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Ceremonial Killer (Haruchai x BeauteousDeath)

He nodded with a sleepy smile. "I know it does, or hope it does." he replied and let her lay him back. Then she was against him, engulfed by him, and he breathed her in, the essence of honeysuckle and femininity. She permeated his senses and he loved every minute of it. "Sweet dreams Jordan." he replied and brought one hand up to let his fingertips brush along her jaw.

That was the last thing he did before falling asleep.

-

He was unsure what time it was when he awoke, but light filtered in through the curtains, casting the room in a soft glow. The smell of coffee was present, and Jordan was not with him. Which made sense, considering she'd slept for most of the fifteen hour drive. Fifteen hours. For a drive that normally only took four. Still, he had gotten her home safe. To her daughter. He smiled and rolled over with a groan.

After a few minutes he slid his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up with a grunt. His bladder cried out for relief and he stumbled to the bathroom, now hearing voices outside of the room. He relieved himself and breathed easier, washed his hands, and pulled on the only thing he had in his luggage to relax in - a black pair of sweatpants. Not fancy, but comfy, and without thinking he headed out of the room and down the stairs.
 
When Jordan woke up, she was reluctant in moving away from Cross, but her need to see her daughter was greater than her want to stay in bed curled up beside the large man. With that in her mind, she slowly, gently extricated herself from him, they'd managed to sleep with tangled limbs, though it was more like him caging her with his body, and she had to admit, she liked it. A lot.

Once she was up, she went into her bathroom and went through her latrine routine. She relieved herself, then showered and brushed her teeth. After about twenty minutes, the towel wrapped around her hair to soak up the excess water, she left the bathroom and quietly moved around in her bedroom, dressing in a plain cream sweater with a cowled neck and faded light blue jeans. Her small feet were encased in a pair of thick brown wool socks and a pair of slippers. She'd removed the towel and combed her hair out before she looked over at Cross' sleeping form in her bed and heading out, a soft smile on her face.

Then she went down the stairs, greeted with the smell of coffee and waffles, and the sound of Sammy giggling and squealing as she ran to Jordan and very nearly flew into her arms. Jordan grinned as she held her daughter to herself. One hand reached up to smooth over Sammy's long, light brown hair.

"Missed you a bunch, baby girl," she said softly to her daughter.

"Missed you a bunch more, Mama," Sammy replied witha grin.

Jordan smiled brighter at that, "Missed you most," she finished they're routine greeting from whenever Jordan was gone for a long period of time.

The Jordan straightened into a stance and taking Sammy's smaller hand in hers, they went into the itchen to greet Jordan's mother. Sammy was still dressed n her pink and purple fleece pajamas. Alice was dressed similarly to Jordan, light blue jeans and a brown wool sweater with thick wool socks and slippers on her feet. Currently, the older woman was pouring coffee in into coffee mugs, when Jordan saw three, she shook her head, "He isn't up yet, Mom," she told her.

Alice nodded, "Alrighty then," she said as she finished pouring coffee into the first, then second and handed one mug to Jordan. Sammy was sitting at the table now and eating her breakfast and drinking orange juice.

Alice sat to the other side of Jordan, murmurs coming from her lips to her daughter's ear, making sure Sammy didn't hear, "Cross seems a very good man," she commented softly.

Jordan nodded with a soft smile as she raised her cup to her lips, "Very good in a lot of ways," she replied softly before she took a sip.

Alice made a few soft spoken comments on Jordan's change of demeanor. Just a week before, Jordan hardly ever smiled at anything with the exception of Samantha, Alice had been able to tell that even when her daughter wasn't on a case, Jordan hardly seemed happy with anything, and that Sammy was the only reason Jordan had been able to do as well as she did.

Jordan shrugged some, she knew her mother saw the changes, hard not to when the person actually noticed the changes in themselves. Since she and Cross started their relationship, she felt like more her old self again, for the first time in a very long time it seemed, and she liked it, loved it.

The two women continued talking softly about these changes. Alice was hoping Cross was planning on sticking around even after the case. When he started coming down the stairs, dressed only in a pair of sweatpants, Sammy looked up. The little girl knew there was a man over, but she didn't realize he'd be half naked.

Jordan, seeing Sammy's expression, looked over at Cross and stood to move over to him, grinning, "As much as I like seeing the sight of no shirt on you, ya might wanna put one on, Sam isn't used to seeing such a sight," she told him, her tone one of amusement, though mixed in it was stirrings of desires awakening at the sight of him in his half dressed state, "Besides, its cold, even with the central heating and fireplace going on," she told him, "You're making me just a little bit chilly just looking at you," she continued on as she took his hand, planning on leading him back up to her room, "You sleep alright? It seemed like it," she asked, then commented.
 
The expression of the child was amusing, Cross truly not realize that seeing a man without a shirt would be that shocking to her. But then, he had no kids so such things were lost on him. He grumbled a quick 'mornin' to them as he was led away by Jordan and back up the stairs. "Sorry, didn't mean to cause a ruckus." he said, a bit sheepish.

He followed her willingly and once they were upstairs he nodded to her question. "I slept very well. Better than I have in quite some time. Must have been the company." he said with a smile, then at her one comment he looked pointedly at her chest. "Chilly? Would you be fibbing?" He grinned.

He rummaged through his luggage and found a simple tee-shirt and slipped it on. "I run a bit hot, so this and a pair of socks should do nicely." he said and grabbed a set of white tube socks. He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled Jordan closer to him, kissing her mouth softly. "Thank you for having me over. I'll be sure to repay you." His grin was wicked and his hands wandered to her firm backside, which he squeezed, as if sealing that promise.

Pulling on those socks he had to admit that they felt better on his feet than the bare floor. He stood to his full height, lifting Jordan as he did, her slight form only making his arms cord a bit. Kissing her soundly once more he sets her down and then says, "Introduce me to your daughter?"

She could tell from his voice that he was a little nervous about that prospect.
 
Jordan shook her head, "She's not used to men in general.. with the except of her father and he's no where near your size," she told him on a soft chuckle as she watched him slip a tee shirt on and socks. As he pulled her close, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, smiling as she returned the soft kiss, then couldn't help but laugh at his promise, "I look forward to it, though we may have to make sure I'm quiet," she said with a grin, cheeks turning a light pink as she shrugged a little.

She squeaked a little when he lifted her as he stood and kissed him back, grinning all the while as she was set down once more on her own two feet. Slender eyebrows lifted at his question, she heard the nerves in his tone, "Why are you nervous?" she asked him curiously, not moving at all to get out of her room. Instead, she stood right in front of him, settling her hands on his chest, and her head tilted all the way back so she could look up at him, curiosity and amusement on her face. After all, it would never have occured to her that such a large man would be nervous about a tiny little girl.

At the same time, she could kind of see it. He probably thought Sammy was the deal breaker. If Sam didn't like him, or trust him after a certain period of time, he and Jordan would have to end things, most likely. Or it could be something more simple than that, the fact that he was large, he was possibly afraid of hurting a little girl, or boy, with a single handshake.
 
"What if she doesn't like me?" he asked softly, his dark eyes never leaving hers. The worry there was evident, and the fact he might even have scared Sam the very first time she saw him. The myriad of ink on his skin, his size - all of that could be overwhelming for a child.

He retook the seat on the edge of the bed so that Jordan wouldn't have to strain her neck, and lifted her easily to his lap. "I'm afraid if she doesn't like me that things between us will end. I'm not even sure just where they are going, but I want to find out, and if Sam doesn't like me then..." he shrugged, unable to express himself fully. He looked at Jordan then. "Does she have a good father?"

He knew that the man and Jordan didn't get along, but that didn't mean he was a bad father. He had heard a bit of the conversation the other day, but still...
 
Jordan settled into his lap, arms around his shoulders again, and nodded at his words, "She'll like you. It might take her a bit, but she'll like you, I'm sure of it," she told him reassuringly. Yes, he had the intimidation factor working against him at the moment, but once it wore off, she was sure Sammy would be trying to climb him like a tree and get him to play with her at every opportunity. Something told Jordan he wouldn't be against the idea.

She'd tensed a little at his question, had to think about the answer.

After she thought about it for a few moments, she decided to be brutally honest, as she saw it, "Yes and no," she told him, "He doesn't physically hurt her, nor does he ever leave her to own devices when he has her, but the problem is, he hardly ever comes to get her for a weekend, or even a night. The other day, first day we met? I had asked the school nurse if she'd tried calling him, but he was too busy in a meeting to come and get her," she said, "That's not a first. Its really very, very typical of Jacob," she told him softly, "But when he does have her, its just the two of them. It just happens so infrequently and she's literally starving for him," sadness creeped into her voice then.

Jordan had a very good relationship with her own father, he'd been a cop actually, and she'd been Daddy's Little Girl, she was devastated when he passed away a few years ago, and she honestly couldn't imagine him doing to her, what Jacob did to Sammy. It broke her heart. It also made her furious beyond belief. Unfortunately, the things she wanted to do to make Jake open his eyes would land her behind bars.

"So.. yes and no about her having a good father."
 
Cross felt her muscles tense and in response he rubbed her back gently as she spoke. He knew that this had to be difficult for her, but he also needed to know, for himself. He listened intently, gauging the man's behavior in his own mind and knowing that things were rough for Sam.

As Jordan stopped speaking he sat for a moment, eyes on her face before he made a bold statement. "If... if you and I work out, I'd like to be a father for her. If you'll let me." He'd told Jordan of his past, with his Nancy. Her want of children.

Sam wasn't his and never really would be, but maybe he could be a father. Maybe.

"Take me to meet your daughter." he said softly.
 
She looked at him and smiled softly and nodded, "We'll just see how 'we' work out first, but yeah, if it does, I'd like that," she told him. She kissed him softly on the lips after he made his request, then she stood from his lap and slipped her hand in his and lead him out of her bedroom.

Once they were down the stairs, Sammy was done eating and no longer at the table. They found out fairly quickly that she'd gone to her room to change out of her pajamas.

So Jordan suggested to Cross he sit down as she went to the kitchen to get him a plate of pacakes and pour a mug of coffee for him. By the time she set it down before him, Sammy had come out, dressed in a pink sweater dress with purple tights and pink snow boots, and held a brush in one hand, and a few hair ties in the other. Sammy looked at Cross and beamed him a smile.

Now that he had a shirt on, covering up most of the artwork on him, it seemed he didn't have quite such an intimidating demeanor, "Samantha, this is Cross," Jordan said, "Cross, this is my daughter Samantha Forrest," she finished the introductions as she picked her duaghter up and set her on a stool that was placed away from the table, but still within easy talking distance. Then Jordan picked up the hair brush and started pulling it through Sammy's long light brown hair.

Samantha sat very still, but she did move her head enough to look in Cross' direction, "Cross is a funny name," she stated succinctly, "I like it!" she added in a piping voice and a grin. Jordan smiled and gave Cross an 'I told you so' look, before shrugging and parting her daughter's hair. Part of their morning routine was Jordan essentially playing with her daughter's hair. She started a side Dutch braid, fingers moving nimbly to pick up hair and add it to the braid she was working on, though her fingers stilled for a moment at Sam's next question, "So are you my mommy's boyfriend?" she asked then, her little voice full of energy and curiosity.

Jordan smiled, unsure of just how to answer the question. She supposed the answer was 'yes', but she wanted to hear what he had to say. In no time at all, as he answered, Jordan finished the braid and tied if off with a purple hair band.
 
As Sammy came in and gave him that smile he smiled back and winked. At the comment of his name he chuckled and nodded as he shewed his pancakes the sweetness of the syrup so good. "Cross is a funny name, isn't it?" he said after he swallowed and he lifted his coffee. "It's nice to meet you Samantha. You mind if I call you Sam?" he asked, eyes bright.

At her question he paused and then said. "I'd like to think so sweetheart. But really, that's a question you need to ask your mom. She gets to decide who her boyfriend is, doesn't she?" His eyes took in both Samantha and Jordan, then slid to Alice, that easy smile still on his face.
 
"Sure! Mommy calls me that sometimes," she replied to him in what he could call her.

Jordan had finished braiding at this point and gave Cross a grin with a mock sarcastic expression that would say, 'nice' if she spoke aloud, Sam looked up at her then, "Is he, Mommy?" she asked. Jordan smiled as she looked at her daughter, "If he isn't now, then he will be soon if he wanted," she said then, "and I'm pretty sure he wants it," she added.

Just like that, Sam was off the stool, hugged her mother's legs, then her grandmother's and went over to Cross. She gave him a considering look before she tossed her arms around him, then skipped to the front door and put her bright pink snow jacket on, "I'll just be in front. Anyone wanna help me build Mr. Snowman?" she said as she went out the door, not bothering to wait for a response.

After the door closed, Jordan just shook her head as she usually does from the burst of energy, "And yes, she's always that hyper, sometimes worse, hardly ever less," she said with a bright smile. It was obvious she loved it.
 
Cross smiled at Sam and then at Jordan, and was caught only slightly unaware as Sam hugged him too, her little arms not really encircling anything and more looking like she was telling him she caught a fish 'this big'. Still, one arm wrapped about her very tiny form, the hand big enough to cradle her head, and he gave a very brief hug back.

Then he chuckled as she headed out the front door. Cross turned back to the two women and stood, clearing his dishes as he did so. "I think she needs some help with Mr. Snowman, don't you?" he said to Jordan as he set the dishes in the sink.

Then, before Jordan or her mother could move much he crossed to Jordan and took her hand. He glanced at her mother before setting his gaze on the daughter. "So," he asked softly, "be my girl?" he asked, his eyes never leaving hers and biting his bottom lip almost nervously.

He wanted her mom to see, to hear. To know that this was what he wanted. He hoped that Jordan could tell too.
 
"I'm thinking she needs it too," Jordan replied with no small amount of amusement in her voice, her smile showed it as well as she watched him. At his question, Alice thought the boy was very much on the old fashioned side, and she found she rather liked it. Jordan, smiled softly to him, not surprised by the question, she was taken a little off guard with the fact he asked her right in front of her mother however.

It was what she wanted too though, after all, how could they explore the possibilities and boundaries, if they didn't take this particular step. So she nodded, "Yeah, I'd like that a lot," she answered him.

Alice had known what her daughter's answer would be and she left the two of them with a bright grin, though she did wipe it off of her face long enough to turn to give Cross a stern look, "Now, I'm just saying this because it's my right as a mother, and her father would turn over in his grave if I didn't," she started out as she set her hands on her hips, "You treat her right, the last one who didn't is still paying for it," she said sweetly before she gave him a smile, she was sure already Cross wouldn't hurt her girl, without the threat. But if she hadn't she was sure she would have had dreams of her late husband for weeks or months berating her for not delivering threats. Satisfied, with a soft chuckle she went to the front door and grabbed her coat, then joined her granddaughter in the front yard.

Leaving Jordan and Cross on their own.
 
As Jordan said that she would be his girl Cross smiled and his eyes softened and became more warm. He was about to bend and kiss her when Alice spoke. Cross listened, as he knew was right. When she had finished speaking he spoke softly but with much conviction. "I'll always treat her right. I promise." He said. He did not make promises lightly and after a few moments Alice had left them alone, going out to play with Sam.

Cross knew better than to tarry too long. Not that in some ways Jordan would mind, but he did want her to spend time with Sam, and not bring a man home and suddenly 'disappear'. So, without a word he lifts her, hands on her waist, nearly encircling her and set her on the counter. His left hand came back up and cradled the back of her head before his mouth crashed into hers, the kiss full of passion and life and hunger and no small amount of affection. Cross let his emotions carry him and the kiss lingered and deepened and held for a time until it eventually ended of its own volition.

Cross rested there, forehead pressed gently to hers, eyes closed as he breathed her in - that womanly smell, like honeysuckle and amaranth blossoms. Reveled in the warmth of her skin, the softness of her, the way she tasted on his lips, and the way her voice sounded. He let her permeate him in every way he knew how and he gave another few soft kisses to her mouth before saying softly, "We should get outside. I promise we'll continue this later, love."
 
Jordan felt her heart and breath catch in her throat with passion, life and hunger she felt in his kiss a tiny, soft moan escaped her lips as her hands grasped his shoulders. The end of the kiss left her feeling a little dizzy, eyes closed as he rested his forehead against hers, he knew what he did to her, she was sure of it, for the simple fact that she was sounding a little out of breath. She didn't care though, she wanted him to know what kind of effect he had on her.

After he slowly pulled back and placed softer kisses on her lips, she smiled and looked up at him, grinning, "I'm sure I wont have to hold you to that promise either," she told him softly, her hands sliding from his shoulders to the sides of his neck. She felt herself slowly lifted off the counted and set down on her feet. She knew it had to have been a comical sight. A woman who could be considered vertically challenged, or as she liked to think of it, fun-sized; with a man who was over a foot taller than her, and easily three times her size. Hell, she kind of thought it comical, but loved the feeling of being engulfed by him even more.

After he feet had touched the ground and she was sure she could move without fearing her legs would buckle. She did lean against him, restng her head against his chest as she slipped her hands under his arms and hugged him to her for a moment. Then she took a step back and looked up at him, "You might want to get into something a little more warm, babe," she told him with a grin, then she gave his forearm a gentle squeeze as she moved away from him, "I'll meet you out there, you have ten minutes, by the way," she added with a grin, "If you're not out by then, I'll have to go in after you," she finished telling him on a soft laugh as she had been sliding her slippers off and stuffed he feet in her knee high, black snow boots and slid her coat on.

She laughed more when she opened the door and was hit with a snow ball, "Oh I am so getting you for that, missy!" Jordan exclaimed as she ran out, closing the door behind her and started chasing her daughter, picking up a handfull of snow and compacting it into a ball before she hid behind her SUV that was parked off to the side. Then she peeked out from the corner, saw her daughter behind the pine tree and Jordan bolted toward her, tossing her snow ball against her daughters thick coated stomach just before she wrapped her arms around Sammy's waist and picked her up and twirled her around a few times, both mother and daughter squealing and giggling.
 
Cross chuckled at Jordan's veiled threat, thin as that veil was. He headed upstairs and slipped a pair of jeans over his sweats, and a sweater over that tee. He had a pair of tennis shoes as well. He knew his clothes would be soaked, and he'd be cold, but he was looking forward to this, and wanted to have fun with his girls.

His girls.

Oh, how his mind had been changed these last few days. He sighed and headed downstairs. He knew a hot shower awaited him later - and maybe something else equally as hot. He'd reached the bottom of the stairs and now headed out the front door, the cold winter air hitting him as he looked around and let his eyes adjust to the brightness.
 
Jordan saw Cross had come out and she grinned, and quickly spoke softly in her daughter's ear, then gave her mother a look with a devious grin. Alice shook her head with a grin, she'd go with the plan, but really hoped Cross would know how to handle Jordan in the end. At the same time, however, she was just happy to see her daughter come back to life. She had seen little of that side of her daughter when Jordan was married to the idiot, Jake. Then stopped seeing it all together when her father passed away. It was because she was happy to see her daughter living again that she went with the plan.

Jordan didn't have to say anything to her mother, the older woman knew exactly what she was wanting. It was simple Owen tradition since she'd been a kid. The person out the door to play in the snow was to be bombarded with snow balls. She grinned as she saw her mother make her way back toward the house, looking as though she were going to go inside, while Sammy ran over to Cross and took one of his hands with both of hers and pulled him away from the door. Alice was then behind Cross, her snowball had been hidden well and now she threw it at his back, while Samantha giggled and quickly bent down to pick up some snow to make a ball out of it. At the same time that Alice had thrown her one snow ball at Cross' back, Jordan had thrown her two, one right the other, hitting him squarely in the chest as she grinned and planted her hands on her hips, laughing as she saw her mother quickly escape for the mayhem that was probably going to ensue, if not by Cross, then by Jordan, by going inside the house and went straightaway to the living room window to watch.

Sam finally gathered enough snow to make a snowball the size of a softball and threw it towards Cross before turning and started to run back toward her mother, giggling wildly.
 
Cross knew he was under attack and laughed along with everyone else. He grinned as Sam ran away and then he saw his weapon of choice. There, leaning against the house was the snow shovel that had been used to clear the walks. Perfect.

He grabbed it and scooped a huge load of snow from the pile next to the walk. He then turned with a grin. "Time for payback!" he said and started to chase down Jordan...
 
Jordan gave Cross a mocking shocked look then squealed out before she turned and ran from him, laughing as she grabbed her Sammy's hand, both laughing and moving to the opposite side of Jordan's SUV. There they crouched and started gathering up snow, making several snow balls for mother and daughter to throw at the playfully vengeful Cross.

"You're not getting that payback without a fight!" Jordan called out from behind her SUV, she peeked out with a snow ball in hand and looked for him, planning to throw the cold ball of white snow at him when she saw him.
 
The girls took shelter behind the SUV, and the vehicle was rather clean, having been used by Jordan's mother. Still, he had a shovelful of snow and he heaved it, watching it fly in a sparkling arc over the SUV and unsure if he even hit anything. Jordan had popped up, snowballs streaking toward him, though one missed as he moved, the other hitting his arm.

He bent and was making some snowballs himself, and waggling his rear at the girls - bait.
 
Jordan and Sam laughed hard as a few clumps of snow did hit them, but most of it went in front of them. Quickly, each gathered more snow and compacted it into more snowballs. Jordan peeped around again, seeing Cross waggling his backside at them, she grinned and couldn't resist to throw a snowball right at his ass. Considering she had always had good aim, she knew her target would be hit right at the center.
 
Cross felt the snowball impact that offered target and he laughed aloud. Soon he had a pile of snowballs - hastily made but still able to be thrown. He had no defense, and they had the SUV, so superior firepower was the way to go. He would have to remember to be gentle though, because of Sam, and he really didn't mind losing. He just wanted the little girl to see him as a good man. Her mom's new boyfriend.

Scooping up the snowballs he shouted out, "Ready or not here I come!" fully realizing it is not Hide and Seek, yet it still seemed so fitting.
 
Mother and daughter huddled against each other, laughing and giggling as he threw his own snowballs. Sam, at some point, started rounding the SUV, being as quiet as she could be, Jordan peeped around and looked at Cross, holding a finger up to her lips and pointing in the direction Sam was coming from, a bright smile playing on her lips. She was sure he knew she was asking him to allow Sam get him, with that in her head, she shrugged a bit.

Sure enough, Sam came around and was tip-toe stepping behind him, though the crunch of snow would give her away. If he turned, Sam would throw her snowballs right at him while screeching playfully and would run, if he didn't, she'd pelt his back with her own snowballs, and run.
 
Cross nodded to Jordan and then, just as Sam was behind him, he turned, her screech reverberating around the yard as she unloaded all her snowballs, point-blank. "Agghhh!" he cried and started to chase, just to give her that feeling of almost being caught, before he fell to the snow and pretended he was dying, overcome by the 'wounds' the snowballs inflicted.

"Alll... I wanted.... was.... a...... hot chocolate...." he gasped out, then laid very still.
 
Cross' reaction sent Sammy in a fit of giggles. Jordan stood from her spot and walked over to him, grinning and laughing, especially when her daughter ran over to him and pounced him, poking him in the chest repeated, "Up and up, Cross!" she shouted in her piping voice, "We get hot chocolate!" She said with continued giggles. Jordan stood a couple of feet away and simply watched her daughter, and boyfriend. Boyfriend. That was weird to think, it'd been since before Jake had proposed to her since she'd had a 'boyfriend', and now, after all that time, and heartache, and workstress. She had one. It was an odd thought, but very pleasant.
 
Cross moaned and groaned as Sam poked him and called out, her voice loud and cheerful. He wrapped one arm about her as he lurched to his feet, the small child held beneath his arm as he grunted and said, "Hot.... chocolate.... zombie...." while lurching toward Jordan, letting Sammy slip from his grasp and to her feet. "Choc-o-late.... brains...." he groaned out and made a grab for Jordan.
 
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