Working It Out
Summary: I didn't like that the writers ruined Jane and Jo's friendship in season 4. I was annoyed how Jane was written as a bitch with a grudge and Jo as a passive and stupid character. Instead of when Jane punches Jo, Jo just doesn't sit there and take it.
Jo knocks on Jane's door. Jane opens it and glares at Jo.
Jo is aware of Jane's anger toward her but ignores it. "Hi Jane. We need to talk, we're still friends."
Jane angrily states, "No Jo. We were friends!"
Jane swings a punch and Jo sees it coming, ducking out of reach and Jane slams her fist into empty air. Jane tries to throw another punch at Jo, but Jo ducks again and grabs Jane's arm.
"Stop it, Jane! Stop acting crazy and calm down!" Jo shouts as she makes attempts to hold Jane off.
"No! You stole Richard from me and you deserve to get your ass knocked down!" Jane shouts back as she tries to free her arm from Jo's grasp.
Jane begins to hit Jo with her free arm and something inside Jo snaps and she starts to hit Jane back. The fight escalates as the two women begin hitting and slapping each other hard in the middle of Jane's living room. Both of them are pummeling each other, intending to leave marks. Then both of them fall to the floor rolling, while grunting and gasping, both grab each other's hair and begin to pull hard. Jane and Jo scream while pulling each other's hair. Then both manage to pull away from each other to catch one's breath and stare at each other from their corners.
Jo is panting for breath. "My god, has it come to this?"
Jane is also panting hard. "You started it."
"I never wanted this. You need help." Said Jo in between her own heavy breathing.
Jane still panting, "I think I did pretty well on my own." She states and she and Jo stare at each other for awhile in silence.
Jane and Jo begin to calm down and check themselves over for their injuries. They both stiffly get up and sit across from each other at the table. Jane gets up and slightly limps to the fridge and takes out ice for the both of them. Jane hands Jo some ice as she tries to find some words to say as they ice their wounds.
Jane is almost in tears. "Why Jo? Just why? You couldn't work it out with Jake so you had to go after Richard?"
Jo shakes her head, wincing at the pain. "It never was my intention. I was angry at Jake, angry at him for getting involved with Shelly and at myself. I made too many mistakes."
"You can say that again." Jane replies dryly.
Jo glances up at Jane. "I was flattered that Richard began to pay attention to me. I saw how happy he made you while I….."
Jane glances back at Jo. "-was miserable and had to ruin my happiness?"
Jo winces. "I don't know." She stares into the air for a moment. "What would have happened if MacKenzie had survived the bomb blast? Would have it been her sitting here instead of me?"
Jane looks down and shrugs. But deep down she knew better. She would have fought tooth and nail for Richard and to become recognized as a fashion designer at any cost.
Jane pushes a loose strand of hair from her face. "Of all I've been through: my divorce, bad lovers, losing my business…..I had to hold onto something and keep it no matter what. I've been through hell."
Jo inhales sharply."You think you're the only one frustrated with life? I killed the father of my unborn baby, fought his parents for custody, then fought Kimberly to get him back and still had to give him up for adoption in the end. I really suck in the relationship area and should go live in a nunnery or something."
Jane chuckles, "I should join you." Jane sighs and runs a hand through her disheveled hair.
Jo manages a small smile. "It's agreed. We both need help." She brushes her own hair back off her shoulders. Jo is watching Jane's face. "So now what? Will you and I still go on as friends?"
Jane looks down. "I need time. You really hurt me, Jo."
Jo looks down as well. "I know. You hurt me, too."
Jo inspects her clothes that has loose threads and tears and looks up at Jane with an almost type of awe. Jane looks at her own clothes and sees some damage and snorts. Jane and Jo share a small moment of laughter.
Jo offers a solution. "How about I quit? Would that help?"
Jane shrugs. "It might."
Some more moments of silence passes between them. Both women get up, stiff from their aches and pains. Before she walks out the door, Jo turns to Jane.
Jo pauses. "Your anger scared me, Jane. It really did. Last time someone hit me like that, it was Jess and while you were hitting me….it was all the bad memories of the times I was being abused coming back at once. I'm tired of it. You must be tired of the abuse too, if you were that angry enough to want to hit me. I don't want to lose our friendship. But I won't be your doormat." Jo walks out.
Jane closes the door and whispers, "I'm tired of it too."
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Jo decides to do the right thing and resign from Hart-Mancini Designs in front of both Jane and Richard, with a formal letter. Richard does some protesting over her quitting but it falls on deaf ears. She also says one of the reasons is she values her friendship with Jane and has hurt her. Following that, she tells Richard it's over between them. Do not contact her. Jo turns to Jane and smiles at her and Jane reciprocates. Jo walks out with pride intact. Richard is stunned.
"What was that all about?" asks Richard, still not comprehending it all.
Jane shrugs at him. "Jo obviously values her friendship with me over you and was willingly to walk away to do it." Richard doesn't look convinced and then something becomes obvious to Jane.
"I wonder Richard, if you could easily dump me for Jo; you could have easily dumped me for anyone that you felt offered something better." Jane picks up a few design layouts to go over them and heads out of the office, leaving a speechless Richard behind her.
THE END
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