The Road Not Taken
Rifiuto: Non Miriena
Summary: What if the town hadn't been bought? Where would all our favorite characters go? After the series finale, alternate ending if you will.
- Into the Wild
"So... this is goodbye, I guess." He nodded, hands in his pockets.
"I guess it is." She pulled away, walking a few feet before stopping and letting her gaze wander.
"I can't believe this is the last time we'll ever stand on Main Street, or see Cafe Diem or GD-" She turned, shielding her eyes with her hand. He shrugged, going to her and taking her waist.
"But we'll have each other, and that's what's important." She nodded, wrapping her arms around him. He buried his face in her neck, struggling to stem his tears. He'd spent the last few years in this town, grown into the man he'd become because of this town, of the woman in his arms, and now, he was being forced to leave it all behind. And he had her; with his grandmother's ring on her finger, and her hand in his, he could go anywhere, and it would be home, but it would never be like Eureka.
"We'd better get going, we're gonna miss our flight." She said, pulling away. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips, before snatching her keys from her hand and going to her small blue subaru.
"I can't believe you're the first of us to leave." She turned to Allison; the older woman was struggling to- and losing- contain her tears. Jo chuckled softly, she knew that the majority of it was the horomones caused by her pregnancy, but she also knew that a lot of it had to do with the town shutting down. The younger woman shrugged as she wrapped Allison in a hug. People had been slowly leaving Eureka over the last few weeks, but none of the Elite Six (as Vincent had so aptly nicknamed them), had left with their spouses or respective others until now. Jo and Zane were the first to do so.
"Let us know when the baby's born, okay? When do you leave for Seattle?" Jo asked, pulling away and taking Allison's hands.
"A couple days. Have you decided where you're going to go?" Jo licked her lips.
"Well, we're going to stop in Jersey and see my dad, and so he can terrorize Zane." She said, turning to her fiance. Allison and the others laughed as Zane pulled the car around.
"Very funny, Jojo!" Zane replied, getting out and joining them. She grinned, her nose wrinkling. "And then we're going to head up to Boston to see my mom." Zane finished for her, wrapping his arm around her waist.
"So you'll be living in Boston?" Grace asked, wrapping Zane in a hug before going to Jo.
"We haven't decided yet." He replied, sharing a glance with Jo. "We've actually been thinking of Toronto or Vancouver. Maybe even Ontario."
"Like Canada, Ontario?" Carter asked, mouth dropping. "That's a whole other country!"
"We know." Jo shrugged.
"Why would you go up there?" Fargo asked, squeezing Holly's hand. "It's just... filled with Canadians."
"Zane's part Canadian." Jo put in. Everyone turned to the younger man, startled. He looked up.
"What? I spent my childhood visiting my dad's siblings in Vancouver. My cousin Niall lives in Alberta. He runs an oil refinery."
"So... Canadian American." Carter clarified. "Dual citizenship." Zane nodded. Allison started crying again, and Carter pulled her into his arms, rubbing her back.
"Make sure you let us know where you end up, even if you can't tell us directly what you're doing." Henry said, shaking Zane's hand; the only one of the group not surprised by Jo and Zane's consideration of moving up to Canada. He nodded, as Jo wrapped her arms tight around his waist. Three weeks earlier, Henry had given Jo and Zane a folder filled with recommendations, for 'when they needed them.' He'd made a few calls to NASA, as well as the FBI and CIA in regards to the young couple, of which the pair were grateful.
"We will, thank you, Henry." Zane replied, as Jo wrapped the older man in a hug. He held her close, pressing a kiss to her head. Jo had always been a daughter to him; he'd watched her recover from her near destructive injuries from her only tour of duty after she'd first arrived, had been her confidante and mentor, and he was sad to see her go, but happy over the fact that Zane would be by her side. Of all the time traveling five, Henry had been the only one to not give up on Jo and Zane's relationship after arriving in the altered timeline. He'd looked after both Jo and Zane, listened as they vented their frustrations about the other, answered their questions regarding approaching a relationship as wild and passionate as theirs.
Zane wrapped Grace in a hug, and then Holly, before turning to Fargo. He'd grown to value the former GD director's friendship over the last year and a half, and even considered him a close friend. Fargo had essentially (and unintentionally) given Zane the push he needed to get off his ass and pursue Jo after slipping about the alternate timeline, he'd counted Zane as a friend in the Matrix, and had turned to him when Virtual Eureka bled through into real Eureka, and in turn, had gained the respect and friendship of the former felon. The two had had their differences- in another timeline, had even gone against each other after Jo- but now, Fargo was happy to count Zane among his closest friends. Zane had helped bring Holly back from oblivion, and for that, Fargo would always be in his debt.
Jo meanwhile, had turned to Zoe. The teen stood trying hard not to cry, her long blonde curls making her look even more like a child, as she clutched at her jacket. Jo had watched Zoe grow from a delinquent to an adult, she counted her as a sister, a friend, a confidante. After learning the truth about the altered timeline, Zoe had accepted Zane's breaking it off (after a hefty stint of anger at both Jo and Zane) and now watched with tears in her eyes as her two best friends prepared to drive off into the unknown. "You have to call me when you get to Boston or Jersey or wherever you're going, and we'll catch up and plan for the wedding. We'll go shopping or go biking or something equally as-"
"Adrenaline racing?" Jo finished. Zoe nodded, as Jo wrapped her arms around her in a hug. The older woman ran a hand up Zoe's back, tangling her fingers in the blonde curls. "Who knew you'd go from delinquency to Harvard Grad student in six short years?" The two laughed, and Zoe shook her head.
"You really had no hope in me at all, did you?"
"None." Jo replied, laughing. She took the girl's hands.
"You're one of my best friends, Jo. You're my sister." Zoe whispered, squeezing her hands. She sniffled, as Zane's ring sparked in the light.
"And you're mine." Jo replied. She wrapped the girl in another hug, blinking away fresh tears. "Let us know when winter break hits, we'll come up and visit." Jo pulled away, going to Zane, who was talking with Carter.
"Babe," Zane turned as Jo tugged gently on his arm. "We'd better get going. It's an hour drive to Portland, and my dad's made it clear that we are going out to Luciano's when we get in. He's made it very, very clear that he's going to stuff us silly while he weasles information out of us." Zane rolled his eyes.
"Just as long as it's not his chili he's force feeding us, I couldn't care where we go." Jo chuckled.
"Neither do I." She replied, wrapping an arm around his waist. He kissed her gently, before going to the car.
"Wait!" Both turned to see Vincent rushing towards them, a basket in his hands. "This is for you two. To celebrate your new life together." He said, pushing the basket into Jo's hands. "Two bags of my new fesh-ground Vinspresso blend, snacks for the trip, a recipe book, and my number if you ever want a good home-cooked meal."
"Thank you, Vincent." Jo said, setting the basket on the floor in the backseat of the car. When she turned back, she found herself being pulled into a tight hug along with Zane; Vincent lifted Jo off her feet as he squeezed the two tight.
"I can't believe you're really going." The chef said, once Jo was back on her feet. Henry and Grace chuckled at the pair's stunned expressions as they regained air to their lungs. "It seems like only yesterday the two of you were sending other customers running during one of your arguements, and now look at you! Engaged!" Jo shared a glance with Zane, before shrugging.
"Yeah, it... it doesn't seem possible." She whispered. Gently, Zane tugged on her hand, and she followed, going to the car. As she moved to climb into the driver's seat, she stopped, turning back. Carter stood watching her, hands in his pockets. She glanced at Zane, before going to the former sheriff. He shrugged as she got closer.
"Just gonna... leave without saying goodbye?" He asked, struggling to hide the tears in his voice. She sighed.
"I don't... do goodbyes." She replied, slipping her hands into her own pockets. He chuckled. A moment passed, before she reached out, wrapping her arms around his neck. He held her close, burying his face in her long dark locks.
"You're a part of my family, Jo. You always have been, always will be." He whispered, and she buried her face in his shoulder, struggling not to cry as they slowly swayed back and forth. She choked on a sob, and finally pulled away to look into his eyes. She cradled his face in her hands, brushing her thumbs over his cheeks to brush away the tears. He held tight to her waist as she mouthed 'Love you', and then, like she'd done in his office the day she left for her failed walkabout, she pressed her lips against his cheek. His eyes closed on instinct, and he felt fresh tears begin to slide down his cheeks.
When she pulled away, his eyes snapped open, and he grabbed her hand as she moved to leave. There was no way he was going to let her go. He couldn't, his heart couldn't take it. With Zoe returning to Harvard in two days, Eureka shutting down and everyone scattering, losing Jo and Zane was the last straw. If he held tight enough to her small fingers, maybe they'd stay just a little longer. She pulled away slowly, then knelt down and grabbed her duffel- the last thing to pack into the car, and after placing it in the trunk, went to the passenger seat as Zane closed the driver side door. She climbed in the passenger side, waving in that two fingered way she had, a small smile on her lips.
Zane turned to her, pressed a soft kiss to her lips, and pulled out of the parking space. "Ready?" She nodded, reaching over and laying her hand over his on the steering wheel. With a squeeze of her fiance's hand, she turned back to the others, her parting words twinged with tears.
"I'll be seeing ya."
Carter and the others watched through their tears as Jo and Zane drove off, away from their past, towards their future.