Big thanks go out to my wonderful reviewers: kacie 20, jtbwriter, prin 69, whalersfan, willow, pol, Agel15, kay, Willow Murray, sugar31107 & rinny j. You're the best!

Disclaimer: I don't own Crossing Jordan.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The day dragged by. After Lily left Garrett and Bug came in and brought me a box of Godiva chocolates, which we dove into right then. They stayed and visited for awhile and left when a couple of police officers came to get a statement.

I told them the story, or at least most of it and they left just as the doctor came in to check on me.

"You're free to go home," he told me. "Your head is going to hurt for a while, so I'll get you a prescription. Take it easy for a day or so. He beat you pretty badly. You're just lucky that he didn't fracture your cheekbone or break your nose."

I smiled wryly. "Yeah, I am pretty lucky," I said, and thought, in more ways than one.

The doctor left and I got out of bed, eager to get home. My clothes were on a shelf and I went into the bathroom and changed. When I saw my reflection in the mirror I realized why everyone had looked so shocked.

Large purple bruises covered my face and my nose was swollen. There was a cut on my bottom lip. I looked like a mess. And as I gingerly touched the back of my head, I felt the lump at the base of my skull and winced. I was lucky that I hadn't been hurt any worse, especially when I thought of Andrea, Lisa, Shannon and Lindsay. I shuddered when the image of Lyle standing before me popped up.

I hadn't told everyone the whole story. I had told them most of it, but I hadn't told them how desperate I had felt, how terrified I had been. I hadn't told them that I never thought I would leave that apartment alive. I hadn't told them how I'd flirted with Lyle, kissed him, trying to save myself. The thought sickened me.

I slipped into the jeans and shirt that I had worn to the Pogue the night before. Dried blood crusted the front of the shirt. Even though I was an ME the sight made me slightly nauseous, I guess because the blood was mine. There wasn't much else I could do with myself. I was sore and wanted nothing more than a long soak in a hot bath.

When I walked out of the bathroom I realized that I didn't have a way home. My car was still at my apartment.

"Damn," I muttered. Now I was going to have to hang around the hospital until someone could come and get me or I'd have to take a cab. Which wouldn't work, since I had no idea where my purse was, or my cell phone for that matter. I sighed heavily and walked out into the hall to find the nurses station and use the phone.

I almost collided with Woody as I turned the corner.

"Jordan! You're up!" he said when he saw me.

"Yeah, hi Woody," I said awkwardly.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I was just going to find a phone to call someone to pick me up," I said.

"Oh, well, I was stopping by to see when you could leave and to see if you needed a lift. Max wanted to come but one of the bartenders called in sick and he couldn't leave."

"Oh."

"Can I take you home?" he asked.

"Yeah, thanks Woody," I said.

We went back into my room and picked up the vase of daisies and Lily's silk plant. We walked out to Woody's car, each lost in our own thoughts.

We drove in silence for awhile, then I turned to Woody. "So how'd things go in your meeting with the chief and Wolcott?" I asked.

"Oh, you know. I followed procedures, they can't see that I did anything wrong, so I'm fine. I don't have to work until Monday, though."

I nodded. "I'm glad you didn't get in trouble," I said seriously.

Woody looked over at me and shrugged. "Nah, I'm not in any trouble." he said. "The officers told them that there was nothing else I could do."

"Still, I'm glad you showed up when you did," I said, biting my bottom lip.

"You were doing a pretty good job holding your own," he commented.

I laughed shortly. "Yeah. Well, I don't know how much longer I could have held him off."

We pulled in front of my apartment building. Woody opened the car door for me and carried my things. "Oh, wait," he said as we got to the front door. "I have your purse."

He jogged back to the car, grabbed the purse and came back.

We went upstairs to my apartment and Woody set the flowers and the plant on the coffee table. I sat stiffly on the couch.

Woody stood there, arms crossed, looking decidedly nervous. "Are you hungry?" he asked.

"Yeah, actually I am," I said.

"How 'bout I go grab some burgers and bring them back here?"

"Yeah, Woody, that sounds great," I said. "I think I'll just take a shower while you go. Thanks."

He nodded. "Sure, Jo. I'll be back soon."

"Oh, here, take my key in case I'm in the shower," I said and handed him the key to my apartment.

"Alright. Be back in a few," he said as he left.

Once he was gone I heaved a relieved sigh. It wasn't that I didn't appreciate Woody, but I was feeling stressed, overwhelmed and tired.

I decided that what I needed was to have a long, hot bath so I went into my tiny bathroom and ran a steaming hot bath. I stripped off the bloody clothes from the night before and threw them into the garbage. No way would I ever wear them again.

I slid into the hot water and leaned back, feeling the water start to loosen my tight muscles. I carefully washed my hair and face, wincing against the slight pressure, and the sting of the hot water on my scrapes. I closed my eyes and saw flashbacks of memory from the night before. Lyle, the album of pictures of me, the pictures of my friends, Woody coming through the door...

I shivered. The water had cooled so I got out and changed into a pair of black terrycloth jogging pants and matching shirt. I slipped into a pair of slippers and emerged from the bathroom to find Woody still gone. I sat on the couch and noticed the vase of daisies again. There was a card, which I hadn't noticed before. I opened it. It was signed simply, Woody. I smiled.

The door opened then and Woody came through carrying McDonald's bags. "I hope you're in the mood for a Big Mac," he said.

"Sounds good," I replied with a weak smile.

He set the bags down on the coffee table and sat on the opposite end of the couch from me. "Thanks for the flowers," I said.

He looked surprised, probably wondering why I hadn't noticed the flowers before. "You're welcome."

We ate in silence. I thought about turning on the TV, but I didn't want to have to watch news story after news story about what had happened last night, and I was sure Woody didn't either. He was subdued, his eyes were haunted. It was not the first time he had shot someone, but it wasn't something that I thought you ever got used to.

When we were done eating we both sat back on the couch and I sighed. I glanced over at Woody and saw him watching me.

"Jordan," he said.

"Woody," I said at the same time and we both laughed.

"Go ahead," he said.

"I just...thank you again for, well, for saving my life," I said.

He looked at me. "I'm just glad we found you in time," he said. Then he paused and looked down at his hands. "I was afraid, Jordan," he said quietly. "I was afraid we wouldn't find you in time and it would be my fault for leaving you at the Pogue with him."

"You didn't know that's who it was," I protested.

"No, but I knew something was wrong. I should have said something, not let you stay with him."

I thought about that. "You would have only made me mad," I said. "I wouldn't have listened to you."

He sighed. "Yeah, I know."

There was another silence. "Woody, I..."

"What Jordan?"

I took a deep breath. "I thought he was going to kill me, Woody. I did. There was no way for me to get out of that apartment. If you hadn't found me, he would have killed me," I said. I was horrified to realize that my eyes were stinging with tears. The self control that I had spent my whole life perfecting was crumbling around me as I remembered the look in Lyle's eyes as he talked so calmly of killing my friends, of killing me.

"I know, Jo, but we did find you, that's what's important," Woody said.

It was like a dam burst. The words started rushing out of me before I could stop them. I told him the whole story, the one that no one had heard. I didn't know why it was that I would tell it to Woody, of all people. It just kind of happened.

"I tried to seduce him, Woody. I tried to seduce him so that I could catch him off guard. It didn't work, the guy had reflexes that you wouldn't believe. I didn't know what to do, I didn't know if I'd gotten across to you where to look for me," I paused and shuddered. "It was horrible, Woody. You know me, I'm not afraid of anything, but I was terrified," I rambled. That last bit was a complete lie. The truth was, I was afraid of a lot, I had just learned very well how to hide it.

Woody was staring at me like he didn't know who I was. His eyes were solemn and sad, but I could also see anger burning in the back of his blue eyes. I could feel myself shaking slightly. No doubt he'd never seen me this upset before.

"Oh, Jo, it's okay. It's okay," he said softly and held his arms open, not pressuring me, just letting me know he was there for me.

I stared at him, my emotions battling inside of me. I felt vulnerable, which is a feeling that I do not like. But at the same time, I wanted nothing more than to just be in his arms, let him hold me with no thought of the consequences.

I felt a tear creep down my cheek and Woody reached over and brushed it carefully away. I put my hand to my mouth and felt my pride crumble away as I practically fell into his arms, sobbing.

He let me cry. He put his arms around me and whispered soothing words in my ear while he gently stroked my hair.

"You don't always have to be so strong, Jordan. You can lean on me, I'm here for you," he said so softly that I wasn't sure if he was talking to me or to himself.

I don't know how long we sat that way, with Woody's arms around me. I dozed off and I woke up, startled to find myself leaning on Woody's chest. He was leaning back on the couch, his head back, sound asleep.

I sat up and stretched which woke Woody up. He sat up and yawned.

We stared at each other. Words unsaid lay between us and the tension was thick.

"I uh, I should probably get going," Woody said finally.

The words I wanted to say were on the tip of my tongue but I couldn't say them.

"Yeah," I said and reluctantly stood up. Woody got tohis feet and picked up his wallet and keys from the table. The silence was heavy as we walked towards the front door.

Woody had just put his hand on the doorknob when I took a deep breath and put my hand over his, stopping him from turning the knob. "Woody..." I said softly.

"Yeah, Jordan?" he replied, staring down at me.

"Um...maybe you could...maybe you could stay here tonight. I don't...I just...I don't want to be alone," I managed to choke out, as close to telling him that I needed him as I could get.

He studied me with those deep blue eyes of his, then nodded. "Sure, Jo. I'd love to stay."

I gave him a half-smile and, still holding his hand, led him back to the couch. He dropped his keys and wallet back on the table and sat down. I sat down next to him and leaned over and rested my head against his chest. He put an arm around me, his hand warm and comforting on my shoulder.

I hadn't told him how I felt about him. I wanted to, but my own fears had choked me and I just couldn't say the words. I couldn't trust him, because I couldn't trust myself. I was so afraid to let go, to just tell him how I felt. I was afraid of being hurt again, I was afraid of hurting him.

I'd lost control, I'd cried and I'd admitted my fears, but I hadn't been able to get up the guts tell him how much I cared about him.

And as we sat there together on the couch, Woody's arms around me, I just hoped that somehow I'd find the courage I needed to tell him that I was pretty sure I loved him. I sighed. But that was a step I wasn't ready to take, not yet.

THE END

A/N: well, there it is. I know it's probably not the ending you were hoping for, but with this story I was trying to stay true to the series since it's supposed to take place in the second season. I decided not to have them hook up because I wanted to keep it 'in character' for the series. I hope you enjoyed it anyways and as always all feedback is greatly appreciated.

A big warm thanks to those of you who have been here since the beginning. Thanks for sticking with me! Hugs and kisses to you all, and I hope you check out my next story...

Love,

Gryffingirl