Disclaimer -- I forgot it on Chapter One. Anyway, I don't own anything with CJ. But oh, the fun I could have if I did.

Chapter Two

It was late when Woody got the call. It was a homicide in the alley behind Routh's, an upscale dinner club in downtown Boston, near the precinct. He made a cursory examination of the scene and phoned the morgue. He simply requested the ME on call – whoever it was.

About fifteen minutes later, the morgue van pulled up and behind it an SUV. He noticed some morgue workers got out of the van, but what caught his attention was who got out of the SUV.

It was Jordan. She was back. She carefully stepped over the yellow tape that surrounded the perimeter of the crime scene.

"Hey, Jordan," Woody said quietly. "Glad to see you're back. Have a good trip?" he asked, all the while trying to get a feel for how she was...did she have her bearings back...did she still feel like a victim?

"Woody!" Jordan said, getting up from beside the victim to give him a quick hug. "I did have a good trip. How did the training go?"

"It went well," he said, trying to continue the conversation just a bit longer. The victim could wait. He wasn't going anywhere, but Jordan was concentrating on her work – taking the liver temperature, checking for lividity. She asked a few more questions about the crime scene and times before giving the okay for the men to load the body in the van and take it back to the morgue.

To Woody's relief, she didn't follow behind immediately in her SUV. She lingered at the scene, checking a few more things out, asking questions. Eventually, one by one, the other police left and it was only Woody and Jordan on the scene. It was then, under the lights of the parking lot, that Woody noticed how tired she looked...the dark circles under eyes and her wan face belied the fact that she had just been on vacation. She hadn't gotten any better. Woody knew that the intruder and what he did...and almost did....to her was still on her mind.

"You okay, Jo?" he asked, when they were finally alone.

"Yeah. Just fine. Maybe a little tired from vacation."

"Garret said you went to Maryland to see friends?"

"Uh-huh." If the truth was really known, she hadn't made it much farther than the Massachusetts's state line. She hadn't felt like going any further. She hadn't wanted to. She had found a hotel and stayed there for the better part of two weeks, not venturing outside too often. Just resting. Or trying to.

"Did you have fun?"

She nodded and shivered. She had a sweater on, but no coat. Woody pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around her. "You've got to remember your coat, Jo," he began to scold, when he saw her eyes. They had a hollow, haunted look. Suddenly, all he wanted to do was hold her and just reassure her that everything, everything, was going to be all right. His hands lingered on her arms for just a second before he pulled her to him. And to his great surprise...

She let him.

In the past she had always pulled away after a second or two. But this time, she let him, seemingly content to be there for as long as he wanted to hold her. He tightened his hold on her...all he could think about was what had happened to her...how she must feel.

And what he needed to do to protect her.

"Jordan?" he asked, trying his hardest to get a read on where she was emotionally, and if it was time to let her know he knew everything, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," her muffled voice came from his shoulder. "I guess...well...I guess the robbery upset me more than I thought it did. I don't feel safe anywhere anymore, Woody. I'm having a hard time sleeping at night...wherever I am. Especially at my apartment. I got back two days ago and I haven't slept much since before I left for vacation. And I haven't slept since I got back. I've tried sleeping at the morgue....but it doesn't help. I'm just so tired..."

And scared, thought Woody, without adding it. She would never admit she was scared. Not Jordan. He noticed she was still trembling in his arms, despite the coat and the heat from his own body. He held her tighter until she stopped. "Will you be okay to drive back to the morgue?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Okay, here's what I want you to do. Go back to work. Finish whatever it is that you absolutely need to do – no more. And then wait for me. Do you understand?" He tilted her chin up so she was looking in his eyes. Again, she nodded.

"Good. I'll see you in just a few minutes." He walked her over to her vehicle and helped her in. He watched her as she drove off into the night. His first instinct had been to take her away somewhere. His testosterone level more than doubled when he saw how fragile she looked. He wanted to throw her over his shoulder and carry her away somewhere that she would feel safe, so she could rest and regain her normal composure....to go back to being her normal self. A very basic, caveman-like instinct, he knew. If she would have had the least inkling of what he had thought, she would have laughed in his face. Jordan Cavanaugh did not need to be taken care of. She didn't like to be taken care of. But he had never seen her this fragile...not even after all they had been through together. This burglar, this intruder, had stolen more than her mother's locket. He had stolen Jordan's peace of mind...shattered her confidence....violated her space.

And just as he did with her locket, he had to get it back for her....he just wasn't quite sure where to find it. But he had an idea where to start.

Jordan wearily pulled off her face shield and snapped off her gloves. It had been a grueling two hours – whether it was just the length of the autopsy or her state of mind, she wasn't sure. She filled in the last part of her reports and turned to leave the room when she saw Woody propped up against the door frame. "Finished?" he asked.

She nodded. "Finally."

He walked over to her as she was pulling off her scrubs and putting them in the haz basket. "What are you going to do now?" he gently inquired.

"I guess go back to my apartment and try to sleep," she replied.

He shook his head. "You know you're not going to rest there, Jo."

"I don't know, Woody. I'm so tired now I could sleep standing up."

"Then let me take you home. I'll check all the windows and the door for you...make sure it's all safe so you can rest."

She hated to inconvenience him. She knew he was as tired as she was. But it would make her feel better. Perhaps she would be able to sleep then. "Do you mind? I'd really appreciate it."

"Of course, I don't mind."

She was quiet on the way back to her apartment. They rode the elevator up to her door and she unlocked it. Woody went in and checked the windows and the new deadbolt on her door. "Everything seems to be okay, Jordan."

"I know. I'm thinking about having an alarm system installed after the first of the year."

That comment startled Woody. Jordan would have to be rattled in order to even consider that. And could she wait three more months to have it installed? Could she mentally make it that long? He didn't think so. By the looks of her, he was wondering how much sleep she would get tonight.

"Get your things," he finally said.

"What?"

"Get your things...nightgown, robe, toothbrush, makeup, clothes for work tomorrow...whatever. Pack a bag. You're coming home with me."

"Woody, this really isn't necess..."

"Yes, it is," he replied, cutting her off. He gently ran a hand down her arm. "You're not resting. At least at my place you'll know you'll be safe. You can sleep. I'll get you up in the morning. You can buy me a sissy coffee and we'll have breakfast together." He grinned at her, trying to get her to lighten up for a minute.

But if he thought he was in for an uphill battle with Jordan, he was wrong. She quickly went into her bedroom, threw some things in a duffle bag and was ready within five minutes – testimony to just how anxious she was.

When they arrived at Woody's building, he helped her out of the car and into his apartment. She put the duffle bag on his couch and turned to face him, her hands still tucked into her jacket pockets. "Thanks, Woody. I really appreciate it. You'll never know how much."

He caught her up in a gentle hug. "It's okay. You'd do the same for me."

Jordan quietly chuckled. "I can't see you being this upset over a robber."

It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her that he knew it wasn't just the robbery that had her upset, but realized that when and if Jordan decided to tell him about what else the robber attempted, she would have to do it in her own time and in her own terms. Until then, all he could do was be there for her. "Get ready for bed, Jo. It's late, and we both have an early day tomorrow."

She used the bathroom first and got ready for bed. He followed suit and found her on the couch when he got out. "I can take the couch, Jordan," he said.

"I don't think so, Farm Boy. You're over six foot. The couch isn't that long. This is one area where shortness is an asset. I've got the couch." And she settled down to sleep. Woody got in his bed and the apartment went quiet for the night. Until much later, closer to morning, when he began to hear her stirring around on the sofa, in the middle of a nightmare. She was asleep, but wasn't resting well. Gingerly, he shook her until she came out of it.

Jordan woke up with her heart pounding and sweat running down her face. In her dream, she didn't get away from her intruder. He was bent over her with the knife....She looked into Woody's blue eyes, trying to get her bearings. She sat up, swung her legs over the side of the couch, and hid her face in her hands. She needed to tell him why she was reacting this way...not just to a robbery. He must think I am so weak...she thought, trying to pull herself together.

"Jordan?" he asked. It was a request...for information....was she okay?

"I'm sorry," she said. "Sorry I woke you up...like I said, this robbery thing has kind of taken its toll on me."

"Have you talked to Dr. Stiles?"

"Yeah. A couple of times. We're working on it, honestly. Hard. It's just going to take some time."

Woody eased down on the couch beside her. He didn't know exactly how she felt, because he had never been through any ordeal remotely close to this. But he did recognize that Jordan felt violated on several levels. The detective in him wanted to step up the investigation and find this creep. The man in him wanted to hold her and reassure that nothing like this would ever happen to her again. Not on his watch. Not as long as she was with him. Just as gently as he woke her, he pulled her to him again, holding her until her heart stopped pounding, until she calmed down.

Rubbing her back in soft circles, he asked, "Jo, how long has it been since you've gotten a whole night's sleep?"

He felt her sigh and pull away to look her in the face. "Since the night before the...robbery."

"That's been almost two months ago."

"I know."

Determinedly, he stood up, with her still in his arms. "What are you doing?"

"I'm taking you to my bed. You're sleeping with me. At least that way you'll know you're safe and no one is going to hurt you."

"Woody...no. I can deal. Please. Sleeping on the couch is okay..." She got no further as he unceremoniously put her on his bed and tucked the covers in around her. He turned out the lights and got in on the other side. "Woody," she said again.

"Go to sleep, Jordan," was all he said, as he drew her to him and wrapped his arms around his waist. "Just go to sleep."