I do not own "Crossing Jordan."

Author's Note: This is set somewhere between "D.O.A." and "Crash." I know the chapter is longish. Please let me know if you think it's outrageously long. And, of course, read and review, please! :)

P.S. There are two episodes in season 3 in which Jordan mentions her contact lenses. I liked the idea because I wear them, too. :)

The third time she reached for it, Jordan actually managed to hit the snooze button on her cell phone. It was 7.30 am, an hour and almost a half since she had gotten home. It had been a hard couple of days; the whole gang had been working overtime. They hadn't had a decent meal or a good night sleep for almost a week. But, in the end, they managed to nail the perp and that was all that mattered to them.

Absent-mindedly, Jordan rubbed her eyes. They felt unusually dry. "Oh, no, not again!" she cursed under her breath, squinting at the sunshine which filled her living room. She had fallen asleep with her contacts. For like the fifteenth time in three days. Sighing resignedly, she padded to the bathroom, where she hoped to find some cotton pads and 3-percent solution of acidi borici. She sighed again as she pressed a pad against her eyelid. She knew that, being a doctor, she should know better than using this possibly carcinogenic acid, especially without taking the contacts out. However, this was her only weapon for a quick relief. "And if I took these bloody things out, I wouldn't be able to put them on again for like two days," she reasoned.

Still with the cotton pad against her eye, she headed for the kitchen. She needed her caffeine fix really bad. The day hadn't been promising till then, but a nice warm caffeinated beverage might lighten things up. Opening the cupboard, she cursed once again. All she had were some free samples of mokate. 'No wonder I'd dozed off,' she thought to herself as it dawned on her that she had made herself one a couple of hours ago, just before laying down in front of the TV. It was part of the scheme to keep her awake because she knew she wouldn't be able to get up once she had visited the land of dreams after having been deprived of sleep for five days.

"That one really worked," she said out loud, feeling cranky. "Oh boy, is this going to be a long day." Deciding she didn't care if she were half an hour late, she was going to head for a long, hot shower. She didn't head for it, though, because her landline rang, making her grit her teeth.

'Can this day get any worse?' For a moment, she relished the thought of simply going to the bathroom, disregarding the annoying sounds her phone was making. "It can't be anything important or they would call me on my cell," she was trying to find an excuse. But as her answering machine was broken, she just picked up the receiver, managing to bark out a "hello." She recognized the voice on the other side immediately although she hadn't heard it for quite a while. And she had a feeling that the day was going to be long indeed.

"This is Hoyt," he said wearily. Woody was sitting in his office trying to do some paperwork. He reckoned there was no point in his going home as he was due at 8 o'clock. Sharp. It was 7 now and he was considering the option of putting some toothpicks in his eyes (like the tom-cat in that cartoon did) in all seriousness. However, he stiffened in his chair, all the tiredness disappearing in an instant, when he had heard who was on the other side.

"Hi, Woods, it's been a while, huh?" Cal sounded almost apologetic.

"Yes, it has." The regret in the voice of his older brother was obvious, almost tangible.

Before Woody managed to say anything else, Cal spoke again, in a fast, falsely jovial manner, apprehension audible in his tone, "So, when were you going to visit? How 'bout this weekend?" He paused for a microsecond. "I'm getting married."

Woody almost fell from his chair.

Bug opened his eyes just in time to turn off his alarm before it even started ringing. It happened all the time now that Lily and Madeleine were living with him. He found it quite interesting. No matter how tired he was, his subconsciousness would always send the signals just in time. Just in time for him not to wake up Maddie or Lily by letting his clock make those awfully loud and unpleasant sounds.

Although he had opened his eyes, it didn't mean he was wide awake. He still felt drowsy. After all, he had slept for only two and a half hours even though he had left the morgue first, at 2 am. Jordan and Nigel had practically kicked him out.

Nigel said, "We don't need you; you've done everything you could on this case. Now I'll do my magic if you excuse me." And with that, he stormed off to Trace.

Bug wondered whether his friend really wanted him to go home. He sometimes had the impression that the Brit felt left out from his life now that he had a family. Sure he still loved Nige and all the others from the morgue, but Lily and their daughter were the most important persons at this point of his life. Bug just hoped Nigel would understand it soon.

Jordan, on the other hand, insisted that he go home. "After all, Bug, you're the only one here who's got a family. You should go and spend some time with them."

"At 2 am, Jordan?" he retorted.

She gave him one of those caught-red-handed Jordan smiles. "Then you should go and get some rest. Lily and Maddie need you more then we do right now. And it's not a great thing to have a father who is absent all the time."

"Or a partner," she quickly added.

Bug looked at her, smiling warmly. "I'll go home, Jordan." He nodded. "Just promise me you'll go soon, too. You and Nigel need to rest, too."

Although he didn't add "You look like hell." Jordan knew from the genuine concern in his eyes, as well as from the glance to a mirror she'd made about five hours before, that she indeed looked dreadful.

"You look like hell," Garret said matter-of-factly looking at Jordan, who was sitting at the other side of his table, sipping her triple espresso. "You're taking a couple of days off. Now."

"No, I'm not," she protested, trying to fake a smile. "Now that the Smith-Raleigh case is closed, I feel really good. Yeah, sure, it's been tiring, but I'll be fine as soon as I finish my coffee."

The truth was that she both looked and felt like something that the cat had dragged in, but the last thing she needed was a couple of days off. Not now. Not after the conversations she had with Cal and Woody. For Cal was the person that called her earlier. He told her he was getting married and wanted her to come to his and Elizabeth's wedding. Actually, he wanted her to come for the weekend.

"There are going to be wedding rehearsals or something like that. Besides, who could resist a three-day sightseeing of Kewaunee." She heard a smirk in his voice.

He kept on persuading her, but Jordan was firm. She couldn't handle three days with Woody. Not now.

"Look, Cal, I really have to go. I'm already late," she finally said. And she wasn't lying. She had just enough time to take a quick shower if she wanted to be at the morgue by 10 o'clock, which meant she'll be at least an hour late. "See ya on Sunday then."

"I know you'll change your mind, so I'll keep your room at the hotel and everything. As I said, Lizzie really wants to meet you," Cal replied. "Now go and do that slicing and dicing thing of yours. And be diligent 'cause otherwise your boss won't give you the whole weekend off."

Woody called ten minutes later.

"So, I guess you heard about Knucklehead's newest hare-brained scheme he is letting himself into."

"C'mon, Woody, your baby brother has grown up. And I know you're happy for him."She could feel it in his voice.

"Yeah, I guess. He'll be somebody else's responsibility now." He paused for a few moments. "So, you going?"

Jordan could swear she heard anxiety in that question. But she couldn't decide why he was anxious. Was it because he wanted her to go? Or because he didn't? "Yeah, I am. But not till Sunday. I have a lot of work to do, Garret doesn't… can't give me some time off," she lied, skipping the fact that she was still in her apartment.

"Well, that's too bad." Woody tried to sound casual, but she knew he was disappointed. But why? "See ya on Sunday, then," he concluded.

She sighed a deep sigh of relief. As much as she wanted to spend some time with him, their situation was awkward. She rolled her eyes at the thought. When hadn't it been? The fact was that since Lu and everything they had been acting like friends. They were friends. But the tension between them was palpable sometimes. She knew he could feel it, too; but he acted like nothing strange, nothing sensual, was happening. He was acting like a brother. They were friends and co-workers. That was it. She had accepted the game. For, as much as she had matured, she wouldn't offer him her heart on the plate again. Actually, she wasn't sure whether she would offer him her heart again in any way. Whenever they had a chance to move on to the next level, one of them blew it. They just weren't meant to be.

'We're far better off as friends.' She finally reached a conclusion while putting her mauve blouse on. 'And I'm not screwing it up by sleeping with him again. So, I'm not going to Wisconsin till Sunday morning,' she concluded as she slammed the door of her apartment behind her.

And now there she was - in Garret's office, practically begging him not to give her some free time. For she knew she'd be on the first plane to Kewaunee ('Is there an airport there?' she thought to herself.) if he did so. She had been feeling lonely for quite a while. She hated the fact she was coming home to an empty apartment every night. It had been ages since she last dated. Her illness reminded her how precious life was, but by that time she had already been so estranged that she couldn't find her way out, her way to people. Surely, she had her morgue family. They all had their lives outside the morgue, however. She didn't. Not for a while. It would be so easy: going to Kewaunee with Woody, rekindling the old flame, feeling loved for a while…

'For a while, those are the key words,' she thought. 'The tables have turned. He'd chew me up and spit me out.' She smiled humorlessly, remembering the words she had told Nigel all those years ago. Ages ago, or so it seemed. 'How ironic. But I won't let it happen.' Unconsciously, she shook her head.

"I see you are really ready for those two autopsies you are scheduled for today." The irony in Garret's voice was not subtle at all. "Go home, Jordan, and get some rest. You didn't hear a word of what I was just saying. You're no good to anyone here if you can't focus. And you know that."

She opened her mouth to protest, but was cut off by a loud knock on the door. It was a knock on the doorframe really, Jordan realized, terrified by the following facts:

a. the person who knocked was Woody;

b. the door was ajar all the time;

c. as a cop, Woody had a penchant for eavesdropping;

d. from all that, chances of Woody hearing what Garret just said were pretty high.

She cursed silently, managing to utter a "hey."

"Good morning, Doctor M. I was just dropping by to see if I'd covered everything about the Smith-Raleigh case 'cause I'm taking a couple of days off," Woody addressed Garret. "My brother's getting married," he added.

Garret glanced at Jordan knowingly. Amusement was obvious in his look, too. By that time she was already at the door murmuring, "I'll be in Autopsy 1."

"You just take some photos. Wait for Bug, he answered the call yesterday," Garret said, not looking up from the manila folder Woody had handed to him.

Jordan was furious. She knew what that meant. And she was NOT taking the bloody weekend off. "Yes, sir," she retorted before storming off to Autopsy 1, anger obvious in her voice.

Garret smiled to himself. 'It was about time you got a life, Jordan.'

"It seems that everybody is late today. Nigel still hasn't got back from the airport. Bug hasn't showed up yet, either. And he wasn't late for the last six years." He sighed flipping the pages of the folder.

Bug jerked awake. He had fallen asleep sitting on his couch as he wasncontemplating last night. He quickly looked at his watch. It was already 10 o'clock.

'But how is this possible?' he thought to himself. 'How come Lily isn't up yet? And Maddie? She fell asleep at 5; how come she isn't awake?'

He jumped off the couch, going to the bedroom to check up on Lily and the little girl. Relief flooded him when he saw Lily still in bed, rocking their baby (for he was always thinking of Maddie as his, not Jeffrey's, daughter).

"Oh, I thought you were already gone." She smiled at him.

"I should have been in the morgue an hour ago." He kissed her lightly on the cheek before proceeding to the closet to find some clean clothes. "I overslept," he added heading towards the door. "Do you need anything?"

"No, you just hurry up. We'll be fine," she replied quickly. The truth was she needed to talk to him. And she was sure he felt the same way. Their life together was a bit… awkward. He acted liked a father to her daughter and like a brother to her. Lily knew that she was responsible for that. When she moved in, she asked for some space. For some time. That's why Bug was sleeping on the couch. And she wanted him a bit closer now. 'But does he want the same?' she had asked herself that question a million times. 'After all, I'm a baby whale with stretch marks and a lousy haircut.'

'After all, chicks are always late,' Nigel thought, consoling himself. He was late. Five minutes only, but still. He had a feeling Kate would call a taxi and then the whole gesture would be ruined and he'd get another opportunity to get closer to her in like a zillion years. He avoided trying to answer the question why it bothered him at all. And why the hell he offered her a ride to the airport in the first place. Sure, he still felt a bit guilty about her car. But was it all? He didn't really want to go there right now. He'd think about that later. Or never. Maybe while she was in New York, where she was going to mate Binkey to an excellent Dandie Dinmont terrier bitch. Naturally, Kate had already been waiting for him when he parked the rented audi in front of her building. She was holding Binkey's transporter.

"I was just going to call a cab," she said as soon as he got off the vehicle.

"Good morning to you too, luv." He grinned while he was putting her suitcase into the trunk. "I admit I may be a little late, but at least I came in style," he added pointing at the shiny car.

Kate only gave both Nigel and the audi a smirk.

"And who do we have here," said Nigel taking the transporter so that Kate could get into the car comfortably. "How are you, li'l fella?" The Dandie Dinmont terrier replied by barking furiously at him, trying to get at least one of his fingers through the narrow openings of the transporter.

"Hush, Binkey!" Kate was sharp, but the furball wouldn't stop. Nige was quick in handing the transporter to her.

"You know," she said as he was starting the car, "they say dogs can feel what type of a person you are. Are you a reliable, good…"

Pulling off the curb, Nigel cut her off, "You know, they also say something like 'Like dog, like owner.'"

After his talk with Dr. Macy, Woody proceeded to Autopsy 1, where Jordan was still taking photos of John Doe.

"Why didn't you tell me, Jordan?" His voice was harsh.

"Tell you what?" she asked innocently, grateful that she didn't have to look at him.

"That you didn't want to go to Kewaunee with me," he retorted curtly.

"It's not true, Woody. I'd like to…" she managed to say before he cut her off.

"Oh, just spare me, Jordan. I heard Dr. M." He sounded both annoyed and hurt. He approached her, wanting her to look at him. "Would you just put that camera down for a freaking second?"

She obeyed.

"I thought we were friends," he continued, giving her that puppy-dog look of his.

She felt her heart flutter just a bit. 'Just don't look at me like that, please,' she prayed silently. Out loud, she said, "Yes, we are."

"It's only three days, Jordan. I won't bite you. In fact, you don't have to spend time with me at all," he pleaded. "Knucklehead will be so glad if you come."

Her body language gave her away. He knew she was about to give in.

"So, we going tomorrow?" he gently prodded.

She nodded, managing to smile weakly. "Cheese farms, here we come!"

Once again: please, R&R!! xD Thanks!