So this is entirely ABBA's fault, really it is. I was listening to the song "Does Your Mother Know" from the Mamma Mia soundtrack and I was thinking that it would suit Zane and Zoe. Then I was wondering what would happen if Lucas came back to Eureka, and how (potentially) he and Jo could figure a way out to get their respective people back, and then I put the two thoughts together and got this lovely little monster.

It will be a Jo/Zane story, as well as a Zoe/Lucas, but there will be a little bit of Zane/Zoe (as much as it revolts me) in order to move the story along.

Full Summary:
When Lucas decides the only way to get Zoe back is by making her jealous Jo suddenly finds herself in an awkward position as the young scientist has decided that she would be the best canidate for the job...and he won't take no for an answer either. Meanwhile Lucas' extra attention to Jo has Zane on edge for reasons he can't completely understand.

I do not, nor will I ever own EUReKA.

"There is a visitor at the door."

It was the beginning of the end, really, that simple little announcement. Not that anyone inside the bunker was aware of that at the time of course.

Carter took a swig of his beer, pausing on his way to the couch at the sound of Sarah's voice, and looked towards the steel plated door in question. Furrowing his brow in confusion he cast a glance over his shoulder towards Zoe, she gave him a shrug. "Maybe it's for Jo?" She jerked a thumb over her shoulder to the stairs, Jo hadn't even bothered to say hello as she trudged upstairs. Considering she had been coated from head to toe in slime and gunk, Jack didn't blame her for skipping the pleasantries in her quest for cleanliness. Had he had a day as bad as hers (and he had) he would be (and had been) just as cranky.

Setting his beer down on the coffee table he wandered over to the door, pressing the button so that that the screen by the door flickered to life, allowing him to see who had stopped by. "Uh...Zoe, I think it's for you..." He stepped back, nodding his head towards the image of Lucas nervously fidgeting outside. Honestly Jack was glad to see the boy, Lucas was a good kid despite Carter's paranoid suspicion and constant checking in while he and Zoe had been dating. And it was much easier to intimidate Lucas into good behavior than it was Zane who, quite frankly, only seemed to take the threats as encouragement.

At the sight of her former beau Zoe gave her father an accusing look. "Dad..." She crossed her arms in annoyance as she walked over, her blue eyes already narrowing in annoyance. The sheriff held up his hands in defense.

"Hey, don't look at me." He took a step back, preparing to leave the two to their privacy once Lucas came inside, "I had nothing to do with this." He tapped the button to open the door as he turned and walked back over to his beer. Behind him he heard the slow hiss of the door unsealing smoothly.

As Lucas came into view the younger Carter shifted awkwardly, trying her best to offer him a small smile. "Hey, Lucas." Carter watched as Lucas blinked in surprise at seeing Zoe, apparently not expecting to see her standing on the other side of the door, and looked past her for a moment nervously.

"Oh, Zoe...hey. I was just-"

"I haven't changed my mind." Jack winced in sympathy at his daughter's abrupt interruption, and even more as he remembered all his own painful breakup conversations as a teen. Zoe moved from foot to foot, one hand moving up to play with her hair as she spoke. Lucas shoved his hands into his pockets, avoiding her gaze steadily. "So there's no point in you trying to convince me, I've thought it all out and I know it hurts but I can't help what I'm feeling..."

The boy nodded his head, looking hurt nonetheless. "I know...I..." He looked up at her carefully, swallowing. "I'm actually here to see Jo..." Carter snapped his head up towards the two teens in surprise, his brows jumping up towards his hairline. "Is she home?" Zoe stood rigidly, frozen in place by his words, she looked anything but happy. Lucas shifted, standing a little taller as if he had been emboldened by her reaction. Carter could tell the young scientist was trying to play it cool under the gaze of his ex-girlfriend. "I have some things I need to talk to her about."

Zoe's mouth opened a fraction in surprise, before she snapped it closed. Somehow she managed to force a far from convincing smile onto her face around her tightly clenched jaw, jerking her head in a vaguely nod-like gesture. "Right...of course." She stood back, motioning Lucas in with a wide gesture as she turned and headed towards the kitchen with an angry flurish. "JO! You have a visitor!" Jack winced as his daughter's voice rose and filled the house at an almost piercing decibel. As he turned to face Lucas, Jack was certain that even Sarah had a headache from the shouting.

It was going to be a long night.

Zoe was glaring daggers at her from the kitchen, as if somehow she had anything to do with the insanity that had just fallen in their laps, while Carter stood uselessly to the side in a state somewhere between amused and bewildered. Tugging her robe around herself a little tighter she opened her mouth, failing at finding the right words, and shut it again uselessly. Her hair had partially dried in the time it had taken her to locate her robe and come downstairs and was stiff and uncomfortable as it laid against the skin at the back of her neck uncombed.

"Hey Jo." The teen offered her a smooth (at least she was pretty sure that's what he was aiming for) smile and tried to strike some sort of pose. "Can we...uh talk?" Lucas was probably wearing what he considered to be his best outfit, a pair of wrinkled black slacks that he was perhaps two inches too tall for, a nauseating colored button up shirt half undone with the sleeves pushed up awkwardly around his elbows, and (what was probably the best cared for thing on his person) his prized orange Converse All Stars. He had even attempted to wrangle his curly hair and forced it to remain in place with what was probably a borderline illegal amount of hair gel. He glanced between the two Carters, shifting from foot to foot, before looking back at her. "In, uh, in private?"

She blinked at him, still trying to figure out why Lucas of all people had come to visit her at six at night dressed the same way he had when he had tried to impress Jack for the first time. Carter could only offer her a helpless half shrug when she looked to him for answers and she sighed tiredly in defeat before nodding her head to the boy. "Alright...I have nothing to do with my night anyway..." Turning, she headed for the little used office just off of the living room and tried to ignore the sound of Zoe slamming pots and pans around behind her. Lucas followed her closely, avoiding the sheriff's gaze as he scuttled past. As he entered the room she pushed the door close and turned, arms crossing before her to make sure her robe didn't slip. "So what did you want to talk about? I can't help you with Zoe, if that's what you want." She had tried, really she had, once she had found out who her young friend's new guy was (and after she had managed to get a hold of herself) to talk some sense into the girl. She'd been told to stay out of it and that she didn't know what she was talking about. Jack had his hands full trying to keep her from slapping the younger Carter after that fun little chat.

Lucas shook his head, moving his hands from place to place uncertainly. "No I..." He scratched at the back of his head. "I was actually wondering if...well, if you wanted to go out sometime?" Jo stared at him for a long, long moment. Her mouth opened and shut silently, completely stunned by his question. He couldn't be serious. There was no way. "I mean, I really like you. You're smart and funny," He held his hands up making vague motions of her figure enthusiastically. "And not to mention that you're smokin' h-"

"Lucas." She held a hand up, shaking her head almost violently as she did so. "Lucas...I," Jo gave him a hard look. "Look, I get what you're going through, I've...I've been there." She swallowed thickly as the memories came forward unbidden, trying to ignore the ache in her heart. "But...this won't work. Dating another girl to make Zoe jealous? It's just going to cause trouble."

Lucas' smile fell, a guilty falling onto his face. "But...it is working..." He motioned to the door that she was standing beside. "I mean, look how upset she got just cause I wanted to talk to you!" He gave a manic grin, excited that his theory was apparently working the way he wanted it too. "And you're the perfect person too! I mean, you're Zoe's friend, so that will totally piss her off right? And you and Zane might have a bad history, but he would hate it if you and I were going out."

Lucas gave her an expectant look, as if he expected her to suddenly see the light and gush over the plan. "Lucas...no."

"But it's perfect!" She wondered if Jack would mind her shooting the young scientist. He'd probably be upset about the blood staining the carpeting... "Just think about it!"

Jo shook her head again, this time to herself in exasperation. People in Eureka never listened did they? Especially not to something so profoundly simple and life saving as common sense. Huffing she rested her head in her hand for a moment, trying very hard not to do something she would ultimately regret. (The carpet was white and Jack would make her clean up the mess. She had to remember that, because if she did something she would never get it clean.) Taking a steadying breath she stepped forward and grabbed Lucas by the arm (as gently as she could considering her mood), spinning them both around and heading out the door. As she led (dragged) him through the house she noticed that Zoe had disappeared, mercifully sparing the cooking supplies. Jack stood at the foot of the stairs, watching with a barely suppressed smile.

Reaching the front door she pounded on the release button with far more force than was necessary. "So...is this a yes? Because I'm cool with waiting with Sheriff Carter while you get ready..." As the door swung open she gave him a small shove through with an aggravated groan.

"Goodbye Lucas." She crossed her arms before her chest, pressing her lips together in a tight line. From the corner of her eye she could see Jack slowly making his way over to them, his body language radiating with a careful curiosity that spoke of his readiness to grab her should she suddenly go on the attack. It had been a very, very bad day.

Lucas gave her a questioning look, "So I'll pick you up tomorrow?"

She rolled her eyes, giving a snarled groan of annoyance as the door finally shut in Lucas' face. Throwing her hands up in the air she spun on her heal and stormed towards the kitchen, she really needed a drink after that little conversation. "Something wrong?"

Jack turned his glass in his hand, giving her a look questioning look. Reaching the kitchen she pulled a small glass down before she began to rummage around for the whiskey. Jack was a beer drinker, rarely bothering with anything harder, but after the second week of staying with him and Sarah she had found the need to stock up on something a touch stronger. "Lucas asked me out." His brow furrowed and his eyes widened as he face contorted into his usual "Carter Confused" face. She shook her head as she poured her drink. "Don't ask, you really, really don't want to know."

Cradling her drink close to her chest she leaned against the counter. Taking a long slow sip of her whiskey she thought over the situation that had just fallen into her lap. If Lucas was as determined to go through with his hair brained scheme as she thought he was life was about to get a lot more complicated.

Fantastic.