Chapter 8 – Two steps backwards

In the evening the case was finally wrapped up. The blonde hair and the fingerprints on the murder weapon belonged to the mistress. When Woody confronted her with the evidence, it didn't take long for her to confess. It turned out that the wife knew about her husband's affair and accepted it. But at some point he was fed up with both of them and wanted to leave them. This made them so furious that they murdered him together.

Woody arrested them both for manslaughter but the wife still tried to declare her innocence and to blame it all on the mistress.

He was glad that this weir case was finally over and he could go to have dinner with Jordan though he feared her reaction a bit after their little encounter earlier. Sighing he hoped that everything went well. He quickly made his way over to the ME's office.

…

Jordan was sitting in her office finishing the last bits of paperwork on the case while she waited for Woody to arrive.

There was an army of butterflies in her stomach everytime she thought about what lay ahead of her. She was nervous as hell, not only because she would tell him about the baby but also because of what happened in the lab. They had nearly kissed and she wasn't sure what that would mean for their relationship. Maybe he did have feelings for her after all, but she quickly discarded that thought because she didn't want to set up her hopes too high.

A gentle knock on her door interrupted her thoughts. It was Woody leaning in the doorframe and looking as good as ever. This surely wouldn't help her when she kept lusting after him.

"Hey Jo! Are you ready to go?"

"Just a moment, please," she closed the file in front of her and grabbed her purse. "Ok let's go."

As she walked past him, he laid his hand on the small of her back to guide her out of the building. During the drive to the small diner they usually ate in, he filled her in on the last outcomes of the case.

"He left them and that was a reason to murder someone? That's insane," she commented and he nodded in agreement.

When they arrived there, they entered the diner and chose a booth in the back of the room. Soon the waitress came and brought them the menu cards. Jordan didn't even look at it; she already knew what she wanted. As if on cue, her stomach let out a loud grumble. Woody chuckled at that.

"What? I haven't eaten in…4 hours," she said chuckling.

He could only grin at her. Then the waitress appeared at their table to take their orders.

"Hi! What can I get you?" she asked.

"I'll have a large cesar's salad, a double-burger with fries and a coke and a slice of apple pie for dessert," Jordan ordered, ignoring the unbelieving stares of Woody and the waitress.

"I'll just have a burger with fries and water," he ordered of himself.

The waitress scribbled everything down and left the table.

"Wow, that's enough food for two," Woody teased.

"Hey, I said I'm hungry." If he only knew she was really eating for two. But that could wait until after dinner.

Woody still wondered about her. During their first meals together he had to force her to at least eat a few bites of something and now she ate enough for an army.

"Did you talk to your brother recently," she quickly changed the topic before he could ask further questions.

"No, I kinda didn't feel the urge to call him after what happened when he was here. He endangered your life."

"Yeah, but he's still your brother."

"Thanks for reminding me," he said sarcastically.

"You're right, he's my brother and I love him but if he endangers the person I care about the most, I'm not so fond of him," he added softly.

This made her speechless. Did he just admit that she was the person he cared about the most? Of course, she knew he cared for her. She could see it back then at the hospital and afterwards but she didn't know it was that much that he would abandon his own brother for her.

"So what do you think about this new movie," now it was his turn to change the topic.

They passed the time until their food arrived with small talk about movies, music and other things. Then the waitress came and brought their food.

They ate in comfortable silence but Woody cast glances towards her from time to time. He thought the way she enjoyed her food was so cute. Then she caught him looking.

"What?" she asked confused. Did she have something in her face?

"You look cute when you're eating," he smiled at her and continued to look at her.

"Stop looking! I can't eat when you look at me," she laughed.

He lowered his eyes but looked at her again when she resumed eating.

"Stop it, now!" she said laughing and he joined in.

They ate the rest of their meal in silence.

"That was great. My stomach is so full, I don't think I can move anymore," she sighed contently.

"I still wonder why you didn't explode," he joked.

"You didn't complain earlier when you had fun watching me eat."

"But you really looked cute the way you enjoyed your food."

They smiled shyly at each other and they grew silent for a while.

"We should probably talk about what happened today," he broke the silence.

"You're right, but first I have to tell you something," she took a deep breath. It was so hard for her.

"It's okay, Jordan. You can tell me everything," he took her hand reassuringly-

"Do you want to have children?" she asked out of the blue. Somehow she felt it was important to know that before she told him about her pregnancy.

"What? Why do you want to know that?" he asked, take aback.

"Just answer the question. Do you want to have children someday?" she repeated.

He thought for a moment. "Sure, someday in a few years I would like to have children when I've met the right woman. But right now, I don't think I would make a good dad," he said truthfully. He only left out that she was the woman he wanted to have children with.

He immediately regretted what he just said when he saw the hurt look on her face. He had totally forgotten what she had told him after their night together.

"Jordan, I'm sorry. That was really tactless; I totally forgot that you can't…"

She shook her head to make him silent. He had interpreted her look totally wrong. She was hurt because he obviously thought she wasn't the right woman for him to have children with. She shouldn't have set her hopes up that he could feel more than friendship for her. He had obviously gotten over her.

Another problem was that he didn't want a baby right now. He would feel obliged to take care for her and the baby but secretly he would blame her for ruining his life. But she had to tell him, it was his baby and he should know.

"There's something I have to tell you. I'm…I'm…I'm pr…" her mind was screaming at her to get the hell out of here and out of his life before she did further damage to his life.

"I'm sorry, I can't…I have to go now," she stood up quickly and ran out of the diner.

Woody could only stare after her confused. He wondered what was that bad that she couldn't tell him. He only hoped that she wasn't seriously ill. He knew her well enough that going after her wouldn't help anything; she would only shut him out. He'd let her calm down for now and try his luck again tomorrow.

…

Jordan's head was spinning. What should she do now? She knew she couldn't stay here. She had to get away for a while to clear her head. But first of all she had to get back to the morgue to get her car. Lucky for her, she immediately caught a free taxi that brought her back to the morgue.

On the way there, she had time to think about what she would do now. She thought the best solution was to hand in a temporary leave of absence and go away for a while to think about everything. By the time she had this figured out, she arrived at her workplace. Before she went to get her car she wanted to fill out the necessary papers for her leave.

When she was finished with the papers, she noticed that the light in Dr. Macy's office was still on. Now she could as well hand her leave in personally, even if it meant answering some questions. Garret would appreciate it that she informed him before she went away. She knocked at the door and entered the office where she found him seated on his couch with some face and a glass probably filled with whiskey or something similar.

"Hey Garret" You're still here?"

"I was working late," he answered. "What are you doing here? I saw you leave a few hours ago."

"I went to dinner with Woody and had to come back to get my car. There's also something I wanted to give you," she handed him the paper.

He studied it and wrinkled his forehead. "Oh no, Jordan! You want to run again? I thought we were past that," he sighed.

"I don't want to run; I just need to sort out some personal issues. See it as a longer vacation. You know I haven't taken time off in ages."

He still looked at her sceptically. "Why do I get a feeling that a certain Detective has something to do with all that. You don't want to tell me what this is all about. Maybe I can help."

"That's really nice of you but I only need some time alone. Please Garett, I promise I'll be back in a few months."

From the despair in her voice he knew that arguing with her had no point.

"Okay, but you'll be back in three months at maximum or you can look for another job," he gave her a stern glance although he was a bit worried for her. He just wanted her to come back home safe.

"Thank you so much, Garret," she gave him a hug.

"Just take care and come back," he said as a goodbye.

…

When she was back at her apartment she immediately started to pack the most necessary things she would need for a long vacation. Suddenly she stopped. She had no idea where she would go and she should at least inform Woody that she would be gone for a while. She decided to write him a letter. She could slide it under his door on her way to wherever she would go. Maybe she should just get into her car and see where her way would lead her. The idea wasn't that bad.

Two strenuous hours followed in which she tried to write down something for Woody that would answer some of his questions without revealing too much. Soon her paper basket was full with dismissed concepts. When the letter was finally finished, she lay down to sleep at least a few hours before she would leave early in the morning.

…

The white envelope by his front door was the first thing that caught Woody's eye as he entered his living room. It wasn't there when he came home last night. Somebody must have slipped it under his door while he slept.

He picked up the envelope and opened it. He immediately recognized the handwriting on the paper; it was Jordan's.

With a bad apprehension he read the letter:

Woody,

I'm sorry that I just left yesterday without an explanation. I have a few issues to work out by myself and being in your presence makes it too difficult for me, so I'm taking some time off the job for an extended 'vacation'. Please don't follow me. I know it would be easy for you to track me down. I promise I'll be back in a few months, and then we've got some serious talking to do. But until then I have to be alone to think about everything.

I don't want to hurt you, because I care about you deeply, not only as a friend. Please don't be mad at me. I'll see you.

Love,

Jordan

Flabbergasted he let the letter sink. He mentally cursed himself for being such an idiot yesterday when he didn't go after her after she had left the diner. Now she was gone and he had a feeling that it was his fault, although he had no idea what this was all about. Now he had to wait until he got his answers. But he also had the feeling that he had just lost the love of his life.

TBC

A/N: I'm hiding right now because you'll probably hate me after this chapter. I promise I'll make it up next chapter. It's already written, I just have to type it so I think it will be up either tomorrow or on Sunday.