eternalgorithm- YES! I have completed my goal in life of converting someone into a N/J shipper! HAHA! uh...yeah. sry. Hehe...

Mac3- I have a few other ideas for fanfics, and one possible sequal to this one, but it's still in the very, very earliest stages. I may try and start it, just to see how it goes though. I definaltely plan to write more, though I am currently supposed to be working on a short story for the school paper. Haven't got a clue what to do yet. I also have like three books that I gotta read. So another story may take awhile to start. I will try and start another one sooner rather than later though.

KittyDoggyLover- Yeah, I didn't plan on having Nigel die, at least not in this fanfic. (Hehe...) It's easy to get away with writing in school. At worst the teachers think it's homework. And then if I let someone read it, they're all like, you should get it published, and then I have to explain that it won't work because I don't own the characters. Then they're all like, well you should send it to the show writers so they can make it an episode! By then I stop trying to explain. Lol. No one I know watches CJ, let alone writes/reads fanfic for it. Though it is an adult show, and I'm only in eighth grade. (Not even in high school yet! Grr...)

I think this is the second to last chapter, so it will end with chapter 10. Most likely. YAY! Digger Part II is on A&E tonight! Hehe. I love that episode, especially the music for it! (Note on Digger Part I: POOR CLOE!) Review please!

The Basement

Chapter 9: Something Between Us

- Nigel -

We were transported to the hospital together. Even though she was unconscious, I held Jordan's hand the whole time. She actually woke up once on our way there. I told her to go back to sleep. She needed rest. I must have needed it too, because I passed out as well. I woke up in a hospital bed hours later. The first thing I heard was the gentle, yet irritating beep, beep of the heart monitor. Jordan lay in a bed next to mine, fast asleep. She was close, and I smiled and reached a hand out to stroke her long hair. She looked just as peaceful as when she had fallen asleep while I was at her apartment. How long ago had that been? I never bothered to check the date. As I stroked her softly, Jordan opened her eyes and smiled at me.

"Sorry love," I said softly. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"I was already awake," she said just as softly. She looked at the large red mark on my neck. "You're going to have a scar there." I shrugged.

"It's not a big deal," I said. "Small price to pay. Thank you by the way. I didn't get a chance to say it before. You saved my life." She took my hand, which was still stroking her hair, in hers.

"I thought that you had left me," she said shakily. "There's no way to tell you how much relief I felt when you said my name." Her eyes were wet and she looked tired again. I gave her hand a squeeze.

"Then don't," I said softly. "Don't try and tell me. Just rest now Jordan. Go back to sleep." She nodded and snuggled into her pillows. I followed suit, and fell asleep as well, still holding her hand.

We left the hospital a few days later. Everyone was there to see us as we walked out of the room, hand in hand. Lily, Bug, Dr. Macy, Max, and, to my great surprise, Woody. My eyes narrowed. What business did he have here? Jordan ran ahead to give her dad a hug. I smiled as he wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding her to him. They were both crying again.

"What happened?" he asked as they pulled away from each other. "And…my God Nigel, what the hell happened to your neck?" Jordan and I looked at each other.

"We should probably sit down," I said. We all took a seat in the waiting room. Some of us went to get coffee. Jordan waited until everyone returned before starting the story. She told us how Mitchell had hidden in her car, how he had ordered her to drive away, and the twisted route that they took to his hideout. We all listened with baited breath, taking the occasional sip of coffee. Even I was listening, for this part of the tale was new to me. She described the basement with such chilling accuracy that many of those around us sat, wide-eyed, horrified at the conditions of what turned out to be our living space for, as we found out, over a week. The coffee slowly vanished as I began to tell of how Woody called and gave me the possible location of Jordan's captor. I described how I had gone after him, how I had knocked on doors and eventually found the right one. How I had found Jordan in the dark.

When I came to the part where Mitchell told us how and, in my case, when we were going to die, Lily gasped, tears sliding down her face. Bug slid over on the couch and put his arm over her shoulders. I continued, telling of how I had been hung and fell unconscious. Then Jordan took over and explained how the police had stormed in only seconds after I passed out, how she had administered CPR until I woke up. She talked all the way up to the point where we had walked out and they had found us.

Then it was their turn to talk. They told us that long after I had left, they started searching for me, obviously to no avail. They let it go for a day, deciding that I had probably gone to a bar or something. It was when they still couldn't locate me later that they became worried. Yet days of searching found neither me nor Jordan. Then, awhile later, someone had been smart and wondered why Woody hadn't called yet. Of course when they inquired about this, he said that he had already told me the location. They could guess where I was from then on, and so called on the police to come and get us, though no one had expected us to be alive. There had been no hostage upstairs either. Mitchell, of course, had lied.

"So," said Max as they finished their story, "is something going on between you two now?" I grinned, having completely forgotten that the others didn't know. Jordan and I had been sitting very close together during the hour or so that we told our stories. Apparently Max had been the only one to notice however, because the others seemed mildly surprised. Lily spun to look at him, and then back at us. Both Garret and Bug raised their eyebrows. Only Woody did not change his expression. Jordan and I looked at each other again. She was smiling as well.

"Yes," I said, still looking at her. "I do believe there is something." I suddenly pulled her towards me and kissed her. I was mildly surprised that she didn't pull away. Instead, she committed to the kiss with as much passion as she had just before I was hung. I could feel the stunned gazes of the others on us, and laughed mentally as I imagined their expressions. Especially Woody's.

We broke away and I looked at the others, this time laughing aloud. Max was smiling, Lily looked slightly surprised, but was smiling as well. Garret still had his eyebrows raised, and Bug had a ridiculous look on his face, eyes wide and mouth open. Woody simply stared at the pair of us, his face unreadable. But I didn't care what he thought about it. I knew that things would be slightly different from now on.

- Jordan -

Nigel and I made our way out of the hospital room, holding hands and smiling at those who came to see us. Even Dad and Woody were there. I ran to give my Dad a hug, although I wondered why Woody was there. Nigel had told me about their phone conversation, about how he seemed unconcerned with my kidnapping. Why was he here now?

"Hey baby girl," Dad whispered as we hugged. "I can't tell you how happy I am to see you." His voice became shaky and tears fell down his face as we stood there. My face was wet as well. I had thought about him, wondered if he would be able to handle my death as well as Mom's, handle the knowledge of the torture I'd endured before I left. I didn't think he could handle it. I was glad it never happened.

When we broke apart, Dad said, "What happened? And…my God Nigel, what the hell happened to your neck?" We spent the next hour telling our stories and listening to everyone else tell their's.

After everyone had finally finished, Dad said, "So, is something going on between you two now?" Oops. Nigel and I were sitting very close, and I had forgotten that the others still had no clue about us, about our new relationship. I could tell that Nigel had forgotten also. Leave it to Daddy to point it out, to be the only one to notice. Nigel and I turned to each other, both grinning.

"Yes," he said, almost to me it seemed. "I do believe there is something." Suddenly his arms were around me, our lips together in a kiss. I was so shocked, as was everyone else I was sure, that for a split second I considered pulling away. But then I thought of Woody, and it struck me that he was probably here to try and patch things us between us. If I pulled away, it would look like I wasn't serious about my relationship with Nigel, which I was. I was not going to run away. I felt no need to. So I kissed him back, deeply. Yes, I was serious about my relationship.

I looked at the others as we moved apart. Lily and Dad were smiling. Garret had his eyebrows raised, and Bug just looked bewildered. Woody's expression didn't change at all. There was no way to tell what he was feeling. We made eye contact for a moment, but I quickly looked away. He would not tear Nigel and I apart. Not now.

After yet another moment of stunned silence, Nigel looked around and said, "Well, we've been here awhile. Shouldn't we be going?"

"Yes," said Dad. "I've got to be off." He walked over and gave me another hug and whispered, "I'm happy for you Jordan," before walking out the door. It was late. The others began to leave as well, throwing away their empty coffee cups and heading towards the door. Lily and Garret both gave me another hug and wished me luck before beginning to leave. As Nigel and I also made ready to go, I noticed that Woody was hanging back. Oh no, I thought. He was going to say something to me. He cleared his throat almost on cue.

"Jordan," he said, "could I have a word?" I nodded and told Nigel that I would be right with him. He nodded, but looked a little worried. I squeezed his hand gently before walking up to Woody, prepared for whatever he was going to say.

"Jordan," he said.

"What?" I said stiffly.

"You can cut the act now."

"What?"

"Oh come on!" he said impatiently. "I know why you're doing this." I raised my eyebrows.

"You do?"

"Yeah, I do. You're trying to get me jealous. I mean, you and Nigel? Get serious Jordan." I could tell that Nigel, who was sipping a new cup of coffee on the other side of the room, was listening, because his free hand was clenched in a fist and his jaw was set. He didn't say anything however, and I felt my admiration for him rise along with my anger at Woody. Unlike him, I was not so good at holding my tongue.

"You son of a bitch," I said, doing my best not to raise my voice. "Did it never occur to you that Nigel is a real person? Did you never once realize that he has feelings like me and you? That he has a life? He's not a resource Woody! He's not simply there to solve computer problems, even if that's the way I've wrongly treated him all this time. We have been through something that you can't possibly understand, and never will. He loves me Woody. He's loved me for years, and I never paid him any attention. Yet he was patient. He waited. He didn't pressure me like you did. In fact, I probably would have fallen in love with him a lot sooner if you hadn't gotten in the way. I don't feel as if I need to push him away. For the first time, I don't want to run! I want to stay right here." Woody was looking thoroughly shocked by now, having not expected the angry speech I was giving him now. But I didn't stop there.

"And let's not forget our last fight," I continued. "I will never, never forgive you for that Woodrow Hoyt, for what you said about me and about my family, and now what you just said about Nigel. And who was there when you sent me away sobbing? Who had his arm around me, giving me support and comfort? Nigel was, Woody. And he will from now on. Because this is no act." My face was red and streaked with fresh tears. I turned my back on Woody.

"You can't hold a grudge forever Jordan!" he called from behind me. I turned and looked at him again.

"Try me," I said simply, and then returned to Nigel, who put his arm around me comfortingly, not saying a word. Together we made our way outside, leaving Woody behind in more ways than one.

Last chapter coming next!