The incessant ringing of the alarm clock woke Woody out of his state of stupor. Still a tad groggy, he went into the bathroom and turned on the shower, adjusting the temperature and the spray. He vaguely remembered what happened yesterday. He remembered the tea with the sleeping pills. He remembered finally making his way back to his apartment and falling asleep. He remembered Jordan coming over and checking him out ... examining him to make sure he was going to be okay. And vaguely, very vaguely, he thought he remembered her coming to his bedroom early this morning to check on him yet again. He shook his head. He had told her to go home... surely that had been a dream.

He climbed out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist and made his way to the kitchen. Someone had already started the coffee. There was a used cup on the counter. He swung around to the living area. The throw was still lying on the couch, silent testimony that she had indeed, stayed the night to make sure he was okay. She was gone now...perhaps she left when she heard him get in the shower....but she had been here...all night. Why?

A half an hour later, he strode into the morgue, determined to find out. He checked her office. She wasn't there. He met Bug coming out of Trace Evidence. "Where's Jordan?" he asked.

Bug chuckled at him. "Feeling better, Sleeping Beauty?" he asked. Then noticing Woody's expression, he continued. "She doesn't have to be in today until after lunch. Why?"

"I need to talk to her."

"Want me to tell her you're looking for her?"

Woody thought for a minute. That might scare her off. "No....don't tell her I was here. It's not real important. I'll just come back by around two."

Bug nodded. "She should be here then," he was wondering what new trouble Jordan may have gotten herself into.

Jordan rode the elevator back up to her apartment. She hadn't gotten much sleep on Woody's couch last night, but didn't dare try to crawl in bed with him. She had a feeling he would have reached for his service revolver if she had. She grimaced. She knew she wasn't his favorite person...but despite what she had told him, she did care deeply for him....She went to his apartment because she was worried about him. Nothing more, nothing less....

Opening her apartment door, she checked her wristwatch. It was seven. She could get in a good three or four hours of sleep before she had to report in to the morgue. She pulled down her bed clothes and changed into her girl boxers and a tank top. But sleep evaded her. She knew, with enough of the sleeping pills in his system, Woody would have been uninhibited enough to talk freely to her...sort of like being in a drunken stupor. Yes, she had gone to his apartment to make sure he was okay. That really was her main concern. But she had sort of hoped she could get a read on his feelings for her. Had they changed?

She rolled over and punched her pillow. The only thing he kept saying to her was get out, leave, go home, I'm fine...Well, whether he liked it or not, she stayed the night. He probably didn't like it...and I'll probably catch hell from him that I did...but at least I knew he was safe and okay. Her eyes were growing heavy. Finally, she sighed and gave into the rest that her body was beginning to crave so badly.

She woke up three hours later, relatively rested. Quickly showering and doing her make up and hair, she was back in the morgue before one...early for once.

"Afternoon, Jordan," greeted Garrett. He had nearly run into her, coming out of his office looking only at the file in his hand and not paying attention to where he was going.

"Hey, Garrett. What's in that file that has you so engrossed you can't watch where you're going?"

"Just some lab reports back on that John Doe Nigel found in the park last week. How's Woody?"

"He had some major sleeping-off-the-drugs to do, but he'll be okay."

"So you checked on him last night?"

"Yeah, I went over after work. His pupils were responding well and his pulse was steady, so he's okay. He's probably back hard at work even as we speak."

"I imagine so...how long did you stay last night?"

Jordan gave Garrett a quizzical look. Where was this line of questioning going? No one but she knew she had stayed at Woody's all night. She'd bet good money he didn't even know. She had risen well before he was even conscious this morning and started the coffee. As soon as she heard his alarm go off and the shower turn on, she had left quickly and quietly. She had seen no reason to alert him to the fact that she had stayed with him all night, keeping a check on him, making sure he was okay.

"I stayed a while...I wanted to make sure the sleeping pills didn't come back to double-whammy him at some point."

Garrett grunted. "Seems like he may be grateful."

"Garrett, what the hell are you talking about?"

He simply pointed to her office. There, sitting on her desk in a crystal vase, was a dozen gorgeous pink sweetheart roses. "Lily brought them in a little while ago. They were delivered to the front desk."

Jordan slowly walked over to her desk and looked at the roses. They were beautiful ... deep pink, her favorite color...She couldn't remember the last time someone had sent her flowers...Tyler had never done it. Maybe it was her last high school prom date...She wrinkled her forehead, trying to think....not noticing the cluster of her co-workers that was forming at her door.

"Well?" asked Nigel.

"Well, what?" asked Jordan.

"Who are they from?" asked Peter.

She gave them a patented Jordan stare-down. "Why on earth should any of you care who sent me flowers?"

"Because it's never happened before," answered Bug.

"And we've been waiting since about ten this morning," said Garrett.

"They're awfully pretty...and very expensive this time of year," said Lily. "March is not the time for roses."

"Let me look at the card in peace, you guys. If it's something you should know about, I'll be the first to tell you. Now go away." She ushered them all away from her door. Nigel hung back.

"Please, love. Tell me. You know I am the soul of discretion."

Jordan rolled her eyes at him and shoved him out her door. "Later, Nige." Then noticing that some of the staff was still plastered against the glass windows of her office, she quickly lowered the blinds and locked the door. Sitting down on the edge of her desk, she pulled the card out from its envelope and read it.

Thanks for staying last night. Sorry I was such a bastard. Let me make it up to you. Love, Woody.

Jordan swallowed the lump in her throat and carefully put the card back in the envelope and slid the envelope in her pants pocket. It would be better if everyone just thought the flowers were from her dad or grandmother. The line about staying the night would throw everyone into a tizzy and frankly, she wasn't up to their questions. She wasn't reading anymore into the flowers than what they were...a sign of appreciation. But she needed to do the right thing and thank Woody.

With a sigh, she dutifully flipped open her cell phone and dialed his number. "Hoyt," he said a few seconds later.

"Hey...thanks for the roses. They're beautiful."

Woody leaned back in his chair, smiling to himself. Women and flowers...no matter what the woman, even Jordan Cavanaugh, they liked flowers.

"You're welcome. It's the least I could do after the way I acted last night."

"It was the sleeping pills....how are you feeling this morning?"

"Rested."

Jordan chuckled. She bet he did feel rested...he had slept for over 12 hours. He was probably more hyper than usual now. "I imagine you won't sleep a wink tonight."

"Maybe...maybe not. I am sorry for the way I treated you, though. Let me buy you dinner tonight to make up for it."

Jordan hesitated. She wasn't sure about dinner. "That's okay, Wood. You don't have to apologize or make up for anything. I know the sleeping pills were doing the talking. The roses were more than enough...I don't deserve them."

Woody was slightly taken aback...why didn't she think she at least deserved the roses? "Yes, you do...you stayed with me all night... I know you didn't get any rest on the couch."

"It's okay, Woody, really. Friends do stuff like that for each other, you know?"

"Friends..."

"Yeah, friends."

There was silence on the line for a moment. Swallowing hard, he asked, "Friends. Is that all we are, Jordan?"

"Woody, I am your friend for life. But you know me...I don't do too well in relationships. But I can be your friend forever and a day."

Woody signed inwardly and ran a hand down his face. "Okay, Jordan. Friends. That's all we'll ever be."

"Well, yeah. Thanks for the roses. And I do mean that....they're gorgeous."

"Sure. Anytime. Talk with you soon. Bye."

"Bye."

Jordan flipped her phone shut. She knew that wasn't what Woody probably wanted to hear, but she didn't know what to tell him herself. She realized that it was really a dual-sided situation. He wanted her, on one hand, but didn't know quite what to do with her on the other. He was frustrated...whether more with her or himself, she didn't know.

But she did know her heart. And she didn't and couldn't want to deal with it being broken again. Tyler had done it. Her father had done it. There wasn't a whole lot of if left and what did remain, she was guarding with her life. Woody may think he wanted her ... cared for her...but when his guard was down last night due to the sleeping pills, the only thing he had tried to do was get rid of her. She didn't now how long it would be before he admitted to himself that she was a mistake. A detour on the road to love and happiness.

She sighed and touched the card in her pocket. It was a nice sentiment. One she would treasure. But now she had to get back to work ... to try and concentrate on the tasks before her.