The next several weeks were quiet ones for both Jordan and Woody. She continued to see Ray's daughters on a regular basis, sometimes keeping them over night for Ray when he had to pull late nights with the Boston PD and she wasn't on call at the morgue. Woody worked with her as much as he could, but much to Jordan's frustration, there was never anytime for them to talk. Until one evening when she was working late on a vic that was brought in.

Woody had called and requested her on the homicide. It looked to be a possible suicide, but the police weren't sure right now. Jordan was working trace and the autopsy. What made the case ultra-sensitive was it was the nephew of a city councilman. If any foul play was involved, it may have to be handled carefully. Jordan was working just as quickly and thoroughly as she could when Woody came through the autopsy room doors.

"Got anything yet?" he asked.

"Not a whole lot more than the prelims I faxed to you several hours ago."

"Do you think it was suicide?"

"No way. Not unless he fell on the bullet. There was no gun powder residue on the hands."

"Hmmmm. Mind if I stick around while you finish up? "

"Suit yourself."

"Maybe we could grab some dinner later?"

Jordan nodded, the autopsy getting her full attention. Methodically, she finished and then sewed up the incision. Pulling her gloves off, she gathered her samples and left them for Nigel. "Nothing to do but wait now, Woody."

Woody watched as she removed her face shield and headed for the locker room door. Five minutes later she emerged, changed and ready.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked.

"I don't really care. If you don't mind pizza or burgers, we could go to Dad's. That way we could eat and play a game of pool."

"Sounds good."

"I'll meet you there, then?"

"I can drive and then bring you back here for your car."

A short time later, Jordan found herself riding in Woody's car, heading toward the Pogue. Max greeted both of them when they came in. He had seen Jordan fairly frequently, but hadn't seen that much of Woody in the last few months. And when he did see the detective, Jordan was never with him. From snippets of conversation with his daughter, he had concluded they had decided to "cool it" for a while with their relationship. "Hi guys," he said, "What'll it be – it's on the house tonight."

"Da-a-ad," Jordan warned. "I can pay for my own supper."

"And I can choose to refuse payment. So what'll it be?"

"Pizza and two Guinness?"

"Coming right up. Back table?"

"Yeah."

As Woody headed up the stairs to their table, Max pulled Jordan aside. "You wanna be left alone?"

Jordan nodded. Max winked. "In that case, I'll bring up four beers."

A few minutes later, their dinner arrived. Jordan ate hungrily. Woody just kind of picked at his meal.

"Whatsa matter?" Jordan asked around a mouthful of pepperoni, olives, and cheese.

"Nothing...." Woody began. "No there is something...but not here...I'm sorry, could we go somewhere quieter after dinner and pool?"

He looked so solemn Jordan's heart lurched. He's going to tell me he's serious about Mandy or Marcy or whoever, she thought. Hurriedly, she swallowed the rest of her dinner and downed the rest of her second beer. "Okay, Woody, let's go."

"No pool?"

"I'd rather go now and find somewhere we can talk." Jordan rose and quickly left, with just a side glance to her dad that said I'll be back...we need to talk. Max understood and nodded.

Woody threw some money on the table and hurried to catch up with Jordan. He finally caught her at the top of the stairs outside the bar. "It's a nice night for a walk, even if it's a little cold," he said. "Wanna do that?"

Jordan nodded. It was cold. She had on a heavy sweater, but she was still shivering a little. But at least if it was cold, maybe he wouldn't linger..maybe he would just tell her straight up what was going on and then she could leave...oh no, damn. She couldn't leave. Her car was back at the morgue. Shit!

They walked on in silence for a few minutes. Finally Jordan broke the quiet. "Okay, Woody. What's going on in that pretty head of yours?" she remarked, trying to ease into the situation with a little humor.

"What's going on in my head is I wonder why you're spending so much time with my new partner and his daughters?"

"Ray?"

"You heard me." He sounded more than just a little angry.

"What's going on with you and Mandy, or Marcy, or Marie –whoever the hell she is?"

"It's Mandy. And she's just a friend. I owed her dinner for buying me some time on a case with her boss, Rene' Walcott."

"Well, it's the same thing with Ray. He's just a friend."

"A friend whose kids you end up keeping. You're spending a lot of time with them, Jo." Woody's voice had an edge of disapproval in it.

Jordan stopped and turned to face him. Woody stopped walking and looked down at her. "I happen to enjoy those kids very much. I feel for them – I know what it's like to lose your mother at an early age. I know what it's like to depend on a father – a father, that no matter how great he is, can't be a mother. And sometimes girls need a woman to talk to, buy them certain things, and explain stuff to them from a woman's perspective."

"So that's what you're trying to do? Be their mother?"

"No... you don't get what I'm saying. I'm not their mom. I could never be their mother."

"But you could be their step-mother. Don't tell me that hasn't crossed your mind."

"Woody, I'm not going to marry Ray."

"Why?"

"Well, for one thing, he hasn't asked. The other thing is that I don't love Ray."

Woody's heart was beating so loudly he was sure that Jordan could hear it. With his lips barely moving, he asked her, "Then who do you love, Jordan?"

Pulling her hands from her pockets, she grabbed the lapels of his coat and replied, "You Woody. I love you."

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her there, on the sidewalk with people walking by them, and the stars shining above. For a long minute he just stood there and kissed her time and time again, completely oblivious to their surroundings. It was only a stranger's passing comment of "Get a room" that brought him back to his senses. He reluctantly pulled away and felt Jordan shiver, bereft of the loss of his body heat. He pulled his coat off and wrapped it around her. "I need to get you home where it's warm..."

Home proved not to be her apartment on Pearle Street. He took her back to his apartment. Slamming the door and locking it behind them, he pulled her into his arms again. He backed up to the couch, kissing her the entire way. When the back of his legs hit it, he sat down and took her in his lap.

"So you love me?" he asked, running his fingers through her chestnut hair.

"Yes, I do."

"And when did you realize this?" His fingers had shifted and were gently stroking the side of her face.

"Weeks ago," she answered, loosening his tie.

"And you didn't feel you could tell me then?"

"You weren't exactly encouraging me....I saw you out with Mandy. I didn't know how you what you were feeling. You're the one who said to go on with our lives while I made a decision," she had worked his tie completely loose and slid it out from around his collar. Now she began attacking the buttons on his shirt. "I thought maybe you had changed your mind."

"Hmm...no," he began to do the same to the buttons on her blouse.

"So in other words, we both have wasted a lot of time?" She had unbuttoned his shirt as far as she could go while she was sitting in his lap.

"I would say so..." he shifted her so that now she was straddling him. "What do you say to making up for lost time?" He finished buttoning her shirt and pulled it off her, leaving her clad in her jeans and black lacy bra.

Grinning down at him, Jordan asked, "Oh, making up or making out?"

"Maybe a little of both?" he whispered, pulling her lips down to his again.

Jordan quit thinking then, and just responded to his kisses. When his hand slid around to the back of her bra, she chuckled. It wasn't but a few moments later, she heard his frustrated sigh, "How does this damn thing come off?"

"Front." Her breath hitched when she felt his hands there. He made short work of the clasp and pulled back to look her in the eye. He raised one eyebrow. She nodded. Soon her bra joined her shirt in the floor and his hands were caressing her everywhere. She felt her skin flush and she moaned as his lips followed his hands. When it reached the point she couldn't bear it any longer, Woody picked her up and carried her to his bedroom. When her bare back hit the cool sheets, she shivered again.

"Cold?" he asked.

"A little. Could have something to do with the company."

Woody grinned, shedding his shirt and t-shirt. Jordan reached for his belt, unbuckled it and pulled it off. Then she worked on the zipper of his pants, sliding them and his boxers down as far as she could. He pulled them the rest of the way off, and then tugged her jeans off. Lying down beside her, he cupped her face with his hand and kissed her again. Jordan wound both arms around his neck and pulled him closer. "Woody," she whispered.

"Hmmm?" He was kissing the side of her neck now, working his way lower to her navel. She forgot what she was going to say, as he gently circled her navel with his tongue and reached for her black bikini cuts.

"Hmmmm?" he repeated, coming back up to face her after he disposed of the panties.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too," he said, as he began to love her.

His touch was gentle and sure, taking her to places she never knew she could reach. When she finally moaned his name again, he reached over in the night stand. Looking her in the eyes, he asked "Are you okay?"

"I will be in a minute, if you hurry."

Woody chuckled and leaned over top of her, supporting his weight with his elbows on either side of her head. "Yes, ma'am."

Later, much later, Woody held her and was still kissing her. Finally, he tucked her next to him, and pulled the sheet and blankets up over both of them. He heard Jordan sigh and felt her snuggle closer. He ran a hand down her back and settled her close to his side.

He had had good sex before. Mind blowing sex, even. But Woody could swear that this was the first time in his life he had ever really made love. He felt it from the tips of his unruly hair to the bottom of his toes. And she had been with him every step of the way. He smiled down at her sleeping figure. Her leg was thrown over his and her arm was around his waist. Content, for the first time in weeks, he wrapped his arms around her and slept.

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Waking to the strident ringing of the alarm clock, Jordan was momentarily disoriented. Then, feeling his arms tighten around her, she remembered and smiled. "Good morning," she heard a masculine voice in her ear and felt his lips on the curve of her neck.

"Good morning," she responded quietly, suddenly shy about waking up naked in his arms.

Woody looked down into her eyes. He saw no regret, only the soft afterglow of a night of being made love to. "Hungry?"

Jordan was....she was ravenous. She had a feeling it had to do with the previous night's activities. "Yes...wanna shower and grab some breakfast?"

Woody groaned and ran his fingers through his hair. "As much as I would love to, I can't. I have to go to work. But if you're up to it, the shower sounds very nice...."

A half an hour later, after a warm shower and helping each other get dressed, Woody asked her, "Since you are the one with the day off, what are you going to do with yourself?"

Jordan sat down on the bed to pull on her shoes. "I'm supposed to get Elizabeth this afternoon after school and take her to the library. She has a report due in science next week and I'm helping her get it organized."

Woody sat down beside her on the bed and put one arm around her waist and rested the other one on her abdomen. Gently kissing her lips, he softly whispered in her ear, "You know Jordan, if you like kids so much, we could always have a baby."

Jordan drew back, shocked at his words. She looked in his eyes to see if he was kidding. Nope. His blue eyes were very serious.

"A baby? Us?"

"Why? Does the thought of being barefoot and pregnant with our child bother you?"

Jordan was just about to protest with the comment that it wasn't the right time, when she realized in a perfect moment of clarity, she wouldn't mind at all. "No," she finally got out, "It doesn't."

Woody tightened his hold and dropped a quick kiss on her lips. "Good. We'll talk about it tonight."