The sound of wind and the terrible draft coming through the house had kept Jo tossing and turning all night. The calm, although, hot weather Portia had experienced throughout the day had certainly not stayed during the night. She could see the effects of that now.

"I need to fix this roof today ," Jo declared to herself as she stared above. As much as she had enjoyed the stars peaking through the boards last night, it wasn't worth tossing and turning.

Getting dressed, she pulled on a pair of her favorite black jeans and her black boots. She could already tell the air was cooler than yesterday, making her also pick out an army green jacket that she threw over a plain white t-shirt.

Before heading outside, Jo studied the roof once more - noting what materials she would likely need. She knew there was a chest outside including some of her Pa's tools that figured she could she could put to use.

Stepping out, something caught her attention in her upper peripheral, causing her to look up. She was met with a large sign hanging over the entrance.

Menagerie.

"They sure made quick work of that - didn't they?"

Jo smirked to herself, admiring the lettering. A small ache raised in her chest as she silently stared.

Hopefully the man himself would like it.

Shaking her head, she moved on and made her way to the chest of tools. The morning weather was cool and calming, the sun rising in the distance only making Jo's eyes shine with contentment.

Once she had everything she needed, Jo headed off in the direction of what she understood were the fields across from Amber Island. She had studied Presley's map for nearly three hours the night before - and even taken a magnifying glass to it in order to read the overlapping sections. Her understanding wasn't perfect, but she figured she could sort it out with basic common sense.

As she walked across the field, Jo threw her hair up into a ponytail in order to get it out of her face. She wanted to make today an honest day of work after feeling she had only spent yesterday shaking hands and repeating her own name one hundred times. Today was about getting her hands dirty. About fixing her roof, starting a life in her new home, and snagging a commission off of the board so she could rub it in Higgins' face.

Stupid Higgins.

Finally stopping, Jo found herself among dozens of trees that looked like they would produce excellent wood. She retrieved the axe she had strapped to her back and lined it up with the tree in front of her.

"Been a long time since I've done this," she breathed.

She hoped that the act would be instinctive. A type of muscle memory. Young Jo could barely lift an axe when her Pa had first guided her through chopping into even the smallest bit of wood, but that was years and years ago. She was stronger now. More capable.

Letting out a slow breath of air, she brought her hands back and then used great force to move the axe forward and hit the tree. The sensation that fired through her arms spread a tingle throughout her upper body, but she chose to ignore it. Instead, she focused on her first dent into the bark. A couple more of those and she would be carrying bundles of wood home in no time.

Winding up again, Jo sent another chop forward. She then repeated the movement again. And again. It became a steady pattern as she continued to work on the tree in front of her and the next once that was finished. The only time she paused was when she needed to throw off her jacket. Then she was right back to it.

It was almost as if she couldn't stop.

He stood at the entrance of town, just outside of Central Plaza. His arms were crossed over his chest as he looked out over the grass and trees before him.

Last year's winter had dragged, to the point that the whole town thought it would never end. And yet, Portia's flowers were now alive and blooming while the snow had completely melted away.

He was glad too. Snow and crisp air were not his favorite for his morning runs.

Scanning the fields one more time, for his own peace of mind, he was about to move on when he noticed someone crossing through the grass.

It was the builder. The new builder.

He couldn't help but keep his eyes on her as she continued to make her way across the field, her fingers flowing through her brown hair before she tied it up away from her neck. The early, rising sun added a golden glow to the back of neck now, making his eyes linger in that spot.

However, he tore them away when he saw her hands reach for something else. Behind her shoulders.

Suddenly, an axe appeared and he causing him to raise a brow as she tested it in her delicate hands.

What is she doing?

It was a stupid question. He knew. Especially because, within seconds, he watched as she brought the axe's blade firmly into the trunk of a tree, taking out a large chunk of the exterior.

A smirk fell over his entire mouth as he saw the damage.

Not bad, builder. Not bad at all.

He lost track of time as he watched her, knowing that his behavior was definitely on the creepy side. He was just impressed. Not many people could take down a tree with an axe like that, or even tried to. However, the girl looked more than capable.

She proved him right as her first tree came tumbling down and he could see the instant triumph in her demeanor as she watched it fall.

If he were close enough, he would even give her a vote of approval.

However, the pride was only short lived for the girl as she quickly moved on to the tree right beside the one she had just finished.

That's… something.

He raised a hand to his chin, watching her work once again. However, he heard a door open in the distance behind him - signaling him that the rest of the town was now up and moving.

Means you should get moving too.

He cleared his throat as he adjusted his bandana around his neck for the tenth time that morning. It was time for him to move on with his own work anyway. He fixed the gloves clinging to his fingers and wrists as he studied the girl for a few seconds longer.

The determined expression, the movement of her slender arms as she controlled the axe with each stroke.

Move on.

He let out a breath, turning away from the girl as he finally headed in the direction of Peach Plaza.

However, the sound of an axe hitting wood still echoed throughout the town.

So much wood. Why did she do this? Why didn't she think of a better plan?

Jo panted as she carried her fourth load of wood back to her workshop. There had to be an easier way to do this - an extra set of hands to ask, but she didn't feel comfortable recruiting help from the locals just yet.

Reaching home, she didn't waste any time as she dropped the load of wood off and headed towards the field again. Her body ached as she walked, her arms and shoulders sore from carrying each load.

But she was so close. There had to be one or two more piles to carry back and then she would be done. Well… done with the moving anyway. Then came time for the actual repairs.

When Jo finally reached her spot again, she began to pick up logs of wood and settle them into her arms. It was a mindless action at this point as she had done it four times already.

However, a strange noise filled her ears as she continued her work. The noise made the skin crawl on her back as she wasn't familiar with it. It sounded like an uneasy shuffling followed by some clacking.

What is that?

Finally pausing, Jo turned just in time to see some sort of creature coming towards her. It was like a mix between a snail and a crab - and it was HUGE.

Her eyes grew wide as she heard a voice shouting over the thing's noises.

"Run! Angry snailbobs on the loose! Move out of the way!"

Jo stumbled to her feet, backing away from the creature as she registered the man yelling towards her. One of the Hulu brothers, but she had no idea which one. At first, she thought he was coming to save her and fight the thing off, but it appeared that wasn't the case.

Plus, it wasn't just one thing. It was a lot of things. Probably about six of them all heading straight towards her.

"You've got to be kidding me," Jo said aloud.

How could this have possibly happened?

She listened to the Hulu brother continue screaming as he ran off towards town - not even daring to look behind him. Not that he had anything to fear. The snailbobs, as he called them, were currently locked in on Jo now. That was the target.

"Some help," she sighed as she looked around her. The only "weapon" she could manage right now was one of her longer pieces of wood. She had already dropped her axe off at her workshop with her second load of wood.

Well that was a mistake.

There was still the possibility for her to take off and run for the hills as the brother had. But that wasn't exactly her style.

Plus, the last she needed as a newcomer was to go down in history as the one who led a pack of snail things straight into town on her second day. Didn't seem right.

"Guess this is the option I'm going with," she said, positioning her hands on the piece of wood as she prepared to swing.

And sure enough, one of the snailbobs reached her and lunged - making her shift into motion.

"Quiet day, huh?" Rem asked, appearing at his side.

"You can say that again," he replied, searching their surroundings in Peach Plaza. "Not even Pinky has needed saving from a tree."

It was an odd thing to complain about - a simple and problem free day. But for both men that also meant a lack of excitement. Sadly, chaos and trouble were what they longed for, but their needs were going unfulfilled.

"Guess it will be an early visit to the Round Table tonight then," Rem continued. "Want to go tell Sam?"

The other man sighed, looking off in the direction of the Collapsed Wasteland as he knew Sam was standing guard.

"Suppose we cou-"

Before he could finish, a man's scream filled the streets of Portia. It was coming from Central Plaza and making its way towards them.

The sound caused Rem and him to share a look before they set their horses in motion to meet the source of the cries.

It didn't take long either. Galloped feet were quickly silenced as they came into contact with Liuwa, who nearly crashed into them in a fit of hysterics.

"Calm down, man!" Rem called out.

Liuwa came to a stop - his face red and sweaty from the commotion of running. He huffed as he attempted to relay the events he had just witnessed.

"Amber. And and and the snails they - and I ran, but the girl. They were… angry," he spewed out.

He eventually bent forward with his hands on his knees as he gasped for air. People had begun to gather around them now, wondering what Liuwa was going on about.

The men heard another horse galloping towards them before Sam finally appeared and brought her mare to a halt.

"What is going on here? I'm pretty sure they could hear Liuwa's screams from the middle of the Desert!"

"We're trying to figure that out," Rem told her before turning to Liuwa again. "Just take a breath and tell us what's going on. Can't help you unless we can understand you."

A final pant left Liuwa until he was able to look up at the Corps.

"I was on Amber Island," he began, pausing for a slight breath. "And all of a sudden these snailbobs just became aggressive and started coming after me. I ran, but they followed. Through the water and fields. I kept running, but there was a girl in the field. A young woman who didn't. She stayed."

Liuwa finished with one final huff before he flopped over to sit himself down on the ground.

The faces all around turned to look at each other, confused at his words and who may have been in the fields.

All but one who knew exactly who had been there nearly all day. Chopping down trees.

"Let's move," he called out suddenly, kicking the sides of his horse as he led the way back towards Central Plaza.

Dumbfounded expressions watched him go, including the two belonging to his mates who now followed him.

"Who do you think it is?" Rem called out. "Who wouldn't run?"

"I don't know any girl who would have stayed to fight," Sam yelled over the galloping. "Well, besides myself."

"Who's saying she stayed to fight?" Rem offered back.

Oh, she had stayed to fight, alright.

As they rounded the corner out of Central Plaza and into the field, they could clearly see the girl. She was standing there with a piece of basic wood in her hands, taking swings at a snailbob. And by the looks of it… not doing half bad.

"Just leave me alone, you freaky thing!" Jo called out as she landed another blow to the snail's head. It teetered slightly, but was still too stubborn to go down completely.

Meanwhile, the other remaining snail was keeping its distance as it snapped its claws at Jo in intimidation.

"Can't you just give a girl a break," she spoke again, taking another swing. "I was doing just fine before you guys showed up."

The snail in front of her seemed to take advantage of her annoyance, seeing it as an open window to lunge. Jo had been distracted enough and failed to anticipate the snails move as it came towards her and clamped onto her arm with its pincher.

Jo groaned from the pain. Her guard was now lowered, giving the snail that had kept its distance the chance to shoot forward and ram her with its shell. She took the blow on her left side, immediately feeling a shooting pain throughout her hip and shoulder.

Landing on her butt in the grass, Jo scrambled up as she grabbed her piece of wood again. Her body screamed in reluctance, but she ignored it. Staying down would only lead to consequences. Plus, the snails had officially pissed her off now. She was only ready to keep fighting.

One snail came at her again, but she was able to dodge its advances before executing a hard swing of the wood into the snail's pincher. A loud crunch was heard as she smashed it and watched it fly off into the grass.

The sight made her heart squeeze as she didn't actually like hurting creatures. But the moment was short lived as the other snail tried to swing its shell at her again.

Trying to decide her next plan of attack, Jo kept her eyes on the snails in front of her. She wasn't sure what to do anymore. These two were relentless and none of the moves she had used on the others seemed to be effective on these.

Waiting for them to strike her again, Jo lifted her piece of wood like a bat. Maybe the only thing she could do was try to tire these guys out.

Was that even possible?

"Hey!"

Jo jumped as her thoughts were interrupted by a loud voice. She turned to look at the source, feeling her piece of wood nearly slip out of hands at the sight of her backup.

"Two against one? Come on, guys. That's hardly fair," the voice continued as the group came to a stop.

The redhead jumped off of his horse and immediately approached the snail closest to him. He didn't take the time to retrieve a weapon from his belt or even take a piece of wood for protection. Instead, he drove his fists into the snail in any weak spot he could manage. It was obviously effective too, as it instantly fell to the side and passed out in a deep sleep.

The other snail face the same fate as well, only it was caused by Sam and Remington's own blows to its shell and head.

"Been a long time since we've fought one of those," Sam said, dusting off her hands.

"You're right about that. I forgot how freaky their eyes are. Something just isn't right about them," Rem voiced, kneeling down to get a closer look.

Jo watched them, her chest heaving as she still clung to her makeshift weapon. The two Corps seemed so calm, so collected. Meanwhile, she was a bundle of nerves - and pain, for that matter. Now that the adrenaline was dying down further she could feel the blows she had taken flaring up in pain.

She could also feel a pair of eyes, causing her to become aware of the man standing in front of her.

Her gaze shifted over and their eyes met, causing her breath to catch. The cause of the reaction was unknown, and she hoped it was also unnoticed.

His eyes, though. They showed frustration. A furrowed brow laying over them that made Jo feel as if he were displeased.

"Are you alright?" He finally spoke. His voice was rough and serious, but there was also something reassuring within it.

Jo nodded. "I'd like to think so."

Despite her words, he took a step forward, his eyes studying her in order to make sure it was okay. Jo didn't do anything to stop him, nearly eager to see what he was planning on doing with the closed space.

She felt before she saw. His fingertips brushed against her arm right below where the snail had cut her. The wound itself stung and was obviously bleeding, but the area below was burning in a different way.

What was going on?

"Hurt anywhere else?" He asked, his hand now holding her wrist as he looked around to inspect her.

"Shoulder and hip. Left side. One of the snails got me pretty good with its shell," she told him. "Cheap shot, if you ask me." It took everything in her to keep her voice steady as a lot of her focus was drawn to the rough skin of his thumb on the inside of her wrist.

"Right. We should get that checked out," he told her before pulling his hand away.

The instant lack of contact made her skin feel cold for more reasons than one. However, it also gave her the chance to clear her head. Quite literally, as she gave herself a little shake.

She didn't like the reaction that she had just felt from even the smallest touch. Not even any small touch, but from him.

Arlo.

She didn't even know him. She met him yesterday. And yet, he set her skin ablaze in the strangest of ways.

Why was that?

Choosing not to dwell on it in the middle of the field with a bleeding arm and Arlo still looking at her, Jo tried to fill herself with her usual spirit and confidence.

You just haven't been yourself. That's all. New town, different life, no old friends beside you. That's why the smallest touch from a stranger is getting to you so bad. It's the longing.

Managing to calm herself down, Jo looked at her arm and then back at Arlo. This time she felt more control and ease.

"A walk up to the infirmary for me then?" She asked him with a raised brow.

His sudden laugh caught her off guard. The indifferent demeanor she had experienced from him was slightly torn apart. And she had to admit, she wasn't sad about it.

"No, no. Better to do it by horseback. Don't need you walking all the way up on a wobbly hip. I'd never forgive myself," he told her. He then walked back to his horse, signaling his team as he went.

"But… I don't have a horse," Jo stated, gesturing around her as if he needed a form of proof.

"Yes," Arlo replied. "But I do. So perhaps we'll use that, yeah?"

Oh.

"Received and noted," she told him as she walked over to his worse, attempting to move as normal as possible on her wounded hip.

Once beside the horse, she stared up at the distance between its back and the ground, causing her to grow weary of her chances to actually climb up there. Normally it was no problem, but the pain in her hip was going to enable her in some form.

Jo opened her mouth, but Arlo was already pointing to his horse's right side.

"Use your right foot to get up," he instructed. "Shouldn't put too much force on your left hip if you favor the right."

Good point. It was bound to hurt her shoulder from having to pull herself up though. Still, the pain there was more tolerable.

Following his advice, she went to the right side and prepped herself in order to step up. Arlo stood next to her, offering his hand for support as she continued to stall.

Holding on to the straps on the horse, Jo let out a breath before pulling herself up, ignoring Arlo's hand completely. A bite of pain reached her shoulder and even the cut on her arm, but she only gritted her teeth to bypass both. It was a small price to pay, especially because she could tell the pain in her hip was the worst of it.

The moment she settled onto the horse's back, a smile spread across her face. She felt oddly triumphant from the act, even though she had mounted a horse many times before.

"Well done," Arlo mumbled before he began to lift himself up as well. He swung on with ease and grace that probably put Jo's movement to shame.

However, that thought was brushed away as Jo registered how close they were now. She only needed to reach two inches forward in order to touch him. She could even smell traces of the leather on his jacket mixed with something else. Something very specific. Personal.

"Rem, Sam. Will you two go visit Gale and give him an update? Make sure he knows that the snailbobs didn't manage to kill our brand new builder," Arlo told his crew. "I'll take her up the hill and catch up with you afterwards."

"You got it, Arlo," Remington said as he set his horse in motion.

Sam lingered for a moment, lifting an amused brow at Arlo as she grasped her reigns.

"Yes, Sam?" Arlo spoke, not sharing her amusement.

But Sam said nothing in return. Only shot another coy smile before she set off behind Remington.

"What was that look about?" Jo asked aloud without even meaning to.

"I never know with Sam," Arlo answered her. "She gives me that look even when I say I need eggs from the shop. I've learned to stop looking into it."

Jo couldn't help but laugh at this. "Alright, I'll take your word for it."

Especially because she didn't want to read into it either. The look seemed very… insinuating.

Silence fell between them as they both sat atop the horse. Jo's feet dangled to the sides, looking gangly and awkward from her point of view. Or perhaps it was the pause between them making her uneasy.

Finally, Arlo cleared his throat, which made her eyes snap up to the side of his face rather than her own legs. She gazed at the soft red hair that was brushed in multiple directions and even the nice amount of hair on his chin. She hadn't taken much notice to the beard before, but now her eyes were completely drawn to it.

"You may want to hold on," Arlo finally spoke.

Jo's eyes left his beard as she mentally scolded herself for her creepy behavior.

"Oh! Uh, yeah," she replied.

Real articulate, Jo.

She looked around at the straps on the horse that were all too far away to reach. Or the saddle that didn't give her much to grasp on to.

"Ummm," she hummed to herself as her eyes fell back on him.

Welp.

"Do you mind?" Jo asked him, her hands reaching forward as she placed them against his back. It was a simple test of the waters. Certain people didn't like to be touched, which was something Jo had to remind herself of often.

Arlo shook his head before he managed a verbal reply.

"Not at all," he stated. His voice had become softer, much different than the tone he had used to call out commands earlier.

Taking his invitation, Jo moved forward on the horse's back in order to bring herself closer to Arlo. She then slid her hands from his back to wrap around his front instead so she could hug herself to him.

Please don't let him feel my heart beat against his back.

Why is my heart beating that heavy anyway?

"Okay?" Arlo asked.

"Okay," Jo nearly breathed.

She could feel Arlo stiffen under her arms slightly, but she couldn't dwell on it too long before the horse was suddenly lurching forward.

Jo tried not to focus on the feel of Arlo underneath her arms. The fact that her legs were resting on either side of him and her inner thighs would brush him at certain movements.

She figured she should be embarrassed by these kind of touches with a stranger. And yet, she wasn't. Not just because she was a touchy person, but because the whole thing felt…. natural.

Jo swallowed hard as she let the thought sink in. There had to be a reason for that. One that was obvious to anyone if they really thought about it.

And suddenly, it became clear to her. He was the Captain. The leader of the very force that kept this town safe. Of course she felt safe and comfortable with him. It was his job to protect her and everyone else for Pete's sake.

Simple as that.

They reached the top of the hill without Jo even realizing. She hadn't known how long she had sat there with her arms locked around Arlo, but she was sure to immediately remove them when the realization set in.

"See. Not so bad," Arlo said as he climbed off first. "Hope it wasn't too bumpy for you."

"Not at all. Smooth sailing, Captain," Jo replied.

There she went calling him Captain again. When she hadn't even really meant to! It was supposed to be a joke… but obviously it didn't work on an actual Captain.

Steering her eyes away from Arlo, she glanced down towards the ground.

Now was the getting down part. Any kind of impact once she reached the ground was sure to hurt that hip. She wasn't looking forward to that.

"Here," Arlo said, as if reading her thoughts. "Swing your leg over so they're both on the same side."

"Uh okay," Jo responded before doing what she was told.

"Great. Now let me just…" Arlo continued as he reached towards her and placed his hand at her sides, near her waist. She leaned into his hands, holding her breath as she anticipated her feet dropping to the floor - but perhaps with less force with a little assistance from Arlo.

But that wasn't the case. Instead of easing the blow only a little, the minute that Jo slid off the horse, Arlo was supporting her completely. He held her up with ease before lowering her down in front of him - so close that their bodies, and faces even, were only inches apart.

Instinctively, Jo's hands had gone and rested on his shoulders, trying to maintain a further sense of balance as he placed her on the ground. From there, she knew the right thing to do was for her to say thank you and put some distance between them once again. However, she realized that his hands were still on her sides, keeping her there.

Neither of them were moving apart.

Jo's eyes were on his chest, watching the way his bandana would rise and fall with each breath. She didn't know if she could look up at him. It all seemed so odd. It seemed so out of the ordinary for anyone to find themselves in this situation with someone they just met. Well… based on the circumstances.

"There you go," Arlo finally spoke.

Jo swallowed at the sound of his voice. She waited a few seconds for him to step away, but he didn't.

Why wasn't he?

Figuring someone needed to do it, Jo finally took a step back, putting distance between them.

Now it was her turn to clear her throat.

"Infirmary… perfect. Let's go," she confirmed with a nod as she immediately turned in the direction of the hospital.

Thankfully it was the correct direction too.

How unusual.

The state the two had found themselves in was completely unintentional on Arlo's part. He had only meant to lower her to the ground - not end up nearly nose to nose with her.

However, the fact that he hadn't immediately been inclined to pull away from her was what he really didn't understand. There was no excuse. No reasoning. But she hadn't pulled away either. Not initially.

And then there was the way her arms had wrapped around him or her hands touched his back on the horse. Having others wrapping their arms around him while riding was something Arlo was very familiar with. He had done it with Nora, Ginger on an occasion, even Tody - but he hated how much his skin prickled when he realized Jo would be holding on the same way.

He also couldn't help but feel like Jo was thrown out of balance by the whole thing too. But then again, she could be acting "off" in general due to the commotion from the afternoon.

Not that he knew enough about her to know what was "off" for her.

Then there was the fact that she was calling him Captain ...

"Pretty great idea to have the infirmary right across from your headquarters," Jo broke through his thoughts. Her wobbly walking nearly making him chuckle as he pointed his attention to her.

Without even thinking about it, he put a hand on her upper arm. He didn't really grasp her, but placed it there gently just in case he would need to help steady her.

"It has certainly had its perks," Arlo agreed. "Although, I try to keep my injuries to a minimum."

"I can believe it. Considering how you punched that snail thing out earlier. My weakling attempts didn't even compare," Jo chimed in, stumbling as she said this.

His hand became a little firmer, but she was able to steady herself without his help - causing him to relax it again.

"You probably wore him out," Arlo offered, the side of his mouth perking up.

"Oh, most definitely," Jo instantly stated, the confidence behind it causing Arlo to laugh again. "The splinters I gave him just needed a bit more time to settle in. Then I would have had him."

Arlo shook his head, still smiling as his hair flopped in his eyes.

Before he could respond, the doors to the infirmary opened to reveal a familiar blonde ready to greet them.

Crap.

"There you two are," Phyllis spoke. "We just caught word of what happened. Come in, come in."

She waved them inside now, but not before shooting Arlo a coy look that didn't seem appropriate for the moment. Not that she likely cared.

The same way Arlo hadn't cared to remember that she would be here when he arrived with Jo. And now, for whatever reason, he felt unsettled. He wanted to sneak a glance at Jo, but didn't dare.

Entering the infirmary, Arlo continued to assist Jo inside before helping her settle into one of the chairs.

"Thanks," she said as she sat back, making a sound of discomfort as she adjusted her left hip.

He wanted to ask if she needed anything, but couldn't manage as Xu appeared at her side. The expression he wore showed more concern than Arlo had ever seen from the doctor.

"What happened? Where are you in pain? Oh, your arm. We can clean and wrap that right away. Is that it? Any other body wounds we should know about?"

Xu finished his interrogation by scanning Jo's body in a less than innocent manner. Hell, it didn't even seem to be in a "medical" manner. Arlo could no longer hold his tongue.

"Her hip and shoulder were hit. Probably more of a bruising than open wound. She's fine for the most part," he informed Xu, trying to mask any annoyance in his voice.

"She can also speak for herself," Jo spoke up, instantly causing Arlo's eyes to snap to her again. Though Arlo could tell she meant the words, he could also hear how she was teasing him.

"The snail thing - "

" Snailbob," Arlo corrected her, choosing the same teasing tone.

She shot him a scowl as she shook her head. "Fine, snail BOB hit me pretty hard with its shell. I'm sore, but I figure some ice will probably do."

"Well, I'd feel better if we took a further look," Xu spoke up. His eyes were on her left hip now, knowing fully well he would have to adjust some clothing to see anything.

Arlo nearly spoke up again, but Jo beat him to the punch.

"Don't think that's necessary. I'll try the ice and let you know if it gets worse," Jo stated. Her words were solid as if set in stone.

"That's a good idea," Phyllis said, appearing at Jo's side with gauze. "You just keep us updated, Jo."

"Thanks, Phyllis," Jo said, shooting the woman a smile before making a pained face.

Phyllis had poured some mixture over the wound on Jo's arm, probably as a way to clean it.

"You good?" The question fell from Arlo's mouth as he watched her expression. A sudden urge fled through him to smooth the crease between her brows with the pad of his thumb.

Hands are better kept to ourselves.

Especially with Phyllis' eyes on you.

Quite literally - the woman was staring at him as she prepared the gauze now. How could she be so focused on him when she had a patient?

Maybe it was because Xu was invested in Jo enough for the both of them.

This was the weirdest doctor's visit he had ever encountered. That was for sure.

"Peachy keen," Jo finally answered, now smiling at him despite her tensed shoulders.

"Maybe I should get one of those stuffed animals to distract you. Works for the kids," Arlo said, teasing her once again.

"Oh ha, ha . I'm injured, not a baby," Jo threw back at him.

"I see no difference," Arlo challenged once more.

He wore a cheeky smile as he stared down at her, noticing the upturn in her lips that she was trying to hide.

"Too tight?" Phyllis asked as she finished the gauze on Jo's arm.

And the moment was over.

He mentally kicked himself.

The moment? Really?

"No," Jo said, now turning her attention to the blonde. "Feels good."

She then turned to look at Xu, which instantly pleased him.

"What do you say, doc? Am I gonna live?"

Her question made Arlo bite back a laugh.

"Yes, I'd say so," Xu said patting her right arm. He then turned to his nurse and nodded towards the cabinets of supplies. "Phyllis would you be able to grab some ice packs now."

Arlo noticed Jo's face fill with confusion as she watched Phyllis go before turning back to Xu.

"But I can just do that at home. I'm sure I can get some ice and -" she spoke before getting cut off.

"It's just a precaution," Xu reassured her. "You should stay and put ice on each area for about an hour to be safe. Then you're free to ice it at home as needed."

Jo wrinkled her nose as she slid further into the chair. "Fine."

Boy, was someone stubborn.

Phyllis then came back with the ice, helping Jo place a pack on her shoulder and her hip.

"You don't have to stay, Arlo," Jo spoke, causing his eyes to immediately meet her.

It was the first time she had actually used his name - and for some reason he enjoyed hearing her say it.

So much that he nearly forgot what she had said to him.

"Alright…" he said, glancing at Phyllis and Xu. He didn't necessarily like the idea of leaving Jo alone with the two of them.

Xu was expressing a whole new level of sliminess even for him - making Arlo weary of his intentions.

And Phyllis was… well with everything going on between them… she was just… yeah.

But why did that matter when it came to Jo?

"Right then," Arlo finished. "I'll leave you to it."

He was about to say his final goodbye as he watched Jo's eyes widen suddenly.

"My jacket! I left it in the field," she spoke aloud.

"I'll get it," he answered her immediately, holding up a hand as a gesture of reassurance.

"If it's not too much trouble," she told him. "I'd appreciate it, Arlo."

And there she went saying his name again.

"No problem, Jo," he said, his voice dipping as her name left his mouth.

Not choosing to dwell on the thoughts popping into his head, Arlo turned his attention to the other two occupants in the room, offering them both a nod.

"Thank you for the help," he told them both.

Xu gave him a curt nod before focusing his attention on Jo again, much to her dismay.

Phyllis on the other hand, gave him a wave of her fingers and a wink as she watched him backup to the door.

He only gave her a small smile before his eyes fell to Jo again. He couldn't help himself as his last sentiment fell from his lips.

"Jo."

And then came the response he had been hoping for.

"Arlo."