A/N: Same deal, don't own anything except for Jake Fredrick and whatever else I made/make up. Just wondering, is anyone reading all of this or is it just too long and boring? Ha, just wondering but anyways review and let me know okay thanks!

CHAPTER 24

"So… what's the plan of attack?" Nigel asked, breaking the awkward silence that had engulfed the room after Jordan's unusual response to Garrett not going to see her.

"I don't know." Lily said flatly.

"No clue." Woody said after a minute. He did have a few ideas… but he wanted Jordan to come up with a plan. Other than the fact that Jordan's plans usually worked no matter how much trouble they got in for them, he thought she needed to be the one to initiate a plan since she was the one that was mad at the man they were trying to help.

"What's everyone looking at me for?" Jordan asked.

"We thought you might have a plan, love." Nigel told her. "Your plans do usually work."

"Oh, I thought no one like my plans. They're usually criticized and I end up getting yelled at about thinking about the consequences before acting."

"Jo… you're plans always work." Woody told her, slipping an arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him than she presently was. She had been sitting on the edge of the bed, and now she was sitting right up beside him.

"Well I don't think Garrett wants my help." Jordan said trying not to let it get to her. She should be over this already… she was trying to handle it like an adult, but it was hard for her. Garrett had been like a father to her once Max left… and now he left her too? Now there was no one who had always been there for her. No one. Everyone had left. Then she realized who was holding her tightly while she was pouting because no one loved her and everyone had left her. She was in a room full of people who hadn't let her down yet. Woody loved her… she knew that. He had never let her down, not yet anyways. Lily and Nigel were always there for her too. She needed to help Garret whether he wanted her to or not… she could ignore him later.

"He needs your help Jordan. Whether he wants it or not… he needs you." Lily told her.

"Fine. Let's make a plan." Jordan said with a small smile. She did have people who were there for her and loved her. There were three perfect examples deviously devising a plan with her right then… She had a lot to be happy about. She had a lot to be mad about too… but maybe it was time for her to start focusing on the positive side of things.

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"Okay. So I was driving aimlessly around the streets making sure I didn't go anywhere that I'd have to stop because I wanted to here everything she had to say about Slokum. She said he was working with two detectives, and then she paused, as if she was too scared to say anything else. I told her it was okay… that everything would be fine if she told me… I know it's the oldest trick in the book, but she was pretty intoxicated and it seemed to comfort her, and she continued. She proceeded to tell me about her involvement in the whole situation. She was Slokum's sister in law, Jim Slokum's wife. She said that Slokum was out to kill Jimmy because of things from the past. The two brother's hated each other and were constantly putting each other in the hospital, but then Slokum got sent away to live with his grandmother when he was around fifteen because the two fought so badly. They hadn't seen each other in years… but the night previous to the one I talked to her, she had run into Slokum and he told her that if she and Jimmy didn't leave Boston immediately they'd both be dead. He was armed when he told her and he made sure she knew it. They also have two children and he threatened them as well. She was terrified because Slokum then proceeded to grab a man that was walking by… she didn't know if he knew him or not… and he took both the man and her into his car and to some building. I'm pretty sure she was intoxicated then as well because she doesn't really remember that much, but he killed the man in front of her, and told her if anyone found out… he'd kill everyone involved and her and her family. She was terrified, I'm positive she was telling the truth. I hope she's still alive… she asked me to drop her off right the second she was finished the story. I protested but she insisted so I did as I was asked. I hope nothing's happened to her…" Garrett had been staring down at his hands while he was telling the story. He looked up and met Renee's eyes. She knew he wasn't lying.

"Garrett," she started, "Why didn't you come to me earlier? It would have helped. We have to find this woman and get a formal statement pronto!"

"I was still processing it all. Sorry." Garrett said in a very quiet voice. He hoped he hadn't jeopardized the woman and her families' lives.

"Did you get a name?"

"No, sorry. I told you everything I know." He told her with a sincerely sorry smile.

"That's okay. How are you doing otherwise?" Renee asked him.

"Oh… I've been alright." She gave him a look of disbelief. "Fine, I've been miserable, lonely and drinking too much." He admitted.

"Have you eaten anything today?" She asked in a very concerned voice.

"I had some breakfast this morning… but nothing since. I've hardly eaten all week. I've been so worried and paranoid about this whole ordeal…"

"Why don't we go get some dinner?" She suggested.

"Sounds good." He agreed. He wondered if it was a friendly gesture or if she was trying to tell him that she wanted to take another stab at a relationship with him. He really didn't care. Either was fine for him, although he did prefer the second option a little.

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"Well..." Jordan started on their third attempt at a plan. The first two hadn't been practical and probably wouldn't have worked. "What we need to do is prove Slokum is behind something that will get him locked up and out of the office, right?" Three heads nodded in agreement. "Because after we get him locked up we can get Garrett back and that will make it easier to prove everything else we think Slokum's behind." More nods of agreement urged her to continue. "So… we know that the first victim in this double homicide is Slokum's brother Robert…"

"Who Slokum apparently thought was dead for 16 years." Lily added in, getting some incredulous looks. "He did!" She told them with a smile.

"Okay… Slokum's Brother Robert who Slokum apparently thought was dead for the last sixteen years. Who is the other man?" Jordan wondered.

"Slokum's other brother?" Lily suggested.

"Maybe… that might make sense." Nigel contemplated.

"Well that's who Slokum thought was dead." Lily told them.

"Do you know anything else Lily?" Woody asked with a laugh.

"I don't think so." She answered with a sheepish smile. "Slokum just started talking about his brother Jimmy… and then I told him it was Robert and he told me that was impossible because Robert had died sixteen years ago, and I told him that that was the time he had a legal name change."

"You'd think Slokum would have noticed." Jordan commented.

"Well if your brother dies are you going to research him on the computers to see if he had a legal name change?" Woody asked.

"No, I guess not." Jordan smiled. She shook her head and laid it head down on Woody's chest. Nigel and Lily smiled as they saw Woody's smile get a hundred times bigger than it had been before.

"So the plan is to run tests and see if the other vic is Jim Slokum?" Nigel asked.

"Sounds good to me." Jordan agreed. Lily and Woody nodded and everything seemed settled. They all knew it wasn't much of a plan… but it was all they were going to get done for the night, so it would work for now.

"Well… I better get going. Do you want a ride Lily?" Nigel asked.

"That'd be great. See you tomorrow Jordan, and maybe you too Woody!" Lily said.

"Bye, yep, see you tomorrow!" Jordan nodded.

"Bye!" Woody added before Nigel and Lily shut the door. "They left pretty quickly." He observed with a smile.

"They did." Jordan agreed. She shifted in Woody's grasp so that she was looking into his eyes. She just stared into his eyes for a few minutes, memorizing every detail of his pale, baby blue eyes. Then she moved in the slightest bit closer and kissed him.

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"Where do you want to go?" Garrett asked Renee. They were pulling out of the parking lot and going out for dinner… Garrett wasn't sure how Renee perceived this dinner either. He didn't know if it was a friend's thing, or a date. Should he go to a sit in restaurant, if so, how fancy? Or was he to go to a bar? He hadn't a clue.

"How about that Italian place a few blocks over?" She suggested, which told him that she considered it to be more a 'date' than a 'grab a bite to eat with a friend' thing. He didn't mind it one bit. He had missed Renee; he was still in love with her.

"Sure." He agreed, knowing that there was no point in arguing. Renee was so much like Jordan, that it wasn't even funny. The two women hated each other. He figured it was because they didn't like the other's attitude, and couldn't realize they were identical.

"Good." She smiled as Garrett parked a block away from the restaurant. They both got out of the car and headed down the street. Renee could sense Garrett's confusion on what this dinner meant exactly… and she herself wasn't too sure. She still had feelings for Garrett, well that was an understatement, and she was still in love with him. She didn't know how he felt about her… but he was here, wasn't he? Then she realized the way she was thinking. She was always independent and sure of herself… if she was in love with Garrett Macy, she was going to do something about it.

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"Isn't it crazy?" Lily marveled to Nigel as they headed toward his car.

"Completely." He agreed. "We were barley out of the room, and they were making out!" He added with a hint of disgust in his voice.

"Oh, Nige." Lily smiled at his child like disgust at the image. "But it's great they finally are together… after all these years."

"You're one to talk!" Nigel pointed out with a smile. "You and Bug have been doing some making out of your own if I'm not mistaken."

"Oh shut-up!" Lily told him with a shove.

"I see you don't enjoy it as much when you're the center of attention." Nigel observed very knowingly.

"You didn't seem to bask in it either earlier you know." She reminded him.

"Fine, fine." Nigel admitted, "But my situation is a bit different. You're talking about how happy you are because you have someone… and I'm talking about how unhappy I am because I don't."

"There, you said it." Lily smiled.

"Said what, love?" Nigel asked curiously.

"That you're unhappy because you don't have someone. You didn't admit that before. You said you were fine."

"So what?"

"So find a date!"

"It's not that easy, you know that!"

"Well you're not making any effort at all!"

"And you tried so hard for the last, what was it, three years?"

"Shut up Nigel." Lily laughed, putting an end to the serious discussion, well it was almost an argument if you wanted to get technical… but it was over now. "Thanks for the ride Nigel." Lily smiled before she hopped out of the car and headed into her apartment. Nigel waved goodbye before driving away. He hated discussions about dates. It seemed everyone who didn't have one did. He wanted a date, but when did he have time to find one? He decided to forget the last few conversations he'd had about dating and stick to his original plan. He'd find a date after this whole Slokum ordeal was done.