A Piece of Me
Rifiuto: Non Miriena
Summary: She hated him. But he'd been there for her through everything- when her mom died, when her brother was wounded in war, when she moved to Oregon, even when she dated Callistar right under his nose, he hadn't left her side. So yes, she hated him, but he was part of her life, and no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't let him go. He was a part of her life, and, if she admitted it, a part of her heart... Alternate Reality, where Jo and Zane are childhood friends.
A/N: This switches back and forth between past and present; the past will always start with the first three words in italics. And for reference, this chapter is sent in 1989.
The zipline ran from the upstairs balcony, across the backyard, and ended at the old oak that stood on the other side of the Lupo's backyard, near the small parking area. The fact that Mrs. Lupo had designed not only the house but yard as well, wasn't lost on Tessa as she slammed the car door and took in the sight before her. Two young boys were standing near the oak, watching the oldest pull the handles towards him on the balcony. She searched before sighting her target. Aha, found her. A young girl, no older than ten- her own son's age- rushed down the back steps and joined her brothers. Tessa could recognize the black ponytail of James's youngest child and only daughter from a mile away.
"You gonna come in or just stand out here and watch the kids?" Tessa turned, to see James Lupo making his way towards them. The kids turned to see the newcomers, but soon returned to their activity. She gave him a big grin and met him halfway- "How was the drive? Not to long?" Tessa pressed a kiss to James's cheek and wrapped him in a hug before replying,
"Not bad. And thank you for having us, James." He shook his head.
"Not a problem. It's good to see you again." Tessa took her friend's hands; the Colonel had buried his wife two years prior, and left to raise four children on his own, he'd turned to Tessa for help. Cassandra had been Tessa's best friend growing up, her college roommate, the designer of the pair, and had been the one to introduce her to her husband, Tony. Unfortunately, Cassie's judgement had unfortunately been flawed; Tony had left Tess and their young son, Zane, when the boy was four. And when Cassie herself succumbed to the ovarian cancer than had first reared itself in college, James and Tessa had turned to each other for support. They'd become good friends; their little quartet of college friends and romances now reduced to a duet, with five children between them. Cassie had made Tessa Ricco's godmother, just as Tess had done for Zane, and she felt obligated to check in on the four children her best friend had borne and raised so lovingly. These monthly trips made it bearable to get through the days.
A moment passed, before James glanced over her shoulder, eyes landing on the ten-year-old in the car, nose buried inthe latest Batman comic book. "You gonna come out and say hello, or sit in the car for the rest of the weekend?" When the boy didn't move, Tessa pulled away from James and went to the car, rapping on the window. The boy rolled it down, raising an eyebrow.
"Zane, out of the car. Come on." He shook his head. "Zane, now."
"No." And he turned another page in his comic. Tessa clenched her jaw; James chuckled softly behind her, and even the kids had stopped to watch.
"Now, Zane Matthew!"
"Matthew?" And without another word, she grabbed the comic, yanked the door open and grabbed her son's arm, pulling him out of the car. Tessa ignored the laughter of the other kids, but Zane turned red, narrowing his eyes.
"Go tell James hello. Go on." He stumbled, making his way to the Colonel, who knelt down.
"Don't worry, my wife used to do that to me all the time. They just get pushier as they get older." A moment passed before the boy relaxed. As the trio headed into the backyard, Zane's gaze caught sight of Ricco and the zipline.
"Come on, Ricco, I want a turn!"
"Sorry, Jo. It's too dangerous for girls." Ricco replied.
"I'm not afraid!"
"You should be! I told you, it's too dangerous for girls."
"You're doing it!" Her older bother Davie replied, only briefly jumping to his sister's defense.
"Bite me, Juan!" Ricco snapped. Zane stopped next to the boys and their sister, turning to the older boy, eyebrow raised.
"Juan?" The boy in question instantly turned to glare at him.
"Shut up, Matthew." Zane glared at him, turning at the sound of laughter. Davie's younger sister, Jo, stood next to him, laughing behind her hand.
"Oh shut up, Jo!" She stuck her tongue out at him, and they all turned as Ricco came flying towards them. At some point, the adults had gone inside. Instantly, they all gathered around Ricco, wanting a turn; all too soon, James called them all inside for dinner, and her brothers took off running. Only Jo and Zane remained under the zipline. He watched her, catching the gleam in her eye. He'd seen it before, and he didn't like it. "What are you gonna do?" A moment passed before she turned back to him.
"What do you think I'm gonna do? I'm gonna ride the zipline." And without another word, she rushed towards the house. Zane sighed, taking a seat on the grass and opening his comic book. He only looked up when he heard the line move, and caught sight of Jo on the balcony. Taking a deep breath, she climbed over the balcony, grasping the handles.
"This isn't a good idea!" Zane called from his seat on the ground. Normally, he'd be right there with her, getting into trouble, or causing trouble, but when it came to something like this- "You're gonna get in trouble!" He'd let Jo take the heat this time. Last time, he'd gotten a severe scolding from both the Colonel and his mom, and a two month grounding.
"Not if you don't tell!" She replied, and pushed herself off the balcony. Zane watched as she soared through the air, coming towards him, getting closer and closer and-
She jerked hard, swinging back and forth. Zane laughed, having lost interest in his comic as he realized Jo was- "You're stuck! You are so dead!"
"Uh-oh." She glanced down at him before looking back up and trying the release switch. It refused to budge. In the meantime, Zane had gotten up and moved to stand beneath Jo, watching as she frantically tried to get the thing started again, and soon began to lose her grip. As she began to fall, he ducked out of the way, narrowly missing the girl landing on top of him. She hit the ground hard and rolled. "Ow!"
"You don't look so good, Jojo." Zane muttered, standing over her.
"Jo!" He turned when the adults rushed towards them. "Jo, what did you do?" She looked up at him, holding her arm as pain passed across her face.
"Hi Dad."
"What happened?" Tessa asked, as she raced towards them.
"She fell. I didn't do it!" Zane cried, holding up his hands. He shrank back at Tessa's glare.
"Go get some ice, Zane. I'll call the hospital and tell them you're on your way." And as James scooped his daughter up, Tessa rushed back into the house. In the end, Jo had ended up in a cast, not allowed to do any of the activities she usually took part in- though a trip to the hospital and a cast didn't stop her from following her brothers around and annoying Zane. In the afternoons, Jo and Zane would read comics or play boardgames, or watch TV, and therefore, be ridiculed by her older brothers for having crushes on each other. Not that either one would admit it, even when Jo kissed him on the cheek as a thank you for hanging out with her.