Author: AthenaIceGoddess

Title:Jumping In

Author: AthenaIceGoddess

Spoilers: 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 would be writing fanfiction?

Chapter 8

Jordan flopped down onto Woody's couch after calling Slokum to explain that she wouldn't be in to work in a few days. He wasn't too pleased, but that was just too bad. She tried to sort out what she was feeling. On the upside, Woody had said he loved her, but his motives weren't exactly trustworthy. What if he said it just to make sure she stayed put like a good little victim? If that was it, she was out of there. Like she had told him, she had friends in she could stay with, even brush up on her skiing skills.

But what if he actually meant it, and she pushed him away again? She groaned and ran a hand down her face. When people said love was complicated, they weren't kidding! Maybe things would be simpler if she just... left. They could both get on with their lives, unhampered by this emotional train wreck that seemed to follow them around.

"No, that wouldn't work." Jordan muttered, getting back up and pacing around Woody's living room. She was really trying to stay mad at him for his comments yesterday, but it was so hard to stay mad at the lovable detective, with his blue eyes and hair that made you want to mess it up even more...

She grabbed the remote and turned on the television, hoping to find something engaging enough to keep her mind off of her unwilling host.

"Five hundred channels and absolutely nothing on. Figures." She muttered in annoyance, ten minutes later, and switched off the tv. She got up and wandered over to Woody's movie and DVD rack. Some people said that you could tell a lot about a man by what movies he watched. Woody's shelf was populated by an even mix of disney flicks like 'Toy Story' and action flicks like 'Fast and the furious'.

"Not helpful, Woody." Jordan muttered, looking shamelessly through drawers and leafing through magazines. In a kitchen drawer, she came across a picture of them taken around two years ago.

Jordan remembered the day it was taken like it was yesterday. They were in central park, and there was a guy taking pictures of couples for two dollars. He had mistaken her and Woody for a couple, something Woody found hilarious. At the time, Jordan had as well. He'd handed the guy a two dollar bill and pulled her into an encompassing bear hug. They were grinning like there wasn't a care in the world.

Jordan smiled and put the picture back carefully where she found it. She looked up at the clock and was surprised to see that it was lunchtime and quickly realized how hungrey she was. Woody's cupboards were woefully lacking in anything edible- at least to her, creamed corn and taco shells didn't constitute a good meal.

Without thinking, she picked up the phone and called Lily. It was her day off, surprisingly. No one figured Sloakum was nice enough to give his new 'personal secretary' a day off, but after a full blown yelling match with said secretary, he agreed to one day a week.

After two rings, Lily answered. "Hello?" She said in the middle of a yawn. Jordan chuckled. "Don't tell me I woke you up."She accused.

"Jordan! Are you ok? Seely called yesterday and told me your apartment had been broken into, since he knew we were friends. Where are you?" The younger woman cried.

Jordan didn't know how much she could tell her, but she didn't care. Lily would keep her mouth shut. "Well, it seems I'm the new target of the serial killer. He waited for me to get home last night and jumped me. I'm fine, Woody showed up just in time. Do you want to go to lunch with me? You'd have to pick me up, since I'm at Woody's until this thing blows over, and I'm not allowed out of the apartment on my own." She asked.

"Uh, sure. But I thought-" Jordan interrupted. "I'll tell you everything when we get some food, I promise."

"Ok, I'll be there in ten minutes." Lily replied, and they hung up. Jordan went back to her wandering until Lily buzzed the intercom and Jordan let her up. She grabbed her coat and pulled open the door just as Lily was raising her fist to knock. She put her hand down and hugged Jordan.

"Are you sure you're ok?" She asked, holding Jordan at arm's length ans searching her face with her eyes, not quite believing that the ME was alright.

"I'm fine. Well, actually, I'm starving, so let's go!" Jordan was almost out the door when she realized that she should leave Woody a note, in case he came home for lunch and freaked when he found her gone. She grabbed a notepad and scribbled that she was going to lunch with Lily at the cafe on the corner and would be back by one thirty.

"Now we can go." She said, locking the door behind them and heading to Lily's car. They were sitting down in the restaurant when Lily's curiousity got the better of her.

"So, why are you staying with Woody? I thought you two were on less than speaking terms." She asked, sipping her tea. Jordan frowned, chewing on a breadstick.

"Well, he didn't really want me to stay with him. But we're more or less getting along. I haven't killed him yet, so I think we're doing pretty good." Jordan said, and dug into her burger.

Lily chuckled. "The sooner you two realize you two finally stop fighting the inevitable and realize you're perfect for one another is the day we'll all be happier. The sexual tension between the two of you could be cut with a knife. What I don't understand is why you two... Hi, Woody." She finished, smiling up at someone behind Jordan.

Jordan grimaced and turned in her chair. "Hey, Farm boy. Something you wanted?" His eyes flashed dangerously at her comment, but he didn't reply to it.

"Jordan, maybe you don't understand me when I say I'm looking out for your welfare. Maybe you'll understand this. The CHIEF told me to keep you safe, why, I don't know, but now you're coming with me back to my apartment." He said.

Jordan wanted to argue, puff up about how she didn't have to listen to him, but something in his murderous gaze told her she should heed him for once.

Lily tried to hide her grin behind her hand, but it didn't quite cut it. "You two go ahead. I'll just finish up my salad.." Without a word, Jordan followed Woody out to his car and sat silently in his passenger seat until they were back in his apartment. Then she let loose.

She slammed the door behind her. "I don't know where you get off thinking you can tell me what to do, detective-" Before she could continue, Woody had stalked over to her, making her back up until her back hit the door.

"I'm sorry that you think I'm doing this for some kind of perverse pleasure, Dr. Cavanaugh, but try to get tjis through your thick skull: I don't want you to get hurt." He stared at her, icy blue eyes boring into her soul. It was at that moment that Jordan felt something inside her break, and in one smooth movement he was right in front of her, his musceled chest pressing into her.

Seemingly in slow motion, he grabbed her face and pulled her lips up to his for a soul sucking, tonsil-touching kiss. Jordan was sure her heary was about to pop out, it was beating so hard. It was a good thing his arms were sliding down to her waist and holding her up, because without them, she was sure her knees would have given out.

Jordan thought she heard footfalls behind them, but she wasn't too sure of anything right then. She regretted looking a second later when the sickening sound of something hard cracking into a human skull assulted her ears, and Woody fell like a sack of potatoes.

All she saw was a fist coming at her face, and fast, before everything went black.

A/N: thanks again for all the reviews, i didn't think this would be as well liked as it is. Thanks for the tip to turn on anon reviews, now if I can figure out how too... lol.

Next chapter: it will be a split Woody/ Jordan chapter. Will Woody manage to find Jordan before her time runs out? Let's hope so