Woody rolled over and stretched, hearing his joints pop and creak. He was getting too old to sleep on the floor anymore...although sleeping on the floor with Jordan ... making love with her on the floor...that more than offset any discomfort he may have.

He looked over at her still-sleeping figure. She was out of it – and probably would be for a while. He reached beside the blankets and pulled on his boxers. Then tucking the blankets snugly around her, he got up, careful not to disturb her. It was still early.... No later than eight, he would imagine. He wasn't sure if she had to go into work today nor not...he'd ask in a few minutes. He put on a pot of coffee and looked out the front window. Ice was everywhere. Branches were on the lines....trees were down....but this was Boston. The city knew how to cope. Unless he missed his guess, Jordan would probably have power by the end of the day...

In the other room, Jordan sat up on the blankets...suddenly aware that she was alone. She heard him in the kitchen making coffee...for that, she was thankful. But what had she done last night? And why had she done it? Her cheeks blushed...she had slept with Woody....really slept with Woody. How could she? After all this time, knowing that any type of relationship with him could only lead to them hurting each other, she had made love with Woody...when she promised herself she wouldn't...What was he thinking of her now? She hid her face in her hands. How could she do this to him....to herself? She loved him....she wanted what was best for him...and she knew that she wasn't it. So what had she done? Complicated the friendship immensely just because she couldn't get a grip on her hormones. She felt tears come to her eyes. For one night of pleasure, she may have just compromised her ability to see him for the rest of her life....What was she thinking?

She hadn't been, that was it. Her body had been craving him as badly as any addict did a fix. She remembered his kisses and caresses...She remembered how safe she felt when he held her...even when she was dealing with her father's death, just his presence made her feel like she was going to be okay...that everything would still be all right...She wrapped a blanket around her still naked body and went to find him...she had to set this straight. Please, dear God, let me be able to keep his friendship, she thought.

She found him in the kitchen, drinking coffee, clad in his boxers, the cold air not seeming to affect him.

"Good morning," he greeted her. "Coffee?"

She nodded and he handed her a mug. Careful not to trip over the blanket, she poured herself a cup and sat down at the table with him. Woody took her hand. "How are you feeling this morning?" he asked.

"Fine," she said in a small voice, not really knowing how to address the issue.

"I think you'll have power by mid-day, early evening at the latest. Do you have to work today?"

That was it....her out. She could go into work, even though Garrett would have a fit that she came out in this weather. "Yes...I do."

"Get dressed and I'll get you there....I'll have Eddie swing me back by the mall to get my car."

Jordan finished off her coffee with a gulp. "Okay...Thanks Woody."

Wood came over to where she was sitting and pulled her up to him. "It's okay, Jo. Glad to do it." He had noticed things were a little stilted....stressed between them this morning. He figured that it was because she didn't know how to handle the morning after with him. Trying to put her mind at ease, he pulled her to him and kissed her gently. "Go get dressed. I'll be down here waiting."

Jordan pushed away and nearly ran upstairs. Taking a quick and cold shower, she changed and came back down. Woody was neatly folding up the sheets and blankets from the floor. "Ready?" he asked.

She nodded. They drove to the morgue in silence.

"What the hell are you doing here?" asked Garrett. "Do you know how bad the roads are? Do you know you could have had an accident on the way in?"

Jordan straightened her shoulders at the chief ME's onslaught. Garrett meant well and was protective, but honestly, sometimes he over did it and didn't give her common sense enough credit. "I didn't drive, Garrett. Woody brought me."

She saw his grim expression soften a bit. "Oh...well in that case, let's get busy. There's a gunshot in two and a beating in one. Take your pick."

Not wanting anything really complicated this morning, she said "I'll take behind what's door number two."

Garrett handed her the file. "You driving yourself home?"

"Yes."

"Don't leave any later than three....the roads will be freezing back."

Jordan set to work. That's what she needed now...work. Anything to keep her hands and mind busy...and off Woody, and off what happened last night. Slowly, precisely, and methodically she did the autopsy and her report. Around two she stuck her head in Garrett's office. "Can I leave now?" she asked.

"Sure...things are a little slow. Go ahead and head home. Just be careful, hear?"

"Will do." She gave Garrett a wave and headed to her SUV. She was going back to her Dad's, retrieve her things, and head back to her apartment. It was time to get completely back to normal....back to routine....back to being friends with Woody. And she was afraid if she stayed in the house and had to look at that living room floor everyday, she would constantly be reminded of how he felt...how she felt...how he made her feel. She wasn't up to that.

A couple hours later, her mission was accomplished. She was back on Pearle Street. She spent the rest of the afternoon absent-mindedly listening to the weather reports on TV and cleaning her apartment. She hadn't been back there since Max's death. The furniture was dusty and the kitchen needed a once over. She was getting ready to go do laundry when there was a knock at the door. She wasn't surprised. She knew he'd be back at some time today. She opened her door and sure enough, there stood Woody.

"What are you doing here? I thought you'd be back at your Dad's."

"Good evening to you, too, detective..."

"I mean...you didn't tell me you were coming here..."

"Sorry. I didn't realize I had to tell you where I'd be."

Woody winced. She was angry. Did she regret last night? She didn't seem to then...she had been warm, responsive...just as hungry as he had been. Had she changed her mind today? "What is it Jo? What's the matter?"

"Last night..."

So that was it. He came into the apartment and closed the door. Leaning back against it with his arms crossed, he asked, "What about it?"

"We can't do it again."

He pushed away from the door and walked over to where she was at. Running his hands down her arms, he asked, "Why?"

"Because....we're friends, Wood. Sex just messes things up."

Woody ran his fingers through his hair and turned away from her. He was angry now. Damn this friendship issue with her...

"So as long as we're friends, we can't have this feeling between us?"

"It's not good for either one of us. You know that. One of us would end up getting hurt...or both of us."

"I would never hurt you, Jordan Cavanaugh."

"You say that now....what about when you discover that this isn't right for us... for you? That you need someone else?"

Woody saw red. He had never been as angry with Jordan as he was right now...even with all the trouble she had gotten him in in the past. He turned back around to face her. "You think so little of me ....that I would dump you...hurt you, if I found someone else?"

Jordan drew back. She hadn't thought about that before. Hoping to calm him down, soften the atmosphere just at little, she replied, "No... No, Woody, it's not like that...I just mean that you don't need me in your life like this...I'm haven't been anything but a problem for you. Sex just complicates it even more....It would end up hurting the both of us. So let's try to avoid the situation."

"You want to be just friends," he put a sneering emphasis on the word, looking at her coldly. "Is that what you want? Friends with benefits? I never figured you for a tease, Jordan."

She was shocked...she hadn't meant it like that. She was trying to look out for his best... "No...you've got this all wrong."

"Then explain it to me."

"I want to be your friend...and I need you to be mine. If we start any other type of relationship...and especially if sex is involved, when the relationship is over, the friendship is gone, too. And I couldn't deal without you in my life on some level, Woody. I couldn't."

Woody was confused. He couldn't see where she was going with this argument. But right now, more than anything else, he was angry. He had felt her response to him in his arms last night. He had heard her – every soft moan, every time she caught her breath...every word she had whispered to him. That wasn't friendship, no matter how much she protested otherwise. She was in love with him and he knew it. Now it was a matter of getting her to realize it – and not be so damned afraid of it. Why should she be afraid to love him? He would never hurt her...he wasn't like Tyler...or any of the others...Didn't she know that? That made him even more angry.

Turning away from her once again, he headed for the door. He needed to leave before he said something he would regret... "Okay, Jordan, have it your way...since you do with everything else concerning us anyway..."

"Woody?" Her voice sounded hurt.

"I'll work with you, Jordan. Go out on cases and calls and come in for autopsies. I'll drink my beer at the Pogue and stay the hell out of your bed. I'll be your friend, for Christ's sake. But where I come from, we don't call each other friends in these situations."

"Woody..."

"We call each other lovers." And with that he left her apartment, slamming the door behind him.