A/N Please read and review. I appreciated the reviews so far.

Disclaimer: I own no part of Crossing Jordan.

Chapter 2-Avalanche

"An avalanche? An avalanche? You have GOT to be kidding me. We have survived this long to get killed by an avalanche?"

"Calm down Dr. Switzer," said Sergeant Miller. "It sounds like it is off in the distance. We have to stay calm. This tent is designed to support quite a lot of snow weight. That's why it is domed. The snow slides off and builds up on the sides, creating a type of igloo. We already have snow built up about 3 feet on all the sides. Even if an avalanche would go over the top of us, we should still be ok. There is a honing device in each of the three bags we got from the other chopper, so they will find us."

Kate didn't relax. She stared up at the ceiling, taking in every distant noise. She kept replaying the sounds in her mind from the crash. What had brought her here? Why was she even in Boston? She had starting feeling for these people something she didn't recognize. They irritated and annoyed her so much, especially Nigel. Yet, she knew she would do anything for them, and they for her. She realized she had become a part of "the family." That scared her. Nigel scared her. Deep down, she knew that there was something between them, and that thought, terrified her.

Bug was too busy thinking about Madelyn to think about anything else. She and Lily were his world. It felt like months since he had seen them. He just knew that she wouldn't recognize him anymore. A few days to a baby might as well be a year for anyone else. He thought of her cute smile just days before and smiled himself.

Jordan lay in Woody's arms, wide awake, but too scared to say anything. Woody could feel the tension. There were many things they had never said to each other. He knew he needed to tell her now. "Can we talk?"

"I don't know that I can," she replied. Just that sentence seemed to take everything she had.

"When I was shot.."

"Woody, don't. It is in the past."

"No, I have too. You and I both know that if we don't deal with the past, it just comes back to haunt us." He took a deep breath and continued. "The day I was shot, I felt for the first time that I was…vulnerable. I was angry. I honestly thought I was helping this kid and he shot me. On the way to the hospital, I kept seeing you in my mind. I kept thinking of how everything should be. Yet, it wasn't. When you came to me, and you said you loved me, I was mad. I knew I had failed you. I wasn't sure I could be what I needed to be for you, Jo."

"Woody…"

"No, let me finish, please. I sent you away because I couldn't be another person in your life who let you down. I couldn't let you make the mistake of getting involved with a person who may not have walked again. So I pushed you away. "

"Then, when you and JD got together, I was more jealous than I have ever been in my life. I wanted to make you hurt so bad because you were making me hurt. So I turned to Lu, hoping to make you feel my pain."

"Then when I saw you that morning, the morning of Lily's wedding, all I wanted to do was take you in my arms and take away all of the pain." Silence returned. Neither of them knew what to say.

"Woody, things have changed for me. When I went in to have my surgery, I never thought I would come out of it alive. I was certain I would die. When I woke up, everything changed. I knew that I had spent my whole life running. I had never lived. I knew I had one last chance to live, really live. When I was recovering, all I could think about was you, but that scared me. I was so scared to give all of myself to you. I was afraid, and still am of what will happen. I'm afraid of losing everything. That happened to me once, and I don't think I could survive it happening again."

"Jordan, I'm not going anywhere." With that they just laid there, trying to stay warm, and cherishing the time. Soon they had both drifted to sleep

"What time is it?" Kate demanded loudly enough that everyone heard, even over the sound of the wind.

"It is about 8:30. 8:30 AM," Bug replied.

"Is anyone else awake?" Kate asked.

Everyone but Jordan replied that they were. Well, I can't just lay here for hours staring at a dark ceiling."

"Well Kate, there isn't much else we can do," Woody said quietly attempting not to wake Jordan.

Jordan began to stir and grabbed her head.

"What's wrong?" Woody asked, clearly concerned.

"It's nothing," Jordan replied, wincing in pain.

"No seriously Jordan, I can tell you are hurting, what is it, your head?"

"It's just a little headache, no big deal." She replied, her voice tight as she tried to overcome the pain.

"Sergeant, she has a headache, is there any ibuprofen in that bag?" Woody asked.

"Wait a minute," Bug said as he got to his feet and walked over to her. He had brought with him a lantern style flashlight and turned it on.

"It's nothing Bug, honest, just a little headache." Jordan said.

"Well, let's make sure that is all. Look up at me." She did as she was asked, reluctantly.

"Kate, come over here." She did so, and looked at Jordan's eyes. A look of panic crossed her face. Woody saw the look.

"What? What's wrong?" Woody asked.

"Her eyes are dilated. Jordan, are you dizzy? Lightheaded?"

"A little, but it is probably just from all the stress."

Kate got up and went over to talk to the Sergeant. Woody slipped out from behind Jordan and walked over.

"We have to get her out of here. She just had major brain surgery not all that long ago and it would appear that something is very wrong inside her head."

"Woah, something very wrong as in…?" Woody asked.

"I can't be sure right now. We hardly have any light, and no equipment. I would say she may have sustained a brain injury during the crash and it is just now showing up. It could be something as simple as a concussion, or something more serious. Either way, we HAVE to get her out of here."

There is nothing we can do, not until the storm clears out. Predictions were that they could fly in here as soon at 1:00 PM, but that was a prediction." Sergeant Miller replied.

"What can we do now Kate?" Woody asked.

"It is hard to say, given that we don't know what exactly is wrong."

"Can we at least give her something for the pain?"

"What do you have in the bag for pain?" Kate asked the Sergeant.

"Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and aspirin."

"Just give her some acetaminophen, and Woody, go lay with her. Keep her calm, but keep her talking. We want to make sure she stays awake. Do we have any way to contact anyone?" Kate asked of Sergeant Miller.

"I have an emergency radio."

"Well get on it, find out how soon we can get her out of here. Tell them it is an emergency and we need her out of here as soon as possible. Also, have them contact the closest hospital. They will need to contact her Doctors at Boston General to get her records."

Woody went back over to Jordan and snuggled back up to her. Bug left the lantern by them, but dimmed it. "Jordan, how are you feeling?"

"Really Woods, I'm ok, it's just a headache, no big deal." He could see the pain etched in her face.

"You know what you were saying last night, about not being able to survive without me? Well the same holds true for me Jo. I can't survive without you."

"Woody, I'm not dying, I just have a headache. I am tired though," she said with a yawn.

"Oh no you don't. You are not falling asleep. Let's find something to talk about. What are your dreams Jordan? What do you want to do when we get off this mountain?" Woody asked.

"There are so many things... and they all involve you."

"What kinds of things Jo?"

"Well, I would like to travel a bit. I want to get married, buy a house, have kids, all the things any woman would want."

"Married? Jordan Cavanaugh, married? Why do those words not seem to go together?" Woody laughed. Jordan glared at him.

"Are you implying that you don't want to marry me?" Jordan asked.

"Not at all. I just never thought I would hear you say you wanted to be married."

Jordan was becoming extremely tired, she could barely keep her eyes open. "I love you," she whispered slowly, then she closed her eyes.