as ever, i don't own eureka or any of its characters...but i will always be a fan of jo and zane. i haven't watched "one small step" but i've read and heard enough of how that ended for our favorite couple. so assume this continues from that scene in cafe diem, but i promise this ends happily, as it should.

taking charge

Zane was looking at Jo. That he was angry and frustrated was evident. The other patrons in Café Diem had already started clearing the perimeter around the two, to protect themselves from what seemed like another one of their monumental blowouts. Even Vincent chose survival over curiosity as he hid behind the counter.

"I don't get it Jo. I just don't get it!" his voice was rising again as he was clenching and unclenching his fist over his leg.

"Do we really need to talk about this now Zane? Here?" Jo's voice was just as agitated, but she was also conscious that they still had an audience. Zane, on the other hand, didn't seem to care.

"Oh so now you want me to wait? How absolutely ironic."

"You're being unreasonable…" Jo said as she crossed her arms in front of her. To others that might have looked like a gesture of irritation. But Jo was actually trying hard to hold on to her hard façade. Seeing Zane this hurt was painful for her too.

"I'm the one being unreasonable? Weren't you the one who wanted us together in the first place? And now, it turns out, you don't?"

"It's not like that Zane!" Jo pleaded. She tightened her arms across her as she felt tears burning at the back of her eyes.

"Then what is it like?" he challenged.

"It's…it's…it's complicated." Even to Jo's ears her reply sounded lame.

"Well in case you haven't heard, I'm supposedly a genius. So I can handle complicated. So please explain to me just why having a relationship with you needs to be as complicated as hell!"

Jo struggled for words and couldn't find any. In a small voice, she could only reply "I don't know. I'm confused…"

"What kind of sick joke are you playing? All this time, you let me develop these, these…feelings for you," he spat out "and now, you tell me you're confused?"

"Zane, please…" Jo reached out to touch his arm but stopped as Zane pulled back in disgust.

"Don't Lupo. You can't just plead your way out of this. This is not the time to be passive-aggressive."

He was dripping with sarcasm and spite when he said, "You've been playing with me all along. You figured after you lost your so-called boy-toy, maybe you could get some action from whoever was stupid enough to believe your sob story, huh?"

"It's not a sob story!" she snarled back as she stood up, fists clenched at her sides. Then defeated, she slumped back to her chair and cradled her head with her hands. "It's our story…" her voice barely a whisper.

No one in the Café had any idea what they were arguing about, but no one had ever seen Zane this mad, or Jo this beaten down.

Zane looked at Jo. Something in her despondent, vulnerable state, which she hardly let anyone see but was now on full display at Café Diem - thanks to his outburst - made him take a deep breath.

Hearing this, Jo looked up. "It's not that I don't care, or that I don't lov…have feelings for you." she said.

"Sure looks like it to me."

His pained expression was clearly reflected on her face as well "You have to believe me Zane. I never, never wanted to hurt you or cause you any pain. And I really do have feelings for you. But I'm at a loss here. I…I don't know what they want me to say or do anymore…"

"Sometimes I feel like we're just being made to run in this elaborate, extremely complicated obstacle course… we get all sorts of crap thrown our way, or we get detoured, or stuck in the mud or anything that will keep us from reaching the finish line."

The tears were flowing freely now. "I'm sorry Zane. I really am. I honestly don't know where we're supposed to go from here…"

Zane continued to look at Jo. He hated himself for exposing her like this but something in what she said made him realize something….

He grabbed her hand none-too-gently, and said, "Come with me. We're going to deal with this once and for all!" and started walking out of Café Diem.

Trying to match his long, angry strides, Jo asked, "Where are we going?" but got no answer.

As they crossed the street and past the buildings on the other side, Zane kept on walking. When Jo saw that Zane was headed past the sound stage, she pulled at his hand.

"Zane, you know we're not supposed to go beyond the set!"

He turned to her without breaking stride. "Do I look like I do what I'm told? I'm a felon, remember?"

"Ex-felon" she corrected, almost automatically

The kept walking until they reached a huge trailer marked "Eureka: Writers". Jo wasn't surprised that Zane didn't bother to knock and just barged in.

"We need to have a talk with you guys." he started, addressing the room of surprised faces and hands paused over laptops.

"You guys screwed with us big-time this season! We were doing fine before you came up with this wormhole, alternate universe thing.

I'm sure you got a kick out of practically re-writing the Eureka people have come to know from the previous seasons, but was it really necessary to put me and Jo in a blender and see if we'd survive? Did you just wake up one morning and think "Let's have fun with Jo and Zane this season?"

Do we look like guinea pigs to you that you could make us go round and round and round with no end in sight? What sick, sadistic planet are you from?

And for what, character development?"

He glared at them "You probably thought it was a great idea to take away the man she loves, and put an ass like me in his place instead. Or you probably thought it was a great idea for me to date Zoe? C'mon, people!"

Zane paused to catch his breath. Looking at their stunned expressions at his angry tirade, he lowered his voice a little. Still angry, just less loud.

"Fine, I got to be mature this season. You brought out the tender, sensitive side of me as well. I guess I needed to be that.

But you made Jo weak. And confused. My actions and reactions were expected, hers were coming from nowhere!

I'm used to people not liking me, but now you're getting people to not like Jo. That's not fair to her. And I don't like it. I don't like it at all."

All this time, Zane kept a strong hold on Jo's hand. He was letting her know that they were in this together. And that he was fighting for them.

"I am no big believer in destiny. Whether its faith or fate, either spelling doesn't mean a whole lot to me."

Zane turns to Jo. His expression was hard, serious but his eyes were soft, tender.

"But this much I know. Jo and I belong together. Whatever else you throw our way, we will always find our way back to each other."

Jo's heart swelled and fresh tears started to flow. But she was smiling. She squeezed Zane's hand to let him know she felt the same way.

Zane turned back to the writers and put his free hand down, hard, on the table in front of him. Leaning forward he said "And as of now, we're done playing your games. So get your acts together, and write us that happy ending. I don't care if you need to get wasted, get high or get laid. Just write us that goddamn happy ending! Given the hell you've put us through, I believe you owe us. Big time."

Zane straightened up. He felt relieved now that he got all of that off his chest. He decided he wanted to have a little fun before they leave "And while you're at it, I'm not opposed to bed scenes between me and Jo. Not that we won't be having any, whether you write it or not."

"Anything you wanna add, sweetie?" Zane turned to Jo who characteristically punched him in the arm.

Matching his shift of mood, "I want more clothes. I'm sick of wearing the same clothes all the time." Seeing Zane's eyebrows go up, "I know you find my uniforms sexy, sweetie, but I am a girl. I just want more costume changes" she grinned.

Zane chuckled. "You heard the lady. Give her more clothes. I prefer her without any, but that's just me. " That warranted another punch in the arm.

"So. We'll let you guys get busy. Bottomline, fix your shit."

Zane and Jo turned to leave, not bothering with goodbyes, as they didn't with hellos.

Once they got out of the trailer, Jo pulled Zane towards her, her hands grabbing him by the collars of his shirt and kissing him passionately. Zane put his arms around her, crushing her closer.

When they pulled away slightly apart to catch their breath, "You were amazing in there…" Jo said breathlessly.

Zane replied smugly "I was, wasn't I?"

"C'mon" he grinned, "Let's get outta here. We have a whole lot of kissing and making up to do. You did say we always had mind-blowing make up sex, right?"

Jo's throaty reply was all the encouragement Zane needed "Let's refresh your memory then…"