Chapter 9

Jordan woke up and registered the emptiness beside her first. She let out a frustrated breath. It had been this way for a week. Jordan could feel something was wrong, almost as soon as it happened. She had hoped Woody would open up and tell her, but she could feel him pushing her away…again.

One week earlier

Jordan snapped her phone shut and all but ran down the hallway. Santana called to let her know. Wayne Riggs was in police custody. She also wanted her to know that after Riggs was brought in, Woody left the precinct soon after. Jordan went to her office to grab her purse and keys. She tried to breathe through the panic that was settling in her chest as she drove home. She hit 1 on her speed dial as she drove, but again, Woody didn't answer.

She raced up the stairs and through the big red door. He wasn't home. She had to find him. She pulled out her phone again.

"Nige! I need you to trace Woody's phone. I need to know where he is."

"What happened?" Nigel asked seriously, hearing the panic in her voice.

"They caught Wayne Riggs.Woody left the precinct and he's not at home. I have to make sure he's okay."

"On it." Jordan could hear him clicking.

" Looks like his phone is at the riverfront, but it's not moving."

"Okay, thanks, Nigel."

She found his car and she started following their normal running path. They had just started running together again. Woody couldn't run as far as before, but they were working on it. She was nearing the end of their normal loop when she saw him on a bench.

"Woody!" He didn't acknowledge her.

"Woody." She repeated once she was right in front of her.

"Jordan?"

"Woody, I've been calling you."

"Sorry, I think I left it in the car."

"Santana called me."

"Yeah… I needed some…air . I just ended up here, sorry."

"It's okay." She sat down next to him. They sat in silence.

"He looked right at me." He said in a whisper.

"'He smirked at me and I just had to get out of there. I was either going to punch him or…"

"He's going to pay for what he did." Jordan said with conviction.

The nightmares started soon after. It became easier for Woody not to sleep. The anger he thought was gone was back, just lurking under the surface, but he could feel it.

"What's going on, Woody?" Jordan asked as she emerged from the bedroom.

"What do you mean?" He countered without looking at her.

"I mean you. Lately, you've been distant. You're not talking to me."

"It's nothing." He said as he threw away a piece of toast after only taking a few bites.

"Don't give me that crap. You're not sleeping, barely eating. Don't you think I recognize this pattern? You know when we started this I think we were both so concerned with me running that it never occurred to me that it might be you."

"What are you talking about? I'm right here."

"Physically, but you're shutting me out. Please, Woody? I know Riggs.." the mention of his name was all it took.

"You don't know anything!" the volume and ferocity shocked them both. Jordan stared at him with wide eyes for what seemed like an incredibly long time.

"I know you're in a bad place. We can get through it. Please let me help you." Her voice was pleading.

"Would you just stop it? It's not always about you!" He yelled. Woody watched as Jordan squared her shoulders and stood straighter. She took a deep breath.

"You're absolutely right, it's not." She said with a coldness he had never experienced with her before. With that she grabbed her bag and walked toward the door.

"Jordan, wait, Jo." His words came too late, she was already gone. He scrubbed his hand over his face in frustration. What the hell did he just do?

Jordan didn't have any time to dwell on her fight with Woody or the sickness that was currently invading her body. The authorities were still searching for those missing boys and by lunchtime they had found one of them.

At the crime scene Woody kept trying to make eye contact with her as they worked to recover the dead boy. Jordan was heading back to the morgue when he got a moment alone with her.

"Jordan, you're sick. You shouldn't be out here in this weather."

"We have to find those boys."

"I know. Listen, about earlier…"

"Now really isn't the time to get into that. I have to get back to the morgue. " Her tone was still cold. He could only watch as she walked away from him.

Woody saw her again when she came back to the park determined to search for the second crime scene. He knew he deserved it, but it still hurt when she made the comment about how if it wasn't about him it wasn't that important. He tried to push past the way she looked at him when she said it and focus on findings those boys.

After the deadend with the boyfriend and hitting a wall with the ranger, Woody needed a break. He made it to the apartment with soup in hand. He was sure she wouldn't want to talk yet. He really only had time to drop off the soup, but he was hoping the gesture would help break the ice. When he entered the apartment it looked exactly how he'd left it earlier that day. There was no sign she had been home. She must have gone back to the morgue.

Woody tried to push down the panic when he found Jordan's empty office. Something didn't feel right. Just then Woody saw Nigel hurrying down the hall toward Trace. Woody quickly caught up to him.

"Nigel, have you seen Jordan?"

"What do you mean?" Nigel asked, clearly confused.

"I know Dr. Macy sent her home, but she wasn't there. I figured she came back here." Woody explained, again trying to keep the panic under control.

"Woody, she's not here. Did you call her?" Nigel asked as they went back into Trace Evidence.

"I just figured she wasn't picking up."

"Why would she not answer your call?" Garret asked hearing the tail end of the conversation.

"We had a fight." There was something in his tone that told Garret the fight was Woody's fault. Garret gave him a look, but said nothing else.

Just then a computer beeped.

"We have a match to the other DNA sample at the campsite."

Nigel went to the computer. He wordlessly turned the computer screen to show the others in the room.

"No." The single word tumbled from Woody's mouth just above a whisper as he stated at Jordan's picture. He stalked out of the room.

Lily turned and followed him. She watched for a moment as Woody walked down the hall. She could see his limp was more pronounced and the way his hand was resting on his back. She quickly caught up with him.

"Woody you need to rest, at least for a little while."

"Not now, Lily. I have to find her."

"What are you going to do?" She asked.

"I'm going to pay a visit to the ranger. He knows something. I'll sweat him until he breaks." Lily saw a look in his eyes she'd never seen before.

"Woody, are you sure that's a good idea?" She questioned again.

He didn't answer, he just walked away.

Garrett, Nigel, Bug and Lily were all back in the park. Bug had just found Jordan's cell phone, when Garrett heard his ring. It was Woody. He sounded out of breath as he told him where the boys were. He could hear the desperation in Woody's voice when he confirmed Jordan was with them.They searched as night turned to day. Finally, discovering Jordan and the missing boys.

Jordan sat just inside the back of the ambulance, relishing the heat from the vehicle and watching as activity swirled around her. Her morgue family had already checked on her, and Todd had thanked her before his parents took him home,but she kept searching for that one face. She closed her eyes for a minute. She still had far too much adrenaline in her body to sleep, but she was tired. When she opened her eyes she saw him standing there. Their eyes met.

"Jordan." Woody approached her quickly, ignoring the pain coursing through his back and legs.

He cupped his hands on either side of her face and pulled her into a kiss. When they broke apart he spoke quietly into her ear, his voice breaking as he said the words.

"God, Jo. I thought..."

"I'm okay." She said, letting a few tears fall. He gently wiped them away. He tenderly brushed the scrape on the side of her face then he gently guided her head into his chest. He felt her arms loop around him as he rested his head on top of hers. They stayed like that for a while, just needing to be in contact with each other. Eventually they broke apart and Jordan got out of the ambulance. Woody felt her shiver and he put his arm around her trying to keep her warm. Jordan wrapped her arm around Woody's waist as she felt him stumble. They both knew they needed to talk, but now wasn't the time. As they left, they were just grateful for the chance to hold on to each other.