Tim may have been gloriously oblivious to Jesse's past, but that didn't mean he didn't feel the uncomfortable pressure that followed Hollywood's ultimatum. To say that Jesse was more distant would have been a huge understatement; Tim found that he was elusive most of the time, and even when he was around he didn't say much to anyone. The tension finally broke the next night, as Hollywood, Dana and Tim sat outside discussing the relocation to Boston. Jesse had been off walking most of the day, and was watching the exchange unknown from a safe distance.

"It won't be the same without you around, but if you want to stay I guess it's understandable," Dana was telling Tim. He picked at some grass on the ground thoughtfully.

"I want to go with you guys," he admitted. "I just..."

"Won't go without Jesse," Hollywood finished for him after he trailed off.

Tim glanced up at Hollywood and shrugged. "I know you don't like him, even though it doesn't make any sense."

"Makes perfect sense," Hollywood told him monotonously. "But it's always been said 'love is blind' so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised that you think he's a fucking angel or something."

"He's never done anything to make me think otherwise," Tim argued. "Christ, he's saved my life on more than one occassion."

Jesse saw Hollywood's moment of hesitance after Tim told him this. He knew exactly what was running through the younger man's mind, and he made the quick decision that if Tim did have to find out, he'd rather Hollywood wasn't the one to tell him. As Jesse parted the leaves and joined the rest of the group, Hollywood shot him an icy glare.

"Yeah, he saved your life," Hollywood agreed. "Must be trying to make up for all the innocent people he killed before."

"I never killed anyone," Jesse stated, crossing his arms and still standing a bit away from them.

"Bullshit," Hollywood spat. "I saw you."

Tim looked between the two of them, then at Dana. "What the fuck are you talking about, Hollywood?"

"Your blessed pig in saint's clothing over here," Hollywood told him with a nasty smirk, nodding towards Jesse. "I met him at a protest in ninety-five. Only he was on the other side of line..."

Jesse shifted nervously under the weight of Tim's confused gaze. "I didn't kill that boy," he reitterated, staring at the ground now.

"You shot him," Hollywood reminded him.

Tim once again looked between the two of them, lost. "Jesse...what? You shot someone...at a protest...?"

With a heavy sigh, Jesse nodded. "Yes. I shot him. But I didn't kill him, and I made sure of that before I left."

"What do you mean?," Tim asked, standing up.

"What he means isn't what matters," Hollywood told him. "What matters, is that Jesse - or should I say Officer Michaels is a fucking liar."

Realization finally hit and Tim blanched as Dana stood up to grasp Hollywood's arm.

"C'mon, asshole, you've done enough damage," she told him, pulling him away. He shook her off but followed anyway, with an air of 'my work here is done' and a smirk on his face.

"You were a cop," Tim said, no question, just statement. Jesse nodded.

"I was. I left when it became too much."

"So, that story about your wife...," Tim trailed off.

"I was never married, I never had any children," he admitted. "When I left, no one noticed. If they did I'm sure they thought I was dead. It was better that way."

"Then why did you tell me that shit?"

"You don't really have to ask that, do you?," Jesse arched an eyebrow. "After hearing your story, I knew what you'd think of me when I told you I was a cop."

"You might as well have killed Lars," Tim stated.

"Exactly. As odd as it sounds, I wanted you to stay even then..."

"But you lied," Tim said, shaking his head. "I wouldn't have cared that much, and it's not like I was in any condition to leave anyway. You could have told me nothing when I asked."

"I know, I realize the mistake now," Jesse looked at the ground, seeming unfeeling. There was a long stretch of silence before either spoke again.

"You used to be a cop," Tim repeated, and Jesse only nodded. "But now you're just a liar."

He pushed past Jesse and started off on the trail without an explination.

"Poison ivy has three leaves," Jesse called after him, not turning around.

"Maybe this time I can run into something more deadly," Tim replied, his tone tense with emotion.

"Sorry about that," Dana approached Jesse, who was still looking off in the direction that Tim had gone. "Hollywood can be a real dick sometimes...he doesn't know when to quit."

Jesse looked over at her, shaking his head. "It's all right, I guess...I should have told him in the first place, so I don't really have the right to complain that he found out this way."

Dana crossed her arms over her chest, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "He's a strange guy, Tim is. He trusts people far too easily for his own good," she told Jesse.

"You think he shouldn't have trusted me?"

Shaking her head, Dana continued. "No, that's not what I was getting at. I mean...well, trust is usually something that you have to earn. With Tim, that isn't the case, but it doesn't mean that once that trust is broken that he'll forgive easily."

Jesse watched Dana curiously for a moment, and she broke her gaze from the line of trees that Tim had disappeared behind to look at him. She arched an eyebrow.

"Did you know?," Jesse asked, a sudden change of conversation. "About my past?"

Dana gave a small nod. "Hollywood told me."

"You wouldn't have said anything, though?"

"No," she said. "I imagined if it needed to come out, it would have eventually. I wanted Tim to come with us, but not badly enough to hurt the both of you like that. Everyone has the right to be happy, no matter what they've done in the past."

Jesse groaned inwardly. "Doesn't look like you'll have to worry about him staying here anymore."

"Yeah, you fucked up," Dana concured with a nod. The pair stood in silence for a few moments, then she looked up at Jesse again. "I told you he doesn't forgive easily..."

"I know."

"But don't you think it would be worth the effort?"