this asshole thinks Ryan hit me! He won't believe me!"

Jesse released his grip on Horatio. "Don't move," Jesse ordered him. He walked over to Jessica and looked at her face. He slowly reached his hand up to her cheek. Jessica flinched away from him. "Please," he said to her, "Let me see." Jessica hesitated but took a small step forward. Jesse carefully placed his hand on her cheek and looked at her eye. He took her glasses off and turned her head slowly.

"H, I think Jessica's telling the truth" Jesse said.

"How?" Horatio asked, walking over to them.

"This bruise is too deep to be caused by someone's fist. And look how small it is. Ryan's hands are a lot bigger than this."

Horatio stood there still fuming. "I don't believe it." He said, "I want proof. Prove to me Ryan didn't do this."

"Fine, I will," Jesse said, releasing Jessica's face and handing her back her glasses. "But you can't help." He turned to look at Horatio. "You have to finish the Moore case. On your own and you can't touch this case or Ryan and Jessica, not until I'm done."

Horatio's eyes burned with hatred. "Fine, but you have to report to me your results."
"Did you think I wouldn't?" Jesse asked a little offended.

"Never mind, just get to work," Horatio said, turning to walk away. He turned back to Ryan and looked at him. "I meant what I said, Mr. Wolfe." He turned and continued back down the hall.

Jessica ran to Ryan and wrapped her arms around him. "Oh god Ryan, I'm so sorry!"

"It's ok Jess," Ryan responded.

"No it's not!" Jessica said, stepping back from their embrace. "I told Horatio you didn't touch me but he's not listening and he's blowing this out of portion!"

"Jess, don't worry." He gently placed his hands on her face. Jessica didn't flinch and stared into his eyes. "You're his little girl, he thinks I hurt you, he has every right to be pissed."
"Excuse me Mel," Jesse said, "Would you be willing to testify that you just witnessed this encounter?"

Mel looked taken aback. "I guess, why?"

"Because if Ryan really was abusing Jessica she wouldn't have just ran to him to comfort him." Jesse explained, "If you wouldn't mind writing what you witnessed down for me I would greatly appreciate it. Take your time, I'll come by later and pick it up." Jesse grabbed a patrol officer that was standing by the front desk. "Davidson, I want you to stay with Ryan for now."

Jesse turned back to Jessica and Ryan. "Alright, Horatio wants me to investigate so that's exactly what I'm going to do. You two have to be separated. I want each of you to write what happened this morning. Ryan I want you to start. You're going to go with Davidson to an interview room and write down your statement. Jessica you're coming with me to see Tom."

"Why am I going to Tom?" Jessica asked.

"He has the special infrared camera that can detect bruises that haven't formed on the surface yet." Jesse explained, "If Horatio's right, which I'm not saying he's right or wrong at this point, but if he is there should be more bruising then what's around your eye."
Jessica let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine, let's go." She turned and kissed Ryan. "I love you."

Ryan's eyes seemed to shine. "I love you too Jess. I'm sorry this is happening."

Davidson placed his hand on Ryan's shoulder. "Come on Wolfe, let's go." He quietly said to Ryan. Ryan followed Davidson down the hall. He looked back over his shoulder at Jessica one last time.

Jessica buried her face into Jesse's chest. "I can't believe him!" she said, "Why would he think Ryan would do something like this?"

"H said it himself, you're his baby." Jesse said, "He watched you live through this once, he doesn't want to see it again."