Chapter Six

The trip to the airport was a blur. Jordan never remembered much of it…just the pain of her heart breaking in two. Nigel had handed her a folder and envelop with the "new" Jordan. She was now Elizabeth Ann Perkins, originally from New Haven, Connecticut. She had a new social security number, a new date of birth … a whole new history she would need to absorb and remember. Nigel had included id's, a birth certificate, and other information she would need. She was now a forensic specialist. Not too many steps away from an ME, but enough that would keep her out of autopsy and away from too many x-rays and such while she was pregnant.

Then he had handed her the airline tickets. She was now bound for Seattle, Washington. Disbelief showed on her face. "So far?" she asked. "Why?"

"You're safety and your child's safety," he replied, gently hugging her before he let her go. "You already have a doctor there, a job lined up, and a place to stay. I'll be in touch. As will Garret and Rene'. Good luck, Jordan. I'll miss you…hopefully….maybe…." Nigel's voice trailed off. If she was able to return, it would be years away…and so much could change during that time.

"Thanks," she whispered, hugging her friend before she boarded the plane. "Just keep an eye on him for me? Please?"

Nigel nodded as she slipped away from him, boarding her plane as the last call was made. His eyes never left her slim form until she turned the corner. Jordan had done the right thing, testifying against the mob. Now he wondered just how much she was going to have to pay for it.

"Woody, you got that file on the Hargrove case?" Roz Framus asked her partner.

"Yeah, it's right here," he answered, handing her the file, without looking up from his computer.

That wasn't what Framus wanted. She wanted to look in her partner's face….see if he was okay…because he hadn't been his normal, cheerful-eagle-scout-do-gooder in a long time. Not since the Albanian mob case…not since Jordan had fled Boston.

Woody had realized early on why she had to do it….leave Boston. And for months he had held out hope that Jordan would call him. Then he planned to leave Boston and go to her, so they could begin a new life together, even if it meant living under aliases in another state…or even another country. But as the days and weeks multiplied into months, with no words from the ME, Roz watched her happy-go-lucky partner begin to turn cynical and hard…just a few short steps from being bitter. Bitter about the unfairness of life, the fickleness of fate…

The cost of justice.

Roz feared that while justice had indeed been meted out to the Albanian mob, the price Woody had to pay for that was just too high. She feared for the man's heart…his ability to show compassion…his ability to possibly love again.

"Woods, want to go grab some lunch or something after we close the Hargrove case?" she asked.

"Nah. I'm not hungry."

No, he probably wasn't. He had lost weight…Roz had noticed he had notched his belt a little tighter. He wasn't sleeping. The dark circles under his eyes and numerous empty coffee cups that now always surrounded his desk bore that witness. The truth was, when he wasn't working on his normal cases, he was looking for a way to dismantle the Albanian mob…he did this quietly, surreptitiously, but with an unwavering determination to get rid of the threat on Jordan and allow her to come home.

She had been outfitted with a blonde wig and green contacts. Rene' was taking no chances of her being recognized. She wore these to work and anytime she went out….hair color would have been more convenient, but Jordan didn't want risk hurting the baby with any of the chemicals in hair dye.

The baby. It was growing bigger in Jordan everyday…getting stronger….kicking harder. The first time she felt it move, she cried, wishing Woody could have been there. To the outsider, Jordan still wasn't showing. Only she had noticed the slight bulge in her abdomen and her breasts getting a little fuller. Her morning sickness had been minimal. But as the days pushed into her fifth month of pregnancy, it was getting harder and harder to hide her impending motherhood. She finally broke down and bought a few maternity things…going to a local mall and shopping…not noticing that a man was following her….down the escalators… out the door… then tailing her home.

Seattle had been safe…Jordan had let down her guard. Working in a forensic lab with people that called her Elizabeth everyday…not looking remotely like herself in the mirror…it was easy to forget sometimes that in reality, she was still Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh…and she had testified against the Albanian mob…successfully putting some of the members behind bars for life.

And that was the farthest thing from her mind tonight, as she tearfully drove home with a bag full of maternity clothes and a few things for the baby, wishing Woody could have been there. She went back to her apartment, unloaded her car, and went in…only to have a knock at the door spin her around. "Cal…?" she asked, her voice trailing off in bewilderment. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to find out how you were doing…I've been worried. Nigel won't say a word, Garret treats me like I have the plague, and do you have any idea how hard it is for me to talk to these people without my brother finding out?"

Jordan chuckled. She could imagine how hard he had to side step in order to still keep Woody in the dark.

"So who told you where I was at? And who knows you're here?" Her hand went protectively over her stomach.

"I found out eventually. And no, the mob has no clue. I'm safe…that's all you need to know."

Jordan looked at him warily. "Cal…I want to believe you…but I can't risk anything."

"Jordan, the same people that are watching out for you are watching out for me…don't worry." The FBI had Jordan under loose surveillance until the baby came. Then they would have to decide if she needed to be relocated again. "So how have you been doing?" He eyed her expanding tummy with interest.

She ignored him. "How is he, Cal? How's Woody?"

Cal sighed. He figured that would be the first thing out of her mouth. How was he going to tell her that his brother's world was slowly falling apart without her…and that Woody could possibly be setting himself up for harm by investigating the mob? He didn't want to upset her. "He's doing as well as can be expected without, baby. He misses you…and still hopes you can come home."

"That's not likely to happen soon."

"Or he wants to come to you."

"That's not likely to happen, either."

"Yeah, I know." Cal pulled her onto the couch. "Now, tell me how you're doing…" She looked tired. Like Woody, she had dark circles under her eyes.

And like Woody, Cal was worried about her. Pregnant women didn't need to be under so much stress. Jordan would never know how responsible Cal felt for the mess she was in…how hard he was working to make it right…if he could.

How very much he was laboring and hoping that his brother and Jordan could be together before long to raise their baby as a family. Jordan and Woody had paid a high price for their work to bring justice. Now Cal was trying desperately to see if he could somehow reimburse them.