Sorry it's been awhile. I've been super busy.

Someone to Watch Over Me

Horatio sighed as he signed the paperwork and handed the forms back to the Internal Affairs receptionist.

"I'm really sorry about this, Theresa," he said again, "I don't think Jessica intended for the window to break."

"Horatio, the Philadelphia Police said she jumped through the window," the woman snapped. "How could she have not intended for it to break?"

"I don't know," Horatio finally said in a slightly sarcastic voice, "Maybe she was hoping to materialize through it. You never know until you try."

The woman looked at him with angry eyes as she shoved the forms into a mailbox behind her. "This is the last time the department is paying for your daughter's actions, Lieutenant," she sneered. "Next time she pays out of pocket."

"Alright, I'll call Bug and tell her no more testing for super powers. Have a swell day, Theresa," Horatio said with a wink as he walked out of the office.

Horatio rode the elevator back to his floor and walked down the hall towards his office. He caught sight of Ryan and quickly matched his pace.

"Ryan, just the man I wanted to see," he said as he led Ryan off his original path.

Ryan looked at him confused. "Ok, what's up, H?"

"How was your Thanksgiving?" Horatio causally inquired.

"Good, it was nice to see my uncle and sister again."

"No explosions this year?" Horatio asked with a mischievous grin.

Ryan shook his head and chuckled. "Jessica told you about Uncle Ron forgetting to thaw the turkey before he tried to deep fry it last year, didn't she?"

Horatio chuckled to himself. "Yes, actually she did," he said as he led Ryan into his office.

Ryan walked into Horatio's office and Horatio shut the door. Horatio motioned for Ryan to sit at the chair across from his desk, as he sat at his chair. Horatio's desk was rather clean for once. He only had about ten case files on it instead of the usual fifty, and they were in a neat stack as opposed to the usual scattered piles. Ryan was nervous; he had no idea why Horatio wanted to see him in private in his office.

"Ryan," Horatio began, "I wanted to talk to you about Jessica."
Ryan sat up a little straighter in his chair. "Alright, what's up?"

"Awhile ago you asked me for her hand in marriage. I wasn't sure if you were serious about making this commitment, but now I can see that you are. I want you to have something."
Horatio reached into a desk drawer and pulled something out and placed it on the desk in front of Ryan. It was a small ladybug shaped velvet box. It was rather old looking, missing velvet and having exposed plastic in some places and only one eye.

Horatio nodded when Ryan reached his hand out hesitantly and looked at his boss. Ryan picked up the box and held it in his hands, looking it over more. Ryan discovered the box opened so that the back of the ladybug was standing up. Ryan slowly opened the box and discovered three rings inside.

The first was a woman's ring. It had a ruby in the center of several impossibly tiny pearls on a silver band that was engraved around the band in the pattern of a scrolling Celtic knot. Then there was a small silver band with four rubies encrusted in it, spaced evenly apart, with more of the Celtic scrolling engraved within the band. The last ring was clearly a man's. It was a larger silver band that also had four rubies evenly spaced and the Celtic scrolling engraved in it, just like the small band.

Ryan looked at Horatio, slightly confused. "What are these?"

Horatio looked at him, a mixture of sorrow and joy in his eyes. "They're Jessica's biological parent's wedding rings and her mother's engagement ring. The day Jessica's mother died her father placed all three in that box and put them in his lock box. It had been her mother's dying wish to have her daughter and future husband wear them, and her father agreed because he knew he would never re-marry and never love another woman like he had Jessabelle."

"Why are they in this box?" Ryan asked.

"Because that's the box Jessica's father used to propose to her mother. Jessica thought Brian was only giving her a ladybug necklace that they had seen in a store earlier that day, but he had switched the boxes for the necklace and the ring in order to catch her off guard. It worked because Jessabelle screamed when she saw the engagement ring inside."
Ryan knew by the nickname that Horatio was talking about Jessica's mother, the original Dr. Jessica Stone, the name Jessie had taken when she went into hiding.

Horatio looked at Ryan and continued on with the story. "Jessie Bug has never seen that box, nor has she seen her mother's ring since she was four. I don't think she remembers what it looks like, since her mother stopped wearing it when she started chemo therapy, in fear of loosing them."

Ryan knew where this was going, but continued to patiently listen to Horatio.

"I want you and Jessica to have these Ryan. You are the first man that she's loved in her life and I want her to be happy. I know you'll bring her that happiness, son."

Ryan could feel tears forming in his eyes. He couldn't remember the last time that someone had called him son. Ryan was so overwhelmed with emotion. He was finally going to marry the woman he loved, he was going to start a new life with her, and he was going to have a father again. Ryan couldn't help but let his tears release. He was so grateful for everything Horatio was doing for him.

Ryan felt a pair of strong arms wrap around his shoulders. He could see Horatio's red hair out of the corner of his eye.

"Thank you Horatio," he finally managed, "This means so much to me."
Horatio smiled at him as he pulled back and looked at Ryan. He handed Ryan a tissue and continued to look at the young man.

"Anything for my new son." Horatio said, "Now, try it on."
"What?"

"The ring, you have to make sure it fits. You don't want to get to the altar and find out it's the wrong size. Go ahead, try it on."
Ryan looked at Horatio for a moment. He then pulled the man's wedding band out and with shaky fingers slid it onto his left ring finger. It fit perfectly, like it was made for Ryan.

"Beautiful." Ryan heard Horatio say, "You could be ready to get married tomorrow if you wanted."

Ryan smiled and chuckled at Horatio. "If only I could marry Jessie tomorrow I would." Ryan paused briefly, "Do you know when she's coming back?"

Horatio shook his head. "No, she only calls me once a week and tells me how she's doing. She hasn't mentioned anything about coming home yet. But you can believe me Ryan, you'll be the first to know when she decides it's time to come back."
Ryan smiled at him. "Thank you Horatio. For everything you've ever done for me."

Horatio returned Ryan's smile with his own caring one. "Like I said anything for my new son."

Ryan jumped from his car and grabbed his pile of gifts and Lucy's lease. He huddled against the wind as he knocked on the door of the slightly unfamiliar house. Yelina smiled at him as she opened the door.

"Ryan," she said as she let him in, "It's so good of you to come."

"Yes, I'm surprised you didn't freeze to death last night," Horatio smirked as he came around the corner.

Ryan rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Shut up you," he laughed, "You're just mad because I stopped coming over to cuddle with you at night."

Yelina laughed as she helped Ryan remove his coat. She smoothed her hands over it and smiled. "Is this the mysterious coat Jessica left in the hotel room Horatio was telling me about?"

Ryan chuckled and he pushed Lucy away with his foot. "As a matter of fact yes," he said. Lucy snapped at his ankle and Ryan jumped. "Ouch, Lucy!" The small dog's ears went flat and she whimpered away from Ryan. He sighed and leaned down to scratch her ear. "Why can't I stay mad at you?" he asked the dog.

Horatio looked at the pile of gifts Ryan had brought with him. Horatio noticed a jewelry box on top with Jessica's name on it.

"What's that, Ryan?" Horatio asked.

Ryan smiled sheepishly. "It's a present I bought for Jessica back when we were in the Keys. I saw it and knew she would love it. I hid it and I was going to give it to her for Christmas this year." Ryan paused momentarily, the tips of his ears turning red. "I just felt like it was only right that I bring it to the Caine family Christmas party."
Horatio smiled at the young man. "That was incredibly thoughtful of you, Ryan. Can I see it?"

Ryan shyly opened the box to revel a silver bracelet. It had round silver pieces and mother of pearl pieces. It jingled lightly when Horatio lifted it from the box.

"Jessica's going to love it." Horatio said, "When she first told me she was dating this new guy she told me how he kept buying her jewelry. She jokingly asked me if that meant she had bad taste in fashion and he was trying to fix her up."

Ryan chuckled at Horatio's joke. "No, I just see these things and think of her…..I miss her so much, Horatio."

Horatio looked at the younger man. "She misses you, too, Ryan." Horatio hesitantly said, "She tells me every time she calls me how she wishes you were with her."
"When is she coming home, H?"

"I wish I could tell you Ryan, but Jessie Bug refuses to tell me. She says it's too risky, and she can't dare put me in that kind of danger."

"I hope it's soon. I don't want to live another day without her." Ryan looked into Horatio's blue eyes, "But I'm going to have to."
Horatio smiled and clapped his hand on Ryan's shoulder. "You would wait until the end of time for her, wouldn't you?"

Ryan nodded his head slowly. "Yeah, life without Jessica, well I can't really describe it. It's hard to remember what life before her was like. She's really become my world."

Horatio smiled and embraced the younger man. "You're going to make a fine husband for my daughter, Ryan Wolfe."

Yelina distributed the presents from under the Christmas tree. Ryan received a few from Horatio and Kyle and even one from Yelina and Ray Jr. Then Yelina pulled out a small package that was wrapped in paper no one had ever seen. A smile spread across Yelina's face as she read the card that was attached to it. She stood up and walked over to Ryan and held out the package.

"I think you're going to like this one," she said.

Ryan looked at the card and immediately recognized the handwriting. He pulled he card off and ripped it open.

Ryan,

I miss you every day. Life without you is, well it's different. It's difficult to think of the days before you came into my life. Sometimes I feel lost without you beside me, but I promise some day we'll be together again. You are my world and my soul. I love you and I can't wait to see you again!

Love Always,
Jessica

Ps- Rain check for that Chicago Christmas?

Ryan felt a smile spread across his. He looked at the small package in his hand. It was wrapped in red paper with gold stars on it. Ryan recognized it as the same paper Jessica had used the year before for Christmas.

"Who is it from, Ryan?" Kyle asked.

Ryan felt himself choke as he answered. "It's from Jessica."

"Really?" Kyle said excitedly.

"Yeah, but I don't know how it got…." Ryan looked at Horatio, who gave him a wink.

"She sent it to me last month and asked me to give it to you here." Horatio said, "I don't know how she knew I invited you, since I never told her, but I learned a long time ago don't ask questions when it comes to Jessica."

"So are you just going to sit there and stare at it or are you going to open it?" Kyle asked.

Ryan's fingers fumbled a little as he pulled at the wrapping paper. He found a black box underneath the paper. He opened it up to find a silver Rolex watch inside. It had a mother of pearl face and a tiny diamond on the each of the hands. It was almost identical to the one that his uncle had given him when he graduated from the Florida State Police Academy. Ryan blinked a few times, feeling tears form in his eyes.

"But how did she know…" Ryan looked at Horatio again.

"Well maybe a little bird told her you broke your watch at a crime scene about two months ago and still haven't bought a new one," Horatio said with a smirk.

"Yeah, a frickin red bird," Ryan retorted. Everyone laughed at Ryan's joke.

"Well," Yelina said, "Put it on! She didn't send it just so you and Horatio could bicker."

Ryan pulled the watch out of its box and slid it onto his wrist. When he clasped it he felt something on the smooth surface of the clasp. Ryan turned his wrist over and noticed something engraved in the surface of the clasp.

You are my soul. Without you I'm incomplete. J.E.S.C.

Ryan finally lost it; he couldn't hold back the tears anymore. They silently slid down his cheeks. He felt someone sit next to him on the couch and a hand brush away a tear. Ryan turned and looked at Horatio smiling at him.

"You really love her, don't you?" Horatio asked him. Ryan silently nodded his head. Horatio reached his arm around Ryan's shoulders and pulled him against his body.

"It's just so hard being away from her., Ryan said.

"It hurts being away from the ones we love, but just remember the more you cry when you have to say good-bye the more you loved that person. She'll come back to us some day, Ryan. I promise this isn't the last we've heard from little Jessie Bug."

Ryan smiled. "Thank you, Horatio."

"Well that explains the coat," Horatio said.

"How so?" Ryan inquired.

"Well it snows in Chicago," Horatio explained, "Hence 'white Christmas.' You'll need one when you go." He smiled and winked at Ryan as Ryan felt the tips of his ears grow red.

Ryan sighed and leaned back into the couch. "You Caine folk are all the same; sneaky mind readers."

Ryan, Yelina, and Horatio were sitting in the kitchen drinking coffee talking, while Ray Jr. and Kyle played video games in the living room. They were exchanging Christmas stories when Horatio looked at the card Jessica had sent Ryan.

"Ryan, what does she mean about 'Rain check for that Chicago Christmas'?"

Ryan felt his ears flush slightly and smiled. "Last year when we celebrated Christmas together we were walking along her beach and Jessica mentioned it was weird not having snow during Christmas since she's lived in the north most of her life. She told me sometimes she misses the snow. I asked her if she wanted to go to Chicago the next year to celebrate, so she could have a white Christmas again." Ryan sighed and felt his heart sink. "I hope where ever she is its snowing right now."

Horatio smiled. "I have to admit, the white Christmases were nice. Jessabelle and I were planning on actually going to Florida one year so we could have a green Christmas." Horatio's demeanor changed. "We never did get to. What I wouldn't give to have a white Christmas with my girls again."

"Dad, Aunt Yelina, Ryan, come quick! You have to see this!" they heard Kyle yell from the other room.

The three stood and walked into the living room. They found Kyle and Ray Jr. standing at the front door. They threw on their shoes and ran outside. Horatio, Yelina, and Ryan walked out the front door to find snow falling from the sky. They were giant, fluffy flakes that floated downwards in a mass. It had already started sticking to the grass as Kyle and Ray Jr. began running through it, waving their arms, acting like children.

"My god," Yelina said, "I don't think I've ever seen it snow in Miami."

Horatio hesitantly walked out onto the lawn. He looked up at the sky and smiled. He felt someone walk up next to him. Horatio turned to see Ryan standing next to him, snow scattered in his hair.

"I think it's her." Ryan said, "I think she sent the snow."

Horatio smiled, knowing what Ryan meant. He looked back at the sky and felt a tear run down his cheek. "Snow in Miami, yeah that sounds like something my Jessabelle would do."

Ryan looked up at the sky and smiled. He felt the tears fall as he closed his eyes. He could see her face and almost smell her. She smiled at him. "Merry Christmas Ryan," she said in his mind. "Merry Christmas Jessica," Ryan whispered.