A/N: Long time no update…mostly due to my extremely crazy renovations (RENOS…lol) that have taken over my house. I don't like it. Ok, whatever. You know the deal; I update, you review (if you're nice :))
FKW: I've been very lazy I know, but I promise I'll review Saving Boston soon! It's just annoying cause I hardly have any Internet time anymore. Hope you're feeling better…take a Panadol…you'll find one under your pillow ;) Thanks for the review (I know how much it hurts you…)
sammyq1: Ooh, I have a new reviewer! Thank you so very much for taking the time, I appreciate it. Hehe…Woody will be tortured a little more don't worry ;) Thanks for the review and I hope to hear from you again:)
Disclaimer: Don't own it.
Ok…before I start, I just want you to remember the little things spoken in this chapter. They're little clues that will piece together in the sequel but they're very subtle…extremely subtle. But don't worry if you miss them cause they're not that important. I'm rambling, I know.
Deception
Chapter 9: Poisonous
His eyes clouded over with anger as his hand slipped and the stick flew forward without direction. It missed its intended target, and even worse, it cost him the game. His opponent held up his mug of beer and drank to him as Woody placed a note of money on the edge of the wooden table. He walked slowly down the stairs and sauntered over to the counter, sitting down on a stool as he gestured for the bartender to fill up a glass for him. Rubbing his hand over his forehead direly, Woody heard the bells over the door ring out suddenly. He looked over and saw Jordan walking casually over to him.
She waved with a dry look as she sat down on the stool next to him. "What, Woody Hoyt abandoning the Pogue? He must be drunk."
Woody shook his head half-heartedly. "Not yet. Besides, everyone else is at the Pogue."
"Yeah," Jordan ordered herself a drink. "Except for me."
Woody laughed dryly. "You were."
Jordan smiled. "You know me too well. So," she looked around, "why this particular bar?"
Woody took a deep breath, looking steadily into Jordan's eyes. He decided to tell her. "This was where Devan and I came the night we first kissed. The night I realised…"
Jordan, eyes probing Woody's curiously, pretended not to care about what she had just heard. "You realised what?"
"I realised I was finally over you," Woody said clearly. "Even though she didn't think I was."
Jordan swallowed hard. "Devan didn't think so? Why not?"
"Because I broke the kiss," Woody replied. "She thought that it meant I wasn't over you, but it meant that if I kept kissing her, I might not be able to stop. And it was too soon for that."
Jordan looked away from his eyes, willing herself to not care. "But…you have…?"
Woody nodded. "Yeah," he stood suddenly from the stool, raising his voice. "Not that it really matters anymore."
Jordan stood too, placing a firm hand on his shoulder, pushing him gently back down. "Woody…"
He sat down heavily, exhaling loudly and taking a large sip of his beer.
Jordan sighed softly. "You should go home, Woody."
Woody nodded as he breathed in deeply. He watched Jordan stand and, after a genuine smile, walk over to the door. Woody waited a couple of minutes before he followed suit, sighing in slight defeat. Another night had passed him by…slowly and almost painfully.
Swallowing nervously, Devan closed the door slowly. In front of her Garret Macy sat in his leather chair, staring pointedly at her. "I got your message. You…wanted to see me?"
Macy nodded, his face shielded as he looked down at his desk. "I want to talk about you and Woody. This may be none of my business, or Jordan's, but she told me what happened three days ago in your office. I don't know what the disagreement was about, but I think you two need to settle down a little and talk about it. You can't keep avoiding him and hoping you won't meet his eyes when you're in the same room together. And you certainly cannot turn my morgue into an episode of Jerry Springer."
Devan sighed heavily and flicked her eyes around the room. "It's just hard to have a relationship when I need to keep some things silent. Sooner or later, he's going to find out about them and confront me…aggressively. Like he did a few days ago."
Garret leaned forward in his chair. "Your past is really none of my business but if you and Woody are in a relationship then personal demons need to be sorted out."
Devan inhaled and nodded. "I know. Which is why it's so hard."
"On a professional note," Garret added quickly, "Moore's arraignment is today. I know you're not making a formal statement, but you should go along and see how it turns out."
Devan dug her fingers into the pockets in her jeans. "I would but I kind of got the impression he doesn't like me very much."
Garret gave a half-laugh. "Ok. And good work with that case, by the way."
"Thanks, Doctor Macy," Devan smiled before she walked out of her boss's office. It seemed colder all of a sudden, now that she didn't share the room with the man who had offered her a permanent place at the morgue. He made her feel secure, and she was only just realising that now, after four months of knowing him.
And he was right…as usual. They really needed to talk out their problems if they were ever going to ease the tension that sizzled every time they were in a room together, which hadn't happened all that much, since Woody had been making an immense effort to avoid her. But if they ever were in a room together, they would stand at a large distance apart and try not to reach the other's eyes. And that was quickly proving a problem.
Glancing up at the clock above her as she walked, Devan noticed Jordan striding towards her. The two had been at odds for a while, though it had remained unacknowledged…until now. Jordan held out a hand in a terse wave before looking seriously at Devan.
"Could we talk?"
Devan nodded, knowing what it was about but trying to remain casual. "Sure."
They walked into Jordan's empty office, and Jordan shut the door behind her. "I know subtlety is not my thing, so I'm going to be blunt. I want you to back off Woody."
Devan stared incredulously. "Excuse me?"
Jordan's eyes remained serious. "You heard me. Back off."
The coldness of her words stung Devan, though she didn't show it. "I don't remember ever being on him, so you can have him."
Devan's sarcastic voice made Jordan stiffen with anger. "He's really hurt because of what you did. And I'm not saying that it was any of my business but you cannot treat him that way."
Devan's eyes shifted. "And you're one to talk?"
Jordan's own eyes softened. "No," she began slowly, "but he certainly isn't going to. You have a hold on him and he's not going to act on anger because he doesn't want to hurt you."
Devan leaned heavily against the wall, staring at Jordan with troubled eyes. "I know that. But…there are things that I have to keep from him, for his sake. And I know that's not very honest of me but I don't want him to get hurt because of my mistakes."
Jordan nodded slowly. "Tell him that. Anyway, I have to get back to work."
Her eyes turned away suddenly, cold once again. Devan felt confused but obliged reluctantly and turned towards the door, opening it without a backwards glance. She had somewhere to be anyway.
The room's coldness immediately struck Devan as she crept into the back of the courtroom quietly. There was tension, and a frosty air about her when she slid into the end of one of the pews, looking quietly upon a standing Adam Moore, with the judge sitting in her chair almost proudly, though Devan didn't know why. She was just about to devastate someone's life. And Devan didn't see the difference between that and murder. The only difference between being guilty or not was vindication, not only felt in oneself but in others as well.
"Mr. Adam Moore," the judge's hard-edged voice rang out clearly. "You are being accused of murder in the first degree. How do you plead?"
There was silence for a long time. No one moved and breaths were sucked in as everyone present in the room waited for the response. Devan especially hung on the man's very words, as what he had told her and Woody three days ago could surely not exonerate him in front of the jury when there were people ready to persecute him. All he had to justify his actions with was self-righteousness. And that wouldn't work in the court of law.
Devan let out her breath when she heard his words, loud and clear.
"Guilty."
Then, it was all over.
The morgue was quiet once again as darkness loomed and the shadows of night hung in the corners eerily. There was no chaos or rush and the halls whistled as faint noises rose from many of the rooms where members of the night staff were checking bodies or doing paperwork. Lily sat in a cold, dark conference room, a certification letter resting between her fingers steadily. As she read over each word again, the realisation seeped into her. She was safe.
Hearing a noise suddenly, she looked up, only to see the door open and a sullen Devan walk through it. "Hey, Lily."
Worried at the doctor's pale tone, Lily stood up from her chair. "Devan, what's wrong?"
Devan inhaled sharply as she took a seat a couple away from Lily's. "Ever had one of those days where you cannot for the life of you figure out what's happening?"
Lily sat down with a quiet laugh. "Almost every day. What happened with your case?"
"He pleaded guilty," Devan sighed. "I don't really understand it. One minute he's saying he's not, then the next he's ready to give up his life for something he didn't even believe he was guilty for."
Lily shrugged. "It happens."
The two remained silent for some time until Devan's eyes deepened into a frown. "Lily, this may be out of order, but what happened between Jordan and Woody?"
Lily's face shrunk in suddenly with confusion. "They have…a lot of baggage. And I don't think we're ever going to learn the real truth about them, but they're just really close friends. I mean I do know that they kissed once in California, but they decided to leave it at that. Woody has done so much for her that I don't think there's anything he wouldn't do to protect her. That's kind of what he does, he protects her. She really appreciates that. Why do you ask?"
Devan looked down with a stifled laugh. "Jordan told me to back off Woody this afternoon. She talked to him and apparently he's really hurt about something I did. Or…didn't do. I kind of got the feeling she wanted me to leave him alone."
"Well it's little doubt that Jordan's feeling maybe just slightly possessive," Lily gave her a level look. "I mean, she and Woody had a good thing going as friends, and then suddenly Woody's chasing you. After three years of attention from him, he's lost to her. You have to understand it from Jordan's view as well, not just your own."
Devan leaned back into her chair. "I know and I get that. But what I don't get is why she has to make it her business when it's not. In all honesty, she has nothing to do with this."
Lily gently looked into Devan's eyes with her own. "Maybe she does. That fact that you and Woody can't work this out without having to involve Jordan, I think that's saying a lot. Maybe you three need to talk about it. As civilised people."
Devan stood from her chair with a smile. "Maybe you're right." Then she frowned. "This won't leave the room, will it?"
Lily smiled warmly. "Your secret's safe with me."
"Good," Devan breathed. "By the way, what are you doing in here? It's so dark…"
Lily laughed and held up the piece of paper, which was a certificate for a sent restraining order. "Ex issues."
Sending a knowing look, Devan nodded. "I know how that feels." She walked over to the door, opening it slightly, and then she turned back with a probing look. "I'm working late tomorrow, but if I'm not back in time for my shift and if anyone asks, tell them I'm meeting my ex-fiancé for drinks."
Lily's look thinned into a worried one. "Good luck. Hope it turns out for you."
Devan laughed slightly. "Thanks. If I'm not back tomorrow then I'm dead."
A joke with little substance bordered on the edge of fear. Devan waved goodbye as she walked out of the door…only to face Macy. He looked at her with confused eyes.
"What are you still doing here? Your shift finished an hour ago."
Devan smiled at the older man's probing eyes. "I had some stuff to clear up. I'll see you tomorrow."
Garret nodded with his own smile. "Goodnight, Devan."
He watched her walk slowly down the corridor before he walked into the conference room, where Lily sat almost in darkness. "Don't you know that's bad for your eyesight?"
Lily looked up with a smile. "My eyesight is fine, thank you very much."
Macy laughed and took up a random seat. "What was up with Devan?"
She flicked her eyes around confusedly. "Nothing."
Tilting his head disbelievingly at her lie, Macy shrugged. "None of my business, right?"
Lily sighed. "Men issues. Both of us."
Garret nodded knowingly. "Her and Woody."
"Not just Woody," Lily said with a small look. "You know…we're lucky to have her. She may not have been the best person to have around when she first started here, but she really cares about what people think and feel. I'm glad you kept her."
He smiled with a small nod. "So am I."
He stood holding the open door, wearing an expectant look and a cooking apron. He looked absolutely ridiculous. Reading into her humorous look, Woody held up the wooden spoon he was holding in his other hand. "I'm mourning the ten-year anniversary of my dead fish. We're having Mexican."
She laughed at his false seriousness. "We are?"
Woody nodded solemnly. "Yeah, they're here in spirit. I'd exhume the three bodies but that would involve having to dig up an old cat, so I thought better of it." He paused and looked at Devan with serious eyes. "I'm sorry."
Devan smiled. "I'm sorry, too."
He breathed with slight relief. "I'm glad we agree on something." With a slight hesitation and a hopeful look, he opened the door wider. "I didn't make enough for two but I'm sure we can work something out."
Devan smiled appreciatively and walked through the door of his apartment, looking around for the first time. "I'm a light eater, anyway."
Looking at her slyly before walking into the kitchen, Woody smirked. "I know you are. But if you do get food poisoning, remember that you made a choice to eat it."
Devan leaned against the bench in the kitchen, looking closely at the chilli Woody was preparing. "I don't know about that. I could just say you forced it down my throat."
Woody held out the wooden spoon to her with a small smile. "Then I'd deny it."
She took the spoon in her mouth willingly, the chilli immediately sizzling on her tongue. "That's good. Maybe just a tad too much spice but other than that, I only hope it's not poisonous."
Untying his apron from the back, Woody left the chilli to cool down and walked over to Devan. "I missed you."
Devan allowed him to pull her close, embracing her in a tight hug. "I missed you, too."
Pulling back after a moment, Woody brushed a few stay hairs away from her face with his fingers, lighting tracing her face. "What happened before shouldn't have. I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions like I did and if we're going to make this work then I have to respect the fact that you might not want to tell me everything."
Devan nodded. "If we're going to work out then we need to talk about it. But only after I've sorted it out."
Woody smiled warmly. "Alright. We'll talk when you're ready to."
"I don't want to talk," Devan shook her head. "Not tonight."
A/N: Aw…sweet. Well, next chapter will be in Woody's point of view so don't be confused…you'll get it once you read it. Love n' stuff, AB :)
