A/N: OMG, LIFE HAS BEEN SOOO BUSY, BUT I HAVEN'T FORGOT ABOUT THIS STORY. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THOSE WHO REVIEWED THE LAST CHAPTER, 7, THAT'S AMAZING! THIS CHAPTER WILL BE ALL WOODY AND JORDAN AND MIGHT GET A LITTLE INTENSE, BUT I THINK YOU'LL LIKE THE OUTCOME. THEY DON'T BELONG TO ME BUT I DO OWN THE STORYLINE. ENJOY!
CHAPTER 10: ONE STEP AT A TIME
I had been almost three weeks since Jordan came home from Chicago, and she was still living at Max's. The iciness of the Boston winter was slowly beginning to thaw, unfortunately, the same could not be said for Woody and Jordan. The two could barely be in the same room for more than five minutes, before Woody would politely excuse himself and exit to another part of their apartment or Max's house.
"Hey Dad, I'm home", Jordan called from the doorway. "Shh", Max hushed from the kitchen. "Emily's still sleeping", he added quietly. Jordan smiled, he was the only one in the family to call Millie by her proper name, when he felt like it, he usually just called her Punkin'.
"What'd you doing home so early?", he asked, stirring a pot of bubbling chili. "Garret needs me to work a double tomorrow, so he told me to leave early today", she explained, taking the wooden spoon out of his hand and tasting the contents. "And you did?", Max laughed sarcastically. "Yes Dad, I've been know to follow orders…occasionally", she replied. Max rolled his eyes and she swatted his arm. "Besides I wanted to spend a little more time with Mille".
"Well, you'll have a lot of time with her tonight….Woody's working late. He just called. They're overloaded with some big case, down there….he said he'd be here about seven", Max explained and Jordan listened intently. "That's probably why I'm working that double tomorrow", Jordan replied, sourly. She missed being kept in the loop, she missed Woody telling her about work…hell, she just missed Woody.
"I'm gonna go upstairs and change", she stated quietly. "Okay", Max called out. "This'll be ready in about an hour". Jordan nodded and turned toward the living room. She crossed the living room to the stairs, passing her wedding picture on the way. This was her favorite picture, it was a candid shot, not rigid like all the forced posed ones. It was in the garden of St.Inez, right after the ceremony, Woody was exhausted, so they sat on a bench and waited for the photographer to set up. Nigel had just finished telling them a joke, Jordan, for the life of her, could not remember the joke, but she remembered it was very dirty. Just as Nigel walked away, they both looked at one another and started laughing….that's when the photographer snapped the shot.
Jordan traced the edges of the frame with her finger. She swallowed the lump in her throat and ran up the stairs, hoping the running water of the shower would drown out her sobs.
"Cak-er", Millie stated proudly, as she picked up the salty square from the tray of her highchair. "Very good…. cracker", Jordan repeated, annunciating the word. "What's that?", Max's asked, pointing to her bowl. "Papa…chi-wee", she squealed, dipping her cracker in the bowl. "That's right.…Papa's famous chili", Max chuckled.
"Dad? Wow, it smells great in here", Woody called as he entered the house. "Work was crazy, I snuck out a little early because I have to be at the morgue at 6am. I missed my little princess….", he continued talking, coming to a dead stop when he saw Jordan sitting at the kitchen table. "I-I thought you were working 'til nine", Woody blurted, looking away from her.
"Yeah I'm working a double tomorrow, so…", she replied uncomfortably. "Probably the same case….", he responded quickly. "The Harris-Thompson murders?", Jordan asked, interrupting him. Woody nodded. "Chief wants me to work with Dr. Macy….um, Santana and Capra are on the case too.…", he added, swiftly. "Don't worry, there wont be any conflict…", Jordan stated coolly.
"Here Woody, let me get you some nice warm chili", Max offered, breaking the uncomfortable air. "Thanks Dad", Woody said quietly, pulling up, across from Jordan, next to Millie. "How's my sweet baby girl?", Woody asked, kissing her cheek. Millie squealed with delight and held her chili covered hands out to Woody. "Up-ee Daddy", she called. "Up-eee.
Jordan got up from her seat. "I'll clean you off, then you could go by Daddy", she smiled, getting a few sheets of paper towels to clean off her daughters hands. Max handed Woody the bowl. "Okay kids, I'm headed for the Pogue", Max exclaimed, putting on his jacket. "What?", Jordan asked loudly. Giving Max the same look Woody was giving him. "It's the beginning of the month…inventory", he replied, giving Millie a kiss on the head. "I'll be back around midnight Jordan…'night Woody".
Jordan gave Woody a small smile, he looked down into his bowl. "Up-ee Daddy", Millie called again, trying to climb into Woody's lap. Woody backed away just as Jordan picked up the baby. "Let Daddy eat first, then he'll hold you", Jordan said to a squirming Millie. "It's fine Jordan", Woody stated, holding his arms out for Millie. With a huff, Jordan handed her over and walked over to the sink.
Jordan tried to make conversation with Woody while she washed the dishes, but they were completely one sided, his only responses were uh-huh, yeah and no. "So everything alright with your hand? It's healed nicely", she said as cheerfully as she could. "Yeah", Woody, replied, between bites. Jordan was becoming increasingly annoyed by her husbands demeanor.
"For God's sake Woody, when are you gonna stop acting like this?", she yelled, throwing the dish towel into the sink. "When you stop acting like nothing ever happened", he snapped back. Millie looked up between her mother and father. Jordan scooped Millie off of Woody's lap and brought her into the den, which Max had converted into a playroom/bedroom.
"What the hell are you talking about Woody?", she yelled as she walked back into the kitchen. "What Jordan?", he asked snidely. "You come back after two weeks and just pick up right where you left off", he added, his voice raising. "You deserted us Jordan and now you're acting like the victim?", he shouted.
"I never deserted you Woody…I needed some time away.…you knew I'd come back", she stated defensively. "Did I? You took fifteen hundred dollars and never bothered to call or write", Woody yelled. "You took your gun Jo", he whispered, painfully…turning away from her. "Woody I….", she started to say, but he pushed away from her.
Jordan followed him into the living room. "So that's it? I make one mistake and you turn your back on me", she screamed. Woody turned quickly and looked up at her, his face covered in shock. "That's all this is to you .…a little mistake?", he asked incredulously. "When you did this…did you ever once stop to think about anyone but yourself?", he added, his voice breaking a bit.
"Of course Woody. I thought about you and Millie….", Jordan tried to explain. "Really? Because this didn't just affect me and Millie", he interrupted, anger bubbling to the surface. "Everyone's lives were turned upside down by this…our family, our friends, people at the morgue and the station….everybody. I missed work, Bug, Sidney and Nigel were pulling doubles, Lily was taking care of MJ and Millie during the day, Colleen and your Dad, helped me at night….if you haven't noticed, I'm not the most capable Dad", he snipped, stating the obvious.
Jordan paced angrily. "So what do you want me to do Woody…beg, plead?", she screamed. Woody shook his head in disbelief. "I've apologized a hundred times.…what else can I do to prove to you how truly sorry I am?", she screamed even louder, until she noticed a frightened Millie standing in the doorway.
Millie ran into Woody's arms. "I don't want to fight anymore Jordan….we cant do this to her", Woody, stated emotionally. "Then what Woody?", she asked, kneeling down beside him. "I need to come home, I want to be a family again", she pleaded, rubbing Millie's back. "I love you Woody".
Woody swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. "You have to talk to me Jordan, tell me what's bothering you…always", he stated, the tears now evident in his eyes. "And there has to be rules…you have to promise to never, ever leave us again". Jordan nodded quickly, her tears, running down her cheeks. "And we need to work through our problems, not run from them…we need to see Dr. Stiles…as a couple".
"Okay", she agreed, kissing his forehead. "So I can some home then?", she asked cautiously as she stood up. Woody nodded slightly. "We'll talk more tomorrow, at the morgue", he answered hesitantly. "Maybe this weekend?", he offered, responding to her request. Jordan nodded.
"It's late, I should really get Millie home", he added quietly. "Sure", she smiled, kissing Millie on the cheek. "Goodnight Sweetpea, Mommy loves you", she whispered into Millie's ear as she put her coat on. Jordan walked Woody and Millie to the door. Woody locked eyes with Jordan before heading outside. "I love you too, Jordan", he whispered into the night.