After I'd hit Cal and he went to his room I cried. I rarely ever cried but I couldn't help myself. I'd never laid a hand on him before like that. All of the things he'd done growing up had never made me angry enough to raise my hand to him but I just couldn't help myself anymore.

When I'd let myself and Cal cool off I went to his room and offered to get him help. I didn't trust him to stay in rehab so I took the week off from work and detoxed him myself. It was the most heartbreaking, draining week I ever spent. He cried, shook, begged me for something to get him through the pain but I held fast. I cleaned him up when he got sick, I wrapped him in blankets when he went through body wracking chills and afterwards things seemed to get better. Cal didn't take drugs anymore. I knew only because I had him tested every week, even as far as standing over his shoulder while he peed in a cup. I was willing to do whatever it took to keep him clean. He was all I had left afterall.

"And so it did work, for a little at least, until Cal found other things to be addicted to." Woody said sighing as he took one last sip of his beer and rolled it between his palms, daring a glance Jordan's way as she leaned with her elbows on the table in front of her.

"…like gambling and alcohol?" Jordan asked lifting her own bottle a little and waving off the waiter starting their way ready to ask the untimely question of whether they wanted another round.

Woody just nodded. "So like I told you…I put him in AA, NA, GA…he'd get as far as that 4th step about…taking a moral inventory of yourself before he'd realize he didn't want to see what he had become and he'd find some excuse not to go back." He said sighing with the defeat of a battle he'd finally realized he couldn't ever win.

"You can't give up on him Woody." Jordan said softly reaching out to touch his hand lightly. "You say you can but I know you..." she said with a little smile and a knowing wink. "you don't give up on ANYTHING."

Woody only nodded sadly and finished his beer. "Well…speaking of giving up.." he yawned with a look at his watch. "It's been a long few days and I just wanna give up on tonight." Woody sighed and rubbed the back of his head before pushing away from the little bar table and stretching as he stood.

"I'll give you a lift," Jordan said wrapping an arm around his waist. "You've had a little too much to drink and some cab driver might take advantage of you." She told him as they walked out to the parking lot. Woody tried to protest but Jordan just pushed him into the passenger seat of her car and ran her fingertips of one hand through his short hair. She wasn't used to being the one to take care of him. That had always been Woody's job, or so he always seemed to think.

"I would think for your size you'd be able to hold your alcohol a little better." Jordan mumbled closing the door and heading around to the passengers side of the car. Woody just mumbled back in return and turned to his side in the seat as his eyes closed. 'yes,' Jordan though as she pulled out into traffic. 'I could get used to this taking care of someone else thing'. Even if it did scare the shit out of her.

As she pulled up to Woody's place Jordan was thankful that she didn't have work the next day as she stood at the passenger side door trying to figure out how exactly she was going to drag Woody's 6 foot, 3 inch frame into the building and onto the elevator. She smiled and leaned in close to his ear. "Wooooodrow….bed time, come on." She whispered and stroked back his hair.

Woody just grumbled at her like a child and wrapped his arms around himself.

"Come on big guy." Jordan said tugging him out of the car and to the door of his building. She thought he was playing at first but it soon became very clear that it wasn't simply the alcohol but the emotional exhaustion of the past few days catching up with him.

Once up to his apartment Jordan found his keys and took him inside, dropping him to the bed where he yawned and shamelessly pulled off his clothes until he was down to his boxers and he crawled under the covers. Jordan didn't think he'd even realized she was there until he called out to her when she turned to leave the bedroom.

"Yes?" Jordan whispered back, one hand leaning on the door frame. Was he going to ask her to stay? If he did would she say yes? If she said yes what was she agreeing to? She held her breath and waited for an answer.

"Thanks…….for everything." He whispered tiredly.

She smiled softly back at the pile of talking blankets on the bed. "You're welcome farm boy." She whispered before pulling the door shut.

The next morning Woody woke half hoping to find Jordan in bed with him but he wasn't completely disappointed when he didn't. He'd never admit it to the world outside that always saw him as the carefree mid westerner he just wasn't deep down, but he needed the time to heal alone. Feeling that lost connection to his brother the night before had left him feeling that heartbreaking loss all over again and the only way he felt he could avoid ever feeling it again was to try and phase Cal out of his life. He knew the process would need time and he wouldn't easily get over losing the only family he had left, but he also knew now that Cal wasn't all he had in the world.

"Cavanaugh." Jordan mumbled as she pulled the receiver out of the cradle and rested it to her ear.

"Hey, Jordan…it's me." Woody said still lying in bed. "I uhh..I just wanted to thank you…again for last night…and for bringing me home and all." He said nodding and rubbed his eyes. "I thought maybe I'd take you out for breakfast as a sorta thank you." He suggested with a smile.

Jordan looked at her clock and rolled her eyes. Only Woody could be chipper at 9 am the morning after drinking away a good chunk of brain cells.

"Yeah. Sure. Breakfast." She murmured and sat up. "Give me an hour though? Where are we going?" she asked.

"Connecticut."