Note: Okay, its all up-to-date, Woody now has an Aunt Sarah that used to be his mother but I changed it since his mother is dead. A/N: only a few more chapters!!! A/N: interesting but useless bit of info, my history teacher grew up twenty miles from where Woody grew up. Trying to remember that he is not real
Now on with the story!!!!!!!
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Woody sat at Angela Hayden's desk as she sauntered over to him, wearing a tightly sewn dress suit. He immediately saw what she was wearing around her neck. A small pewter fairy charm on black cord wrapped loosely around her neck.
"Hi Ang." He said tiredly. "Nice necklace..." he slouched down even farther in her chair as she self consciously put her hand up and wrapping it around the delicate trinket.
"Its not mine." She said softly. "Its Annie's..." she added as an afterthought.
"I know." He said flatly.
"She gave it to me." Just justified with a uncomfortable look to her feet.
"And I gave it to her." He whispered
"I know." She echoed dully.
He smiled with fake vigor. "Looks good on you though. She smiled thanks.
"What are you doing here Woody?" she asked tapping her fingers against the metal desktop.
"Wanted to see if you wanted to grab some breakfast." He said "I have nothing to do until my shift starts at eleven thirty since Mackenzie's at school." She smiled, running a hand threw his hair.
"I wish you could see yourself Woody... she really likes you, yah know." She said knowingly. He smiled and twirled her swivel chair once.
"I actually miss her... she's at school and I miss her." He said with a laugh. Angela nodded thoughtfully.
"You know, I think the reason you guys are so close... you need each other, she needs a family, and you need a friend that knows what its like to loose everything..."
"Are you really bringing up my parents Angie?" he asked staunchly
"No Wood, of course not... all I'm saying is that you need Mac as much as she needs you, she's looking for a father and your looking for someway to bring back something you never had... a childhood."
There was a long moment of silence as Woody thought, finally he said shakily.
"Do you ever think about that night?"
"The night Gracie died... I think about it everyday." She said her voice thick with grief. He leaned in to hug her thin frame.
"I'm sorry Ang. For everything... I wish I could have done more, I wish I stayed in Kewaunee."
"You know Annie wasn't the only one you walked out on when you ran off Wood."
"I know... I know and I'm sorry Punk..."
"But I love you Woody, you're the best friend I could ask for."
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"Woody what are you doing here?" Jordan asked as Woody sauntered into her office dejectedly. He shrugged his sholders and flopped down on her couch.
"Waiting for Mac to get out of school." He said with a loud, long sigh. Jordan bit her lip in a desprite attempt not to laugh. "What?" he demanded indignantly. She burst out laughing.
"I'm Sorry Wood, Its just... your so sad without her." She said breathlessly between laughs. He looked down at the floor sourly.
"So, what did you find on Katrina Norman? I am getting desperate." Woody muttered.
"Nothing, Man this guy Perez can cover his tracks..." Woody nodded grimly.
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Angela stared numbly at the picture on her desk, Gracie was smiling, she was always so happy. She felt a hand on her shoulder and tensed.
"Love?" she didn't need look behind her. Gingerly she picked up the picture. "are you alright?" to her horror she felt a tear drip down her face. The picture frame began to shake in her hand,
"I miss her Nigel," she whispered softly, tears now pouring down her face.
"I know Love, I know." He assured her, stooping down to kiss her temple. He took her hands in his as she doubled over sobbing, a few nosey detectives stopped to stare. "Nothing to see here." Nigel snapped defensively. She rested her head on his shoulder.
"Everyday I think about the last thing she told me... bye mama, I'll see you on Tuesday... I'll be waiting for Tuesday for the rest of my life" Eddie Winslow came up to them, standing awkwardly to the side.
"Nige, why don't you take Detective Hayden home?" he asked suggestively. "She can get some sleep and come back later." Nigel nodded and led Angela out of the precinct.
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Woody stood looking down at the body of Cory Taylor, a sick feeling of dread coating his stomach. Jordan looked at his face forlornly. "Woody?" she asked with trepidation.
"Yeah?" he asked in a distracted voice.
"Why don't you go home and get some sleep or something, go somewhere else this is gonna take a while..." he looked conflicted, like he was reluctant to leave, but nodded.
"A smoothie sounds good." He said still staring at Cory's body.
"Woody?" Jordan asked, her stomach filling with butterflies.
"What?" he turned to face her, as he did, he felt her lips brush against his
ever so softly.
"It'll be okay." She reassured him with a playful smile, turning to walk out of the autopsy room. He remained behind a few moments, just relishing in the smell of her perfume, the way her lips tasted.
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Mackenzie watched her feet as she walked dejectedly from the tall brick building behind her. The first day of school in a new school was always a drag, especially now she was in Boston, she didn't know anybody.
"Mac!" She immediately perked when she heard Woody's voice. "Your chariot awaits you my princess!" he said, opening the car door. Mackenzie took a running leap at him, he was forced to step back to avoid being bowled over.
"Not a good day?" he mused, helping her into the car. She shook her head as she buckled herself into the passenger side door. "Well how bout we head down to the morgue, then, we can go by the park and watch the roller bladers fall down, you into that?" she nodded enthusiastically. He laughed "Okay."
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"Has anyone seen Angie?" Woody asked as he walked threw the doors of the conference room where Jordan and Bug were lounging awaiting Cory Taylor's tox screen.
"Nope, I haven't seen Nige or his Bonny Lass." Jordan said flatly, popping a chip in her mouth.
"Great, well if you guys see her, will you tell her I'm looking for her?" Bug and Jordan both nodded and went back to there silent munching.
Just as Woody was about to leave, Mac burst threw the door, her doll he bought her in tow. "Hi Jordan, Hi Bugman!" she sxclaimed, claiming a seat at the table next to Jordan.
"I thought I told you to wait in the car?" he said flatly looking at her dully.
She nodded vigorously. "You did." She said mockingly.
"Well, why are you here?" he asked.
"Because Uncle Cal and Aunt Shelby said I could come up with them." She said distractedly, Woody raised his eyebrows in panic.
"What about Uncle Cal and Aunt Shelby?"
"Their here." She informed him with a knowing smile.
Before Woody could respond, Cal burst threw the door, a leggy blonde clasped to his hand. "Dude?!" he shot.
"Cal can we talk about this later?" Woody asked uncomfortably.
"You ran out on my wedding!" Cal shouted, Jordan ducked lower sheepishly.
"Hi Mackenzie." Shelby said, leaning down, Mac was silent, judging the beautiful but plastic looking woman. "Is she alright?" she asked in a confused voice.
"Yeah, she just doesn't like you, go away." Woody stated sarcastically as the blonde shook her head, sending a wavy tress over her shoulder.
"God Woody, your such a dick." She said morosely.
"Woody, why did you tell me that you couldn't believe she wore white to her wedding?" Mac asked in a curious tone. Woody immediately covered the girls mouth with a sweaty palm.
"Kids." He said in a nervous voice. Behind him, he could hear Bug and Jordan laughing. Shelby straighted herself and raised an eyebrow smoothly, making a suave exit.
"Dude, that's my wife." Cal said flatly, "I'll talk to you about this later... I gotta go." With that, Cal was gone. The door shut with a slam, Woody then released the girl and turned her to face him.
"You want to kill me don't you young lady?" he stated angrily, she only laughed and turned to Jordan.
"Come with us to the park! Please?!" Jordan shook her head and the little girl stuck out her lip pitifully. Jordan relented, nodding and grabbing her purse.
"I call you when the tox screen comes in." Bug supplied, leaning back in his chair.
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The night air was unsually chilly, but the weather was perfect. The dusk sky was painted with shards of baby blues, jade greens, crisp oranges, lilac and dusty pinks. Mac, who was now dressed in a plain black sweatshirt, jeans, sneakers and baseball cap pulled backwards over her pigtails. She skipped along the brick pathway, kicking up leaves. Woody and Jordan lagged behind, talking to each other.
In the autumn Mackenzie thought most about her mother, the way she talked to her. Now she felt like she could feel her, the way she told her she deserved more than she ever got. Mac pushed a stubborn bang out of her eye and took a rest on a bench, folding her legs beneath her Indian style. Woody came up to her, sitting down, she immediately scooted closer to him, and nestled in his lap for warmth.
"Where's Jordan?" she asked softly, distracted by the stale sunlight pooling in the grassy area's and playground not so far off.
"Getting us some hot dogs from the vendor." She nodded, and stared off at the horizon that seemed to be blocked by the endless array of buildings and skyrises that graced Boston.
"Woody?" she asked looking up at his face. "I miss my mom." She said sadly.
He looked at her softly, brushing that stubborn bang that always seemed to stick to her eye. "I know kid, If it helps I miss my mom too." He murmured understandingly
"What happened to your mom?" she asked, burrowing deeper into him.
"She died when I was really little... and my dad died too, when I was sixteen." She looked down slowly, her face drooping.
"I'm sorry Uncle Woody." She whispered, wrapping her arms around him.
"What are you sorry for Kid, it wasn't your fault."
"Do you promise to always be here Woody." She asked suddenly, it took Woody by surprise.
"Look at me Mackenzie Logan... I will never leave you... I will always be here... I promise."
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Jordan climbed into the passenger side seat as Mac scrambled into the back, She immediately heard a man's voice screaming over the radio.
"Hoyt! Detective Hoyt!!!!!!"
"This is Hoyt." Woody said immediately, reaching over Jordan to grab his radio... she looked at him nervously as his hand brushed her thigh.
"Man I've been trying you for a half an hour, your right that surviallence on that abandoned construction sight paid off... Benny the voice is there now!"
"Thanks Charlie... Jordan get me my gun out of the glove compartment NOW!" grabbing the siren/hood ordiment as Woody liked to call it. Flipping it on began racing down the street.
"Angela," he shouted into his cell phone. "Damn it, pick up the phone Angie!"
"Angela Hayden." she muttered sleepily.
"Were you asleep Angela Hayden... while I was out catching the bad guy... you were asleep."
"What?" she said groggily, like she just woke up. Woody could hear Nigel asking her who it was in the same groggy voice.
. " With Nigel huh you shameless hussy..." he said doggidly, quickly remembering himself his voice became sullen. "Call for backup now, we spotted Perez." With that he hung up.
"Jordan, you listen to me... you are staying in this car no matter what happens, you hear me, listen to me this once... you have too, please, stay in the car... that goes for you too Mac!" He pulled the car up to the construction sight of an abandoned house, it looked so cold as dusk settled onto it. He looked at Jordan, then at Mackenzie.
"I love you both, you guys know that right." He said softly, cocking his gun and raising it. They both nodded.
He nodded back nervously, looking at the black car that rested in the parking lot. "Okay let's do this." He said flatly. Jordan and Mac both had wide eyes, he looked at them both once more, gave them a wink, but Jordan could see the fear in his eyes.