AN: at the bottom—

Every Star Fall Brought You to Tears

Two months later, on a brisk winter afternoon, Jordan stepped out of the Boston court room; her testimony had been the icing on the cake to the evidence of the criminologist assigned to the initial crime. Jarvis Angler-Poltski would not be getting out of jail for his lifetime if anybody could help it.

Early in the case he had plead insanity but Jordan assured everybody that he was not insane when he kidnapped her, he was just sick. She told him of how he had tortured her and how he ruthlessly murdered his accomplice, whose name had been Jim Timmons, a local Bostonian car repairman who had gotten confused in Poltski's little game and tried to live out sick fantasies of his own.

He admitted to the kidnapping but held a firm non-guilty stand on the previous two murders of his brother and cheating girlfriend. He had tried pinning Timmons' murder on Jordan but, not only did the jury not buy it but Jordan provided forensic evidence to protect her innocence. The jury sentenced him to seventy five years in prison without the chance of parole for the three murders and the kidnapping. Charges were dropped on the two murders of Fiorenzo and Smyth because the car bomb that caused the explosion, meant simply to destroy evidence, was created and planted by Timmons. A separate case would need to take place in order to sentence him for illegally fleeing the country and a list of other charges that were brought against him in Canada.

Jordan would be ready for that hearing though she knew that not much would come of it. She gracefully paced down the snow drifted stone steps to the street where Woody stood with the passenger's side door open and ready. He took her left hand and kissed her cheek before she ducked into the car. He shut the door behind her.

They drove in happy silence to a familiar little bar called the Pogue. As chivalrous as he was, Woody didn't have time to shut the car off and run around to open the door before Jordan stood on the sidewalk in anticipation. His heart skipped a beat seeing her in that black dress.

The casts had been removed, and her bruises had healed. It had taken a while before she could recover her strength sufficiently enough to return to work, but she had. Her scars from both life threatening experiences were healing, Jordan would always have some reminder of the car accident on her face. Whenever her right hand unexpectedly went to sleep, she would curse Angler for how he's changed her life.

It was the soft hand that Woody held as they entered the bar. It was a private function, a Merry Christmas, a welcome back, congratulations, and a celebration of life. Everybody was dressed to impress.

She looked at her tuxedoed father behind the bar. He had been left in Derby Line by Woody but he wouldn't have had it any other way. As he had mentioned before, he was finished with being a cop, the life was exciting for a little while, but the stories that Woody told afterward nearly gave him a heart attack to imagine. He was grateful that Woody had brought his daughter home safely. She lived with Max for the week and a half after returning from Canada before having her casts removed. She had not complained or given him the cold shoulder even once. Now, as he poured another beer for Nigel, his eyes shone with pride and hope for the future.

Lily approached them in a ravishing green dress and took their jackets, hanging them on a nearby hook. She gave Jordan a hug, like she had everyday since she had been rescued. Her kind smile and laughter brought a tear to Jordan's eye, she was so incredibly grateful to have the friends she had. Nigel and Bug waved jovially from the bar and others exclaimed as they entered.

Garret was next, he was still slightly bitter that Woody and Max had abandoned him at the morgue but he had found that he had a purpose there. It was he who had discovered the make and model of the car Angler had bought and kept Max updated on Angler's position. Jordan cocked her head to the side and invited him for the next hug. He accepted, warning her not to wrinkle his tux.

The Pogue was filled with the sound of laughter, clinking glasses and happiness.

She looked to Woody; the joy in his face was indescribable. Two months ago, he had gone to hell and back to save her, to help her, and she would forever be in his debt and all he wanted was her. He never wanted harm to befall her and he never wanted any other man to mirror her gaze. She accepted with a simple ring on the proper hand.

Her marriage to Angler had been authentic the moment she signed the certificate; needless to say, she had gotten it annulled at her first opportunity.

Stiles had recently told her that it would take longer than two months to emotionally recover from her ordeal. She understood but daily life was still difficult for her. She cried at odd moments and laughed at others. Two months ago, she thought she wasn't going to live to see Christmas, that everybody was going to celebrate without her while she lay in her eternal resting place a shallow grave dug by her wicked husband. Now she laughed until she cried and cried until she laughed. She lived her life as if every day would be her last. She always accepted help when it was offered and she tried her hardest not to let her temper flare.

And every time she gazed into Woody's blue eyes, such as now, the past escaped her mind and she could see a glimpse of her future. She saw a wedding, children, and a house with a white picket fence, excitement, joy and laughter. Tears swelled in her eyes and all she could do was smile.

Fin

AN: Thank you everybody who commented! Much appreciated, I thought this story needed a little post-excitement happy ending, I mean; it just seemed to drop off a cliff. So I didn't wait for the 5 required comments before I wrote it, in fact, I hadn't even posted the 22nd chapter before it was written. And as a treat I posted the lat two chapters together! Thank you all for reading my story, it's really the best I've written yet, keep watching for my next crazy idea, you'll like it if you're in the mood for some Lily/Seely/Bug/maybe-Jeffery-if-I-feel-like-it excitement, maybe a little terror, and perhaps a happy ending (not THAT kind of happy ending... gawd you people are sick!) I haven't really gotten all the details worked out yet, but I will ooooh I will and you will enjoy!