When You Come Back Down Chapter 7 Rating: PG-13

Not mine! They're just using my head for a playground! :0)

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The following weekend at Eddie's parents' place. . .

Jordan sat on the beach staring out at the ocean and the sky reflecting the sunset to her back. It had been a weird couple of weeks. This weekend had been good.

Garret, Lily, Nigel, Bug, Eddie, Lois, and a few other detectives from the precinct had spent the weekend remembering Woody stories, talking with each other, eating, and sharing some bottles of wine. Everyone was trying to keep things positive, and after one mini-explosion she'd had at Lily, everyone figured out that basically Jordan was doing alright.

She'd come out here to get away for a little while before they all started packing to go back to Boston. The ocean had always had a calming effect on her, and this time was no different. She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Eddie coming down the path towards the beach. She smiled and motioned for him to join her.

"Hey there kiddo. How are you holding up?"

"I'm ok, Eddie. Really. Thanks for doing all this. It's been a good weekend. I think Woody would have. . ." She stopped and swallowed hard. Eddie put his arm around her shoulder and Jordan leaned her head on his shoulder.

"It was nothing. My parents have the house and said we could use it. The ocean ~ I don't know. There's just something about it that seems to make things seem ok."

"Yeah. I know what you mean." They just sat there for a while, both looking out at the ocean. Two friends caught in the edges of a nightmare of death and loss.

"I really miss him," Jordan said after a while. "I mean, we were just friends. . .ok, we kissed twice. . .but still. I miss him. It's weird."

"Why is it weird Jordan?"

"I don't know. I just. . . I worked so many cases with him in the short time he was here. Course he did request me part of the time, so maybe I shouldn't count those. But I've worked with other detectives a lot too. I. . .I don't know if I'd feel this way if any of them. . ."

"Oh ~ so maybe your feelings did go a bit deeper?"

"I don't know. I just. . ." Jordan sighed and leaned into Eddie's side a little more. "Everyone keeps expecting me to fall apart. I feel like maybe I should. But then I think how well I'm doing and. . . I don't know. It's just confusing."

"I think mixed feelings are sort of to be expected. I mean, given everything. . ." For some reason, they were both having trouble finishing sentences, yet they seemed to know what the other was thinking.

After a while of just sitting watching the surf, Jordan started laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, I was just thinking about the irony of this. You, me ~ sitting here on a beach talking about loss and friendship and stuff. Who would have ever thought we'd find a common bond."

"Hey! That incommunicado crap was all your doing." Eddie leaned back and kicked sand over onto Jordan's feet. She returned the kicking and pretty soon they were both covered in sand. "You're a real mess, Jordan Cavanaugh. I guess there's only one thing to do."

"What's that?" Jordan wasn't sure what he had in mind until. . .

"This!" Eddie cried and scooped Jordan up over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He ran towards the water with Jordan screaming and laughing at him to put her down. When he got into the water up to his hips, he said, "Alright. You asked for it!" and tossed Jordan into the water.

Jordan squealed and then disappeared under the water for a second. She came up sputtering and sent a big hand-driven wave of water in Eddie's direction. They kept up their water fight until they heard someone yelling at them from the beach. Stopping for a minute, they turned and saw Garret standing there, trying to hold back his own laughter at the sight of his best M.E. and one of the best detectives on the force, once sworn enemies, playing in the surf like little children.

"What the hell are you two doing?"

"He got me all sandy and decided to wash it off."

"Hey! I wasn't the only one kicking sand."

"You two are worse than pre-schoolers sometimes. But it's great to see you laughing. Come here."

"Ok." Jordan splashed into shore, leaving Eddie standing there. He quickly followed Jordan to shore and joined her and Garret on the beach.

"We're about packed up to head back. I. . ."

"Oh ~ crap. I forgot to do that."

"Eddie, you didn't tell her?"

"We got distracted I guess." Eddie looked down at the sand.

"Tell me what?"

"I'm taking a few days off ~ I've got vacation coming to me. And we thought. . .nothing bad is meant at all. . .we thought that maybe you might like to take a few days as well."

"Huh?"

"Jordan," Garret put his hand on her shoulder, "I believe you that you're doing ok. But how long has it been since you had a real vacation?"

"Um. . .well. . ."

"It's ok. I promise no funny stuff. I just thought that since I've got the house for a couple more weeks it might be fun to hang out for a while and just chill. It's a big house. We wouldn't even have to interact if you didn't want to."

"Why would I not want to interact with one of my good friends?" Jordan winked at Eddie. "But you do NOT have privileges!"

"So noted. So you'll stay?"

"Yeah. Well, I guess. . . I'll need to call Dad and. . ."

"Already done. He thought it might be a good idea as well." Garret had thought of everything. "And you've got a couple of weeks saved up. Spend it all here or part here and part in Boston. I'll see you in 2 weeks. Ok?"

"Ok. Thanks Garret!" Jordan threw her arms around him, then turned towards Eddie and hugged him too. "Thank you! Eddie, after everything. . ."

"All forgiven, Jordan. No hard feelings." Eddie started to guide them back to the house. As evening was falling, the temperature was dropping and they were both starting to shiver. Garret walked along until they got to the driveway. He turned and hugged Jordan.

"Let me know if you need anything. And Howard's still on call for you if you need him."

"Right. Thanks Garret. I'll see you in a couple of weeks."

They waved good-bye to the others and headed into the house. The next two weeks were a time of fun and relaxation for both of them. As he promised, there were times when Jordan needed freedom and Eddie left her alone. Nothing happened ~ well, nothing physical happened. The tentative bonds of friendship that had been forming before Woody moved to Boston and started working most of his cases with Jordan strengthened, and both Eddie and Jordan were fine with being friends. Given their history, anything deeper could have been a challenge. And anyway, it seemed way too soon to Jordan for her to even be thinking about a relationship ~ she had a lot more to learn about herself before she went there with anyone. And she had some good friends by her side while she did her own healing and growing.

All too soon, the two weeks were over and she and Eddie were packing up to go back to Boston. They got into Eddie's car, rode the ferry across to the mainland, and drove back to Boston. As Eddie pulled up outside Jordan's apartment, she looked at him.

"Thanks so much Eddie. For everything."

"You're welcome, Jordan. I'm glad we're talking again."

"Yeah. Ok, well, I guess I need to go and get settled in ~ see if my plant actually managed to die while I was gone. I'll see you around I guess."

"Yeah ~ see you around." Eddie gave her a hug and watched to make sure that she got in alright.

Jordan called Max to check in, and then called Garret to let him know she'd be in the next day. Then she went and took a long, hot shower and tumbled into her own bed.

. . .to be continued. . .