"The longest way round is the shortest way home"-Italian Proverb.
Disclaimer: Don't own them but waiting for the first volley in Nynaeve's coup to happen.
Okay, I'm dusting off my own page and taking a solo trip for this one, so be kind. I'm so spoiled by looking to my other Nina-heads for driving lessons I don't know if I remember what steering my own bus is going to be like.
You know me. A little fluff, a little angst., but hopefully it'll all work out in the end.
Chapter 1: Have Sky Miles Will Travel
Jordan tossed her hairdryer on top of her cosmetic bag and zipped her carry-on shut.
"This is a one-way ticket," Woody said holding her hardcopy in his hand. "when are you planning on coming back?"
"A few days. A week at most…." she said matter-of-factly, tapping her chin taking a mental inventory of her suitcase. Or more importantly what wasn't in it.
And what am I suppose to do in the mean time? Woody thought to himself. The words never came out of his mouth. He was the one who actually suggested this trip. He never figured she'd buy a ticket on the next avaliable flight out. A quick bite to eat at the end of an emotionally taxing day had ended with the two of them in her bedroom…Just not in the way he had always envisioned.
"I can't tell you how much I appreciate you taking me to the airport…"she said, adding a last minute jacket to her pile.
"I live to serve," he smiled tightly.
"Remember to feed Evander only in the morning. Just a pinch…"
Jordan looked at her watch, he did too. Pavlov's theories were alive and well. "I got it. We need to go or you'll miss your flight…."Woody said, shouldering her suitcase.
For just a few days, her bag was filled to capacity. He had made a comment to that fact when she was stuffing it. Spring in the Midwest, she claimed. If anybody would understand the need for packing for both hot and cold weather it would be a guy from Wisconsin, she argued.
"Oh, and change his water on Sunday," Jordan recited , striding into the kitchen. Where were her keys? She could have sworn she had left them right next to the fish bowl when they came in. "Use the water in the jug next to the sink."
Woody found himself looking for the elusive set of keys himself. Just not quite so thoroughly. Chicago? Who knew there was over fifty non-stop flights from Boston to Chicago everyday. Certainly not him. "Water, yeah."
Jordan turned, her hands on her hips. "Are you were paying attention? " she scowled.
"Feed in the A of M. Clean the bowl on Monday…" Woody recited back.
"….Sunday." she interrupted, zoning in on he keys that had slipped under a stack of junk mail.
"Sunday," he said, picking up the gallon water jug. "with the water labeled 'Fish Water--Do Not Drink'. Does that mean there is fish in the water or…"
"I'd better call Nigel" Jordan muttered palming her evasive keys before they could disappear again.
"No, no, it'll be okay… see?" Woody said, tapping the side of the fish bowl. "Evander and I are bonding already."
"Don't kill my fish," she warned.
"I won't kill your fish. I've got everything under control," he assured her. "You just think about having a good visit with Max and getting home safely."
"You make it sound so easy."
"It will be," he smiled softly, opening her front door. "You'll see."
One last check and Jordan hit the light switch leaving the room dark. Suddenly this impromptu trip didn't sound as good of an idea as it did a half a carton of vegetarian stir-fry ago.
"Do you think I'm doing the right thing?"
Woody reached out to take her hand. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her to wait. Plan what she wanted to tell Max. Maybe they could make the trip together. Jus the two of them. This summer. Turn it into a vacation on the lake. Maybe take her to Kewaunee to meet the family….
He stopped himself. Woody knew how much both she and Max needed this even if he was a little like a kettle calling the pot black when it came to fixing those blood-ties burnt bridges. "Reconnecting with your father? Yes, Jordan. You've both made mistakes, but it's not too late to make up for lost time…"
Woody was secretly glad he didn't have to take his own advice.
"Then I guess we'd better go."
It was just after midnight by the time Jordan check in to her hotel. She dropped off her luggage before she jumped back into her rental in search of the address she had on a pink while-you-were-out paper.
Over the past year Jordan and Max had mastered the knack of keeping in touch without ever having to speak to each other. A message here, a piece of forwarded mail there. She got the address to his new place when he left a message with Emy one day while she was out. The address and phone number, in Emy's flowery handwriting, was attached to with a message that read 'I needed something to keep me busy. Love you.'
The name on the sign over the storefront door was very familiar even if the façade wasn't. The last time Jordan was in this particular neighborhood of the windy city, she was hounding a homicide investigator, by the name unfortunate name of Detective Lost, about an obvious cover up. In some ways it marked the beginning to the end of her meteoric career with the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office. Then again the second she signed her employment offer letter was the start of most people's countdown.
Once inside, the newest incarnation of Pogue Mahone was just like every other Irish cop bar she'd ever been to. The underlying smell of Guinness on tap was overshadowed by an aroma you can only find in one other place…the inside of a busy police station. Jordan immediately felt right at home. She slipped onto a stool at the end of the bar and waited for the bar keep to notice his new customer….
Woody picked at the stone-cold pork lo-mien with a fork instead of chopsticks. He never really mastered the art of fishing out the slippery noodles with two skinny sticks like Jordan did. At home alone, he didn't feel the need to impress anyone with his dogged attempts. Especially not a fish.
"She should be in Chicago by now,' he said casting a jaundice eye at the fishbowl that was taking up space on his coffee table between a stack of half read true crime novels and his dusty GameCube console.
"Since the eleven o'clock news didn't report any stories about off-duty Boston medical examiners finding dead bodies in the fuselage of an outbound domestic flight or an observant female passenger single-handedly overpowering suspected terrorists at O'hara's baggage claim I think we can safely have a second beer and watch a little Sports Center. "
Evander didn't prove to be as good of a conversationalist as Jordan claimed he was. At least he didn't complain about he decorating sense like his last overnight guest did.
Every day that went by, Woody found it harder and harder to remember the nuances of Lu's face. Yet if he closed his eyes he could remember the exact shade of lipstick Jordan wore the first time he met her. He knew should feel a little more guilty. After all, Lu and he were… damn. How did he let his life turn into such a mess?
"Well, it's just you and me, buddy" he smiled sadly at the bowl. "You probably have a killer poker face but I think we'll hold off playing cards. Tell you what. You can help me list a chair on Ebay…."
Woody had to concede that babysitting a fish wasn't that bad. He just hoped it wouldn't end up being a long term thing. Jordan once lived in Chicago. She left with a few letters of accommodation under her belt to prove it. Times have changed. She's no longer the loose canon she once was…
"Well, not need-to-be-tied-to-a fire-hydrant loose anyway," he said out loud to Evander. "She'd be an asset to any CME's staff. "
She wanted to reconnect with her father. After everything she's been through the last few months she needed to. Woody couldn't deny that. What if seeing Max again made her want to be closer to family? What if she wanted more? Lily had Madeline now. There is nothing to keep Garret in Boston once he retires and Nigel seemed to be preoccupied with Kate. It's not like Woody himself had any claim on her time. He watched that boat sail …and straight off the edge of the earth.
What if Jordan ended up wanting her spontaneous visit to became a little more permanent?