Jordan was exhausted, that was an understatement, her eyelids were heavy and her shoulders drooped. Woody had been in surgery for five hours and they had heard nothing. Everyone was silent, Bug leaned against the chair for support, Devan was almost in tears, and Peter was slumped in the corner asleep, Lily sat reading a magazine next to Jordan, looking up once in a while to check on her. Garret and Nigel sat together talking in hushed tones in the hall, once in a while Jordan heard her name being mentioned faintly. She curled up against the scratchy wool blanket that was wrapped around her for warmth; it wasn't doing any good, her insides felt as cold as ice.

Bug looked down at his watch. "Merry Christmas everybody." He stated dispiritedly. Lily looked at Jordan with a sympathetic eye; she saw the look of grief that passed over her colorless face.

"Well," Devan said dolefully, pulling out a flask from her coat pocket. "Here we are... one big happy family." She took a swig and passed it on to Lily, who took a hearty mouthful and passed it to Jordan, and Jordan finished it off. She allowed the searing liquid to slide down her throat and create a warm feeling in her tummy.

Jordan stood up and wandered out of the room, her eyes were all glazed over with anxiety, and no one could take their eyes off of her thin figure. She wasn't sure entirely where she was going, she held her arms close to her body in a vain attempt to secure herself.

To Jordan something's in this world didn't make sense, God, Angels, faith. For so long those things were overrated, she couldn't feel them, she couldn't see them, and therefore they weren't real.

She was damaged goods for most, a broken bird that had spent far to long in the wind and rain. With Woody it was different, he didn't see her as that ten year old, and he didn't see her as a driven medical examiner that was numb to all feeling. He saw her as Jordan, a real, breathing, feeling person. Jordan had pushed him away so many times; running away was the easy way out, it kept the demons just one step behind.

Before she could turn around, she realized where her feet had carried her, the chapel. Why was she here? And why couldn't she leave? Something held her in that chapel like glue, she wasn't sure why she stared up at that crucifix with wonder, it didn't make sense. She slowly made her way to the wall of candles in front of her, lighting each one, slowly, giving each its own amount of attention. The candlelight cast shadows on Jordan's face, flickering softly.

She knelt in front of the partition of candles, closing her eyes and lifting her chin, she prayed, she didn't know if there was a God out there, she didn't know if he was listening or even if he cared, all she knew was Woody was hurt and alone... just like her, and he deserved a little help, just like her.

She heard the door, but didn't turn around but she heard the thud of it closing. Then she heard the tell tale clicking of high heels against the hardwood floor.

"You must be Jordan." The woman said, Jordan whirled around to see a older woman standing in the hallway, a sad smile locked with a look of grief, her champagne hair was cut into a feathery bob, her cheeks was stained with mascara from crying, a few wrinkles scattered across her buttery face, she wore a baby blue jeans and a white top. Jordan guess her to be Woody's mother, she looked remarkably beautiful for a Midwestern housewife.

"Yeah." Jordan whispered barely discernable.

"I'm Jacquelyn Woody's mother, you can call me Jax... everybody does." She took a couple of careless steps and kneeled next to Jordan, wiping Jordan's face with her sleeve. "Sweetheart," she whispered, Jordan wasn't even aware she was crying.

"I should have... done something." Jordan said between sobs, giving in and lamenting on Jacquelyn's shoulder.

"Now, now, child, if anyone knows my boy Woody, it's me, and there was nothing you could do... his a good boy, a bit stubborn but in the end he always does the right thing... This would have happened whether you were there or not." She stroked Jordan's hair back softly, and rubbed soft circles in her back.

"For so long I ran from him, from love... I finally stop and look where it gets me!" Jordan whispered.

"Honey, I think you and my son have more in common than you know." Before Jordan could inquire about what she meant, Garret was in the doorway with the doctor, their faces set grimly.

"Oh god" Jordan whispered.