The wedding was about a month away and Jessica had sent all the invitations to friends and family. It wouldn't be a very big wedding. The team would be there as well as several lab techs and some people from the homicide department. They had been family to Horatio for a long time and of course they were now also Jessica's family. Jessica's parents and brother would of course attend, Horatio's friend Artie and Kyle would be there and some quite close colleagues to Jessica. In the end, approximately 30 people would be their guests.

Now Jessica just wanted to find the perfect cake. She had brought five and a half months old Sophia with her to a shop where they made all sorts of cakes. They had photos of several of them and Jessica was looking at those photos.

"Getting married?" A male voice said from behind her.

Jessica turned around and faced a familiar man.

"James!" Jessica exclaimed and stood up, "What are you doing here?"

The two childhood friends hugged. James had been with Jessica through her bad break-ups with her ex-boyfriends, he had been a part of her life from the day she started school to four years ago when he had moved to San Francisco and they had drifted apart.

"I moved down to Miami." James smiled.

"Really? What made you decide to come back?"

"I wanted a new place to work at. I got one at Miami University."

James was a geography teacher and very good at his job. He was liked by everyone who met him and therefore it was strange that his only real friend was Jessica. It would later turn out not to be so strange after all.

"Good for you!" Jessica smiled.

James looked down at Sophia and his smile grew wider.

"The father is a red head right?" He asked.

"Yeah." Jessica smiled.

Sophia had her father's hair alright. James sat down across from Jessica and Jessica offered him to hold Sophia.

"What's her name?" He asked.

"Sophia. She is five and a half months old."

"Wow, you have a child and soon a husband." James grinned.

Jessica nodded. Since they hadn't seen each other for four years, Jessica and James decided to have lunch and catch up.

"So what does your guy do?" James asked as they sat at a small café.

Jessica noticed the slight change in James's tone. How he seemed annoyed, but she was sure he was just concerned of her well-being, like he had always been.

"He's a Lt. in the crime lab." Jessica smiled proudly.

"Is he a good father?" James asked and stunned Jessica.

"Yeah, absolutely. He's a great father. He has a son from a former relationship and they are really close."

"He already has a kid?"

"James, it is in fact one of the things I love so much about him. That he is a father tells me that he cares. His son is very fortunate to have a father like Horatio."

"That's his name? Unusual." James smiled, trying to convince Jessica that he wasn't being evil.

"Yes. It fits him." Jessica smiled.

James nodded. When Sophia started crying and begging for attention Jessica lost focus on James and didn't see how he rolled his eyes at the baby. Jessica picked her up and Sophia calmed down. James loved kids, but not somebody else's kid. He was jealous of Jessica's happiness. He wanted to be the one to share that with her.

"Is he a good boyfriend?" James asked.

"I think it's hard to find someone better than him." Jessica smiled, "James, you don't have to worry about me."

"I know, but it doesn't hurt to just make sure for myself that he's a good man." James said.

Jessica gave him a smile. She was blinded by their long friendship and didn't see the real anger that James directed towards Horatio. The jealousy and the hatred towards the man that had what James himself had wanted for years.

"How about you? Any girl in your life?" Jessica asked.

"Not yet. Maybe one day." James said, of course he left out that Jessica was the only woman in his life.

"I'm sure many women would love to date you." Jessica grinned.

James gave her a small smile. Everyone but Jessica according to him. Why he couldn't get her was something he didn't understand. However, he wasn't going to stop trying. He needed Jessica.

"I hope to meet the right girl one day." James said.

After lunch, the two parted ways and Jessica went back to the cake-shop. She decided to order a big cake with a red headed groom and a blonde bride on top for the wedding day. When she was done, she went home and played with her daughter in the baby pool, that the family had in the backyard.

It was when Kyle got home, that Jessica realized something was wrong with James. Kyle didn't even say hi when he walked through the front door and found Jessica and Sophia in the kitchen, making dinner.

"There's a man on the driveway." Kyle said and looked worried.

Jessica frowned and peeked out the kitchen window. She was shocked to see James standing by his car on the driveway.

"It's a childhood friend. I haven't seen him in four years, but… we had lunch today." Jessica explained and went to open the front door.

She went out to James, while Kyle watched Sophia.

"James?" Jessica asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to see where you live." James smiled, "Is in inappropriate?"

"A little. We had lunch today, I don't think you need to see me this much in one day." Jessica said.

James hung his head and sighed heavily.

"Sorry. I just wanted to see your family. To make sure Horatio, or whatever, is treating your right."

"James, I told you. He's not a bad man." Jessica said.

She was beginning to sense that something was very wrong. James had always been protective of her and he had wanted to make sure that her former boyfriends had been nice to her too, but this was beginning to spiral out of control.

"Does he often come home late?" James asked.

"It's not late."

"I think it is. Maybe I should call him and…"

"James!" Jessica snapped, "I am happy with him. You don't need to check if he's a good man. I know he is. You need to trust my judgment."

"Is that kid his son?"

"James. Leave now." Jessica sighed.

"What?"

"Leave! You're acting like a child." Jessica said and walked back to the house.

James got inside his car and drove off. Jessica explained to Kyle what James had said and Kyle got a bad feeling about James.

"I don't think this is his last visit." Kyle said.

"Let's hope it is." Jessica sighed.

Little did Jessica know that James had other plans than to stay away.

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