AN: Well, here it is, the big talk that everyone's been waiting for!



Chapter 10: Revelations, Part III

Jordan and Calvin arrived at the hospital at 6:30 the next morning. Visiting hours technically hadn't started yet, wouldn't for another half hour. But the Boston police officers, who were guarding the reception desk, keeping the still hounding media at bay, recognized her. As did the hospital staff. She had no problem getting up to see Woody.

But when she arrived at his little cubicle, nervousness returned full force. She saw Woody through the window, the nurse doing a morning check on his vital signs. He looked much better this morning. His eyes were all the way open and his chest rose evenly as he breathed easily. She pushed Cal in ahead of her. Told him to take a few minutes alone with his brother.

And when Cal went in to see his brother, Jordan could see through the window that the reunion between the brothers was a joyful one. Cal, unabashedly, had tears flowing down his cheeks, and Woody's eyes threatened to do the same. Cal gave Woody an awkward hug, and then sat down in the chair beside him, already talking.

Jordan smiled, and let herself wander down the hallway, to give them a little more time together. And to figure out what she wanted to say.

A short while later, Cal found her down the hall, strolling past the other rooms on the ward. "Are you ready to see him yet?"

Jordan glanced up at the clock on the wall, and saw that more than twenty minutes had passed. "How did it go?" she asked, purposely avoiding his question.

Cal smiled. "You were right. He forgives me. He also said he won't bail me out anymore, but I told him he wouldn't have to anymore. Last time I was here was kind of a wake up call."

"Well I'm happy for you. For both of you."

Cal looked down at her pointedly. Then he wagged his eyebrows at her. The gesture was so reminiscent of Woody she almost laughed. "What?"

He smiled broadly. "I was right too."

"Right about what."

"Just go talk to him. You'll see."

Jordan rolled her eyes and chucked him on the shoulder. But she knew he was right. It was time for her and Woody to talk. And neither one could run away this time.

When she reached his door, she entered hesitantly, knocking quietly on the doorframe. "Hi." To Woody, her voice was unreadable. He felt his fingers twitching, and realized that he was nervous.

"Hi," he said back to her. To her, his face was equally unreadable.

She didn't say anything until she sat down in the chair Cal had vacated minutes earlier. "How are you feeling?" she eventually asked.

"Sore. But I guess that's expected when you get shot. Norma said that they caught the guys, though."

Jordan nodded. "Yeah. The sniper stayed on the roof that day. That's why there was more shooting. Santana told me that after they arrested the four guys in the car, it wasn't too hard to track down the fifth guy."

"That's good."

Jordan still hadn't looked him directly in the eyes. She was afraid of what she might see. Gratitude? Friendship? Love. That was what she wanted to see, but there were no guarantees, despite what Cal and Norma had said. But it was time to step up to the plate. A few minutes of silence passed. Then she reached out for his hand, which rested at his side a few inches away. Hesitantly, she wrapped her hand around his. He surprised her then. He turned her hand in his and interlaced his fingers with hers.

"Say it, Jordan." His voice was soft, gentle. Not teasing, not accusatory, just there.

"I was so scared," she finally said, looking at their joined hands. "I saw you down, I had to do CPR. I thought I'd lost you."

He squeezed her hand. "You weren't the only one who was scared, Jordan. I saw you. I saw you, coming up from behind the police car. I saw you running toward me. It felt like my heart was in my throat."

Silence fell again. Finally, Woody gave gentle tug on her hand. "Did you bring me what I asked you to?"

With her free hand, Jordan reached into her pocket and handed him the rosary. "Cal had to jimmy the drawer open. It's a beautiful rosary."

He accepted the string of beads and put them on the shelf beside his bed. "Thank you. But that's not what I wanted you to bring. Cal said you found the ring."

Jordan nodded. "I can't believe you still had it."

"Me neither. I thought about taking it back, but I couldn't bring myself to do it."

"Why?" She couldn't help but ask. When he didn't answer, Jordan finally looked him in the eyes. Her heart lurched at finally seeing the stunning blue eyes she had missed. Not just for the last four days. Not just for the last two weeks. But for the last few months. There was a joyous shine in his eyes that she hadn't seen since the morning of her birthday.

His smile was a bit sheepish. "I still care about you, Jordan. I still want more than friendship. I tried not wanting that. Tried for months. The only thing I got for my trouble was more misery."

Her heart leapt, but she forced herself to hold back a little longer. "What about what you said, though, Woody. You said we were better off as friends."

He laughed. "You saw how well that line worked when you said it. What makes you think anything different would happen when I said it?"

"Are you really sure Woody? I mean absolutely, positively, without at doubt sure?" She glanced down again. "I don't think I could take it if you weren't."

His long arm reached across his body and touched her hair, which, today, she wore straight down, letting it fall past her shoulders. "Jordan, I'm sure. Absolutely, positively, without a doubt sure. And I know you care. Norma and the other nurses told me how you've been here almost the whole time. You wouldn't do that if you didn't' care at least a little bit."

"I do care, Woody. I care so much. But I'm not sure if I can say those three little words."

"Jordan, I don't care if you ever say them. Just knowing that you love me, just knowing you want me. That's enough. You don't have to say it."

She smiled, joy spreading through her body. She felt the tears of anguish that had been threatening turn to tears of happiness, though only a couple fell down her cheek. Woody reached over with his thumb and wiped them away.

"Don't cry, Jordan. Just be with me. Please."

She looked in his eyes, hoping she could say with them what she didn't know if she'd ever be able to say out loud. She saw his expression change, saw his face light up as he realized what she was saying. She put her other hand on his knee, smiling brightly at him. "You better get up and better soon, Detective. I'm going to have you up and running around in no time. And I'm not speaking figuratively."

He smiled back, but groaned playfully. "You've got a deal, doc. But I want to seal the bargain. Come here." The hand in her hair slipped to the back of her head and gently dragged her down for a kiss. And she let him, smiling as his lips met hers.

This kiss wasn't long, wasn't deep, but it left them both with the promise and longing for more. It was gentle, felt glorious, and reminded them both of what they had to gain in this relationship. And it was cut short but the sounds of whistles and clapping from out in the hallway.

Woody and Jordan broke apart and looked over to the window to see a group of familiar faces looking in and cheering. It seemed as though word of Woody's recovery had spread quickly through both the precinct and the morgue. Cal, Garret, Nigel, Bug, Lily, Santana, Captain Thatcher, Renee Walcott, a handful of Woody's friends from the precinct and some of the nurses and doctors, including Dr. Reece, Norma and Tara. They were all standing at the window, cheering the couple that had finally got it together.

Jordan gently hid her face in Woody's chest. "Oh, God," she groaned.

Woody laughed, and she felt the rumble in his chest. He lifted her head and looked into her eyes, delighted with the blush that was spreading across her cheeks. "Think if we do that again they'll get the point and go away?"

She didn't answer, just leaned in to kiss him again. And this time, when they broke apart, there was silence, the crowd having been dispersed by the hospital personnel. She buried her face in his shoulder, still holding his hand tightly, felt him kiss the top of her head. And in that moment she felt a happiness she didn't think she'd ever be able to feel.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"For what?"

"For not giving up on me."

He pulled back a bit, his eyes clouded a bit. "But I did, Jordan. I gave up on us."

"Well, maybe that's what it took. It took almost losing you to finally realize that I never want to let you go."

The light returned to his eyes. "Well, then. I'm not going anywhere."

She kissed him quickly. "Me neither."