Disclaimer: I do not own Crossing Jordan. Nor have I ever owned it or the characters associated with it….it sucks, I know. The only character that is solely mine, is Liz.

Last time...

Bug rolled his eyes at the scene before him. Liz hadn't even been in the room for five minutes and Sidney was all over her.

"I was actually about to get some lunch. Would you like to join me?" Sidney offered.

Bug stepped foreword, "I'm sure Dr. Townsend would…."

"I'd love to," Liz smiled. "You want to go now?"

"Now's good." Sidney put his arm on Liz's back leading her towards the door. "Do you like burgers?"

Liz nodded smiling. "Good to see you again Dr. Vijay," Liz said over her shoulder.

Bug just scowled watching them leave together.

Sidney and Liz walked to the burger joint down the street. They made small talk along the way talking about books, movies, and music. They found out they had a lot in common.

Liz couldn't believe that she was back in Boston. After everything that happened with Bug, she promised herself that she wouldn't come back…ever. Then, she got the call from Dr. Macy asking for her to come back to Boston and help him out in the morgue. She thought about if for a few minutes and realized that Boston was a perfectly good city and there is not reason that she should avoid coming back because of some guy.

Sidney came back with their burgers. "Hey," he said smiling. "They didn't have iced tea, so I got you Coke instead. I hope you don't mind."

"Coke's fine," Liz smiled.

"So have you ever worked at the morgue before?" Sidney said stuffing a French fry into his mouth.

"Yeah, maybe two or three years ago for about nine months and then whenever Dr. Macy needs me."

"So that's how you know Bug?"

"Right. He was my partner the last time I was at the morgue."

"So you weren't….?"

"Weren't what?"

"Well, no offense or anything, but I'm sensing a lot of tension between the two of you. The kind of tension that is normally created after a break up."

"You want to know if we were ever a thing?"

"Bingo!"

Liz sighed, "Yes, okay? Yes, the last time I was in Boston, we had a bit of a thing and it didn't work out. So now you know. Are you happy?"

Sidney held up his hands in defense, "Sorry I didn't mean to offend you. It's just that you guys made it fairly obvious."

"I'm going to have to work on that."

"Yeah, I think that would be a good idea. I promise I won't tell anyone."

Liz smiled, "Thank you."

"So you and Bug, huh?"

"Yes, me and Bug."

"How did Nigel react when he found out?"

"Nigel doesn't know."

"He's your brother and he doesn't know that you dated his best friend?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much it."

"Wow, you've got guts. If I ever found out that my sister dated my best friend and didn't tell me about it, I'd be a little pissed."

"Well, Nigel's going to be more than a little pissed. That's why I'm not telling him. Besides, Bug and I aren't even together anymore so it really doesn't matter."

"Maybe?" Sidney said skeptically throwing the wrappers out from lunch. He didn't know Liz well and didn't really know much about her relationship with Bug or her brother, both of which seemed a little strained. What he did know was that whatever it was that had caused this tension made Liz uncomfortable, so he felt that the best thing for him to do was be to change the subject and revisit it at another time, possibly when they knew each other better. "So what brings you to Boston, Dr. Townsend?"

"Call me, Liz and the reason that I'm here in Boston is that Dr. Macy asked me to help you guys out while Jordan and Nigel are away."

"Have you found a place to stay yet?"

"Well, I think Dr. Macy is going to find some place for me to stay tonight and then it's up to me."

"I'd let you stay with me, but I've already got my brother staying with me."

"Thanks, Sidney. It's okay though. I'll find something."

As they walked back to the morgue, they made friendly conversation while simultaneously enjoying the warm summer breeze. He told her his horror stories from his rookie days at the morgue and she told him some of her funny Nigel stories. He didn't know what Bug had done to hurt Liz so much, but from what he could tell of her, she didn't deserve it…and from what he could tell, Bug was hurting just as much as Liz was, maybe even more so. He wished that there was something that he could do to fix what had been broken long ago.

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