A/N: So apparently my muse goes on vacation during midterms…sorry about the enormously long wait. Meh.

Gimme Love

"Okay, I know I sprang this on you out of the blue," Danny started rambling nervously. "And it must seem like I'm just trying to make up for having to leave and everything, but, really, I've had this for a few weeks now, and you can take that however you want, and I don't expect you to answer me righ-"

He never finished as Jordan closed the space between them and leaned up to kiss him, hooking her arms around his neck and pulling him against her. She heard his slight grunt of surprise at her sudden action, and then felt him relax into the kiss for several moments before pulling away to look into her eyes with a now smoldering smile.

"So is that a yes?" he asked.

"Yes," she said softly, knowing she had a hopelessly happy grin on her face. She shocked herself with the ease of her answer. She had thought about this moment for a while now, expecting that it was coming eventually. And she thought that she would have to fight her 'fear of commitment' side to make the choice she wanted, just as she had fought to allow herself to fall for…other guys. But this came so naturally, fearlessly.

Danny wordlessly took the ring and dropped the box back into his pocket. He gently reached for her left hand, which she gave him willingly, her heart starting to beat faster. She took a deep breath and told herself to calm down, thinking she was being ridiculous, until she noticed Danny's own hands shaking. She looked up at him with a smile.

"A little nervous?" she teased him gently.

"No," he said quickly, laughing at himself. "Just happy."

As he said this, he looked down and slipped the ring onto her delicate finger, properly marking the love he felt for her. Jordan stared at the silver band for a moment, and then moved into his arms, sliding her hands under his jacket and wrapping her arms around him tightly. Resting her head against his chest, she could hear his heart beating rapidly, and it relieved her to know that he was human enough to feel the enormity of what had just happened. A thought occurred to Jordan, and she giggled before she could stop herself.

"What?" Danny asked, looking down at her.

"You proposed to me in an autopsy room with a dead body in it," she said, biting her lip to keep from laughing. "The irony of my life just keeps getting better."

"Hey, I was under a time crunch, gimme a break," Danny smiled. His face sobered, and he lowered his head to whisper in her ear. "Close your eyes…picture any place you want."

Jordan did as she was told, her skin tingling from his breath. She barely had the chance to imagine being anyplace else before she felt his lips touch hers softly. His kisses still left her in suspense, as promising as the very first time. He never took advantage of the fact that he had already won her, and he approached her almost tentatively whenever he could. It made things all the better when he began to explore her mouth, knowing every touch and rhythm that would make her forget they were even in Boston, let alone the morgue. Jordan was just beginning to contemplate doing some very unconventional things in the autopsy room when she heard someone clear their throat. She pulled away from Danny quickly and was shocked to see Woody standing in the doorframe, his hand holding the door open.

"Sorry to interrupt," he muttered.

"The hell you are," Danny said under his breath. Jordan could practically see him trying to add inches to his height and prayed that the two would not pick up where they had left off earlier.

"What do you want?" she asked impatiently.

"I need the autopsy report tonight," he replied evenly. "You said you would fax it by five, it's six thirty."

"I can't fax the report until I'm finished with the autopsy," she said sarcastically.

"Are you finished now?" he demanded sharply.

"Yes," she snapped. "Go wait in the lobby, I'll bring it to you."

Woody turned on his heel and let the door swing shut behind him. Jordan closed her eyes and shook her head in frustration. Danny reached up and stroked her hair gently with one hand.

"I don't know if I can keep doing this," she sighed, reaching for his hand and tightening her fingers over his. "I'd be on that plane with you if it weren't for what I promised Garret."

"I think there's more keeping you here than that," he said understandingly, but not without some regret. He knew she was feeling torn about many things. But he also knew that she was too dedicated to her job to ask her to walk away, even if she was close to deciding to do just that.

"Maybe," she said, taking a deep breath. Danny considered her for a moment.

"Why don't you get this report done," he told her. "Then we'll still have time to grab some coffee before I leave."

"Who wants to waste time on coffee?" Jordan asked with a mischievous smile, taking hold of his tie and pulling him close.

"Oh, I see," Danny feigned enlightenment. "Well, better be quick about that report," he said as he leaned down to kiss her.

"Or I could just not do the report," Jordan murmured against his lips.

"Something makes me think he'll hunt you down," he murmured back, kissing her lightly between statements. "I didn't like him interrupting us before. I might knock him out if he interrupted anything else."

With one final kiss, Danny reluctantly released her to finish up. Telling her that he would be waiting in her office, he watched her wheel the body out of the room before leaving through the opposite door. The sight of that ring on her finger thrilled him more than words could say. He would miss her immensely while he was in Vegas, but the thought of her wearing the engagement ring would do a great deal to ease his mind.

Danny hadn't walked two steps out of the autopsy room when he looked up to see Woody leaning sullenly against the wall opposite the door. He knew exactly what Woody's problem was, though he would do nothing to help the guy out. As Danny and Jordan had grown closer, she had revealed much more about their fallout, and the pain that was involved. Danny wasn't blind to the situation. He knew he had stolen Jordan, in a manner of speaking.

He was about to walk away towards Jordan's office to avoid an uncomfortable encounter when Woody spoke.

"You think you know her?"

"Probably better than you ever did," Danny replied curtly. If Woody planned on starting another fight, he certainly wasn't going to back out quietly.

"You don't know a thing about her," Woody went on bitterly. "You think you've got a hold on her? Give it a little while. When you meet the real Jordan, you'll realize you never had her at all. That she's just been playing with you the entire time, and she never meant any of it."

"That's your great insight into her?" Danny said condescendingly, taking a few steps towards Woody. "You really think you've got her number? Or that it's a surprise to me that she has relationship issues? What did you ever bother to find out about her beyond her problems? Did you know that she watches The Nutcracker on TV every Christmas? Or that she looks beautiful even when she's vacuuming her apartment in her sweats? She cries every time she hears "Over The Rainbow." And she still has nightmares about her mother. Did you ever bother to find those things out?"

Woody stared at Danny with an unchanging expression, fighting hard against the anger that he felt about not knowing those things at all. He hadn't known Jordan as well as he should have. Perhaps if he had known those details about her life, or shared his own with her, he wouldn't have screwed their relationship up so horribly. Now, all he was left with was the vision of her in another man's arms. Again. Maybe even permanently.

"Don't think I didn't try," he told Danny in a low voice. "I'm just warning you, man. Don't be surprised when she freaks."

With that, Woody shoved himself away from the wall and walked off down the hall, turning the corner. Danny was left slightly disconcerted, arguing with himself that Woody was simply bitter and jealous and there was nothing more to it. Jordan was the first to admit that she had been skittish in her relationships for many years. That didn't mean she always had to be that way. She had already sacrificed a lot to be with him. Danny found himself wanting to prove Woody completely wrong, but that goal held a pitfall known to many in the world, including him, to be a lost cause in relationships: he wanted to be the one that could convince Jordan to change her ways.

Jordan walked up the front path to the house, stopping for only a second before rapping on the door. It was a little late in the evening, but she had felt somewhat lost after dropping Danny at the airport and she didn't know where else to go. She didn't have to wait long before the door opened and Abby stood in the doorway, a smile on her face.

"Hey Jordan," she said brightly.

"Hey," Jordan replied, not quite able to match the young woman's enthusiasm.

"Is everything okay?" Abby asked, a little concerned at Jordan's tone.

"Yeah, just a long day," Jordan gave a tight smile. "How about you guys? Keeping each other out of trouble?"

"Oh yes," Abby smiled knowingly, standing to one side to allow Jordan to come in.

The house was still in impeccable shape, just as it had been a few days ago on her last visit, a testament of Abby's hand in her father's care. Jordan was really very grateful that things had changed between Garret and his daughter. The girl's return to his life at this moment seemed to be the perfect event to encourage him to move in the right direction. He was doing much better lately. Garret had a hard time refusing help when Abby had done so much to change herself.

Abby led her into the living room, where Garret was sitting on the couch watching TV, his leg propped up on the coffee table. He sat up when he saw Jordan, reaching for the remote to turn the volume down. Jordan glanced at the screen.

"Casablanca?" she asked. Garret shrugged. "Why am I not surprised?"

"So what do you need to talk about?" Garret asked her, patting the couch next to him to invite her to sit down.

"What makes you think I need to talk about something?" she asked much too innocently, joining him on the couch.

"You don't usually drop by this late," he said. "And you have that look on your face."

"What look?"

"That look that says something is bugging the crap out of you, but you want someone to have to ask before you'll tell anyone," Garret told her. Jordan set her jaw against a smart retort and looked down.

"Danny had to go back to Vegas tonight," she said quietly, unconsciously fingering the ring that sat glistening on her finger, drawing Garret's attention to it. He reached out and took her hand, lifting it up so that he could examine the ring. Jordan waited, wanting Garret's voice of reason.

"My guess is he's coming back," he said simply, returning her hand and looking at her. "What else is bothering you?"

"You're starting to pick up techniques from your shrink, aren't you?" she joked, and then sighed tiredly at the no-nonsense look on his face. "I don't want to get into it right now."

"So did you just come over here to mope?"

"Well I thought you might like to be the first to congratulate me," she waved her left hand in front of him in slight exasperation.

"I am happy for you, Jordan," Garret said honestly. "As long as you're happy, that's all that matters. I'd offer to celebrate with a drink, but…" This time it was Jordan who gave the no-nonsense look. "You're welcome to help yourself to whatever Abby hasn't thrown out or hidden, though."

"Nah, that's okay," Jordan said. "After today…it might just make me sick."

Garret raised an eyebrow at her, surprised that she would turn down a nightcap. Jordan looked up at him and tried to smile, but found herself blinking back tears. She seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. Garret placed an arm around her shoulder and tucked her against his side, rubbing her arm softly.

"I'm really going to miss him, Garret," she said quietly. "I didn't know it would be this hard to let him go back."

"It'll get better," he said sympathetically. "Just hang in there."