XxX

"Boring! It's not sexy, it's not fun."

Nigel covered his chortle with a cough as Jordan faced off with the Aussie, her hands flexing and nostrils flaring. She was almost to her limit, and Nigel couldn't wait to see what this Pollack bloke had coming.

"Alright then, so what would make it more 'fun'?" Jordan asked, going so far as to use actual air quotes.

J.D. bit his lip, roused by her fiery spirit, "Tell me about the inmate you met."

"You have to promise not to print his name." Jordan crossed her arms and J.D.'s sneak peek at her V-neck didn't go unnoticed.

"Well, that might cost you extra." He tucked his hands into his pocket and rocked back and forth, looking as innocent as can be. It was a trick Jordan was sure worked on most coeds, too bad for him she was a seasoned pro.

"And what would that be?" She drawled. The intercom crackled to life, paging her to the front desk, and she started for the door.

But J.D. wasn't ready to give up that quickly, "What are you doing Saturday night?"

Jordan's eyeroll was tsunamic, "Not you."

He followed like a Labrador, "Next Friday then?"

Jordan turned on a dime and J.D. stumbled to a halt, "I'm taking my daughter to her six-month checkup."

"Y-your…daughter?" His mouth hung open; his startled eyes gave her a quick once over, surprised by how fast she had bounced back.

"Knew that'd make you reconsider." Jordan threw over her shoulder as she headed out to answer the page.

"What a Shelia!" J.D. whistled, quite smitten as he leaned on the table, "What do you think my chances are?"

"Sorry, I'm already taken, mate." Nigel held up his left hand as he moved to his computer.

"Oi, not you!" J.D. grimaced, "I was talking about Jordan. I mean, I didn't see a ring or anything."

Nigel had considered putting the poor sod out of his misery and cluing him in that Jordan didn't like wearing her ring in Autopsy, but where was the fun in that?

Instead, he sipped his tea, waiting to see how it'd all play out. J.D. had been flirting with Jordan since they had caught him snooping around the Crypt that morning and it was comical to see just how many billboard-sized signs the plucky reporter had missed since then. He'd barely noticed the computer geek's presence let alone Jordan's genuine annoyance at his pursuit.

Sidney appeared at the door and pushed it open with his foot, Eilís awkwardly wiggling in his arms, "I think this belongs to you. I found her crawling down the hall."

Nigel accepted the little bundle, who snuggled up close to her daddy and settled in, "Where you making a jailbreak? Your Auntie Lil must be in a bit of a tizzy!" He tapped her nose and received a smile in return, "Thanks, Sid. I got her from here." Sindey started to head out but paused long enough to point at the reporter, Nigel just shook his head.

"She yours?" J.D. asked, his nose a bit wrinkled. It was clear from the way he kept his distance that he wasn't a kid person.

"Well, part mine." Nigel grinned, "I provided the dough, and her Mum baked the little bun up." He chuckled at his own pun as he tickled Eilís' nose with the bunny ear of her onesie and popped his lips, she erupted in a fit of giggles.

"That's, well, a surprise." J.D. tugged at his ear as he looked from the long-sleeved shirt Nigel wore with the unicorn sketches printed on it to his collection of earrings, "Didn't think you swung that way, pal." He cleared his throat and tried again, "She's kinda cute for an ankle-biter."

Nigel beamed, "That's because she takes after Mum!" Eilís spared a glance at the reporter before cuddling closer.

"Your eyes though." J.D. noted, not sure what else to say.

The door burst open, and a very frazzled Lily and Jordan appeared. Nigel grinned, having figured out a while ago what the page must have been about.

Lily pressed a hand to her racing heart, looking ready to pass out, "Oh, thank God!"

Jordan rushed over and began fussing, "Emmy's call—Lily was…we looked all over…where did you find her?"

"Sid found her crawling down the hall. She's fine." Nigel explained as Jordan stole Eilís always.

"Wait, she's—" J.D. pointed at Eilís before turning to Jordan, "That's your daughter…" His eyes grew when Jordan nodded and he turned next to Nigel, "And she's also yours." Nigel laughed and nodded, "That means…" He pointed between the two of them.

"So much for your knack for knowing people." Nigel remarked, quite amused by the whole ordeal.

"You two…you didn't seem like a…how…" J.D. gestured, completely at a loss for words. Part of him was shocked by his blatant oversight, while another part was wondering how someone like Nigel had snagged such a beauty.

"Well, when a daddy and mommy really love each other…" Jordan started only for J.D. to shush her as Lily came over to claim the little escapee. Jordan walked over and rested her arm on Nigel's shoulder, jumping back in right where they had left off, "So, will you write the article?" She scratched down Ron Pascoe's name and tucked it into the stick of papers they'd collected.

J.D. was still too bewildered to make heads or tails of it all and he nodded, "Y-yeah, sure thing." He snatched up the file and started for the door.

"Without names!" Jordan reminded.

"Right!" He waved at her, not able to meet her eye. Jordan laughed when J.D. startled at Lily and Eilís before rushing out the door and down the hall, tail tucked firmly between his legs.

She looked back to Nigel, whose eyes were mischievous, "You enjoyed that a bit too much." She bopped his nose.

Nigel grinned, fiddling with his teabag, "Now, whatever would make you say that, luv?"

XxX