Jordan admitted defeat.
The talk would have to wait because 'later' never came. Morning turned into afternoon. Every time Jordan would try to corner Woody alone Jack would trot up like puppy looking for a butterfly to chase. Woody used him as excuse to dodge out of her range.
Jordan put Jack down for a short nap and Woody slipped out to go into town for some extra groceries. When he returned Jack was playing outside on the deck and Jordan was curled up on the couch, under a knotty throw, with a pile of periodicals. He picked up one from the top of her pile.
"Journal of Forensics and Postmortem Analyses..." he scanned the first page and said "...entertaining right before dinner."
Jordan only shot him an evil eye. He should be thankful that she still wasn't trying to run him out of the house. A flash of movement out on the deck drew Woody's attention. A few short days ago he didn't even know Jack existed; now he couldn't picture his life with out him. He dropped the journal back on Jordan's pile and opened the door leading out the deck.
Once outside, Woody stopped to admire the view of the rolling hills in the distance. The snow had melted into shaded patches, but it was still chilly. Jack was bundled up like the Pillsbury dough boy.
"Hi" Jack said glancing his way once.
Woody returned the greeting and smiled as he watched Jack concentrating on his toys. Jack taken the array of iron patio furniture and grouped them methodically. Two chairs over ended formed an enclosure where his hoard of action figures lay in wait for their turn in what ever adventurous whim their owner would include them in. Jack was busy trying to get Robin to balance on his feet on an inlayed end table with a length of string wrapped around its arm. Woody squatted down against the building and watched the action.
"Looks like Batman's in trouble." Woody said pointing to the toy lying on the deck beside the table.
"Robin is going to save him before The Flash can kill him."
"Oh, okay ....maybe he needs some help."
"Superman's on the way, but The Lantern put Kryptonite in his way."
"That could be a problem."
Woody watched the dramatic rescue with a smile. As soon as Batman was saved, Jack put Robin on the railing on the corner of the deck next to Gaylord, who sat like a gargoyle looking down on Jack's little world. Woody smiled as Superman and Batman vanquished The Flash to the empty planter that he had moved under the patio table.
"Can I play?" Woody asked.
Jack shrugged his shoulders.
"Here, you can be Spiderman."
Jack handed Woody a well loved Spiderman. Each one of his figures looked like they were played with often.
Woody rubbed his arms at he chilly late afternoon air.
"I should have brought out my jacket...."
"Mama has my Daddy's jacket."
The statement came out of nowhere. Woody was glad Jack was busily setting up for his next escapade and didn't notice the shocked look on his face.
"What do you mean Jack?"
"She's got my Daddy's jacket, like the one you wore yesterday, in her closet...way in the back."
Woody thought he must be referring to his suit coat. He was in such a hurry to drive up last night, he didn't bother to change before he left hotel.
"She takes it out sometimes, late at night when she thinks I'm asleep, especially after she's worked late to help put a bad guy in jail or when it rains really hard."
Jack picked up his Superman and stood him up on the flagstone in front of him.
"She puts it on even if it's not cold..... and it's way too big for her. She sometimes cries too....Grandpa says when I'm older I'll understand. I just think she looks silly."
Jack pulled The Flash out of the planter standing him in front of Superman.
"Eddie just says it's because my Daddy was a lot like Robin."
Woody looked over at the Robin who sat as far away form the scene as Jack could put him.
"He says that Mama gets sad because she and my Daddy were a good team like Batman and Robin. You see, Batman was a superhero before Robin came to work at the HallofJustice and they became best friends."
Jack said Hall of Justice as if it were one word. He picked up the Batman and handed it to Woody. He stood up to grab Robin.
"Batman is a superhero without any superpowers. He just wanted to work alone. Eddie says it he was alone 'cuz The Joker killed his mama. Then one day Robin came to work at the HallofJustice and he didn't have any superpowers either, so they decided to be a good team and put lots of bad people in jail."
Jack smashed Robin into The Flash sending him skidding across the deck. Once The Flash came to a stop Jack stood and put Robin back in his warm spot next to Gaylord.
"Eddie sounds like a smart guy." Woody said holding Batman.
"Yeah, but he still makes me eat cauliflower sometimes. Batman and Spiderman have to meet Superman over here. He needs to finish filling out his report for the DA and Batman and Spiderman need to take The Flash to the morgue this time."
~~~~~~~~
Jordan had been watching them play with there heads so close together. Jordan knew Jack's imagination could send him just about anywhere. She pulled her blanket tighter around her as she watched their identical expressions. Jordan had to smile as she watched Woody blow on his hands. He was sitting on the cold flagstone in his socks and shirtsleeves. She couldn't help but wonder how long it would take him to remember that a New England November was a lot different then one in Virginia.
A few minutes later Woody couldn't feel his fingers. He handed Jack back Flash and The Hulk. His legs ached as he stood up from the freezing flagstone.
Jordan watched as he rubbed his hands together and opened the French door. She laughed out loud when she noticed he was a pale shade of light blue.
"If you think hypothermia is going to get you out of our talk you have another thing coming." she smirked.
"I thought if I made dinner I could put off that task for awhile.....although, we could always talk while you help warm me up..."
Jordan could feel the cool air radiate off him as he stepped closer.
"You wouldn't dare." she said, her laugh taking any venom out of the words.
"Try me."
In a flash the blanket was on the floor and Woody's hands reached under her shirt to tickle her ribs. Jordan grabbed at his wrist to try and gain leverage but she couldn't through her laughter.
"Wait, that's not fair!"
"All's fair," Woody responded as he tackled her down.
"That's my Mama, stop that."
Woody halted his fingers but kept his hands on her. They both looked over to see Jack standing in the open doorway with his rosy cheeks all that was showing from his hood. If he didn't look so pissed off, Woody would have laughed. He let Jordan go as she carefully pulled her shirt to rights.
"I'm sorry buddy. Your Mama looked so nice and toasty I thought she would like to feel a little cold on her belly."
"You were going to hurt her."
"Jack, I would never hurt mother.....at least not intentionally."
"It's okay, baby. Woody wasn't hurting me." Jordan cooed as she knelt next to Jack to help him with the zipper on his jacket.
"If you hurt her Eddie would shoot you. He told me he would never ever let anything happen to her."
Woody couldn't help the pang of jealously that shot through him. Jack's words just remained him that Winslow was the one who was there when Jordan needed him most.
"I'm glad to hear that Eddie is there to take care of your Mama. I'm going to start dinner."
Jordan didn't now what disappointed her more...Jack's rudeness or the loss of Woody's playful mood. And it bothered her.
"John Fitzgerald Maxwell, I knew I've not been the best example but, we need to talk about politeness..."
The talk would have to wait because 'later' never came. Morning turned into afternoon. Every time Jordan would try to corner Woody alone Jack would trot up like puppy looking for a butterfly to chase. Woody used him as excuse to dodge out of her range.
Jordan put Jack down for a short nap and Woody slipped out to go into town for some extra groceries. When he returned Jack was playing outside on the deck and Jordan was curled up on the couch, under a knotty throw, with a pile of periodicals. He picked up one from the top of her pile.
"Journal of Forensics and Postmortem Analyses..." he scanned the first page and said "...entertaining right before dinner."
Jordan only shot him an evil eye. He should be thankful that she still wasn't trying to run him out of the house. A flash of movement out on the deck drew Woody's attention. A few short days ago he didn't even know Jack existed; now he couldn't picture his life with out him. He dropped the journal back on Jordan's pile and opened the door leading out the deck.
Once outside, Woody stopped to admire the view of the rolling hills in the distance. The snow had melted into shaded patches, but it was still chilly. Jack was bundled up like the Pillsbury dough boy.
"Hi" Jack said glancing his way once.
Woody returned the greeting and smiled as he watched Jack concentrating on his toys. Jack taken the array of iron patio furniture and grouped them methodically. Two chairs over ended formed an enclosure where his hoard of action figures lay in wait for their turn in what ever adventurous whim their owner would include them in. Jack was busy trying to get Robin to balance on his feet on an inlayed end table with a length of string wrapped around its arm. Woody squatted down against the building and watched the action.
"Looks like Batman's in trouble." Woody said pointing to the toy lying on the deck beside the table.
"Robin is going to save him before The Flash can kill him."
"Oh, okay ....maybe he needs some help."
"Superman's on the way, but The Lantern put Kryptonite in his way."
"That could be a problem."
Woody watched the dramatic rescue with a smile. As soon as Batman was saved, Jack put Robin on the railing on the corner of the deck next to Gaylord, who sat like a gargoyle looking down on Jack's little world. Woody smiled as Superman and Batman vanquished The Flash to the empty planter that he had moved under the patio table.
"Can I play?" Woody asked.
Jack shrugged his shoulders.
"Here, you can be Spiderman."
Jack handed Woody a well loved Spiderman. Each one of his figures looked like they were played with often.
Woody rubbed his arms at he chilly late afternoon air.
"I should have brought out my jacket...."
"Mama has my Daddy's jacket."
The statement came out of nowhere. Woody was glad Jack was busily setting up for his next escapade and didn't notice the shocked look on his face.
"What do you mean Jack?"
"She's got my Daddy's jacket, like the one you wore yesterday, in her closet...way in the back."
Woody thought he must be referring to his suit coat. He was in such a hurry to drive up last night, he didn't bother to change before he left hotel.
"She takes it out sometimes, late at night when she thinks I'm asleep, especially after she's worked late to help put a bad guy in jail or when it rains really hard."
Jack picked up his Superman and stood him up on the flagstone in front of him.
"She puts it on even if it's not cold..... and it's way too big for her. She sometimes cries too....Grandpa says when I'm older I'll understand. I just think she looks silly."
Jack pulled The Flash out of the planter standing him in front of Superman.
"Eddie just says it's because my Daddy was a lot like Robin."
Woody looked over at the Robin who sat as far away form the scene as Jack could put him.
"He says that Mama gets sad because she and my Daddy were a good team like Batman and Robin. You see, Batman was a superhero before Robin came to work at the HallofJustice and they became best friends."
Jack said Hall of Justice as if it were one word. He picked up the Batman and handed it to Woody. He stood up to grab Robin.
"Batman is a superhero without any superpowers. He just wanted to work alone. Eddie says it he was alone 'cuz The Joker killed his mama. Then one day Robin came to work at the HallofJustice and he didn't have any superpowers either, so they decided to be a good team and put lots of bad people in jail."
Jack smashed Robin into The Flash sending him skidding across the deck. Once The Flash came to a stop Jack stood and put Robin back in his warm spot next to Gaylord.
"Eddie sounds like a smart guy." Woody said holding Batman.
"Yeah, but he still makes me eat cauliflower sometimes. Batman and Spiderman have to meet Superman over here. He needs to finish filling out his report for the DA and Batman and Spiderman need to take The Flash to the morgue this time."
~~~~~~~~
Jordan had been watching them play with there heads so close together. Jordan knew Jack's imagination could send him just about anywhere. She pulled her blanket tighter around her as she watched their identical expressions. Jordan had to smile as she watched Woody blow on his hands. He was sitting on the cold flagstone in his socks and shirtsleeves. She couldn't help but wonder how long it would take him to remember that a New England November was a lot different then one in Virginia.
A few minutes later Woody couldn't feel his fingers. He handed Jack back Flash and The Hulk. His legs ached as he stood up from the freezing flagstone.
Jordan watched as he rubbed his hands together and opened the French door. She laughed out loud when she noticed he was a pale shade of light blue.
"If you think hypothermia is going to get you out of our talk you have another thing coming." she smirked.
"I thought if I made dinner I could put off that task for awhile.....although, we could always talk while you help warm me up..."
Jordan could feel the cool air radiate off him as he stepped closer.
"You wouldn't dare." she said, her laugh taking any venom out of the words.
"Try me."
In a flash the blanket was on the floor and Woody's hands reached under her shirt to tickle her ribs. Jordan grabbed at his wrist to try and gain leverage but she couldn't through her laughter.
"Wait, that's not fair!"
"All's fair," Woody responded as he tackled her down.
"That's my Mama, stop that."
Woody halted his fingers but kept his hands on her. They both looked over to see Jack standing in the open doorway with his rosy cheeks all that was showing from his hood. If he didn't look so pissed off, Woody would have laughed. He let Jordan go as she carefully pulled her shirt to rights.
"I'm sorry buddy. Your Mama looked so nice and toasty I thought she would like to feel a little cold on her belly."
"You were going to hurt her."
"Jack, I would never hurt mother.....at least not intentionally."
"It's okay, baby. Woody wasn't hurting me." Jordan cooed as she knelt next to Jack to help him with the zipper on his jacket.
"If you hurt her Eddie would shoot you. He told me he would never ever let anything happen to her."
Woody couldn't help the pang of jealously that shot through him. Jack's words just remained him that Winslow was the one who was there when Jordan needed him most.
"I'm glad to hear that Eddie is there to take care of your Mama. I'm going to start dinner."
Jordan didn't now what disappointed her more...Jack's rudeness or the loss of Woody's playful mood. And it bothered her.
"John Fitzgerald Maxwell, I knew I've not been the best example but, we need to talk about politeness..."