Woody sat at his desk, shuffling through some of the paperwork that littered its surface. He jumped as the phone rang. "Hoyt."
"Woody? Hey, it's Jordan."
"Jordan? What's up?" He couldn't hide the smile in his voice.
"Not much. I've got the day off today...there was some rough stuff with Kaidlyn last night and..."
"Kaidlyn?"
"My cousin. She sang a couple of songs last night. I'm surprised you haven't met her yet. She's doing an internship at the PD ~ she'd been assigned to Winslow, but he switched her to Carver."
"Oh..." Woody thought back to the night before at the Pogue. He thought he remembered the girl. Yeah...and she was the same one he'd seen sparring with Winslow a couple of days earlier. "Any particular reason?"
"She got reassigned? Well, yeah, but I don't feel like I can go into details."
"Oh." Woody felt his fists clench. He didn't even really know the girl, but she'd seemed like a sweetheart and the thought that Winslow could have...
"Not that way, Woody. Eddie's great with her. It's just...it was determined that it would be much easier for her to work with a female. That's all."
"Oh. Ok." He sighed.
"Anyway..." Jordan continued. "I was wondering if you'd maybe want to go out for dinner tonight?"
"Are you asking me out?"
"Um, yeah. I guess so."
"Jordan Cavanaugh... I..."
"Never mind. I'm sure that you've got..."
"Jordan? Shut up a minute." He laughed. "I would love to go out with you tonight."
"Really?"
"Yes really."
"Ok, so...I'll pick you up around 6:30?"
"That sounds great, Jordan. I'll see you then." Woody smiled as he hung up the phone. This was turning into quite a day.
He got up and walked down the hall to the break room, feeling the need for some coffee or some soda. Eddie and Lois Carver were sitting there, and Lois got up as he walked in.
"Alright, thanks for filling me in, Winslow. I think she and I will work fine together." She nodded at Woody. "Hoyt." And walked out of the room.
For whatever reason, Woody had never felt too comfortable around Eddie, though he could never pin down just why. But... "Lieutenant."
"I was just filling Lois in on the girl she's going to be working with..."
"Jordan's cousin?" Woody sat down. Hell, he was in a good mood, and Winslow seemed to be as well. Might as well take advantage of it.
Eddie looked over at the younger man. "Yeah. How'd you...?"
"Jordan just called me about something and told me bits and pieces when she was explaining why she was off work today."
"Oh. Ok. Yeah ~ Kaid's a great girl...she just needed to be working with a woman right now. But if you're ever double assigned with Lois keep your eye on her. Talented as all hell..." Eddie felt the smile spread across his face and knew there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.
Woody noticed the smile, but given that he was about to go out with someone he worked with, he wasn't going to say anything to Winslow about it. "Yeah. I think I saw her working in the training room the other day..."
"Yeah. I asked her if she wanted to spar. And then I paid dearly for it..." he shook his head. "But it's all good."
"Yeah..." Woody couldn't believe it. Winslow seemed almost human. Sort of like Walcott when she and Garret got back... But no. Surely Winslow wasn't quite like...
"Anyway, I'd better go and get back to work. I'll see you around, Hoyt." Eddie stood and left the break room to return to his office to finish up for the day.
"See you L.T." Woody said as the older man left. He returned to his office and did the last bits of paperwork before leaving to get ready for the evening.
...back at Max's house...
Jordan sighed as she hung up the phone. That hadn't been quite as hard as she'd thought. Maybe things would be ok. She heard the shower stop and moments later, Kaid bounced into the room, wrapped in an oversized beach towel with her wet hair hanging in strings.
"You done in the bathroom for a little while?" Jordan asked Kaid's back as she rummaged in the closet.
"Um, yeah..." Kaid's muffled voice said. "I've got my make up and stuff out here."
"Ok. I'm going to get in the shower." Jordan got up. "Can I borrow some of your shampoo and stuff?"
"Yeah, no problem." Kaid came out of the closet having found what she was looking for. Fitted jeans, boots, and a boat neck sweater Jordan could tell from looking would set Kaid's blue eyes off perfectly. She smiled over at Jordan.
"Nice outfit. Good choice for your coloring." She nodded.
"Thanks," Kaid replied. As Jordan went into the bathroom, Kaid pulled on an oversized t-shirt and some boxer shorts for getting ready. By the time Jordan came out, Kaid had set her make-up...just enough that her eyes really stood out but not so much that she didn't look "natural."
"Looks nice." Jordan smiled. "You're really happy aren't you?"
"Yeah," Kaid nodded. "But I'm nervous as all hell too..."
"You'll be fine." Jordan placed a reassuring arm around her shoulder and got even with her so they were looking in the mirror. She squeezed Kaid's shoulder in a hug and gently kissed her cheek. "I'm glad you're happy."
"Thanks," Kaid smiled and hugged Jordan back. "Hey wait a minute...are you going out too?"
"Yeah," Jordan nodded.
"You have clothes here?" Kaid hadn't really seen anything...unless they were going to a late Halloween party and Jordan was going as a Roman Catholic schoolgirl.
"Crap!" Jordan had totally forgotten about that. "No. It's all at my place."
"Look through there..." Kaid said. "If you find something you want to wear, go for it." They were close to the same size anyway.
"Thanks, sweetie." Jordan smiled. A couple of minutes later, she pulled a denim skirt, tank top, and open-weave sweater out of the closet. "Can I borrow these?"
"Sure," Kaid shrugged. She'd progressed to playing around with her hair. It hadn't dried as wavy as she would have liked. But it was too wavy to straighten without a lot of work. Finally she pulled the front sections back and secured them loosely in the back with a clip.
"Looks beautiful, kiddo," Jordan said, looking at her cousin. She finished applying a bit of make-up and decided on pulling her hair all the way up.
"Thanks," Kaid smiled. "So do you..." They heard the doorbell and froze as Max stepped to the door to open it.
"Evening Eddie..." a pause. "You look nice this evening. Would you like to come in?"
"Oh my God..." Jordan and Kaid whispered at the same time.
"Are you here to talk with Kaid about something?"
"Crap!!" Kaid cringed. "I was going to tell him, but... I didn't quite get around to it..."
"It'll be ok," Jordan gave her cousin a hug. "But you'd better get down there quick!"
Kaid got to the top of the stairs I time to hear Eddie say, "Well, actually sir, I'm taking her to dinner." She walked down the stairs, calm on the outside though she was shaking like jello inside.
"Hey Eddie," she said. She turned to Max, who was standing there with his mouth agape. "I'm sorry. I was going to tell you, but you were outside after he left and then I got in the shower and then..."
"It's alright Kaid. Have a good time," Max said, trying to regain his composure. However, he looked at his former partner pointedly as he finished his thought. "Just be careful."
"Yes sir," Eddie said, somewhat nervously. Kaid reached out and took his hand. "You ready, kiddo?"
"Yeah," she smiled up at him. "See you later, Uncle Max." And they were out the door.
When they got to Eddie's car, he was laughing as he turned and looked at Kaid. "You 'forgot' to tell him?"
"I didn't 'forget,'" she protested. "He really was gone and then I was getting ready and then..." Her words got lost as Eddie leaned down and kissed her gently.
"It's ok, baby." He smiled. "Come on and hop in," he said as he held the door open for her. "Italian ok?" She nodded. "Good, cause I know this fantastic place..." he said as he got in.
Jordan came down the stairs as Eddie and Kaid were leaving. She hit the squeaky stair and Max looked up at her. "You knew about that?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "When he came to talk with her about reassigning her to Lois he apparently asked her out. After..." Jordan looked up at her father. "Dad? She seems really happy and excited. And even though I may have my issues with him, Eddie really does seem to care about her..."
"I know. And I know she's an adult..." Max sighed. "I just..."
"Don't worry. If he hurts her, he's gonna have me to deal with," Jordan laughed. She looked at the clock. "Christ, I'm gonna be late!"
"You've got a date too?" Max shook his head. What was going on around here.
"Yeah..." Jordan said as she grabbed her bag. "Oh, and Kaidie seems fine, so I'm gonna head back to my place tonight."
"Fine, fine..." Max waved her out the back door and watched her peel away.
Jordan grabbed her cell and dialed Woody's number...
"Hello?"
"Woody? It's Jordan. I'm running a little late." She paused. "Kaid had a date and Dad was kind of freaking out."
"Oh. Ok." Woody wondered briefly if Kaidlyn's date had anything to do with the smile he'd seen on Winslow's face earlier that day, then put that thought out of his mind. They were consenting adults, and as of that morning Kaidlyn wasn't his intern... He snapped back to the present. "Want me to meet you somewhere?"
"Nah. I'll be there in five minutes. Mexican ok?"
"Sure. I'll be outside my building." Woody smiled as he hung up the phone. Somehow he had a feeling this evening was going to be one he'd never forget...for better or worse.
Kaidlyn and Eddie...
After dinner, Eddie looked at Kaid. He reached across the table and took her small hands in his. "So, what would you like to do next?"
"Hmmm..." she thought. "I don't know... I know it's chilly, but is there somewhere we could go for a walk?"
Eddie thought for a minute. "Yeah, I think I know somewhere. Come on." He stood and guided her out of the restaurant and to his car. He drove to the Esplanade. "I think it's a little late for a concert, but there's still a nice path down by the river we could walk along, if that's ok."
"Sure," Kaid agreed. As they walked along, Eddie put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to the side of his body. Even though Kaid was in unfamiliar territory with someone she hardly knew, she felt strangely safe. Not that safe, but safe all the same.
It was chillier than she'd thought, and within about five minutes, Kaid was shivering. Eddie looked down at her and laughed gently. "Here," he said, taking off his jacket and putting it around her shoulders. "Let's head back to the car. I don't want to be responsible for you catching pneumonia."
"Thanks," Kaid smiled sheepishly. At that moment she looked so adorable, Eddie couldn't resist it any longer. He bent down and kissed her, a gentle kiss but deep and probing. Kaid felt herself respond and she relaxed into his arms, losing herself in his kiss.
"Come on," Eddie said as he pulled himself away from her. "Let's go somewhere you can warm up." He led the way back to the car, not knowing quite where to go. It seemed awfully forward and pressuring to take her to his place, she seemed comfortable with him, but there was part of her he sensed was holding back. And yet in spite of that, he really didn't want to share this evening with other people at a bar or a club, no matter how cool the place was.
"I think Uncle Max had to be at the Pogue tonight..." Kaid offered. She sensed he was trying to figure out what to do, and she felt like she'd be safe in Max's house given all the history between Eddie and her uncle.
"Ok..." It did sound like a plan, but he remembered the stories about the cops who tried to go out with Jordan... Still, if being there would help her feel safe and help her relax... "Why don't we just drive around the Pogue and make sure he's there..."
"What, are you scared of him?" Kaid teased. Off his look, she said, "You're probably right..."
A quick drive-by confirmed that Max was indeed at the Pogue. Kaid decided they'd go on the assumption that he was closing it down. Better than calling and arousing his suspicions...
Fifteen minutes later, they pulled up in front of Max's and walked up to the lighted porch. Eddie paused as Kaid unlocked and opened the door. "You sure you want me to come in?"
"Yeah, I'm sure." Kaid knew her boundaries and she knew how to defend herself now. Plus, Eddie had gotten a taste of some of those moves when they were sparring the other day. She felt safe with him. She walked into the den and turned on the stereo, putting a Norah Jones CD on. "You want something to drink?"
"Sure," Eddie said. Kaid went out to the kitchen and came back with two beers.
"Here you go."
"Thanks." He motioned for her to sit down, and she snuggled up beside him, his hand trailing up and down her arm.
After a few minutes of just sitting there together, Kaid looked up at Eddie's profile. He sensed her glance and looked over at her, smiling and not believing she was actually there beside him. After a beat of looking in each other's eyes, Kaid reached up and kissed him, gently, cautiously, but deeply and passionately. Eddie responded and kissed her back, gently massaging her back and stroking her hair. He broke away and held her face in his hands, looking into her eyes. "You are so beautiful..."
Kaid nodded shyly and reached up to kiss him again, her hands beginning to massage his back as well. Both were tentative, not knowing how far to push, and yet... As Eddie's hands wandered below Kaid's waist, she involuntarily tensed up and pulled away.
"No," she shook her head, sliding to the far side of the couch. "I...I can't."
"Ok," Eddie said. "It's ok, baby. We can stop wherever you want." Damn, what had he done? Something was obviously scaring her and yet...
"I'm sorry, Eddie. I just..." she took a deep breath. Was this the right time to bring it up? She saw the confusion in his eyes and felt like he deserved an explanation, even though he seemed willing to take things at her pace, but still...
"What, baby?" Eddie could tell she was trying to decide something. "It's ok, you don't owe me any explanation. No means no..."
At those words, Kaid broke down in tears. She hadn't meant to, she really hadn't, but... If only everybody understood that.
As the first tears came, Eddie's heart stopped for a minute. He didn't want to jump to conclusions, but the tears coming immediately after those words he'd spoken... "Kaid?" When she looked over at him, he gently said, "If you want to talk about it, I'll listen. If you don't, that's fine too."
Kaid looked at him and sensed that he would understand. Besides, she really liked him and it would be better to know if he was going to bolt because of what happened to her before she let herself fall any harder... "No, you need to know..."
As much as he wanted to hold her, Eddie sensed from her body language that touch would just make it harder for her to tell the story. He was there if she needed him to hold her, but otherwise he was not going to push. Kaid grabbed a pillow from the end of the couch and clutched it to herself, playing with the fringed edge. Somehow it did seem a little easier to tell each time. Finally she took a deep breath and started to speak...
"It was just after I graduated from college. I was supposed to have about six months off before leaving for the Peace Corps, but after...they made me take a little more time to make sure I was ok. Mama and I lived at the beach ~ Ocean Isle, North Carolina. We did turtle patrol ~ we'd take shifts during nesting season sitting out on the beach at night and watching for the female turtles to come in and lay their clutch of eggs. Then we'd mark it and keep and eye on the nests to protect them from poachers. I had an overnight shift one time, along with several other people. It was really peaceful, usually. But that night I had a weird feeling the whole time...
"Our shift ended at sunrise, and I decided to walk on the beach. My mind was whirling and I was hoping to see the dolphins again. I never heard this guy come up behind me. I'd gone out with him once or twice during my sophomore year of high school, so I vaguely knew who he was. I don't remember what he said... I just remember him grabbing me and pushing me down on the sand. I screamed, but it was before the tourists started arriving, and everyone on turtle patrol had gone home. He picked the perfect spot ~ all the beachfront homes in that vicinity were rentals and no one was in them yet...
"I kicked. I scratched. I hit. I yelled. I said no over and over again. But it didn't help. He..." she swallowed hard, looking over at Eddie who simply nodded, wanting her to finish what she was saying but not pressuring her. "He ripped my shorts off and crammed his hand between my legs. I was fighting him the whole time, trying to find some way to get away, praying that someone would come by on a morning jog. He tried to kiss me, but I wouldn't let him. This was so far from an act of love... That was it. He held me down with one hand and most of his body while he undid the fly on his shorts. And then..." she shuddered, if she thought about it hard enough, she could still feel the ripping and the pain...
"I had never... I thought I was being ripped in two when he rammed into me. I don't know how long it took. I kept saying no, but mentally I made myself go somewhere else. He might rape my body, but he wasn't going to get to my spirit. When it was over, he just got up and left. No words, no explanation, nothing... I lay there for a minute, then got up and pulled my shorts on to go home. I got sick after a couple of yards ~ from stress, crying, yelling, I don't know. I managed to get up and get to my house.
"Even if I hadn't planned to tell Mama, there's no way that I could have kept it from her. She was pacing in the living room on the cordless phone with someone at the police station. She knew that even if I went for a walk, I would have been back. She looked at me and screamed... I can still hear that scream. She dropped the phone and came over and grabbed me and hugged me. In a couple of minutes, Micah, one of the police officers and a friend of ours, pulled up at the house. He came in and immediately scooped me up and told Mama to follow him. He put me into the front seat of the patrol car and Mama sat in the back, then he turned on the siren and drove us to the hospital at Shallotte where they did the rape kit and got me fixed up and ready to go home ~ after talking with a counselor and another police officer Micah had called in. Then he and Mama took me home...
"Because I could identify the guy, it didn't take long for them to find him. He wasn't the brightest bulb in the bunch. There wasn't a trial. He got a plea bargain, but he's still doing hard time for rape. His public defender took one look at the medical report and knew there was no way he could make the case that any part of what happened had been consensual. I think they knocked off the attempted murder part ~ he'd tried to choke me at one point and I had bruises around my neck. But he's safely away for at least 10 years." Kaid stopped and looked over at Eddie, trying to read his thoughts.
Eddie was torn between wanting to go and rip the little s.o.b. limb from limb for doing that to anyone, least of all Kaidlyn and wanting to cradle Kaid in his arms and tell her everything was going to be alright. Rape always made him angry, but especially when it involved either a child or when they knew it took someone's virginity. But knowing this guy was in prison and would be for a while made it easier for Eddie to concentrate on Kaidlyn and what she needed.
"Oh God, baby..." He wanted to reach out and hold her, but at the same time... Kaid solved his dilemma for him when she crawled across the couch and threw herself into his arms, tears streaming down her face. "I'm so sorry. Kaidie, I'm so sorry that had to happen to you..." he knew his words meant little, but... He heard her mumbling something. "What?"
She pulled back and looked at him. "I said, so if you don't want to go out with me anymore, it's ok...I'll understand."
"I wouldn't..." he said, shocked. Had men actually turned her down after hearing her story? Had they even bothered to find out anything about her? Taking her chin in his hands he gently tipped her face up to look in her eyes. "Baby, I would never not want to be with you because of something like that. What happened was NOT your fault."
He leaned in to kiss her gently, but was surprised when he felt her respond passionately, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. When they heard the clock striking eleven, they broke apart and she looked at him. "I guess since we both have to work tomorrow..."
"Yeah, I should probably be getting home," Eddie said reluctantly. "But I don't want to just leave you here..."
"I'll be fine..." but it sounded weak and flimsy even to her own ears. "I really don't want to be alone either," she finally confessed. "But..."
"Well..." as much as Eddie would have been happy to stay, he knew that wasn't what she needed right then. "I could take you to Jordan's..."
"Uh uh. She had a date tonight." Kaid shook her head.
"The Pogue?" It wasn't the greatest solution since she'd be up later than normal, but at least she wouldn't be alone.
Kaid thought for a minute and nodded. "Yeah, that'll be fine."
"Ok," Eddie stood, pulling her to her feet and into a tight hug. "Kaid? Look at me..." when she did, he continued, "What you told me in no way affects the feelings I have for you...other than making me admire you more." He paused. "I love you, baby."
Kaid looked at him, her eyes wide. It was so early, but...she couldn't deny what she was feeling.. "I love you too...I think..."
Eddie kissed her gently as he chuckled. "That'll do." Then walked her back out to his car, holding her close...willing some of his strength into her, not that she really needed any.
He parked out in front of the Pogue and walked her in. Max looked up as they entered the bar and motioned them down. Kaid climbed onto a stool and propped her chin in her hands.
Eddie shook Max's hand and just explained briefly that Kaid hadn't wanted to be alone. Max nodded and ruffled Kaid's hair, eliciting a small smile.
Eddie rubbed her back gently. "So I'll see you at the precinct tomorrow?"
"Yeah," she smiled. Then impulsively she hopped off the barstool, not really caring if Max saw them or not, and threw her arms around Eddie's shoulders. "Thanks for...everything," she whispered and kissed him quickly. "And don't worry...I know how to keep boundaries in the workplace," she added.
"Good," Eddie brushed her lips gently. "Have a good night, baby."
"You too," she smiled and waved as he walked out the door. She hopped back onto her barstool and flashed a smile at Max who just shook his head.
"Everything really ok?"
"Yeah. It is..." she paused. "He knows, and it's fine. And Uncle Max?"
"Yeah?"
"Yes, I'm really happy."
"Good," he smiled. "I'm glad." And he really was, he thought to himself as he went down to the other end of the bar. Kaid had quickly become like a daughter to him, and he was glad that she was happy. She and Jordan both, he thought, thinking about the look on Jordan's face an hour earlier...
Jordan and Woody...
Dinner was good ~ they finally got those damn chimichangas they' been dancing around for a year and a half. Afterwards, Jordan suggested they go to the Pogue and Woody agreed. It seemed the best option.
They walked in and waved at Max. Woody went and found a table for them while Jordan went to the bar to get their beers. When she got back to the table, Woody had an enigmatic smile on his face.
"What?" she asked.
"What? I didn't say anything," he said as she put his beer on the table and sat down.
"No, but you've got a Cheshire cat grin on your face..."
"Oh. That. I was just trying to figure out what happened that made you call me and ask me out..."
Jordan laughed. "I'm really not sure... Other than my cousin..."
"Kaidlyn? Is that want you said her name is?"
"Yeah." Jordan paused. She didn't want to air Kaid's stuff to just anyone, particularly someone she might end up working with ~ there were occasionally double teams assigned to particularly big cases. "I won't go into details, but I'll just say I found out some stuff that's happened to her and the fact that she could go out with someone period ~ let alone let herself feel what I can tell she does from the look on her face whenever she talks about him ~ made all my stuff seem silly."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Well, that plus she said something to me this afternoon when I asked her about her date..." Jordan looked over at him. She really shouldn't tell him anything...
"Would she happen to be going out with Winslow tonight?" Woody's curiosity was getting the better of him.
"How did you..." Jordan's mouth fell open.
"I guessed. I saw him this afternoon at the precinct and he seemed almost human. And since you were saying that she got reassigned..."
"The reassignment really did have nothing to do with that..." Jordan countered. "But yeah, that's who she's out with. Woody, please..."
"Don't worry. I'm not going to say anything. As much as we work together it would be a little hypocritical..."
"True..." Jordan mused. "But anyway... I asked her about her going out with him and she said, among other things, 'if I don't try it, I'll always wonder what could have happened.' And it made me think." She reached across the table and took one of Woody's hands in between her own. "I don't think it's any big secret that I've got feelings for you..."
"Really?" Woody teased.
"Ha ha. Anyway...hearing Kaid say that and knowing what I know about her, it just made me think about us and how I'd feel if I didn't even give us a chance. So..." She looked briefly down towards the bar then turned back to Woody and leaned across the table, surprising him with a kiss on the lips.
"What the...?" Woody felt like he was about to jump out of his skin.
"Come dance with me?" Jordan said, getting up and leading him over to the jukebox where she selected a familiar song.
As the opening notes of "Devil or Angel" sounded, Woody pulled Jordan's body close to his. As they danced, he let her hair rub against his face and slowly moved his mouth towards hers, their lips finally meeting in a deep kiss. Jordan pressed even closer and moved her mouth to his ear. "Come on, let's get out of here..."
"Ok," Woody gasped, not quite believing this was happening. Well, he wasn't sure how far things were going to go, but... He went up to grab their coats while Jordan went to say good-bye to Max. Woody didn't miss his raised eyebrow, but Jordan reached over and hugged him, then waved as they got to the door.
"My place ok?" she asked as they got to her car.
"Huh? Oh, yeah. That's fine." Woody shook his head, willing himself to stop acting like a sixth grader who has just discovered his hormones.
When they got to Jordan's place, she went to the stereo and was selecting a CD when Woody came over. "Let me pick?"
"Sure," Jordan agreed. She went into the kitchen and poured a couple of glasses of wine.
When she got back over to the couch, he had selected a song ~ "Good Enough" by Sarah McLachlan. It seemed an odd choice and she cocked her head to the side.
"Just listen to the words, Jordan," Woody said. So she did. As it reached the second chorus, she understood and reached over, pulling Woody into a deep kiss.
He responded, kissing her back, his hands wandering over her back. They spent the rest of the evening kissing, stroking, exploring each other's bodies. Doing everything but... There would be another time for consummating the relationship. They fell asleep in each other's arms, naked but feeling no pressure to have sex...content simply to hold each other...
Max didn't know what happened with Jordan and Woody. But they seemed happy when they left the Pogue. As he closed up and drove home with Kaid, she seemed happier, calmer, and yet more animated than she had in a while. He mentally promised himself to not say anything negative about Winslow anymore ~ as long as he didn't hurt Kaidlyn. If the man could make her this happy, he deserved a chance.
When they got to the house, Kaid hugged Max and went up to get ready for bed. He stayed downstairs for a few minutes, doing some basic straightening. When he went up to go to bed himself, he peeked into Kaid's darkened room and saw her curled up in bed, asleep in spite of the bright moonlight streaming across her face. A smile was on her lips and she looked much different from the girl who'd cried in his living room the night before. Comparing Kaid's look and the look on Jordan's face when she and Woody were leaving, Max came to one conclusion...
Tonight had obviously been about beginning the process of breaking down walls...one brick at a time.
Two months later...
Kaidlyn and Lois got along extremely well. Eddie couldn't believe how what started out as a necessity for two unrelated reasons resulted in such an amazing partnership. Kaid progressed to handling single team scenes on her own and everyone who watched her commented on how much talent she had. "A gift," she kept hearing.
After a few cases with Kaid running them, Lois went in to talk with Eddie. "You still have that friend in the FBI office?"
"Yeah..." Eddie looked up at her. "Why?"
"I was thinking that Kaid might be just what they're looking for." She watched Eddie's face for some kind of reaction. She knew that they were seeing each other, but she didn't bother him about it. At work they were the consummate professionals. Whatever they did in their free time was their business. "You've seen her...she's got a knack for profiling a scene. Since she's been here, my solve rate has increased dramatically."
Eddie nodded. This could be a solution. He knew she loved what she was doing, but he feared she'd get bored with regular police work ~ even homicides. In most ways she'd be great for Special Victims...except her own experience. While it made her extremely empathetic with the victims, it made her extremely vulnerable to breakdowns. He knew she'd never be assigned to that squad. He looked at Lois, "You know, that just might work!"
Lois' pager went off and she excused herself. Eddie picked up the phone to call his friend and find out about the profiling program. Thompson was intrigued with Eddie's description of Kaid's work and they set up a time for him to watch her in action and then talk with her.
Lois went to the office she was now sharing with Kaid and grabbed what she needed. "Alright kiddo, come with me."
Kaid got up and followed her to the locker room. "What's up?"
"We've got a double team case in South B. We've got to get into the vests." She pulled hers from her locker and watched Kaid put hers on. "Good girl."
Kaid didn't want to say anything, but inside she was terrified. She'd never done a double team case ~ and she'd never been on anything that required the vest. She jogged along beside Lois and slid into the passenger seat when they reached the car, not saying a word.
As she drove, Lois looked over at her protege. "You'll be fine. Just work it like you do any other scene." She paused and realized part of what might be terrifying the girl. "Don't worry, you don't have to handle this one. We'll take care of it. Just do what you always do."
"Ok."
They pulled up to the scene and got out, looking around for the other detective on scene. It didn't take them long to find Woody. He filled them in and then assigned everyone a quadrant of the crime scene. The ME already had the bodies. As it turns out, Kaid's quadrant right next to Woody's. They were going over things with a fine toothed comb when they heard a shot and saw the brick on the building right above their heads shatter as the bullet hit it.
Woody didn't even think, he jumped on top of Kaid, knocking her to the ground and covering her head and neck with his protected torso. It wasn't a moment too soon for more shots rang out and he felt a pop and a sharp jab as a bullet lodged in his vest. More gunfire and then a shout that one of the unis had gotten the guy.
Woody slowly rolled over, the pain in his side was almost unbearable. He didn't think the bullet had penetrated the vest, but my God it hurt to breathe. Lois came running over and helped Woody get the vest off. The bullet hadn't penetrated, but there was already a dark bruise where it hit.
"You've probably got a cracked rib, Hoyt," she said. "Just sit tight. The ambulance is on the way." She turned to Kaid who was working her way to a sitting position, visibly shaken. "Are you ok?"
Kaid nodded slowly and looked at Lois and Woody. "Thanks Woody," she said.
"Oh my God," Lois said. The girl's face was covered in blood. "Are you hit?"
"I don't think so..." Kaid said, a bit perplexed.
Wincing, Woody pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to Lois who used it to wipe Kaid's face. As she cleared some of the blood away, she saw that the cause was. When she'd been knocked to the ground, her forehead hit first and it split the skin. It didn't look serious, just bloody. "I think you're ok, kiddo," Lois said. "Here, can you hold this on your head, right there?"
Kaid nodded and pressed the handkerchief to her forehead. When the ambulance got there, they checked out Woody first and then Kaid. Both of them needed to go to the hospital to be checked out. Lois said she'd meet them there as the EMTs loaded Woody onto a gurney and into the ambulance and helped Kaid climb in.
In the ER, the doctor who examined Kaidlyn said he didn't think that she had a concussion, but he wanted a scan to be sure after he stitched her up. He tried to joke with her about making sure she wouldn't have a horrible scar, but she only looked at him and nodded wide-eyed. The scan and x-ray came back negative and he signed her release papers.
He walked her down the hall to the waiting room. In spite of the news that no one was seriously hurt, several unis and detectives had gathered in the waiting room, Eddie among them. When Kaid saw Eddie in the waiting room, she ran into his arms and collapsed in tears.
"It's alright, baby. Shhh. It's alright," he cooed, guiding her to a chair. He looked around at the others briefly and then decided he didn't care who knew anymore. Nothing was going to change at work. He pulled her into his lap and rocked her there as she cried. When it felt like she was calmer, he tipped her chin up to look in her eyes. "What happened?"
"I'm really not sure. It was so fast. We were on the scene ~ double crew. I was looking at one quadrant and Woody was in one not fifteen feet away. Then the shooting started. I just heard gunshots and Woody knocked me to the ground which is what caused this," she pointed to the small line of stitches on her right forehead area. "But that's minor. If he hadn't done that..."
"You had your vest on didn't you?" Eddie looked concerned.
"Yeah, but..." she looked confused.
"You'd most likely have what he has..." Eddie paused as he looked at Kaid and realized that with the size differential between her and Woody, there was a good chance that the vest might not have done Kaid much good. "Kaidie, it's alright. Remember what I told you about looking out for the others on the scene? That's part of a cop's job. And Woody was just doing that."
Lois walked around the corner having just left the exam room where Woody was. Seeing Eddie and Kaidlyn, she walked over and sat in the chair next to them. She reached over and rubbed Kaidlyn's back. "You ok, baby girl?"
"Yeah..." Kaid looked at her and nodded. "How's Woody?"
"He's got a cracked rib. The vest did its job." Lois spoke to her gently. She remembered how she felt the first time she'd been at a scene and witnessed something like that. "Jordan's with him right now, but he wants to see you. I think you can go on in."
She pointed out the door and Kaid shyly pushed it open. Woody was sitting up in the bed. When he saw her, a look of relief came over his face. "Thank God you're alright."
Jordan came over and hugged her cousin. "We were all telling him you would be, but he wouldn't believe us!" she said, rolling her eyes.
"How about you? How are you doing?" Kaid asked, walking over to Woody's side.
"Carver was right," he said. "Cracked rib. Nothing they can do but tape it." He noticed the small line of stitches. "I'm so sorry about that."
"Don't be. I'm thankful," Kaid said. "If you hadn't covered my head..." She didn't have to finish that sentence. They both knew what could have happened.
"Is Winslow out there?" Woody asked gently.
"Yeah," Kaid nodded.
"Good. You don't need to be alone after that. Hell, I've seen things like that before and I don't want to be alone after that!" Woody stated.
Jordan took hold of his hand. "And you don't have to be."
Kaid looked at the two of them and started towards the door. "Ok, I'm gonna go. Woody, thank you again. Take care of yourself and I'll see you soon..."
"Bye Kaid," Woody said. "And you don't have to thank me, but you're welcome," he smiled.
"Bye babe," Jordan said. "Be sure to call Dad and let him know you're alright."
"Yeah...I should do that..." Kaid said, giving one final wave.
She went back to the waiting room and took Eddie's outstretched hand. "You ready to go, baby?"
"Yeah." She turned to Lois. "So I'll see you tomorrow?"
Lois chuckled as she pulled the girl into a hug. "You can have a few days off. I think you've earned it. Take care. I'm glad you're ok."
"Thanks." Kaid smiled up at Eddie and they walked out of the ER towards his car.
"Where do you want to get something to eat?" Eddie asked gently as they pulled out of the parking lot at the hospital.
"I'm not hungry," Kaid shrugged.
"You need to eat something, baby," he looked at her, concerned.
"Let's stop by the Pogue so I can let Uncle Max know I'm ok," she finally said. "Maybe by then I'll decide what I want."
"Sounds like a plan." Eddie drove over to Max's bar and walked inside with Kaidlyn.
Max ran out from behind the bar to hug his niece. "You're alright, then?"
"Yeah, I'm ok Uncle Max," Kaid said, hugging him back. "No concussion or anything. Just stitches."
"Good," Max said, rubbing her back.
"I'm gonna go to the bathroom. I'll be right back," Kaid excused herself.
Max looked at Eddie. "She really alright?"
"Yeah," he said. "She will be. She's shaken like any of us would be. But I think she's gonna be fine."
Max nodded. "It might not be good for her to be alone tonight..." he paused.
"Max, I would never take advantage of anything..." Eddie started to protest.
"I'm not saying that. I'm just saying that if she wants to stay with you, don't feel like you have to bring her home."
"Alright, thank you, sir." Eddie shifted his weight uncomfortably.
"Eddie, I know we've had our differences, but I can honestly say that I have not ever seen her as happy as you've made her. I'm not going to blame you for anything or keep the two of you apart. And you can still call me Max." Max patted Eddie on the back. "But now if you hurt her..."
"Max, I can honestly say that I have no intention of hurting her..." He looked up as Kaid came out of the bathroom. "You ready, baby?"
"Yeah." She hugged Max again. "I'll see you later."
"Sure thing, sweetheart." Max smiled at them and waved as they walked out the door.
When they got back to the car, Eddie looked at Kaid. "Alright baby. What do you want to eat?"
"I'm still not hungry," she said. "But I suppose Chinese."
"Ok." Eddie said. He stopped by his favorite place and got an assortment of things for them to choose from. Perhaps one of them would make Kaid hungry.
Once home, he spread a picnic out on the coffee table while Kaid selected a CD from her case that she kept in Eddie's car. Sarah McLachlan again, but that was fine with him. It seemed to calm her. She walked over and sat down next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. He was glad to see that she ate a little. When they'd finished, he moved up to the couch, gently pulling Kaid with him.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, gently.
"Nope," Kaid said. "I want to do this..." She straddled his lap and began kissing him deeply.
He responded, but then pulled away. "Kaid? What's going on?"
"I want this, Eddie. I want to know I'm alive," she said quietly. "If today proved nothing else, it's that we don't know how much time we have left. I'm sick of being scared."
"Ok..." he thought he was following her train of thought, but...
"Eddie, I love you," she said, taking his face between her hands and looking into his eyes. "I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone." She leaned into him kissing him deeply and passionately. Eddie began to stroke her back and this time she didn’t flinch when his hands wandered below the waist. He groaned as he felt her start to move against him, pressing into his body, her own hands massaging his back.
Eddie pulled back to look deep in Kaid's eyes. He'd thought it before...he had never taken any woman and would not take Kaid without her consent. He couldn't fully understand the demons she was fighting to even get this far with him. But he knew he admired her courage more than he'd ever admired anyone before.
As he stopped moving and she felt his lips leave hers, Kaid opened her eyes. "What?" she whispered, breathless with desire.
"Are you sure?" Eddie asked gently. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
Kaid's eyes filled with tears. "Oh, God Eddie," she gasped, Yes, I'm sure." She leaned in and kissed him deeply then pulled back. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life."
He nodded, but kept searching her eyes.
"Yeah, I'll admit I'm a little scared," she confessed, "but baby, I want this. I want to make love to you...and you to me. Please..." As she spoke, a song started on the CD. As Eddie heard the words of the song combined with Kaid's words, and as he saw the look in her eyes, he knew that she was being completely open and honest with him.
Every time I look at you the world just melts away
All my troubles all my fears dissolve in your affections
The rest of Kaid's sentence was lost as Eddie leaned down and kissed her deeper than he thought possible. As his fingers grazed the side of her body, she moaned into his mouth, which only heightened all the senses they were feeling. He pulled back for a moment to stand, picking her up as her legs wrapped around his waist and gently carried her into the bedroom kissing her all the way down the hall.
You've seen me at my weakest but you take me as I am
And when I fall you offer me a softer place to land
He tenderly laid her on the bed and they resumed their kissing. She pulled at his shirt, and soon he was wriggling out of it. Ditto for the undershirt and the pants, and he soon found himself in only his briefs.
Part of him was dying to rip her clothes off and take her right there, but he made himself go slowly. She was going to be in control of the evening. And if she decided at the last minute to stop, so be it. No meant no. At each step, he'd pull back to look at her, to get her confirmation that she wanted this to continue.
He untucked her shirt from her jeans and slowly unbuttoned it, running his fingers all over her abdomen, chest and sides. When the last button was undone, she wriggled out of the shirt leaving only a baby pink lace bra on the upper half of her body. Eddie kissed her shoulders, her chest, and her abdomen, continuing to graze her ever so lightly with his fingers.
When she could almost stand things no more, she pressed against him with her hips and looked up at him, her eyes begging him to take her jeans off. He hesitated for just a minute, and she took his hand and placed it on the button, nodding her assent. He unfastened the pants and gently slid them down until they joined the pile of clothing in the middle of the floor. He gasped as he saw that she was wearing a thong that matched her bra, then kissed his way up to her lips.
By this point Kaid's hands were exploring Eddie's body as well with a new intensity. He felt his nipples harden under her gentle touch and knew those weren't the only thing growing harder by the minute. He stopped his exploration of her body to allow her time to do her own of him. God, she had the gentlest touch he'd ever felt. He shuddered as her fingers passed over his shoulders and back.
You stay the course you hold the line you keep it all together
You're the one true thing I know that I believe in
They were on their sides, and he watched her eyes carefully as he felt her hands go lower and lower on his body. When she finally pulled off the briefs and reached his hardened shaft, he fought to keep his eyes open and was rewarded by a look of wonder and pure love in hers. He leaned in to kiss her and neither of them closed their eyes. As she ran her fingers up and down and gently grasped it, it was his turn to moan into her mouth, sending shivers up each of their spines. At the sensation, Kaid pressed even harder into his body ~ surprised, but not frightened by the intensity of her own reaction.
You're all the things that I desire you save me you complete me
You're the one true thing I know I can believe
She started to wriggle out of her bra and thong, but Eddie kissed her and slowly found the clasp in the back of the bra and undid it, slowly pulling the lace away from her skin. As he sat up to toss the bra onto the clothes, he looked at her for a moment, not believing this was happening. She was absolutely beautiful. She looked at him and whispered, "Rub my back?" then flipped over onto her stomach, revealing a small tribal tattoo on the small of her back.
He straddled her legs, then leaned down and kissed at it. "What's this?"
"Hmm? Oh, I got that on my last birthday," she whispered.
"It's beautiful," he said, kissing it again. "Just like you." He let his hands wander over her back, hoping that his fingertips were as light as hers had been. She relaxed under his touch and small moans came from her mouth. After a few minutes, when Eddie had about decided she'd fallen asleep, she rolled over, their hips practically joined.
I get mad so easy but you give me room to breathe
No matter what I say of do cause you're too good to fight about it
"Kiss me?" she said, almost shyly.
In answer he stretched out and lay completely on top of her, kissing her deeply. His hands wandered to the small scrap of material that separated them. As he grasped the waistband, he pulled back to look at her. She nodded, and he gently but quickly removed the underwear.
She could feel him against her belly and began to move her hips the way she figured she was supposed to. Eddie moaned as he kissed her and she pressed a little harder into him. When he thought he wasn't going to be able to stand it anymore, he pulled his face back and looked deeply into her eyes ~ more deeply than he had all evening ~ his eyes asking the question he was afraid to form with his mouth.
Even when I have to push just to see how far you'll go
You won't stoop down to battle but you never turn to go
Kaid read his look perfectly and nodded slowly. "I'm sure. I'm sure, baby." She reached up and brought his face to hers. "Eddie, I want you to make love to me. Please..." Another deep kiss as he rolled them over so he could reach into his nightstand to get the small piece of latex.
Kaid looked at him, her eyes full of love and wonder as he opened it. "You want to do it?" She shook her head, so he rolled it on and then gently rolled her to her back, looking to her for one more confirmation. At her nod, he pulled her into a deep kiss and ever so gently positioned himself.
"Slowly, slowly," he kept repeating to himself silently. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt or scare her. Ever so gently as their kiss deepened, he pushed inside her and felt her hips rise to meet his. He felt some slight resistance, even though he knew that she technically was not a virgin, he also knew that in essence this was her first time. He pulled away from their kiss and looked at her, finding her eyes closed. "Kaidie? Look at me..." he asked gently, still slightly inside her. When she opened her eyes, he whispered, "You still ok?"
As she nodded, he held her back tightly and pushed himself all the way into her. At this new sensation, Kaid's eyes got wide and she gasped. "You ok?" He was going to keep checking on her, determined to do what he could to get those demons away. She nodded and he began to move rhythmically, alternatively kissing her and pulling back to watch her eyes, her face.
You stay the course you hold the line you keep it all together
You're the one true thing I know I can believe in
Slowly she began to move her body in rhythm with his as their kisses deepened. As he came closer to the edge, he kept her in a steady, deep, probing kiss, feeling her respond as his thrusts increased. Moments before his climax, he felt her arch towards him and the rhythmic contraction of her muscles sent him over the edge. Their lips still on each other's they moaned simultaneously, sending another wave of shivers down their spines.
You're all the things that I desire you save me you complete me
You're the one true thing I know I can believe
When it was over, Eddie carefully slipped out of her and removed the condom while pulling her into a tight embrace. She looked up at him. "I know it's gonna sound cliche," she whispered, "but you’re trembling."
He laughed gently as he nodded and kissed her. "So are you," he said when they broke apart. He held her for what seemed like only a minute ~ quite different than with other lovers he'd had in the past where even a minute seemed like torture ~ when she looked up at him.
There are times I can't decide when I can't tell right from wrong
You make me feel less crazy when otherwise I'd drown
But you pick me up and brush me off and tell me I'm ok
Sometimes that's just what we need to get us through the day
"Eddie?"
"Yeah, baby?"
"I love you so much."
"I love you too, Kaid. God, baby, I love you too."
She breathed deeply and then whispered softly, "Thank you..."
He didn't have to ask what for, just whispered "You're welcome," and pulled her into another kiss.
They lay, locked like that until he heard her breathing reach the slow, steady breath pattern of sleep. He looked at her and gently kissed her forehead, whispering "Good night, baby. I love you." He continued watching her, scarcely believing what she'd given him, and found he simply couldn't let her go. So he held her cradling her securely but tenderly and soon followed her in sleep, holding her in his arms.
You stay the course you hold the line you keep it all together
You're the one true thing I know I can believe in
You're all the things that I desire you save me you complete me
You're the one true thing I know I can believe
("Push" by Sarah McLachlan)
...to be continued...
