A/N: This is a little short story with one of my favorite characters, Fargo.
Pairing: (if you can call it that) Fargo/Zoe
Summary: Zoe needs help with an AI project for college; everyone is busy, except for Fargo.
Zoe was well into her second year in college now. She was having a great time, though she missed her friends, and her family. She was feeling that she was doing pretty well, but she was sprung with a surprise in one of her classes. Her teacher wanted every class member to build their own robot of some kind complete with its own AI system. She didn't know how to do that, not really anyways. Its due in two weeks, how is she going to do that? On top of that she still has all her other homework. She didn't want to call Lucas, because they had had a huge fight and she didn't really feel like talking to him. She decided to call home.
Her first call was to Zane, but he was busying trying to surprise Jo for their year anniversary. He said to call Henry.
Second call to Henry, but he was out of town working on a top secret project. He advised her to call her dad. She knew he would say to call Allision.
She was going to call her dad, and talk to S.A.R.A.H. but she figured that would be cheating.
She called Allision, but she admitted that she probably knew as little she did. She told her to call Fargo, as he did create S.A.R.A.H.
She hesitated to call him, Fargo and technology usually ended up badly. Occasionally nothing happened to destroy anything, and occasionally it did. She wasn't so sure, but if she wanted to at least attempt getting a good grade it was her best shot. She took the plunge and dialed. It rang 4 times. He answered.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Fargo, it's Zoë"
"Oh hey Zoë, whatcha need?"
"What makes you think I need something?"
"Well that's usually why people call me, that or to yell at me cause I did something wrong again."
"You've got a point, and yes I need to your help, are you free?"
"Of course I have no life"
"Um…"
"Only joking, yes I'm free"
"Good, I need some help with an AI project here at the college. Can you meet me anytime soon?"
"I can get up there tomorrow afternoon"
"I'll see you then. Thanks so much Fargo!"
"It's what I'm here for. See you later. Bye"
"Byes"
She let out the deep breath that she didn't even know she was holding in. Why did she feel so nervous talking to Fargo?
Good thing the next day was Friday and she finished all her other work last night, so she didn't have any other classes to distract her. Fargo arrived at her dorm around 1 in the afternoon. They worked on building the robot first; all the while he was explaining what he was doing, so she wasn't completely confused. They had worked hard, had some laughs, and before they knew it was 7 o'clock, and their stomachs were grumbling. They decided that since they had gotten almost the entire robot built, after spending an hour alone deciding what it would be for and what it would look like, they would go for dinner on campus.
"Where would you like to go?" Zoe said
"I don't really know anything on this campus, so it's up to you"
"Well we could go to an actual restaurant, or just the school lunch room?"
"The restaurant sounds better, less crowed, I don't like crowds"
"True, and it will be quiet, I could use quiet right now"
He wasn't sure what to say to that. She seemed sad about something.
"Is it far? Should we take my car?"
"It's like 2 miles, and it's really nice out. I'm sure we could use the walk"
They laughed
They talked about Eureka and what Shenanigans had ensued since she had left almost 8 months ago now. He asked how school was going, and how her boyfriend was faring at his school. She wouldn't bring him up; he guessed that it was the same thing as when she said she needed quiet. He didn't push the matter.
They finally reached their destination, the only 'real' restaurant on campus. It was kind of like Café Diem, except it didn't have a giant fridge, and you couldn't exactly order anything, but you could order a lot. They were seated in about five minutes in a nice booth near a corner. Not totally secluded, but they were sure they wanted it that way. They ordered their drinks, coke for Zoe, and Shirley temple for Fargo.
"Any idea on what to get?" asked Fargo
"Not sure, I usually get the same thing, a bacon cheeseburger"
"Sounds delicious"
Then Zoë's phone rang, she looked at the caller ID and ignored it. Fargo had thought that she just didn't want interrupt their dinner at first, but when it happened repeatedly throughout their entire meal, he was starting to wonder. She finally just turned off her phone.
He wanted to cheer her up so he bought her a large ice cream brownie dessert. She was grateful.
"I don't think I can finish this alone"
"I got it for you"
"Oh come on I know you want some"
They were almost finished when they were interrupted by some girl he didn't know.
"I can't believe you!" She was talking to Zoë "you're out on a date with a less attractive older guy after that big argument, he was right you are a floozy."
Zoë didn't say anything, but looked like she was about to cry. Fargo stepped in.
"Hey, I'm not her date; I'm just an old friend. Leave her alone."
She scoffed "whatever dude" then she left
He could tell that she just wanted to leave so he paid and they walked back to her dorm in silence. He invited himself into her room and sat with her. She wanted someone to talk too, someone to let this out with. He would wait. After only a few minutes she leaned on to him, and let out the sobs that she had fought so hard to keep in the last few hours. He held her tight, whispering reassurances that everything was going to be alright, and whenever she was ready to talk he would be there for her. After crying for a solid half hour, she was done, and ready to talk.
"Lucas came up to see me for our anniversary, as a surprise. I was working on an English project with my guy partner for the past two weeks, so I didn't have much time to talk to him. He walked into my room just as we were finishing the project. He assumed that the 'project' was a cover for an affair. Then it just kind of all exploded from there. The fight somehow ended up in the hallway, where he called me a floozy. That girl from dinner lives down the hall from me. It gathered quite the crowd. He was always yelling at me cause I never made time for him, and was sneaking around behind his back, but whenever I made time for him, and I tried very hard to do so every day, he'd be off partying or something rather with half naked chicks drinking shots off their navels, but no, if I so much as look at another guy I get accused of something I never did, and will never do. So I broke up with him. He's pissed, and won't stop calling me."
That was a lot of information to process all at once; he tried to sort it out all in his head. It took him a few seconds to respond.
"If he isn't going to trust you, and it seems to me that he doesn't care all that much if you're getting hurt by him, then he doesn't deserve you sweetie, you're better than him. You deserve better."
She smiled, and he smiled right back. The next thing you know its Sunday morning and they are in each other's arms, and tangled up in the sheets. Zoë awoke first, when she opened her eyes she was staring directly in to Fargo's closed ones. She liked this feeling of him holding her, or maybe it was only the fact that someone was holding her right now. Fargo woke up a few minutes later, and smiled. He was happy. They were both happy at that moment. But when Fargo realized what time it was, and it registered in his brain that he had spent the night with the sheriffs daughter, he kinda freaked. He left without saying anything.
Zoë's week
That whole next week, Zoë couldn't focus on anything. Not her homework, not going to her classes, not sleeping, not eating, she didn't do anything. She kept wondering what had happened, wondering what she had felt when she had woken up in his arms. She had been in a daze for six days straight, only to be pulled out by her phone vibrating, it was Fargo. It was only a text message, she was only half glad that she didn't have to talk to him.
"Do you still need me to help you with your project? Or have you finished it?"
She replied "I haven't touched it since last time you were here"
"I'll come by in a few hours"
"Thanks"
Fargo's week
Fargo had left in a hurry, and he wasn't even sure why. He knew that on some level that it was somehow wrong. He hadn't felt like it was wrong, actually it had felt fan-freaking-tastic! He also knew he couldn't tell Jack that he thinks that he may have fallen for his 21 year old daughter, after spending all day with her, and eventually falling asleep in her bed, holding her in his arms. Nope, he could definitely not tell him that.
He had spent every day working up a way to find out if she had liked him back, or something. He didn't even really know. Before he knew it, it was Friday, and he remembered that they had not finished her project yet. This was the perfect opportunity to talk to her again, to see her again, and to set everything straight.
He arrived at her dorm room a little after 4pm. She answered the door, and the first thing he noticed was that she looked like she hadn't gotten any sleep for the past few days. Well neither did he, so who was he to judge?
He walked right in and got to work programming the AI and finally installing it into the robot, all the while trying to explain to her what he was doing, but his mind was somewhere else, and so was hers.
He had finished this relatively quickly, and was slowly packing up his stuff so he didn't have to leave so soon. He just couldn't take it anymore he turned toward her, and she was right in his face, just staring into his eyes with her own.
"I like you, a lot" they both said at the same time
She leaned forward and kissed him hard, right on the mouth, he responded after a few seconds. He loved this, kissing a girl that he had felt so much for, but then his thinking part of the brain caught up to him, and pushed her away gently.
"Umm, what are you doing?"
"If I'm gonna get accused of cheating then I might as well actually do it."
He looked at her
"Just kidding, I like you Douglas, I really do."
They both smiled, and kissed again. They talked and kissed, and kissed and talked all night long, ending up sleeping like they had the week before, finally getting a good night's rest. They slept well into Saturday afternoon/night. Once both were awake, Fargo asked her a question to which she didn't know the answer.
"So… how are we going to break the news to your dad?"