I OWN NOTHING! I just really wish this were the way the next season started. I think it would be a wonderful opener.

'Get out. Now.' Jordan had obeyed his wishes and left him in peace for the rest of the evening. She had returned to the morgue and hadn't had her foot in the door more than a minute before someone shouted out to go to her car and get to the recently reported scene. She drove the entire way, turning up her music to blast through her car as she went, trying to prevent the thoughts of Woody that bubbled close to the surface. Jordan arrived to find Garret and Nigel already hovering over the body. She smiled at them and they casually avoided the topic of her red eyes.

"Body's been dead for about an hour. Neighbor called it in. Said she wanted to report noise disturbance. She had banged on the wall, but when he didn't answer, she called the cops. Name is Wilson Hughet…" he finished lamely, Jordan turning to him with a totally disbelieving face.

"Garret, you're full of shit!" she said seriously, not believing that this man had a fairly similar sounding name to that of a friend, lying in ICU. She ripped the wallet from his hand and saw, clearly typed on his license, Wilson Hughet.

"Alright, Jordan. C'mon. It's not the same guy. Sure, he's got dark hair, but there's no way he has blue eyes, too!" Garret argued. Jordan looked serenely up at him. After snapping a picture, Jordan turned over the body and took out a pocket flashlight. She hadn't even managed to get the flashlight to his eyes when she opened them and gasped, backing away quickly from the body.

"What is it, luv? What's wrong?" but she was already in hysterical tears. Nigel ran over to her and caressed her lovingly while Garret bent over the body with his own flashlight.

"Nigel!" he yelled. Nigel slunk across the floor like a cat, coming over to look at what Garret was pointing at. Nigel followed Garret's finger to see a set of crystal clear, sky blue blank eyes. He immediately returned to Jordan's side and hugged her close.

"Luv, you don't have to be here. Go home or something. You should just leave here right away," he said, hugging her head to his chest as he walked her past the body. "Go get some sleep. Woody's got his surgery tomorrow and I'm sure he'd want you there."

"No… no, he doesn't!" she cried. "He told me to get out." Jordan's floodgates opened up and she cried uncontrollably.

"C'mon now, luv," he soothed. "You know that people facing a life-altering setback can say stupid things, do even stupider things and not mean either of them. You have GOT to just brush it off and stay by his side, no matter what."

Jordan nodded and left the small house to return to her own abode. Taking a detour, she drove by his apartment…His…Jordan couldn't even bring herself to say his name. She parked the car and went up into his apartment with the key she had from his personal effects. Woody had chosen Jordan on his file as 'emergency contact.'

Jordan just managed to relock when his scent hit her nostrils and fresh tears came to her eyes. She collapsed when she reached the sofa and curled up, not noticing she had grabbed one of his couch cushions and was currently crying on it. Eventually, she dozed off.

Jordan woke some hours later to find herself nestled in the corner of Woody's sofa. She looked around and grabbed a duffle bag from the floor and picked a pillow for him. Walking into his bedroom, she went to his underwear drawer and took a few pairs for him as well as a toothbrush, toothpaste, comb and his deodorant. Jordan was just about to leave when a glimmer on his nightstand caught her attention. She swallowed.

It was the ring, the one he'd offered at her birthday. Smiling lightly, she took the open box and shut it, putting it in her pocket and leaving with the large duffle bag over her shoulder. She stopped at home to change and take something before going to the hospital.

Woody stared at her when she walked into his room at 7:35 am. She just smiled and said she wasn't letting him go in without seeing him first. Jordan lifted the bag to the bed and took out his personal stiff. She sat her own teddy on the seat before sitting beside him on the bed and took out the familiar, small velvet box.

"You know," she said softly, "I found this, but I'm not sure what to do with it right…" but Woody snatched it and threw it to an empty opposing corner.

"Throw it out!" he yelled. "I don't give a rat's ass about it any more," he said.

Jordan retrieved it. "Well," she said," that's too bad." She slipped it on her right hand. "I've put it on now. The only way it'll come off is if you take it from my cold, dead, lifeless fingers," she stressed, Woody flinching at each word. "It will never leave this finger. Until, of course, you might ask me to change hands. And should that day…" she said, sniffling," should that day never come, s-s-so b-be it. But, it will never, ever be removed from my hand, ever again."

The nurse walked in at 7:45 and injected Woody with a 12-hour anesthesia, then left. As Woody stopped talking and his eyes closed, millimeter-by-millimeter, Jordan leaned over his bed and lovingly grazed her lips with her own.

"I love you, Woody Hoyt," she said. It was the last he heard for 12 hours.

"Listen, Jordan," Garret said as he sat Jordan down in the lobby. "We've been processing the prints. Now, you need to choose, Jordan. Will you stay here with Woody, or do you need to work this case?" Jordan gave him a puzzled look as he took a breath. "We found the prints matched an old case. Jordan, it's your mother's killer." She couldn't breathe. "Now, we've already half finished. We've got him soon, Jordan. But you needed to know. So, are you coming in today or staying with Woody?"

Jordan calmed her tears. "Woody needs me, or I need to stay with him. I trust you, Bug, Nige and Lily. Garret, just… do it? Get the son of a bitch for me!" she growled. Garret nodded, determined, and left Jordan to return to wait for him in his room. She walked in and looked around. Taking his pillow and her teddy, she sat in the chair and, with his smell relaxing her and calming her nerves, she fell sleep happily.

It was 9:00 pm when Jordan awoke, Woody still out cold, almost 13 hours later. She had placed the pillow back under him when he returned and moved the chair to beside him. There, she sat, squeezing his hand, crying till 9:10.

"Mmm," he moaned. Jordan's eyes flooded with joyous tears and watched as he came to. "Jordan. You're still here?" he asked. She nodded and wiped her eyes dry.

"Hey, Woods," she sighed. "The doctors told m. The bullet stopped and lodged itself in such a way that it squeezed the nerves between itself and the spinal column. The removed the bullet. Give the nerves a few days to reactivate and you'll be up and about," she said happily and watched as he relaxed and brushed his tears away. Then, he turned to her.

"Well, I'm okay now, Jordan. You can take off the ring and run away now," he sighed.

"Nope," she said, shaking her head. "I said it would never leave my hand and it never will. I also said I'll never leave you again and I don't intend on it either," she said.

Woody was about to retaliate when Garret walked in quietly. Jordan jumped up. Garret walked in and waved briefly at Woody. Then, he looked at Jordan.

"It's over, sweetie," he said simply. Jordan then threw herself into his arms and sobbed happily. She smiled widely and pressed a kiss to his cheek, hugging even tighter.

"Thank you, Garret. Oh, my God. Thank you." She let go. "We can rest now," she said, smiling a tear-stained smile.

Woody stared at the 2 and they saw him. Jordan wiped her eyes quickly.

"I'll, um… I'll leave now. Let you 2 talk about it. Bye, Woody. Bye, Jordan."

Jordan sat down as Woody continued to stare at her awkwardly. She sighed.

"Well, this morning, while you were out, Garret came to see me. There was a scene last night. Man was killed. His name was Wilson Hughet," she said, his eyes widening briefly. "He had dark hair, sky blue eyes and I had a panic attack when I saw him," she chuckled. Woody didn't. "Apparently, all the prints matched to the phantom print from my mom's case," she said, sighing deeply.

"Then, you guys got him," he said, but cringed suddenly. "Why would Garret come to tell you it himself when you were…" but hut up when Jordan sat and shook her head.

"No, Woods. Um… I wasn't working this case. All the others, but not me."

"Excuse me?"

"I've been in this room, mostly sleeping, since around 8:45 am. I haven't left since this morning. And, I've called work. I'm off until you get out of here."

"Wait! Jordan, I know, maybe better than anyone, you wanted to nail your mother's killer. How could you stay here and not work this case?"

"Because… because I realized the future's more important than the past. And, I felt I needed to be here with you more than chasing ghosts. I needed to be here for you… wanted to be here to make you see that I care."

"Jordan, you shouldn't have. If they'd have lost him you'd have beat yourself."

Jordan stood up and let her bear fall to the ground. The only expression on her entire face was one of tenderness and love that shone in her eyes as she took his face in her hands and let her lips gently caress his own, salty ones. She leaned back.

"Woody, if I had to choose again, my answer would be the same." She had just managed to finish when Woody seized her face and pulled her back to him.

His lips were incredibly soft and had a distinct flavor. They were salty from his tears, but had a sweet, strawberry jell-o flavor also present. In the meantime, he was gently kissing her mainly salty lips. Slowly, they parted.

"Jordan," he asked, full of concern, "just how much crying did you do?"

"Well, when I first found out, when you dismissed me, then at the crime scene, I'd seen his hair and heard his name. When I saw the eyes, I cracked. After that, um… I went to your place. Collapsed on the sofa and fell sleep crying and hugging a couch cushion. My couple sniffles when you threw the ring across the room. Then, when you came out and they said you'd heal fine. About 10 minutes before you woke up, I cried happily as I thought of you when you'd find out you can still walk. Ten, you woke up and, well, you know the rest…" she said smiling.

With her face still between his hands, he kissed each eyelid softly, stroking her hair.

"Ah, Detective Hoyt!" sighed the nurse. "I see you're awake. Time to eat now," she said. Jordan stood up and took the tray, announcing she'd take care of it. Settling the tray as the nurse left, Jordan tucked the napkin into his robe. Taking the cutlery, he sat back and started babbling like a baby. Jordan couldn't prevent her smile.

"Woody, c'mon," she said, holding the spoon of mashed potatoes to his firmly sealed lips. Finally, she caved. "C'mon, Woody! Here comes the train. Choo-choo!" He opened his mouth and waited for another spoonful before closing it again. Then, Jordan started baby talking to him.

"He's a good widda boy!" She wiggled her index and middle finger under his chin while both his cheeks were stuff with potatoes. "Coo-chee-coo-chee-coo-chee-coo-chee!" she teased.

"Hahaha!" He laughed hard, half the potatoes flying out of his mouth to land on his chin or Jordan's face. He only laughed harder at the sight of her.

"Woody!" she shrieked. They laughed together until Jordan sighed and wiped off Woody's chin, then her own face. "Luckily, I brought an extra shirt for myself."

It was only 4 days later when Woody was dismissed with the feeling back in his legs. However, he wasn't too stable. After all, Woody hadn't been on his legs for almost a week. Jordan wheeled him out to the car. The second he was outside, he traded his chair for his cane. It would only be for a day.

They drove up to his apartment and Jordan guided Woody into the elevator and they rode up to his apartment, still in exactly the same order he'd left it in, even though Jordan came over. He insisted they both needed a catnap. With little effort, he convinced her and she dozed off briefly.

"Jordan?" he asked softly. She cracked an eye open to see Woody sitting in his armchair. "Jo, I ordered Chinese. It'll be here…ding-dong!… now?" he ginned goofily. Jordan started to swing her legs off, but Woody stopped her. "Nah… It's all right! Stay there. I'm the one buying anyway."

"Woody, your le…" but her mouth snapped shut as he jumped up and jogged over to the door, pulling out his wallet. He paid and returned.

"Woody!" she said happily. "You… your… Woody!" Words had failed her.

"Wow, you're speechless. That's a first," he mocked. Jordan walked over and swatted his arm before slapping the backside of his head. "Ow!"

"You can get shot, but you winced at that? Oh, Jesus Murphy!" she cried. Woody just smiled and pulled her to him, kissing her softly.

"Here," he said, handing her a glass of soda. His meds meant no booze just yet. "To a future together and asking you to take the ring off that hand?" he asked hopefully. She smiled widely.

"Yes, of course!" She made to move it, but he caught her hands.

"Nope, my job!" he grinned. "To no more ghosts," he said.

As they sat on the couch after supper, Jordan sighed as she felt a great release off her chest, like she's been carrying around an extra person. Woody felt it, too, and smiled.

"The killer's caught and you're happy. She's at peace now, Jordan."

That was the last of the ghosts from the past that would never haunt her tomorrow.