A/N:
Set during Season 5 episode 3, I'm fairly certain. I'm just finally getting around to watching these and I'm swooning over Jo/Zane stuff all over again. This was just something I was thinking about - what would Jo's reaction be? We never really got to see where stuff was explained to her. As always I don't own any of these characters, nor am I making money off of this story.
Description: Jo takes her cell phone on walkabout with her this time, and gets Carter's call about the Astraeus.
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Jo sat on a rock overlooking the shore and willed enlightenment. Well, tried to. She was ready. Ready any second for the universe to send her a sign. She sat like she was supposed to, held her hands like she was supposed, looked out over the vista now and then like she was supposed to… so where was her peace of mind?
If she was honest with herself, it was probably orbiting Saturn by now. But being with Zane had never been peaceful, not really. Not in a while.
She sighed and started over. "Inner peace…" she mumbled.
Her phone trilled and she debated throwing her phone down to the rocks below her. But who goes on a walkabout without a cell phone?
"Lupo," she answered, resigned.
It didn't take long for Carter to fill her in on what had happened.
Zane. Atraeus. Missing.
She had for so long been career-minded and survival oriented, but she had allowed herself to begin to include Zane into her life. In the old timeline that was. The sudden jarring sensation of being all alone again had disoriented her and knocked her off her center, aside from the obvious hurt she felt.
The purpose of this walkabout had been to find herself, to re-center. To feel whole again. Instead she just felt lost. Like Zane was. There was the undeniable tug to return. To help. To bring him back safely. She knew she could. Years of confidence and authority had ingrained in her the belief that she could get the job done.
She wasn't ready to think about the alternative. She'd already lost him once. As much as she didn't want to admit it, he was hers to lose again. She never wanted to live through that kind of pain again.
"Jo?" Carter's voice snapped her back.
"Yeah. I'm on my way." As soon as she could. Every second lost could be dangerous.
She hopped up and turned, only to find the back of her car attached to a tow truck. "No no no no – that's my car!"
The police officer walked up with paper in her hand.
"That's my car! The sign said beach parking!"
"It's permit only," she explained, handing the paper to Jo.
"What's this?" Jo asked, beginning to be overwhelmed with panic. Luckily anger was there to help calm her down. She had to get back to Eureka. She had to find Zane and the rest of the crew.
"It's the telephone number of a cab company."
"Look," she started, readying her plea, "a friend told me I should go on a walkabout and –"
"Then you shouldn't have brought a car along," the woman shrugged, but not unkindly. "Have a nice day."
Thank goodness she had her phone.
Jo would deal with inner peace and all that later - right now she had to make sure Zane got home.