"Knucklehead, watch that red light..." Woody yelled. His fingernails were quickly becoming part of the dashboard of his car.

Cal just ignored him and slid through the yellow light. "Yellow means speed up.."

"Not in my car."

"Nobody would dare crash into your car. It's a classic..." Cal smiled.

Woody had to laugh in spite of himself. Breaking out of the rehab was easier than he thought it would be. As long as he was back by the time the doors were locked for the night they'd be fine. He felt freer than he had in weeks.

He thumbed the ring box in his jacket pocket. There was a dent in the corner where it accidentally hit the wall with force enough to chip the paint. The lid didn't quite fit right any more. He used that as yet another excuse for never returning it. It didn't explain why he carried the ring itself around for weeks.

"Is it right or left?" Cal asked breaking Woody's train of thought. Woody pointed to the right and the red brick building with its arch shaped windows. There were lights on the third floor. He smiled realizing Jordan was home.

Cal pulled over to the curb and helped Woody out of the car. There was heaving, hauling, and a far amount of swearing as Cal and Woody worked their way up the few steps of the stoop.

Out of breath, Woody opened his wallet and said "Here's a ten. Go get yourself some drive thru. You wait in the car...I'll be out in a little while."

"Yes sir," Cal replied with a cocky salute.

Woody wheeled himself to the elevator and pushed the number three. By the time the doors opened, Cal was cruising down the block with the radio blaring. If Woody was determined to go back to the hospital he could get a ride from Jordan. Some how he had a feeling the subject might not even come up.

When the elevator doors opened to her floor Woody thumbed the ring a few more times and slicked back his hair before replacing the ring in his pocket and wheeling to her door. He leaned forward and knocked softly.

Jordan must have been confused not to see anyone in the peephole and only cracked the door open.

"Hey." Woody said, grinning his first genuine 'Woodrow Hoyt" grin since the shooting. He smiled wider at the stunned look on Jordan's face.

"Wo...Woody? What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in rehab at.."

"It's good to see you too Jordan...mind if I come in? I gave Cal a ten so he's probably abandoned me for a while.." he said with a wink and Jordan smiled and leaned over to hug him.

"Of course...come in." she said patting his back before she pulled back. "Want me to.." She started and Woody put up a hand.

"I've got this mastered." Woody interrupted surprisingly pleasently, smiling as he wheeled in past her. "See? Like magic." he nodded. "And if you'll lend me a hand I could sit down on the couch too." he said proudly and let Jordan help him to his feet.

Jordan didn't quite know what to expect and was ready to shoulder Woody's whole body weight if she had too. She was amazed that he was able to handle it on his own two legs.

Her eyes were smiling as she helped him awkwardly sit down again. "Look at you," she smiled putting her hands on her hips. "Before you know it you'll be almost getting laughed off the dance floor again."

"Only if you're with me."

"It's a date." Jordan stuffed her hands in her back pockets. "Did you eat yet? I was just going to order some Chinese..."

"Do you know how long it's been since I've had anything that didn't taste like wallpaper paste."

"I'll take that as a yes..." she said picking up the phone.

She asked if she should order something for Cal and Woody told her not to bother. Cal was probably sitting on the couch in Woody's apartment, with a pizza, running up his phone bill by now. "He's like you when it comes do doing what I ask him to do."

"It's good you are getting along better," Jordan said finally settling on the couch next to him. It had been a long time since they just sat and talked. She wondered how long it waould last.

"I'm still pissed off at him...but after everything...life is just too short to play games."

"Really?" she asked trying hard to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. It must have worked because he continued on.

"He's stupid, but like it or not he's my brother."

"That's a good attitude to have..."

Woody nodded slowly. "Yes...it is. And it's kinda why I'm here.." he said trying to hide the pain in his face as he turned a little to face her. "I think we need to clear the air..."

Woody rubbed his damp hands on his pants. It was time to show his cards.

"I could have died. I know that now. And I also realized something while I was in the hospital, while I was pretending not to be looking for you every morning, when I woke up or every night when I went to bed..." he said slowly.

"And what was that?" Jordan asked self-consciously twisting her fingers.

"I could have died...and..and I would have never been able to tell you that...what you said I wanted to hear...what you told me...was what got me through the surgery...and the fear of not knowing if I'd walk again. When they were taking me in for my second surgery I started to panic. Not because they might make things worse or because they might make things better...but because I might not have made it through surgery to..." his voice cracked and he pursed his lips and brushed an angry tear away. "..To tell you that I was sorry for kicking you out of my hospital room that night...that I was sorry for telling you to go away...and to...to tell you that I needed you...I needed you not to leave me either and that I love you too...that I've loved you for so long and I've never stopped no matter what I might have said when I was angry.." he finished in a sigh and looked down at his legs.

Jordan reached out to hold his hands. "Welcome back," she smiled softly.

Woody looked at her like she had just lost her mind. He had expected her to yell at him. Tell him that he had months just to admitwhat he just did. Instead, he got ...That Smile. The one, he knew that if he lived to be a hundred, he'd never get tired of...nor understand.

"When you kicked me out I admit I was upset." Jordan thought of the other times she let herself admit she was in love. "I hadn't opened myselfup like that it a very long to time and every time I did, it would blow up in my face. When ...when it happened again...I was hurt Woody."

Woody cringed and turned away. Jordan just smiled a gently palmed his face to get his attention once more. "I was hurt...but I was also very tired and...drained. Let's face it, it had been a pretty shitty week up to that point. I took your words too hard. It took me a few days to realize that what you were saying was coming from some place, that in any other situation...you never would have uttered. In hindsight, I should have fought back. I just didn't have the strength right then. I know you Woody...at times better than you know yourself...and I know you really didn't mean any of it."

At the time he meant any single word. "Really...?"

"I can read you like a book," Jordan laughed leaning back finding a comfortable spot on in the cushions. "Even when you were still 'Mr. Small Town Values' I could see that arrogance that I knew would end up getting you into trouble..."

Relaxing himself, Woody smiled, "You're the one that always ends up getting me into trouble..."

"That's just your interruption. Anyway, there you werewith a hole in your gut and you realized you weren't indestructable, but you were still too damned cocky to ask for help."

"You weren't the one that laying there in that bed Jordan."

"No, but what if I were?"

Woody was quick to answer. "You weren't! Stop talking like that!"

"But what if I were?" Jordan repeated slowly and clearly. "What if I were the one pushing you out of my life because I was looking at an uncertain future?"

Woody stifled the urge to plug his ears like a child. He didn't want to think of a broken Jordan. Ever. "What does this have to do with anything?"

"You see, after a few days I put myself in your shoes. I know you Woody. When push comes to shove you would have moved mountains to be there...even if you didn't want to be."

Woody realized everything she just said was the truth. He may have let her push him away before, but he always made sure he was there when she needed him...and when he thought back, she was always the one that was there when he was at his lowest. He would have moved heaven and earth to be with her. For weeks he had been missing the forest for the trees. Somewhere along the line they developed this dependency on each other...even when they were both in a total state of denial. He had come there, to her apartment, still in his chair, to tell her he did love her and he hoped they could start over for the umpteenth time.

He didn't want that anymore. He was tired of starting over.

He not only loved her...but he needed her like he needed his next breath. Damn his legs. In the big picture they just didn't matter. No, he didn't want to start over.

He wanted to move ahead.

Jordan wasn't surprised as she watched the emotions parade across his face...but she was shocked when he abruptly pull the ring box out of his pocket.

"I love you Jordan." His words roll over each other as they came out of his mouth.

Jordan opened and closed her mouth. "I...I didn't think you'd offer it to me again and I.." She started but stopped and put up her hands. "But first I have to know what this is supposed to mean Woody..." she said and nodded, her eyes flicking between Woody and the ring.

Woody smiled and opened the slightly dented box and took out the ring.

"It means..." Woody started and reached out to hold her hand. "It means that I don't want this night to end with a 'thanks but no thanks' or just a promise that we'll be here for each other when needed or to always be friends.." he said nodding. "I mean...I DO want it to mean all of those things but I want it to mean that we'll be there for each other...but not just as friends...as lovers...as best friends." he explained and had the decency to at least blush slightly at the first mention of them as such.

"I want it to mean that we'll always be a part of each other's lives, no matter what happens to us.." he said and looked at his legs briefly before returning his gaze to her.

"And I also...want it to mean that I hope won't have to spend tonight in my hospital room with the herniated gym teacher snoring beside me.." he replied with a soft, genuine, Woody smile.

"I love you too Woody." Jordan whispered after a long moment and leaned toward him on the couch.

There were no beepers, no cell phones, and no excuses of walls or ruining friendship. What they were embarking on would leave them as so much more.

With a steady hand, he slipped the ring on her finger...her right finger. He had a reason now to get back on his feet and back to life. Someday, he wanted to buy her another ring for her left hand; a simple gold band.

Jordan smiled through her tears. The ring fit perfectly, like it was made just for her hand. She also had to admit the tiny diamonds hit the light just right as she ran her fingers through his hair to cup the back of his neck and pull his lips to hers. How long had it been? Jordan tried to place in her mind the last time a simple kiss meant so much. As the kiss deepened she realized that she never really ever felt this way.

One kiss lead to another and another. The doctors...and David...had reassured Woody that could perform. Most of the feeling in his lower body had returned along with all functions. All the guarantees in the world didn't give him any more confidence. Sensing his discomfort Jordan slowed down. She stood up and reached out her hands to him. "Let's get comfortable. We can talk, eat lo mein, and figure out where we go from here."

Woody smiled softly when she rolled his chair closer to the sofa. He shook his head and reached for her hands. With a dogged determination he lifted himself up and wrapped his arm around shoulders. "I'll be damned if I have to be pushed into my first trip to your bedroom Cavanaugh. If I can't carry you, I'll settle for shuffling..."

"Think of it as dancing..." Jordan said wrapping her arms around his middle. "Just let me lead..."

Woody didn't know if she was talking about walking or spending the night. She took one step forward and he followed. Half way across the room, she began to hum a low soft song, a waltz if he wasn't mistaken.

One step, two steps, three steps...before he knew it they had crossed the threshold.

She lowered him carefully to the bed and knelt down to untie his shoes. When he started to protest she placed a finger on his mouth. "Shhhh, I'm leading remember?"

There was nothing left for him to do but sit back as she peel his socks off and prop three pillow behind his back. He leaned back with a content smile on his face.

"Don't think you'll be getting this treatment all the time..." Jordan said sitting down next to him.

"You mean I'm going to be invited back,'" he joked.

"Over and over and over again..." Jordan's tone had no trace of laughter. In fact, it made him hot all over.

Woody wrapped the length of her hair in the palm on his hand and pulled her close for a kiss. The temperature of the kisses they shared earlier paled in comparison. His free hand moved from the corner of her hip over her waist and up to her breast just as the doorbell rang.