Tile: History
By: Tiffany F
Pairing: Horatio/Jesse
Rating: PG-13
Summary: SPOILERS FOR SEASON 8 EPISODES 8 AND 9. Jesse comes home after a hard day at the lab and talks about his co-workers and an old case with his lover.

Jesse shut the door behind him and leaned his head against it for a moment. He still didn't really understand why Wolfe had been at the party in the first place, but it just figured the man couldn't keep his mouth shut. Calleigh and Boa Vista had spent more time interrogating him about his personal life than they had working on the case. And the worst part of the whole situation was that he couldn't tell them the truth about the woman in question.

Warm arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him carefully into a hug. "Welcome home," his lover murmured against his neck. "I'm guessing things didn't go as you planned."

"That's the understatement of the year," Jesse replied. "There were enough people at that stupid party that I wouldn't have been spotted if not for Wolfe."

Gentle hands turned him and he stared into concerned blue eyes. "Why was Ryan there?" Horatio asked.

"He said he needed to pick up some extra cash so he's been moonlighting," Jesse said. "Is that dinner I smell?"

"Yeah, I needed something to do while I waited for you to come home," Horatio smiled. He leaned in and kissed his lover gently. "Let's eat outside."

"Sounds good," Jesse grinned kissing Horatio again quickly. "H, what's up with Wolfe?"

Horatio sighed. "Ryan has a gambling addiction," he said. "He lost his position at the lab once because of it. He's had it under control for a couple of years now, and I just wonder if maybe its starting to control him again. I've been noticing some things I saw the last time, and now, if he needs more money, I'll have to talk with him."

"That's rough." Jesse took his plate and beer out onto the deck, settling into one of the deck loungers. "Do you think Delko's shooting and him leaving could have played a part in all this?"

"It's possible." Horatio sat down across from Jesse with his own plate and a diet Pepsi. "For a while it looked like Ryan and Walter were going to be friends, but now, now I just don't know."

"I wouldn't count on that one," Jesse said. "While we were all working on that car wreck it sounded like Ryan was jealous of Walter; that Walter was spending so much time with the forensic books and learning things that Ryan didn't know."

"That's interesting," Horatio sighed. "Do me a favor, please Jesse; keep an eye on them if they happen to end up working together in the next few weeks. Walter has it in him to be an excellent CSI and I don't want him to get discouraged."

"Yeah, not a problem, H," Jesse grinned. "Walter is a good kid and I like working with him."

"So do I." Horatio paused for a moment. "Do you want to finish filling me in on the case you're working?"

"Are you asking as the boss or the lover?"

"Mainly as your boss, but you have to see my side of the picture," Horatio replied. "You're tracking a very attractive woman. There's going to be some jealousy, even though I know you won't do anything to hurt me."

"Anna was executive assistant to a man who was arrested and charged with human trafficking," Jesse said. "Specifically infants and children, although we suspect that they were not only kidnapping the kids, but they were actually killing the parents as well. We weren't able to prove anything out in LA."

"The man was arrested, but his associates escaped," Horatio said.

"Exactly, and the bastard refused to give us any information," Jesse said. "Anna is suspected of being the second in command for the organization and I was selected to tail her."

"And your cover was blown at the party?"

"Anna and I had some contact out in LA while I was undercover," Jesse said. "I bought some items from their antique warehouse and, as you can probably imagine, things didn't go that great when her boss was arrested."

"Which would explain why she was so upset to see you again," Horatio said.

"H!"

"I hear everything at the lab, Jesse," Horatio said. "Although they are all convinced you're an evil stalker who won't leave this poor woman alone. And you made it worse by saying you'd take Miss Boa Vista out for drinks and then standing her up."

"Is there anything else I should know about my personal life?"

"Just that, according to Ryan, you're a rich man who is only working with the crime lab so you can keep tabs on Anna legally."

"Oh for...."

Horatio started laughing. "Let them gossip," he said. "It'll keep them from finding out the truth."

"That's easy for you to say."

"Jesse, do you want to know how long my CSIs have been convinced that Frank and I are dating?"

"You and Frank Tripp!"

"Or me and Rick Stetler from IAB."

"Ugh, that's just wrong," Jesse shuddered.

"Especially since Frank and Rick have been together for years," Horatio said. "The point is that, for the most part, gossip is harmless and gives them something to do while working."

"Fine, but if I get paired up with anyone weird, I'm blaming you."

"I can live with that, as long as you always come home to me." Horatio put his empty plate on the deck and leaned back in his chair with a soft sigh. "So what are you planning to do now?"

"I'll stay on the case, even though my cover was blown," Jesse said. "I'm positive that Anna knows more than I think she knows and I've got to find a way to get her to talk."

"That, Jesse, that won't be easy," Horatio said. "From the sound of things, Anna can't stand to be in the same room with you, let alone talk."

Jesse rubbed his face and nodded. "Yeah, that scene at PD is actually fairly typical of how she reacts whenever she sees me," he said. "I'd love to get a warrant to bug her house, but I have no evidence that I can take to a judge. And there's too much at risk bending or breaking any laws to try and get the warrant. I can't risk anything being thrown out of court."

"How can I help?" Horatio asked.

"Right now, just by listening to me bitch," Jesse replied. "Anna's figured out that I'm here and I'm a cop. It sucks, but that's how it is."

"Why did you do the interviews?"

"Because it was too much trouble to try to explain to both Wolfe and Boa Vista why I needed to bail," Jesse sighed. "I've been compromised, H, I can't be the forerunner of this investigation any more."

"So what will you tell your officer in charge?" Horatio asked. "I won't lie and say I'm not happy to have you full time at the lab, but we need to catch these people before they harm any more families."

"Yeah, I totally agree," Jesse said. "That's why they're sending in someone Anna doesn't know to continue the investigation. My job now is to make it look like I'm still investigating her, stalk her, do whatever the hell I can to keep her focus on me so she won't expect anyone else until it's too late."

"Then I should expect some complaints about you in the next few weeks?"

"Probably."

"I'll have to let Rick know what's going on, Jesse, or else he'll come in and make even more trouble than you've got now."

Jesse laughed. "I still haven't met the mysterious Rick Stetler."

"Trust me when I say this isn't how you want to meet him. We can invite Frank and Rick over for dinner and let you meet Rick away from work first."

"That sounds like a good idea. So you don't hate Stetler?"

"The two of us have never gotten along and he saw my promotion to Lieutenant as unjust and unfair to him," Horatio replied. "But, since he and Frank got together, Rick has mellowed and, for the most part, seems willing to let me run the lab the way I want to. It makes life easier."

"I imagine it does," Jesse said. "With what I'm planning, H, maybe we should have that dinner sooner rather than later."

"I'll talk to Frank tomorrow."

"Sounds good; I'll have to keep the heat on Anna, but I can behave for a week or two," Jesse said. "I'll be annoying, but not overt until everything is taken care of here."

"Speaking of things being taken care of, how's your arm?"

Jesse glanced down at the bandage on his right arm. "I've had worse while surfing," he said. "I'll keep the bandage on for now, but it honestly doesn't really hurt anymore."

"There's sting ointment in the bathroom if you want it," Horatio said. "Ray Jr. used to be very good at getting stung."

"Not much anymore?"

"He doesn't spend much time in the water these days. His mother keeps him busy with schoolwork and a part-time job. She's trying to keep him out of trouble."

"I imagine he and Kyle get along well."

"They do, they're both studying anatomy right now. Kyle works part time in the morgue with Tom and wants to be an ME," Horatio smiled. "Ray is just curious."

"That's not a bad thing."

"No, it's not," Horatio agreed. "I won't be the least bit surprised when Ray goes to the academy and joins the force."

"Family tradition?"

"Sheer stubbornness."

Jesse laughed so hard he almost feel over, chair and all. "Now that is a family trait, H," he finally managed.

"Work with what you've got, Jesse," Horatio grinned. "Work with what you've got."