Author: AthenaIceGoddess

Title: Jumping In

Spoiler: Jump Push Fall

Angst/Romance/Drama

Summary: Just my take on what might happen post Jump Push Fall. Lots of WJ angst, so if you aren't a shipper... probably shouldn't read this one

Disclaimer: I own no part of Crossing Jordan. If I did, do you think I wuold be writing fanfiction?

Author's Note: This is my first CJ fanfic, so be make sure you r&r to tell me if it was great, horrible, want more... I can't tell if you don't review!

Chapter 1

I'm gone

It had been three and a half months since Woody was shot. Three and a half months since Woody threw Jordan out of his hospital room, thinking her profession of love was nothing but pity. He was back on the job, and Jordan dreaded the day she would have to work with him again.

She still remembered the blind panic she had felt when the hospital had called her to tell her he had been shot with startling clarity. All she could think was that she couldn't lose him. So she drove as fast as she could, making it to the hospital in record time.

"Get out." Woody's harsh words had hit her square in the chest. How could he think what she said was out of pity? Apparently he didn't know her as well as she had thought. She had listened, for once in her life, stopping only to look at him, letting him see the naked pain on her face.

"He wants me out of his life? Fine. I'm gone." She had snapped vindicatively when Lilly asked her what was wrong. She left the hospital, and as per his wishes, she didn't come back.

Jordan threw herself into her work like never before, impressing even Sloakum with her newfound dedication. She was at the morgue at 6:30, and rarely left before nine. Of course, the steady stream of homicides that had been plauging Boston helped.

The latest one was quite a mystery. A woman was found naked, blindfolded and gagged in the park, but with no signs of rape. There was only the symbol of a cross burned into her back, and that wasn't what had killed her. To top it all off, no one had been able to identify her.

Hopefully, autopsy results would shed some light.

"Hey, luv." Nigel said from behind Jordan, pulling her out of her reverie. "Hey, Nig. Are the results on the Jane Doe in yet?" she asked, running a hand through her messy brown hair.

"Voila!" He handed her a folder and say down beside her while she read it over. "Rape kit's clean, no clue to the identity of the attacker. Organ failure indicative of... Hemlock poisoning?" She asked, surprised, looking at the brit.

He nodded. "That has to have some significance with the cross burned into her back. Maybe some cult ceremony gone wrong?" He mused. "Really wrong. Who's the head detective on the case, now that Sanchez is out of commission?" Jordan asked.

Talia Sanchez was the first one on the scene. She was six months pregnant, and had gone into early labor at the crime scene. She had been rushed to the hospital, but luckily the doctors had been able to save the baby. Now she was on bed rest, and unable to continue work on the case.

"Woody." Nigel said, giving her a sideways look. All of her friends at the morgue knew what Woody had done to Jordan, thanks to Lilly. "Have you spoken to him yet?" Jordan snorted. "What for? He's made his feelings quite clear. I'm glad he's back on the job, though." Nigel frowned at her.

"Jordan, while I certaily don't agree with what the detective did and said, he can hardly be held accountable for his actions. He was fresh out of surgery and still woozy from the painkillers! It's painfully obvious that- Ah, detective Hoyt. Speak of the devil." Jordan's head snapped up at the mention of his name, and sure enough, the tall, handsome detective was walking over to them, armed with his cane.

"Nig! I haven't seen you around. How've you been?" He shook hands with Nigel, ignoring Jordan completely.

"That might be because you haven't been around, mate. Are you here for the autopsy results? Because Jordan has them and I have to run." He said, taking off. Thanks, Nig. Jordan thought, annoyed.

"Here they are, detective." She said stiffly, handing over the documents. "Thank you, doctor." He replied, and turned to leave. Jordan couldn't stand it anymore.

"You're looking much better. How long are you going to have to use that?" She asked, pointing her chin at his cane. For a minute, she thought he was going to walk away, but he turned, looking slightly irritated.

"Why? So you can send me a 'get well soon' card? Forget it, Jordan. I don't want your pity or well wishes. Just leave me alone unless you have something for me pertaining to the case." He started to walk away, but there was no way Jordan was letting him get away with that.

"No, detective asshole, I don't want to send you a damn card. I was wondering, as a friend, since you've made your feelings crystal clear, when you would be walking on your own again. But never mind. I don't care." She spun on her heel and headed into her office.

Before she could sit down, her office door opened and slammed shut. Woody stood in the cramped office, looking like a bull who's seen red.

"You've never cared, so why should you start now? I want to know why you said what you said to me before I went into surgery."

To her horror, Jordan could feel tears prickling behind her eyelids. "Why? You're so convinced it was pity that it must have been. You're the detective, you're always right. Now ger out of my office. I have work to do." Before I start crying. She added mentally, sitting down and keeping her eyes down so he wouldn't see her cry.

He saw the dismissal for what it was and stormed out of the building.

Jordan covered her face with her hands and rubbed up and down willing the tears to go away.

"Jordan? Was that Woody I just saw leaving-oh." Lilly walked into the room, just as Jordan lost the battle. Hot, angry tears coursed down her cheeks as Lilly pulled her into a hug.

"He didn't mean it, Jordan. He loves you! Although he sure has a rotten way of showing it." She muttered, as Jordan cried silently on her shoulder. "Loves, right! That's why he seems to delight in making me cry. God, I'm a idiot. I should have just kept my mouth shut." Jordan pulled away, wiping her wet face with a kleenex.

"You just have to give him time, Jordan. He's going through a difficult time in his life. You just have to be patient, he'll come around." Lilly said.

"No, Lilly, he won't. If he wants me out of his life, I'm gone.I know when to back off" Jordan said, shuffling papers around on her desk. She certainly wasn't going to follow him around like a lovesick fool.

Lilly looked at her uncertainly, and opened her mouth to protest. " Don't worry, I'm fine with it. Don't really have time for romance anyway, do we? Sloakum's loving working us into the ground." Jordan interrupted, grinning. "I really miss Garrett." Lilly sighed. "Being Sloakum's glorified secretary wasn't what I had in mind when I came to work here."

Jordan's grim vanished, to be replaced with a look of stubborn resolve. "Don't worry, I'm working overtime on Garrett's investigation. Hopefully, Sloakum's just a passing annoyance. We'll be able to kick him to the curb by the new year!"

At least, that was the plan.

A/N: So, how was it? If I've made any mistakes, feel free to correct them. Review, please!

Kate