A/N: The chapters following XI are in, succession, what drama unfolds in the morgue.

XII

"Well, I've been better," admitted Emma.

Lily smiled sweetly and replied, "I understand. Do you want some tea? I was just about to make myself a cup."

"Tea would be nice," Emma said half-smiling.

Lily nodded and left the room. 'She really is a sweet woman, the type of person who could find a good heart in anybody whether he or she was a victim, a criminal, or a liar,' Emma reflected. Lily returned quickly, bearing a tray of goodies.

"So, has anything happened since you got out of the hospital?"

"How did you know?" Emma asked surprised, pouring steaming water into her cup.

"Let's just say working here has developed a sixth sense for misery," she exclaimed sarcastically. "I'm just kidding. Your mascara is a bit messy. So what happened?"

Emma, running her finger underneath her eye to tidy up, gave her a quick rendition of what had happened only the hour before, "At least I got the job though," she added, with a shrug and a small laugh.

"Oh you poor thing!"

"Lily, if you don't mind, I don't really need pity. I think that everybody in Boston, no scratch that. Everybody in North America is feeling pity for me right now."

Smiling earnestly, Lily said, "Of course, I'm sorry. It's, sort of, what I do. You know, therapeutic counseling; connecting with the mourner, or victim."

"I understand," Emma unwittingly let out a small laugh, and a little too much information, "Woody sort of gets me through though. He's really determined to get this guy. He even let me live in his place until I leave Boston."

Lily surprised by this, her eyes wide, she asked, "Really?"

"Oh, don't get the wrong impression, we're not sleeping together. It's totally for my protection."

Precisely at this moment, Jordan walked stonily past the open office door toward the crime lab where, unbeknownst to Lily and Emma; Woody, Bug and Nigel were discussing the case. She glanced at Lily, who had a look of shock and worry on her face.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked, knowingly innocent of any drama between Woody and the employees of the Coroner's Office. "Are Woody and Jordan…?" She let her sentence trail off.

Lily brought one hand up to her head, the other she rested on her hip, as if to think for a moment. "No." She put on a grin and stood to close the door. Her expression became serious, "It's just that," she sighed, unsure of where to begin, she paused to gather her thoughts before saying, "I don't want to speak for Woody but I will tell you that, in my opinion, Woody becomes incredibly passionate when he's close to a case. He covers up his sensitivity by giving it his all. It can be a problem sometimes; you could say it's his downfall. He doesn't care if he's injured or if the criminal dies. He just goes at it; you know what I'm saying?" Emma nodded though she did not fully comprehend. Lily continued, "He's particularly sensitive toward crimes that have to do with women, especially those who were or may have been raped, children and police. And the closer he is to a person, the crazier he becomes."

Emma remembered what Woody he had said to her at the station, 'I promise I'll get him, if it's the last thing I do on earth.' She only thought that he was passionate in his job but now she understood and said, "Is that why he sometimes treats me like a child?"

The question stunned Lily; she opened her eyes wide and said, more to herself than to Emma, "He's doesn't want to see you hurt." Emma wanted to delve deeper into the conversation but moments later, Nigel and Bug knocked and entered with sandwiches for themselves.

Nigel said, "We hope you don't mind us eating in here. If Macy finds us, he'll have our throats."

"He's got us working to the bone," Bug complained, "Not that we don't want to solve this double murder, attempted murder. I don't even know what it is anymore, I'm so hungry!"

Lily chortled as Nigel and Bug dug into their dinners.