Jordan left work early that afternoon and went baby shopping. Despite being pregnant, she really hadn't had time or inclination to do much shopping for the child. She hadn't really even thought about names too much. A huge part of her was still waiting on Woody. Paying for her purchases, she shuffled back to her SUV and headed home. She wasn't even sure if her apartment was big enough anymore. Despite the fact that Max had offered to let her, Woody, and the baby move in with him, she held off. She didn't want to make that kind of decision without Woody.
Taking the elevator up, she settled into her apartment when her phone rang.
"Cavanaugh"
"Jordan, this is Garrett. We've had an emergency come up at the morgue. The electrical has been knocked out again."
"Do you need me to come in?"
"No, no. You put your feet up and rest. I'm not sure whether Nigel or I am going to be at your place tonight, but whoever it ends up being, it's gonna be late, okay?"
"That's okay, Garrett, but I can stay by myself one night."
"Nope. One of us will be there....just can't say when."
"Tell you what I'll do. I'll go to Dad's tonight. He won't mind and it will save you all some stress."
"That would really be a good idea, Jo. Are you sure you don't mind?" The relief in Garrett's voice was obvious.
"Not a problem. I'll probably stick around here for a while and head to his place around 10 or 11."
"Okay, just be sure you go."
"I will."
Jordan closed her phone and sank down on the couch. All the additional weight she was carrying made her back and feet hurt so much. And she got tired so easily now. Without giving it too much thought, she lay down and was soon fast asleep, only to be awakened hours later by something, or someone, gently rubbing her extended abdomen.
"Who in the hell?" she sat up and tried to get her eyes adjusted to the dim light of the room, when a familiar, masculine chuckle reached her ears.
"Woody!" Jordan exclaimed and launched herself into his arms.
Woody wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. "Hey! Let me breathe," he said, putting a little distance between them.
"Are you home for good?"
"Soon, very soon. But I am home for the night. How's things going?"
"Good." Jordan felt a momentary twinge of guilt about not telling Woody what Dr. Greene had said today. She hadn't really told anyone. "Everything is right on schedule." She crossed her fingers behind her back.
"If all goes well, I'll be off this assignment in three weeks. The warrants are already up and it's pretty much done except for a few loose ends."
Jordan was relieved, but couldn't help but ask, "When do you go out again?"
"Not for a while. If ever. Undercover work isn't everything I thought it would be and I miss you too much. And when the baby comes, I'll miss her. Or him."
Woody reached over and flipped on the light. "Let me look at you." He eyed Jordan up and down several times, his blue eyes slowly traveling over her expanding body. She was all baby. And the baby was all in front and from what he could tell, already dropping into position for birth. "You look great, but I bet your back is killing you," he said.
"Ummm for the most part. That and my feet."
"How about a shower and then I'll give you a back rub?"
"Just a back rub?" Jordan teased.
"In your condition, I think that's all your about up for woman."
==============================================================================
To Jordan's delight, the next several days flew by. Garrett and Nigel had reluctantly accompanied her to natural child birth classes. It was hysterical watching the long, lanky Englishman sit Indian style on the floor and instruct Jordan on how to breathe and focus. Garrett was even worse.
"I work with the dead....they don't breathe!" he had fumed. "How am I supposed to tell you how to breathe....."
Jordan knew that if both of these guys ended up with her in the delivery room, she would never hear the end of it. "Can't you two just cooperate and stay on track with this?" she asked.
"Look love, you sure better hope Woodrow's back for this little event. If not, you and your child may be scarred for life. And that's just from the ride to the hospital," Nigel said. "If Woody knocks you up again, he sure as heck better be back for all the other little 'incidentals' that accompanies impregnating a female!"
The shower was a wonderful affair. The morgue staff had chipped in together and purchased a crib. Rene Walcott must have cleaned out the clothing section at Boston's Children's Store. Jordan had enough clothing for three babies....whether they were boys or girls. Garrett and Abbey had sprung for the diaper genie and diapers. Lily had given her a huge basket full of "stuff" – pacifiers, sippy cups, wipes – all the little things she would need. Bug and Nigel produced a toy box complete with a toy doctor bag. "They didn't have toy ME bags," Bug said. "I just don't understand why..."
But it was Max's gift that touched Jordan the most. At the end of the shower, he brought in a huge box. When Jordan finally managed to get through all the wrapping and bows and open up the front, there was her mother's rocking chair. Max had lovingly restored it just for Jordan to rock the baby to sleep. For once, Jordan didn't even try to hold back the tears. Hers, and everyone else's flowed freely. "This is the best," she said to her dad. "The absolute best."
After getting everything back home, Jordan began to find a spots for all the gifts. She felt a twinge of regret for Woody not being able to be there and share the joy. She hoped the next couple of weeks flew by and he was back at home. Finally, after all the baby goods were put away, and Nigel was safely tucked away on her couch, Jordan got ready for bed when she noticed a slight tight feeling across her abdomen. Not wanting to wake Nigel unless she knew it was "real" labor, she sat down on her bed and timed the contractions. After a few minutes, they quit altogether. "Whew," she thought, "only Braxton Hicks."
Taking the elevator up, she settled into her apartment when her phone rang.
"Cavanaugh"
"Jordan, this is Garrett. We've had an emergency come up at the morgue. The electrical has been knocked out again."
"Do you need me to come in?"
"No, no. You put your feet up and rest. I'm not sure whether Nigel or I am going to be at your place tonight, but whoever it ends up being, it's gonna be late, okay?"
"That's okay, Garrett, but I can stay by myself one night."
"Nope. One of us will be there....just can't say when."
"Tell you what I'll do. I'll go to Dad's tonight. He won't mind and it will save you all some stress."
"That would really be a good idea, Jo. Are you sure you don't mind?" The relief in Garrett's voice was obvious.
"Not a problem. I'll probably stick around here for a while and head to his place around 10 or 11."
"Okay, just be sure you go."
"I will."
Jordan closed her phone and sank down on the couch. All the additional weight she was carrying made her back and feet hurt so much. And she got tired so easily now. Without giving it too much thought, she lay down and was soon fast asleep, only to be awakened hours later by something, or someone, gently rubbing her extended abdomen.
"Who in the hell?" she sat up and tried to get her eyes adjusted to the dim light of the room, when a familiar, masculine chuckle reached her ears.
"Woody!" Jordan exclaimed and launched herself into his arms.
Woody wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. "Hey! Let me breathe," he said, putting a little distance between them.
"Are you home for good?"
"Soon, very soon. But I am home for the night. How's things going?"
"Good." Jordan felt a momentary twinge of guilt about not telling Woody what Dr. Greene had said today. She hadn't really told anyone. "Everything is right on schedule." She crossed her fingers behind her back.
"If all goes well, I'll be off this assignment in three weeks. The warrants are already up and it's pretty much done except for a few loose ends."
Jordan was relieved, but couldn't help but ask, "When do you go out again?"
"Not for a while. If ever. Undercover work isn't everything I thought it would be and I miss you too much. And when the baby comes, I'll miss her. Or him."
Woody reached over and flipped on the light. "Let me look at you." He eyed Jordan up and down several times, his blue eyes slowly traveling over her expanding body. She was all baby. And the baby was all in front and from what he could tell, already dropping into position for birth. "You look great, but I bet your back is killing you," he said.
"Ummm for the most part. That and my feet."
"How about a shower and then I'll give you a back rub?"
"Just a back rub?" Jordan teased.
"In your condition, I think that's all your about up for woman."
==============================================================================
To Jordan's delight, the next several days flew by. Garrett and Nigel had reluctantly accompanied her to natural child birth classes. It was hysterical watching the long, lanky Englishman sit Indian style on the floor and instruct Jordan on how to breathe and focus. Garrett was even worse.
"I work with the dead....they don't breathe!" he had fumed. "How am I supposed to tell you how to breathe....."
Jordan knew that if both of these guys ended up with her in the delivery room, she would never hear the end of it. "Can't you two just cooperate and stay on track with this?" she asked.
"Look love, you sure better hope Woodrow's back for this little event. If not, you and your child may be scarred for life. And that's just from the ride to the hospital," Nigel said. "If Woody knocks you up again, he sure as heck better be back for all the other little 'incidentals' that accompanies impregnating a female!"
The shower was a wonderful affair. The morgue staff had chipped in together and purchased a crib. Rene Walcott must have cleaned out the clothing section at Boston's Children's Store. Jordan had enough clothing for three babies....whether they were boys or girls. Garrett and Abbey had sprung for the diaper genie and diapers. Lily had given her a huge basket full of "stuff" – pacifiers, sippy cups, wipes – all the little things she would need. Bug and Nigel produced a toy box complete with a toy doctor bag. "They didn't have toy ME bags," Bug said. "I just don't understand why..."
But it was Max's gift that touched Jordan the most. At the end of the shower, he brought in a huge box. When Jordan finally managed to get through all the wrapping and bows and open up the front, there was her mother's rocking chair. Max had lovingly restored it just for Jordan to rock the baby to sleep. For once, Jordan didn't even try to hold back the tears. Hers, and everyone else's flowed freely. "This is the best," she said to her dad. "The absolute best."
After getting everything back home, Jordan began to find a spots for all the gifts. She felt a twinge of regret for Woody not being able to be there and share the joy. She hoped the next couple of weeks flew by and he was back at home. Finally, after all the baby goods were put away, and Nigel was safely tucked away on her couch, Jordan got ready for bed when she noticed a slight tight feeling across her abdomen. Not wanting to wake Nigel unless she knew it was "real" labor, she sat down on her bed and timed the contractions. After a few minutes, they quit altogether. "Whew," she thought, "only Braxton Hicks."