A/N: NEXT CHAPTER UP, WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO THE END(BOO-HOO). THIS CONTINUES FROM LAST CHAPTER AND SETS UP FOR THE NEXT. THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT REVIEWS. I PROMISE TO GIVE THE CHARACTERS BACK AS SOON AS I'M DONE PLAYING WITH THEM. ENJOY!
CHAPTER 28: YOU REALLY GOT ME
Woody came home from his therapy session exhausted and sore that evening, greeted by puffy, red-eyed, but very happy Jordan. "Well you look like you're feeling better.", Woody stated, breaking their hug. "Yeah, I do feel a little better. But, if you don't mind me saying, you're the one who isn't looking so good now.", Jordan replied with a chuckle, holding on to her sore stomach. "Mike was mean today. He doubled my session and wants me to come in every day while I'm off.", Woody said, telling Jordan about his day at therapy, and giving her his best pout. "That sounds like a good idea, at least until the doctor says I can help you.", Jordan agreed, walking into the kitchen. "You're mean too.", Woody jokingly mumbled, following close behind.
With Aunt Betty there for another week and Woody on paternity leave for three weeks, the couple was able to settle into a routine. That turned out to be easy considering Jordan was beginning to feel better with each passing day and Millie was an excellent baby . She hardly ever cried or fussed, was even sleeping for about five hours at night, and actually surprised everyone with her first early smile, showing dimples that mirrored her fathers. Family life was agreeing with the Hoyt's, they spent their days doting over each other and Millie, and their evenings with friends and family, strengthening all of their relationships.
Unfortunately, time passes all to soon, and it was time for Woody to return to work. After her shower, Jordan found Woody sitting with Millie in her nursery, using one of his crutches as leverage to push the glider back and forth. "You're gonna be late.", Jordan said, pointing to the clock on the wall. "I know, I just can't bring myself to leave. I miss you two already.", Woody stated, kissing Millie's forehead. "We still have a little time, let's enjoy breakfast.", Jordan said, taking Millie in one arm and helping Woody up with the other. Jordan turned around, as they walked down the hall, and looked back at Woody, noticing his long face. "Hey Woody, we're going to miss you too.", she added, with a smile.
Their first day alone was not what Jordan had expected. Without Woody , Jordan became a little anxious and unusually unsure of herself. She wanted to be able to handle all of this, planning to do the housework and cooking while Millie slept. But Millie had other plans. She was uncharacteristically fussy all morning and, no matter what Jordan did, would not stay asleep. By noon, Jordan, full out of options, decided to take Millie for a soothing car ride and ended up at the police station to see Woody.
Armed with lunch and a now crying baby, Jordan politely hurried past the friendly admirers to her husbands desk, only to find it unoccupied. Lois came over to help Jordan and took Millie out of her car seat. "Follow me, he should be just about done. And is he going to be happy to see the two of you. He was so miserable today that he even agreed to go over cold cases to take his mind off of how much he missed you.", Lois explained, leading Jordan to the next room. Woody sat at the file filled table deeply engrossed in what he was reading, until her heard Millie's cries.
"Hey, what are you doing here?", he asked with a smile, looking up from the file. "We brought you lunch.", Jordan sighed, holding up the sack in one hand and pushing the stroller with the other. Lois gave little Millie a kiss and handed her to Woody. "What's wrong with Daddy's princess, huh?", Woody cooed to his daughter. "I don't know, she's been like this all day. I've tried everything; the swing, the mobile, a car ride, singing. We even danced around the living room a few times.", Jordan explained, feeling her emotions starting to surface. "I'll go get the drinks.", she added quickly, leaving the room before her tears started to fall.
To her surprise, when Jordan returned from the vending machine, Millie was sound asleep in Woody's arms. "How did you do that", she gasped, walking over to them. "I just sang her a song.", he admitted with a shrug. "I tried that; Rock-a-by baby, The isty bitsy spider, The alphabet song...", Jordan recited her long list of song titles. Woody shook his head. "What?", Jordan asked. "She likes the Kinks. Her favorite song is You really got me.", Woody stated shyly. "You're joking, right?", Jordan laughed. "No, we've listened to that cd every day since she's been home. It works every time.", Woody said with a smile. "I can see that.", Jordan replied, looking over at their still sleeping baby.
After lunch Jordan and Millie took a walk, but not before Jordan snacthed Woody's Kinks cd out of his car. Jordan decided to surprise everyone at the morgue with a visit. It felt good, right, to be back in the building, but once in the elevator, a sudden wave of dread came over Jordan. She realized that in a few short weeks, she would have to leave her baby at home while she went back to work, something she was not yet willing to think about.
The first person to notice mother and baby was Emmy. "Dr.H, I mean, Jordan; it's so good to see you.", Emmy said hugging Jordan and peeking in on Millie. As soon as the name Jordan was said, an entire mob engulfed the two. The ever present rivalry between 'Uncle Bug' and 'Uncle Nigel' was so intense that they nearly knocked over one another, racing to the sink to wash up and be the first to hold baby Millie. But of course, Garret, being the peace keeper, scooped little Millie up first, followed by Lily, and then Sidney. Nigel and Bug were left to duke it out themselves.
Jordan had not intended for the visit to be as long as it was. Once Millie was feed, changed and passed around again, it was late afternoon. Jordan walked the three blocks back to the station, loaded the car and headed home. She played Woody's Kinks cd, the whole ride home and did not hear one peep from the baby in the back seat. Jordan arrived home, still humming the last Kinks song that played, happy that she survived her first day out with the baby. She was surprised to see Woody was already home from work, almost two hours early. He was laying on the couch, still dresses in his work clothes, flipping through the channels on the television.
"What a nice surprise, we didn't expect you home so soon.", Jordan stated, the sentence sounding much more like a question than a statement. She set Millie's car sear down on the floor next to Woody and proceeded to empty out the diaper bag. "Is everything alright at work?", she asked when he didn't answer. "Fine. I was bored with those cold cases, and besides my back is killing me.", he mumbled. Jordan turned around to see him reach down and pick up Millie's hand. She saw that was the truth, he was definately in pain, but no matter how much he hurt, Woody never let it show, let alone openly admit it. Jordan knew that there was something else bothering her husband, and she was going to find out what it was.