Jordan's POV

I awoke this morning to sunlight and the sweet breeze that came after a night of storming, the smell of freshly fallen snow filled the cool morning air. I rolled over to see Woody's sleeping figure next to me, he looked so peaceful, so childlike and pure. I stood up and waltzed into the bathroom to brush my teeth, I left the door a crack open. So I could see him, all I knew was I wasn't letting him out of my sights for anything. I played the night before back in my brain over and over again, the tender kisses and soft touches. "Jordan?" his voice was groggy yet rested. "Yeah?" I said casually, "What are we going to tell are lovely co workers?" I smiled "you are being sarcastic right?" I questioned lightly. "Really Jord, what are we going to do?" I thought it over, this was the biggest step. I could keep it quiet and I knew that it wouldn't hurt to hold my tongue but then it had to come out sometime right? "Well, I guess will tell them."

He sounded happy all of a sudden. "Really!" "Why not?" I came out of the bathroom in my lilac colored silk robe, and he was already almost dressed for work. He was in the same clothes as last night. "you're not dressed yet?" he asked playing with the belt on my robe "You can get dress and in five minutes look great, with me, well... it's like building a car. you're buddies gonna bug you about that?" I said pointing to his clothes. "I can change in my office remember." "Aw yes I almost forgot" I slipped closer to him. And leaned into his chest, draping my arms over is neck. "isn't this gonna be fun to explain..." "oh, yes, more fun than throwing the teachers clipboard at the Gorillas in the zoo." "You did that?" I asked giving him a small push "Lets just say I'm not allowed within fifty feet of the Wisconsin state Zoo." I stifled a giggle "well I guess you're not as innocent as you look Detective Hoight." He gave me a innocent yet mysterious smirk

We walked hand in hand into the morgue. Woody looked a little drawn, he would give me a glance when he thought I wasn't looking, and a deep breath along with an award winning smile and turn back... I saw the expression on Lily's face when we walked by her office holding hands it was priceless; she nearly dropped the phone she held to her ear. Peter snickered lightly when he passed then gave a loud "You two look rested!" Woody laughed and mock punched at Peter who returned to his work. When we entered the crypt where Bug and Nigel were arguing with each other about something, those two were always at it. I cleared my throat in an attempt to distract the two, they wouldn't listen they just kept arguing. Then as I slumped down, Woody turned to me, looking me into my eyes, he leaned into a kiss, which I obliged too, he wasn't bad, pushing me up against the wall, we were full fledged making out now. When lips broke apart, we saw Bug and Nigel standing, jaws dropped, speechless.

"Sweet Nancy!" Nigel whispered loudly "is it just me bug or does Doctor Cavanaugh have a man attached to her face?" "I think it's just you" bug responded. After the initial shock wore off, Bug smiled and turned to Nigel "I win." "Win what?" I demanded "oh the pool." Woody and I shared a quizzical look. "the pool on how long it took for you two to hook up..." Nigel looked at him still a little stunned; he turned to look at us. "Alright, Jordan... Woodrow, lets lay down the ground rules, first, no shagging in the storage room, I go in their to steal supplies after lunch and no one wants to projectile Pizza... second, no making out in the crypt, not for any other reason that it's icky, and I don't want to disinfect those slabs twice... and third, Woodrow, you break her heart I break you're neck... okay," he looked a little drawn and nervous. Bug smiled as he whirled threw the double doors. "Peter you owe me ten bucks!" I suddenly felt a rush of something flicker judgmentally threw me. "Bug who's all in this little... pool?"

"Me, Nige, Peter and Lily why?" "When did you start it?" "Two years ago... back before Peter joined, but after he saw you two together he offered in ten bucks." "You guys are sick." Woody smiled "Jo, I gotta go to work, see you for lunch babe?" he gave me a deep, yet short kiss which knocked the breath from my body and me weak in the knees. "Okay." I mumbled, as we watched Nigel fallow Bug to their a joining offices, we heard him mutter "Bug , do you know how much that's going to cost me in therapy, buy the time they get married I'm going to be in a institution." I chuckled and turned back to Woody. "See you soon." He gave me another deep kiss, when we heard the doors open, figuring it was Bug coming back because he forgot something, he always forgot something "Jordan get that out of you're mouth you don't know where its been." "Garret!" I exclaimed in surprise, "Don't make me get out the crowbar," Woody giggled, "Okay, I gotta go to work, see you for lunch." He walked threw the double doors, passing Devan on the way. "Hi Woody," "sup Dev." I couldn't take my eyes off of him.

"Alright Jo, we got a John Doe in Autopsy two, get to work, you can play with you're boyfriend later." The day went by faster than I ever expected it to, I had worked on two autopsy's by lunch, now I sat in my office, curled up on my chair staring idly out the window at the snow that glistened with each skipping ray of sunlight. People bustled on the street below, marching to wherever there life brought them. I sighed and looked at the picture that sat at the edge of my desk, forgotten. I picked it up and brushed away some dust that had gathered on the glass. It was last Thanksgiving, Woody, sat on a slab next to me and Garret, Peter, Lily and Bug sat on the floor, and Nigel stood next to the end of the slab, I chuckled, morgue humor. The phone rang, "Cavanaugh," I said breathlessly "Jord, I can't make it to lunch, I am so sorry, but what do you say to Chinese and Beer at my place tonight?" "Sounds good... oh Woody," "Yeah Princess?" "Why do you take Prozac?" I felt as if I was breaking some grand rule of dating, I felt like a teenager falling in love for the first time. He chuckled to himself and whispered "Jo, if you worked with you, you'd be on Prozac too." "Well see you for dinner Detective." "Goodbye Jordan."

I sat on the Roof watching the sky line, night had seeped through and brought cold, bone chilling, bitter cold but I was warm straight through. The stars sparkled in the inky velvet night. I stared up at them tears welling up in my eyes. "Mom? Listen Mom, I'm not sure if you can here me, but I'm talking to yah honey, my whole life I've been struggling to let go, locked in this crusade in between missing you more than words could ever describe..." a tear fell down my face, hot and sticky. "and hating you for everything I feel, as if that could bring you back. But, um, I met the most perfect guy, he's smart and passionate and centered yet he has this way of making me laugh,. I know you'd love him, I do." I paused for a moment, feeling the night surround me; I closed my eyes, trying to will back the sound of her voice, the safety she brought to my life. "Its funny that for twenty years I've been trying to remember you're voice, hoping that if I did it would stop this fight I have between trying to remember and wanting to forget so this pain inside will die. I love you mommy, and I'll never forget you, especially those few moments in life we shared... the precious," something in me fell away, like a piece of me died "the few..." I stood up, wiping my eyes I looked around me, snow had begun to fall, and big, fat flakes danced gracefully threw the wind. I turned to see Woody standing behind me, silently snow, I could see his breathe, with each exhale a silvery puff of breathe came from his lips. "Come on I thought we'd go for a walk." He whispered taking my hand, his larger one seemed to swallow my slender gloved one. "Woody..." "Yeah?" "I love you," "Jordan Cavanaugh, I've loved you since the second I saw you."

As we strolled down the dark street silently, passing streetlights every once in a while. I thought of my life, my friends and family, for the first time in my life I felt safe, I knew Dad would return to me when he was good and ready, and then I realized that to be near to him all I had to do was look up at the sky, because he was looking at the same one. "Woody when I was little I used to have these dreams after my mom died," I never took my gaze away from the glittering stars "I would be standing outside in my Pajama's it was so cold my lips were blue, and then I'd see my Mom, she looked... like an angel, and she'd kneel down and hug me, and I'd be warm, and she'd carry me away, to somewhere up in the sky, and I'd look down and be so scared, she'd wipe the tears off my cheeks and brush the hair back from my face and she whispered ' don't worry baby girl, you don't have to be scared, close you're eyes, I have you.' And then she let go, and I'd fall, and right before I hit the ground I wake up, safe in bed." Woody smiled and brushed away a stubborn bit of hair that fell into my eyes "Jordan, you don't have be afraid, I'm here, I've got you." With that we went on walking, his arm slipped around my waist, anchoring me safely, as the snow fell over Boston, in the early morning light, as the sun peeked over to the horizon. and I knew I was safe

Bringing you home with a happy ending