Summary: Why does trouble always find Jordan, even when she isn't looking for it? This time, a serial killer is on the loose with a thing for Marines. But someone else poses an even greater threat…
This is a semi-crossover with NCIS—but it focuses heavily on Crossing Jordan. Think of the NCIS characters just as extras or guest stars. Not my usual genre, but the idea wouldn't leave me alone. I hope you like it.
Oh, and this is fully in canon with VS7, but it takes place sometime between when Woody and Jordan got engaged and when Jordan got pregnant.
And the ever-famous disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever owned Crossing Jordan…that right belongs to someone who decided he'd rather play with superheroes.
So, without further ado…
Mistaken Identity
Chapter One: NCI-Who?
"Morning, Luv."
"Morning, Nige," Jordan answered as she stepped out of the elevator. Nigel joined her as she continued down the hallway.
"Have a good night with our dear Woodrow?"
Jordan rolled her eyes and flashed a coy smile. "By the way, how are you and Kate doing?"
Nigel glanced at her. "You're right, we shouldn't be talking about this…so, I got the tox results back from last week's dead soldier."
Jordan reached over and grabbed the report out of his hands. "Marine, not soldier. And why the heck did it take that long to get back?"
"No idea, luv…I would have done the test myself, but the military didn't think our lab was good enough," Nigel replied, his voice betraying his hurt feelings at the implication.
Jordan patted him on the back. "Nige, it's not your fault. Probably some left over crap from Ivers."
At that moment, Garret came around the corner looking grim. "Jordan!" he shouted. "I need you down at the wharf. They've got another Marine."
"Another one? What is with these guys dying?" Jordan responded.
"That's what they pay you to find out," Garret reminded her. "Woody said he'd meet you at the scene." Jordan didn't miss the smile he gave her as he handed her the address.
She smiled back. "A date by the ocean with a dead guy…how romantic."
LINE
Woody watched as Jordan's El Camino pulled into view, and walked up to greet her.
"Hey, Cutie," he said softly and gave her a kiss.
Jordan smiled. "Hey, yourself." Resisting the urge to be completely unprofessional, she took a step back. "What do we have?"
Woody sighed and guided her towards the body. "It looks the same as last time…Marine, brown hair, in his thirties…shot twice in the chest at long range."
Jordan bent down and began her examination. "Liver temp says he died four to six hours ago," she said. "Any witnesses?"
"Just the fisherman that found the body, and he had just arrived," Woody replied after consulting his notebook. "Looks like we could have a serial killer on our hands."
Jordan just nodded.
"You get the tox screen back on the other victim?"
Jordan stood back up. "Yeah," she said. "Nothing—he was clean."
Wood shrugged. "Not surprising. He was a Marine."
Smirking at his naiveté, Jordan replied, "Doesn't make him a saint."
Woody grinned and pulled her close. "I'm done here; I'll pick you up for dinner?"
"Sure thing, Farm Boy. See you at six," Jordan answered. She kissed him quickly before getting in her car and driving off.
LINE
Several hours later, Garret hung up the phone and rubbed his eyes. Sighing, he went see Jordan in her office.
"Hey, I need you and Nigel," he said without preamble, not noticing that Nigel was, in fact, sitting on Jordan's couch.
"We didn't do it!" the Brit exclaimed emphatically.
"Never mind that right now," Garret began. Then his brain caught up with his ears. "Wait…didn't do what, exactly?"
Jordan smirked. "Nothing, Garret. Nigel's just being paranoid."
He looked between the two of them carefully, but decided he had better things to do than try to figure out if they were telling the truth.
"I just got a call from Washington DC…apparently, our Marine guy is a serial killer and he didn't begin last week. So, they want you both and the Detective in Charge to go down there and collaborate."
"Great, my favorite city," Jordan deadpanned. "Who's 'they' anyway?"
"Some government agency…um…NCIS…stands for Naval Criminal Investigative Service. They're like the FBI for military or something like that."
Nigel made a face and said, "So they just expect us to happily waltz down there and hand over our case? No way…the murders happened here! Make this NCIS-whatever-it-means come to us!"
"Sorry, Nigel. They're calling the shots on this one," Garret said. "I don't like it any better than you do. So just go there, solve the case, and get back here as soon as you can."
They sighed collectively.
"Well…at least there's one good thing about this," Jordan said, smiling.
Both men gave her an 'Oh Really?' look, making her smile more. "Woody's the lead detective."