Title: Reaquainting

Author: Perpetual Motion

iwannabedonna@yahoo.com

Fandom: Crossing Jordan

Pairing: Woody/Nigel

Rating: G

Summary: The closet case runs into the town gossip.

Archive: RS, my site, WWOMB, anyone else, please ask.

Disclaimer: Bullshit. Total bullshit. Although, if Nigel keeps backing Woody against doors, it may not be.

Author's Notes: For the girls. You know who you are.



Reaquainting
By Perpetual Motion

"Woody Hoyt, is that you?"

Woody stopped cold halfway down the canned food aisle and clenched his jaw at the voice behind him. It couldn't be her. He refused to let it be her.

"It is you!"

Damnit, it was her. Woody gave her a polite smile. "Misty, hi."

Misty smiled at him, her eyes already glazing over at the prospect of fresh gossip. She looked just like Woody remembered her from high school, shallow and catty. "I didn't know you were back in town."

~Translation: Why are you here, who are you with, and how long are you staying.~ Woody reached around her for a can of peas and tossed it into the cart. "Just visiting my folks for a couple of weeks." He watched Misty's eyes zero in on the black ring he wore on his left ring finger and silently cursed her to hell a few dozen times.

"So," her voice was unconviningly coy; "does that ring there mean anything?"

~It means you need to retract your claws right now.~ Woody opened his mouth to say exactly that but was not-quite-rudely interrupted by Nigel suddenly showing up at their end of the aisle with a bag of oranges in one hand.

"Found them. Picked the best of the lot, which really isn't saying much, but don't tell your Mum that. She'll have my head. She seems to think this place has the best oranges ever." Nigel put the bag of oranges in the kiddie seat of the cart and seemed to finally notice Misty. "Well, hello, there."

She gave him an apprasing look that she had honed as the rumor queen when she and Woody had gone to school together. "Hello." She eyed his Ramones T-shirt and slightly worn jeans with a bit of distaste. "I don't think we've met."

Nigel held out his hand. "Nigel Townsend. Pleased to make the aquantince of a lovely woman such as yourself." He kissed her hand when she held it out and watched her blush a little. Worked everytime. "And your name, love?"

"Misty Collar. I went to school with Woody."

"Did you now?" Nigel glanced at Woody and took in the furrow between his eyebrows that meant he wasn't at all pleased with the situation. He gave an extra-charming smile to Misty. "I can't recall if he's ever mentioned you."

Her eyes went frosty at Nigel's off hand tone. "And how do you know him?"

"We work together." Nigel watched her give him a once over again and dropped the grin. "I'm not a cop."

Misty gave a smile that was all teeth. "Obviously."

"I'm a medical examiner. A doctor."

Woody, who had been watching the proceedngs in silence, finally broke his quiet with a snicker at the look on Misty's face. There was nothing quite like making the town gossip speechless to really make a trip home complete. "Nig."

"Yes?" Nigel turned his head and gave Woody a warm, affectionate smile.

"Could you grab that can of green beans over there?" Woody pointed to the shelf just to the right of Misty's head.

Nigel gave Woody a questioning look but reached for the green beans. He realized what Woody was doing the second that Misty's eyes zoomed in on his left ring finger and then snapped over to stare at Woody's. He grinned a little maniacally and handed the green beans to Woody. "Here you go."

"Thanks."

"My pleasure, Woodrow." Nigel made sure to soften his voice around Woody's name. "Shall we go then?"

"I think so." Woody gave Misty a polite smile. "See you later." He pushed the cart forward and headed down the aisle, Nigel at his side. He jumped when Nigel goosed him. "What are you doing?"

"Giving her a partng shot." Nigel glanced over his shoulder. "She keeps her mouth open like that someone will get the wrong idea."

"Trust me, they won't."

"Oh?"

Woody shrugged. "I was the closet case, she was the tramp."

"Wait." Nigel stopped in cold and grabbed Woody's arm. "Are you telling me you just outed yourself to her?"

"To the whole town, once she gets over her shock and starts talking." Woody gave Nigel a reassuring look. "Don't worry, everyone who's opinion I actually give a damn about has known for years."

Nigel ran a hand through his hair. "What sports did you play?"

"Huh?"

"What sports did you play?"

"Basketball, why?"

"The hierarchy of queerness can be measured by what sport you played. Football, you're obviously not queer at all. Basketball, you may have leanings. Baseball, you're about half-queer, and any other sport other than the big three, you're decidely queer."

Woody laughed. "Where do you come up with this stuff?"

"Slow nights in the morgue." Nigel gave Woody a grin and slung an arm around his shoulers. "Should we head to the house and tell your mother our tale of victory?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm sure she'll love it." Woody pushed the cart up to the checkout stand and paused for a second, looking Nigel over.

"What?"

"I'm trying to see what she found so wrong with you." Woody shrugged. "Must be a girl thing."

"Cute, Woodrow, very cute."


END