Note: I'm going back and editing some of the chapters so it fits with the series, (like his mother dying & his father being shot) because they were alive, so if you read future chapters, and think 'what the heck?' don't worry your not crazy expect the corrections in the coming week.
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Lily and Woody walked soberly threw the morgue, Lily was silent the first few minutes of there trek down the hallway. Finally she asked.
"How did Mac's interview go?"
Woody shook his head. "She fought with Walcott tooth and nail." He chuckled softly.
"She's a pistol Wood, hope you can handle her." She mused, stopping to feign interested at the Boston Skyline.
"Yeah, so do I.... Lily, tell me what she said in there." He demanded subtly.
"You know I can't tell you what she said, and given I'm not a child physiologist... but I have a feeling that she may seem alright now because it hasn't hit her yet... but I see signs of post traumatic stress disorder Woody... I suggest sending her to a professional, at least counseling." She suggested patting woody consolingly on his shoulder. "She's a good kid, she likes you." He smiled, thinking of what he had received in the mail that morning. A form to make him her legal guardian, sitting unsigned on his desk at home.
"Thank you Lily." He said as she walked away.
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"Hey Jordan, are you doing anything tonight?" Woody asked trying to sound like he didn't care one way or the other. He fidgeted nervously as he sat at home, talking with her on a cell phone seemed easier than to ask her in person.
"Like you have to ask... I don't do anything." She said as they walked down the hallway, her nose buried in a file.
"Good, because I was wondering if you wanted to go on that dinner tonight, I promise, no Greek food." He said, wiping his sweaty palms on his pants pocket. She could almost see him fidgeting nervously.
Mackenzie made a mocking kiss face at Woody silently teasing him, he swatted her away playfully.
"Uh," she stammered, stalling for as long as she could. "Tonight sounds great... you like Chinese?" she asked surprised at how nervous she sounded.
He smiled wide, pointing at Mackenzie in triumph. "Does tonight at seven sound good?"
"Sure," she stammered, shutting her cell phone off. Did she really just agree to a dinner with Woody? She stood stunned and speechless in the hall for a moment.
"Jordan!!!" she rolled her eyes when she heard a familiar voice shout from autopsy room one. "I thought I asked you for the Autopsy report for the Henderson case a half an hour ago! Where the hell is it!!!" Garret yelled, the truth was she had neglected it, she hated paperwork.
"Ah, it's in my office Garret, I'll just go get it!" she slinked away before he could make a smart-alecky retort.
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"Does this look okay?" Woody asked nervously as he checked himself in the mirror.
"It looks fine." Mackenzie reassured him with a wide smile.
"You look hot Hoyt." Angela chimed in with a distracted voice as she thumbed threw a magazine on his couch. "She'll go crazy." She added as an afterthought.
"Okay." He said taking in a deep breath. "Wish me luck!"
"LUCK!!!" Mackenzie and Angela shouted in unison.
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"I don't know, what do you think about this one... does it make me look like Monica Lewinski? I think I look too Monica." Jordan said fretfully as she smoothed down the simple black cocktail dress. It was strapless, made of elegant silk. Finely handsewen beads graced the bosom.
"Like I said when you tried on the last four dresses, you look Ravishing Love, in anything you pick." Nigel quipped, "Now, are you going to pick it or not?"
"I like it." She stated, putting a hand up to her flat stomach.
"Great, now put on those fabulous stiletto heels you bought, and get the hell out of here before your late." Nigel exclaimed looking pointedly at the clock.
"Holy crap!!" Jordan shouted as she struggled to slip on her shoes. "Thanks Nige, I owe you." And giving the tall Brit a peck on the cheek, she raced out of the double doors.
"I'll just pick up the check then!" he shouted after her.
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If he stood me up, god so help me he is dead. Jordan thought to herself as she smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress with trepidation. The resteraunt he picked was lovely. Soft candlelight bounced off of the silk tablecloths, pink and white roses richly decked the tables. She stood glancing around nervously. The hostess asked her if everything was okay, Jordan nodded and swallowed the lump in her throat. The music lingered softly in room, mingling with the air as if they were one. Just as she was about to give up, she saw him. Still in his work suit, he didn't look out of the ordinary for him.
Maybe it was the candlelight, maybe it was the music... whatever the reason, he looked so handsome, especially when he smiled at her. Her stomach did a small flip as he stood just a few inches from her. She could feel his breath, hot against her cheek.
"Woody." She said simply as he took her arm in his.
"Jordan," he said, repeating her deadpan tone. "You look fantastic." He whispered into her ear. She nodded, swallowing hard.
"So... so do you." She stammered, mentally kicking herself for sounding so stupid. He just chuckled as the hostess lead them to their table. Nervously they ordered their food. Jordan put her wine colored lips up to her glass but she couldn't drink the water. Woody was looking around nervously, looking down at the floor or at the other couples. Something was very wrong, he fidgeted with a napkin anxiously.
"Woody, you okay?" she asked, concerned.
"uh, yeah, I'm- I'm fine, I just... its this case." He whispered, barely audible.
"I know Wood, its getting to us all." His eyes never met hers.
"I'm supposed to remain professional and not allow my personal life to interfere with my professional life... it isn't like me to get so emotional over a case." He berated himself. Jordan could see something underneath the surface of his eyes. Something her father had told her when she was younger, when they were going over a case when she was sixteen or seventeen, rang threw her head.
Things aren't always what they seem.
She swallowed hard, touching her hand lightly against his. He looked at it, but he had a hallow look.
"I know what its like..." he mumbled softly. Jordan looked confused, her eyebrows furrowed together
"Woody, I'm not following." She whispered softly, rubbing his hand softly.
"She saw her mother lying in a hospital bed, shot to death... I know what that feels like." His voice cracked, but he held his tears inside. "And I can't get the guy... I can't catch the son of a bitch who did it... I can't."
"Woody? What are you talking about?"
"Never mind Jo, its not important." He whispered, straining a smile. Jordan was going to protest, but the waiter appeared with their food. And Woody said no more. But she had a feeling that it wasn't over.
They ate comfortably for a while, Jordan talked mostly, about cases, her life with her father gone, how the bar was. Woody said little, and when he did it was small talk. To Jordan's surprise, she was enjoying herself. When Woody mentioned the word date, she had cringed, she enjoyed Woody's friendship, if she lost him, she wasn't sure what she would do. They had a good thing going, 'dating' would just complicate things.
But she was warming up to the idea of not being alone. Especially on cold mornings, like the day her mother was murdered. It made her miss the warmth of the woman that undeniably carved the way her daughter grew up. The woman she couldn't stop thinking about, but could barely remember.
"So Woody, what's it like in Kewaunee?" she asked, trying to loosen him up and get him to talk. To her surprise, a dark look entered his eyes. He smiled anyways.
"Empty." He muttered simply. With that he stood smoothly. Holding out his hand for her to take. "Now, lets dance." He said, nodding towards the dancefloor. Jordan smiled and stood, he clutched her hand unsually tight, like he was scared that she would leave.
He held wrapped his arms around her waist and she draped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. She rested her head on his shoulder and smiled, taking in the smell of him... like fresh soap. What she couldn't see was the look of pure panic on Woody's face.
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"Guess What!" Mac shouted as she burst threw the door of Jordan's office the next morning.
"What?" Jordan asked with enthusiasm, the entire morgue was now used to see the raven haired girl pop up out of nowhere. Woody's 'niece' as they called her was as much a part of the family as Woody was.
"Woody's gonna take me to school! He bought me my uniform and everything!" Angela and Woody came into her office.
"School huh?" Mackenzie nodded vigorously, her smiled widening. Angela gave a full throated laugh.
"I wish I was that happy about going to school." She commented to Jordan before turning to Woody. "I'm going to get back to the precinct, right now, Nigel is trying to trace Katrina again at Walcott's request, man, this case is going nowhere." She commented, looking at him carefully.
"Okay Punk," Woody said, his voice was thick with something indefinable. Angela smiled in remembrance when she thought about his name for her. She had always been called Pumpkin by her family, Woody couldn't say it, so he called her Punkin... after a while, they shortened it to punk. With an unreadable look she left. Passing Nigel on the way out, running her hand down his arm as they passed.
"Alright, you told Jordan, now we gotta go before your late..." Woody said, smiling at her, everything seemed fine, no hint that anything was even wrong the night before.
"Good luck Mac." Jordan said as the girl ran up to her, hugging her tightly. Jordan hugged the little girl back, meeting Woody's eyes and smiling.
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"I'm nervous Woody." Mackenzie stated as they stood in the shaded hallway of the school. Wearing her brand new pleated skirt and white starched blouse, her dark hair falling around her shoulders and brown messenger bag resting on her shoulder.
"I know Kid, but you'll be fine, I'll be back at one thirty to pick you up okay." He promised, knelling to brush a strand of dark hair from her face. She looked so sad, it took all Woody had to stand up again. She had tears in her eyes.
"Please don't go... I don't like it here, I wanna go home" she pleaded. "Please don't leave me alone." She asked again.
"It'll be okay kid-o, I promise okay... have I ever given you any reason to doubt me?" he reassured her, she shook her head, and before Woody could turn to leave, she had latched on to him, burying her head into his stomach.
"Promise, it'll be okay?" she said.
"Promise." He echoed, before he could say anything else, she had walked into the room with fierce determination. For a long few minutes Woody lingered outside of the closed door, not sure what to do. He ran his hand down his face and to his astonishment, he began to laugh... he wasn't sure why, but he did. Slowly, he walked to his car.