Rifiuto: Non Mirena

"Are you sure you want to do this, Jo? I can go in your place." Ziva said, as she finished attaching the wire to her friend's clothing. Jo nodded.

"I'm sure, Ziva. I have to do this. I have to catch the bastard that did this to Tamsen. I won't be able to live with myself if I don't." When the last adjustments were made, she turned to Gibbs.

"If you need anything-"

"I know, Jethro. I'll be fine. I've done undercover work before." But she could see the fear in his eyes; the promise her father had forced him to keep on his deathbed. He wasn't going to break it, especially not now. A moment passed, before he pressed a firm kiss to her forehead. Her eyes closed instinctively.

"Be safe." She nodded, pulling her coat around her and tieing it before glancing back at her friends and leaving the B&B. She black blazer closer, tossing her hair over her shoulder. If she was going to catch this guy, it was better for her to be seen in civilian clothes than in her NCIS uniform or he'd never talk. It had been so long since she'd worn a powersuit- because they weren't recquired at work, where cargos and sneakers took precidence due to being in the field the majority of the time- and it felt strange, wearing her familiar attire. After climbing into her car, she quickly checked her makeup and tightened her ponytail before heading into town.

"All right, he usually spends his nights at karaoke- at least, from what Vincent's told me." She said, stepping into the cafe.

"What is karaoke?" Ziva asked; they could see the crowd on the screen, from the small camera embedded in her necklace, and before Jo could open her mouth, she felt strong arms wrap around her from behind.

"Jo! My god! It's so good to see you again!" She turned; Zoe Carter stood behind her, wide grin on her face.

"Zoe! What are you doing here?" She asked, genuinely surprised.

"I just got in; here on break from graduate school. I... I heard about Tamsen. I'm sorry, Jo." Jo nodded, giving her a small smile. "What are you doing here? Dad said that you didn't return from your walkabout-"

"I moved to D.C., and..." She swallowed. How much should she tell? She bit her lip, thinking. "I work for NCIS-"

"NCIS?" Zoe's brow furrowed, confused. Jo nodded.

"Naval Criminal Investigative Service. That's why I'm here. We're... investigating Tam's murder, because she was a marine..." Zoe nodded, before grabbing Vincent's arm as he passed behind the counter.

"I know! Why don't you perform! Maybe it'll take your mind off the case-" Jo paled, shaking her head, as she saw Carter talking with Allison and Zane near the door. She had a sneaking suspicion that the sheriff was behind this. "Oh come on, Jo, for old times' sake?" She heard the hint at another timeline, another life that they'd lived before the timeline shift, and quickly glanced around, spotting Hanson in the crowd. She had a choice to make- back out, or actually go through with it and catch the guy. When she looked up, Vincent had set a cup of ouzo in front of her.

"Your usual, Jo?" Just as she was about to protest, Hanson moved closer, grabbing a cup of coffee. He glanced at Jo, nodding to her; the familiar, friendly atmosphere of Vincent's karaoke night was enough for her to also loosen up and nod in return. Once he was gone, Jo quickly grabbed the cup and downed the alcohol, slamming it on the counter.

"Hit me again."

"Jo's gonna sing?" Tony whistled. "This outta be interesting."

"So you are right before Dr. Hanson. Okay, Jo?" She nodded, as Zoe shoved her into the bathroom to get dressed.

"Did you hear that, Jo?" Gibbs asked, watching the screen as she quickly changed. "Hanson is right after you, so you have to peform in order for him to stick around." She nodded.

"Yeah, I heard. I just... hate singing." She muttered, exiting the bathroom once she was dressed.

"She looks so hot in that-" Tony stopped, at the feel of Gibbs's hand on the back of his head. They'd caught a brief shot of her in "costume" before she left the bathroom- a pair of form-fitting blue jeans and a low-cut, deep red strapless shirt; the back dipped low, revealing a good slice of her back, and the front showed just a hint of her ample cleavage. She had on a pair of black heeled boots, and a black leather jacket. Before she officially left the bathroom, she yanked the tie from her hair; long, black, silky locks tumbled down her back in a cascade of curls, swept over and parted on the left.

She made it out to the small stage; Zoe already had a microphone ready for her. She glanced at the college student, asking, "Do I really have to do this?"

"You'll do great, Jo! Just relax and have fun!" Zoe replied, pushing her towards the stage.

"Break a leg, Jo. Remember, focus on Hanson." Gibbs said, eyes trained on the screen in the B&B. She grabbed the microphone, as the music to Demi Lovato's Heart Attack began. Seriously, a pop song? Okay, so what if it applied to her and Zane? There was no way she was going to relax singing to a pop song.

Her gaze shifted around the room, before landing on Carter, Zane and Allison. Her voice started out soft, before gaining in strength; God, it had been years since she'd sung.

It took time, but eventually, she began to loosen up and have fun; the six shots of ouzo most likely had something to do with it, but a big part of it, she knew, was due to Zane. Just being in his presence again set her heart on edge; looking into his eyes made her stomach knot; all the feelings she'd managed to push down and keep hidden were suddenly floating to the surface, exposing the raw shell she'd been underneath. Suddenly, she found that the song described everything that she'd gone through with Zane-

The proposal, the sneaking around, the 'maybe' relationship, the constant fights and arguements, the make ups and breakups, the sleepless nights when they became one. She was a teenager again, experiencing her first crush, shy and uncertain, yet with a world of possibilites at her feet. She let the music take control, let it possess her in ways she never thought of. She felt sexy, seductive; the kind of woman who could get men to do her bidding with a smirk and a wink. She reached up, tangling her fingers in her own dark curls, realizing for the first time that she felt... free.

All this time, and suddenly, being back in the place she'd called home for years, brought everything back to the surface, and it felt as though she really were about to have a heart attack. And that kiss... and the night they'd slept together... all of it... bubbling under the surface until it was likely to explode in their faces. Like it had done in the past; when she'd hesitated at his proposal, when she'd dropped out of the running for the Astreaus...

She was bound to hurt him, because that's what she did.

Gibbs and the rest of the team sat in the room at the B&B, speechless at the sight of Jo, letting loose and enjoying herself. Tony raised his eyebrows and whistled in soft appreciation. "Damn, the girl can sing and dance. Nice. We've got a regular Ginger on our team, Boss. Now all we need is Fred." Gibbs stayed silent; he'd seen this side of Jo- a little girl in pigtails and pink tutus, dancing for her parents, performing for them, entertaining them...

Tony didn't know the half of it.

Zane glanced at Carter and Allison. "Did you-" Carter shrugged.

"I may have told Zoe to talk her into it." He replied, a grin slowly appearing on his face. Allison chuckled softly.

"She's very good. Isn't she, Zane?" The woman glanced at him, seeing the look on his face; it was a look she'd seen on Carter's face before- he was falling in love with her, all over again. Falling in love with the woman who'd broken his heart when she left Eureka.

Slowly, Zane nodded, turning back to his former girlfriend. She looked so comfortable up onstage, dancing and singing along to the music. Not once, had her gaze wavered from his, and he felt his heart skip a beat. A moment passed before he moved to the front of the crowd, watching her closely. He stopped next to Dr. Hanson, who too, stood mesmerized by the former Head of Security as she let loose and enjoyed herself for once.

It was a side of Jo many of them had never seen. But Zane... Zane had seen it, and he loved it.

Briefly, her gaze flicked to Hanson; he hadn't taken his eyes off her since she walked onstage. Her insides squirmed, she knew the type; they moved on as quickly as possible from one relationship to the next. Zane had been like that, before she came into the picture. But this guy- not only had he been possessive of Tam, he'd also gone after both Hertz and Rowley, and had eyed her while they were still together. Jo was the prey he'd never been able to get his hands on, and she could see that he was itching to get his hands on her now. Desperately. Internally, as her heart began to skip a beat, she knew that the only way to get him to confess to killing Tamsen was to let him get his hands on her. Alone.

Taking a deep breath, she moved towards the doctor, giving him a small, seductive smile as she got close. Zane watched her flirt with the man, surprised that she would actually go for a man like Dr. Hanson, and not him.

They'd slept together, for God's sake! He and Jo were meant to be, how could she not see that?

She grabbed Hanson by his shirt, pulling him towards her, giving him a seductive smile before standing and going back to the stage. Everyone in Cafe Diem stood watching her with open mouths and wide eyes. And she had to admit, it felt fun, breaking the perfect veneer she'd worn all those years in this town. Only those on Gibbs's team had ever seen her truly loosen up like this; she trusted them, loved them. Like she'd once loved everyone in Eureka.

Her gaze flicked to Zane, and as their eyes locked, her heart began to pound. She could feel herself, doing just as the song talked about preventing. She felt herself falling in love with Zane, all over again.

She ended the song to thunderous applause; as she jumped off the stage area, she glanced towards Zoe, who was giving her a huge thumbs up. She grinned at her friend in return.

Zane searched for her, scanning every face, before finally spotting her. Taking a deep breath, he moved towards her, only to stop at the sight of Hanson whispering something in her ear. The cameras the team had placed in the cafe captured the exchange, and Jo blushed, laughing at something Hanson said. Obviously, he'd forgiven her for trying to kill him; then again, maybe the outfit had something to do with it. Both Gibbs in the B&B, and Zane in the cafe, clenched their fists as they watched Hanson shift his hand from the exposed skin at the small of her back to the firm curve of her ass. After a moment, he took Jo's hand, leadng her out of the cafe. She glanced back towards Zane, throwing him a small smile as they left. "Jo!"

But she and Hanson were gone.