A/N: Sorry about the delay in updating. Don't think I've abandoned this story. Life has just been...life. Also this chap is not beta'd. Seems my person has disappeared and I really miss their input.

Frustrated with herself, Jo stormed through the door across the foyer from the apartment. She flipped the light switch, causing the large area Jo had turned into a 'mini' garage, to be flooded with bright light. What is wrong with you? She berated herself, tapping the power button to the sound system she'd had installed. You know damn well what's wrong! Jo continued her mental chastising as she pushed another button. The first chords of AC/DC's 'Back in Black' filled the large area. "Blair" Jo answered to her mental argument. Closing her eyes, she let out a deep sigh. That was a mistake – as immediately the image of the blonde heiress in Jo's football jersey and sweats filled her mind. A small moan escaped Jo's lips. God! Blair looked good, she thought briefly, before vigorously shaking her head. "No! Don't got there," Jo said aloud. "Get your head together."

Jo took a few steps into the room. She knew it wasn't the way Blair looked that was the problem – although it hadn't helped. No, her thoughts had started to drift the moment she'd walked out of her bedroom and headed to the main area of the apartment. First, Jo had been convinced Blair was the target then, not five minutes later, Jo decided that she was who the gunmen were trying to hit. The back and forth in her head just wouldn't do. "Ya gotta clear your head," Jo told herself as she looked at the vehicles spread out in her work space. Three vintage motorcycles and two small sports cars sat in various states of 'repair'. She smiled slightly. Jo had found that doing what came naturally to her – working on a machine, her hands covered in grease – was the key to getting her mind straight. She'd rather be working on something bigger; like the '67 Barracuda that sat in Uncle Sal's garage, but there was no way to get that beast in here.

"So, which one of you is gonna help me out?" She asked around, before she headed towards the 1960 Fiat Spider, that Mr. Capozzi had brought her to work on. The body of the car was in rough shape, but not near as messed up as the engine. Jo's eyes scanned the half empty engine compartment, then to the table near the car. An array of parts were spread out, some of which were replacement parts she'd already found. At the time, Jo had been tempted to ask Gino how exactly the car had come into his hands, but then decided she didn't really want to know. 'Plausible deniability' she heard in her head. "Okay baby. let's see what we can do for each other today," she said with a small smile patting the fender.

About two hours later Jo – dressed in coveralls – was hunched over the engine, humming along to the Joan Jett song that was playing. Her mind had cleared and, although both shooting scenarios were possible, Jo had decided her first instincts were correct. The Warners, whether it was just David, or Blair as well, were the intended targets. That didn't mean that Jo had entirely dismissed the idea she was who the gunmen had been aiming for. No, Jo would still investigate that possibility, besides her own past was easy enough to look into with Frank Reynolds definitely at the top of the list. tomorrow she'd touch base with Rafe to get him started on that and also to see if any forensics turned up on the torched car.

Enemies of the Warners were another issue. Jo knew she was supposed to leave that part of the investigation alone. The Feds were handling it. Jo mentally shook her head. It wasn't that she didn't have confidence in the FBI's abilities, far from it. She knew they'd learn all about David's dealings and the threats associated with them. It was the personal enemies that he or Blair may have made over the years that concerned Jo. David seemed to be just as arrogant as he was the last time Jo had seen him over ten years ago. Jo knew that before they met at Eastland, that Blair had her enemies. That just came with the territory when you were 'top dog' of the school. Jo was more than familiar with that scenario in her own life. Growing up, Jo was 'challenged' more than once when she was the leader of a gang in her old neighborhood. Mostly it was from other gangs but also from within the gang itself. Jo had made enemies back then and that had a lot to do with why her mom had pushed her to accept the scholarship to the prestigious Eastland Academy for girls. Again, Jo found herself mentally shaking her head. Even there, Jo had been challenged and made enemies but, she smiled thinking of Nat, Tootie, Mrs. Garrett and even Blair, she'd made friends too.

Blair. Mrs. G. had once told Jo that the blonde heiress had changed from the girl she once was. That she'd become a better person after she and Jo had met and soon after been forced to work and room together; along with Nat and Tootie after the stupid stunt they'd pulled. Jo shook her head. Stealing the school van and using fake ID's to get into the local bar had not only got them busted, but almost expelled. Thank god for Mrs. G. Jo thought smiling. If it hadn't been for her… Jo let that thought fade away as her mind went back to Blair. She had no idea if the blonde had returned to her snobbish – bitchy – ways. Jo hoped not, but she knew there was one way to find out.

Jo sighed as she straightened up and winced slightly at the pain in her side. Jo chuckled lightly thinking the pain was nothing compared to the torture she expected to go through when she had a talk with Nat later. One thing Jo had found out, spending all that time with the 'rich and snobby' at Eastland, was they loved to gossip! It was where you found out the truth behind the well maintained facades. People you thought were your friends, not only waited for you to fall, but might give you a little shove to help you along. Problem was, Jo knew she'd never be privy to any of that type of information. She was an outsider then and was even more of one now. But Natalie – she was another story. Literally Jo thought with a small smile. If she could just convince Nat.

When dinner was over, Natalie had excused herself and gone to her room to make phone calls, which left Blair alone. The blonde rinsed the dishes, put them in the dishwasher and decided to take a good look around the large main room of the apartment. As she made her way towards the fireplace shelves, Blair stopped to get a better look at the first art deco piece hanging on the wall. The painting was of the interior of a retro piano bar. The bartender and piano player were both at their stations while the waitress delivered her tray of drinks. Blair smiled a bit wistfully as the scene reminded her of Jo's mom. Blair frowned slightly as she, not only wondered how Rose was but, if Jo had heard from her. Surely, Rose must have seen the news by now. The blonde had found it a bit odd that neither of the girls had even mentioned Rose when Blair had entered the apartment and wasn't sure if she could or should ask.

Blair moved on to the first set of shelves, which held various knick knacks, collectibles and pictures situated among the books. There were photos of Jo with her Uncle Sal and cousins, Bud, Pauly and Terri. Other photos contained Jo with people who Blair guessed were work colleagues, since they had on NYPD baseball jerseys and she recognized Detective Gallo in a few of them. An envious feeling passed through Blair when she got to the photos of Jo – alone – with a number of different women. Jo, her arm wrapped around the women's waists, smiled brightly, while Blair felt the smiles of the women in the photos were mocking her. Blair knew she was acting silly and quickly shifted her gaze to the books on the shelves. A small sad smile formed as Blair recognized a few of the titles. 'The Grapes of Wrath', 'Lord Jim' and 'The Great Gatsby' were just some of the books Miss Gallagher – Gail – had suggested to Jo during the teacher's brief stint at Eastland. It's really a shame that she was gone so young. Blair thought sadly. Even though she knew it was irrational after all this time, Blair couldn't help the feeling of resentment that crept in as she remembered the affect the young teacher had had on Jo. The two had bonded over their similar childhood backgrounds; something she and Jo never could. The brunette had been devastated when she learned that Gail had only a short time to live and even more so when the news came of Gail's passing. Blair had wanted nothing more than to be there for her friend, but Jo turned to Mrs. Garrett for comfort. Instead, she'd listened to the brunette's sobs through their mentor's door, where Jo had taken refuge and it had torn at Blair's heart.

Blair wiped away the tear that had formed in her eye. She didn't like that her heart could still hurt at the pain Jo had felt then. Pushing the feeling aside, the blonde moved to the next set of shelves, which had more of the same items, except for one. That shelf had built in lighting and a variety of glass items. It wasn't until Blair looked closer that she realized they weren't ordinary pieces, but fine crystal from Tiffany and Steuben. The blonde was a little taken aback at the rare - and expensive items, but it was when she looked at the second wall hanging that her mouth fell open. This art deco piece was of Artemis and Aphrodite. Although Blair was familiar with the artist, she'd never seen this piece before. To say Blair was stunned would be putting it mildly. She wondered if the painting had been commissioned and if so, by whom? It couldn't have been Jo. The girl she knew and remembered never had an interest or knowledge of collecting pieces of art like the ones Blair had been looking at.

Blair moved around and dropped down onto the sofa. Could Jo have changed that much? She wondered. No. Blair felt the cars in the garage, the luxurious apartment with its furnishings and Captain Ames comment about Jo not needing to work, only reinforced her belief that, not only did Jo have someone in her life, but that the woman was as well off as Blair was. If not more so. The blonde let out a heavy sigh and sunk back into the couch. She'd only felt this disheartened twice in her life; her parents divorce when she was a child and ten years ago when Jo had disappeared from her life.

Jo looked into the mirror over the sink in the garage as she did her best to wash the grease from her hands and noticed the small smudges on her cheeks and shook her head. "If they could see me now," Jo said, a bit deflated, as she wiped at the spots. "They might not be so interested." In the past hour, the brunette's mind had drifted to the women who'd shown more than a passing curiosity in her over the last years. Not that she was conceited but, there had been quite a few. Truth be told, she'd found a number of them intriguing as well and had acted upon the attraction. None of those relationships though had lasted very long or gone too far before Jo had gently broken things off. She'd always managed to leave on good terms, with most of the women letting her know they'd be more than willing to pick up again if she ever changed her mind. That's not to say Jo was a virgin. No, that 'monumental event' had happened quite a while ago and was less than spectacular to say the least. At the time she was hurt, angry and…..lost. Jo had wanted to wait. To share the experience with the woman she loved, but that wasn't to be, instead her first time was in a drunken haze that did nothing to ease the devastation she felt inside. Jo had lived her life dangerously after that. "Gone off the deep end" Nat had called it back then. Until the day Jo had woken up in the hospital, feeling and looking like shit and damn lucky to be alive. The brunette ran her hand over her face. She didn't want to think of those days. The important thing was, Jo had got her act together and quit her self-destructive behavior that day.

Shrugging off the coveralls she'd been wearing, Jo shook her head. "You're a real mess," she said sadly to her reflection as she thought of the scars that were mostly hidden beneath her clothes. Not to mention the pain in her back and hip that flared when the weather turned cold. "At least you proved the doctors wrong," she said with a hint of pride. They hadn't thought she'd survive, let alone walk again. "Either time." she smiled a bit cockily. But, the doctors hadn't counted on the strength, stubbornness or resilience of the Bronx native. Still, Jo's smile slowly faded. "Yea, you're a real bad-ass. Pffftt" she added, mocking herself, before turning away and leaving the garage.

When Jo entered the apartment, she noted it was quiet. Neither Nat or Blair were around. Jo guessed both were in their rooms and headed for her own to change. Still wincing when she lifted her shirt to check her latest injury, Jo was glad to see the stitches were still intact and there was no sign of bleeding. A heavy sigh escaped her lips though, as once again the women of her past flashed through her mind. Jo managed to push all of them aside, except for one. The only one that had ever truly mattered to the brunette. She couldn't seem to erase the warm brown eyes, cute upturned nose and a smile that could melt the coldest heart, all framed by golden blonde hair. Jo felt her breath catch. Blair. She's still so damn beautiful. She thought as a familiar warm feeling filled her heart. Thoughts of what could have been or….could still be...filled Jo's mind. If only… She closed her eyes and vigorously shook her head. "Forget it," Jo said aloud. Besides the fact that she was married, 'Princess' Warner would never want her now that Jo was...disfigured. No, Blair was part of her past that Jo needed to move on from.

Once back out in the main room, which was still empty, Jo moved to the kitchen area to heat up the leftovers. With a beer in one hand and a dinner plate in the other, Jo sat down on the couch and turned on the TV hoping to catch whatever game happened to be on. She'd just about finished her meal when the phone rang. Jo glanced at her watch, then smiled softly. Standing up, she turned off the TV, then headed for the phone near the large windows. "Hi there. I was wondering how long it'd be before you called," she answered smiling. "Guess news travels fast."

"How did you know it was me?" the woman on the other end asked playfully annoyed. "I could have been anyone."

"I'm a detective ain't I?" Jo replied teasingly smug, emphasizing her Bronx accent. The soft laugh she heard in response only made her smile more.

"You've always been quite perceptive, I'll give you that," the woman agreed, until she added. "At least about most things," the somber, subtle chastising comment erased the smile from Jo's face. Sensing the change in the brunette, the other woman went on. "How are you Jo?"

The sincerity that came with the question brought dampness to Jo's eyes and a tightness to her chest. She took a breath and swallowed hard before answering. "Eh, I'm okay. what's another bullet wound scar, right?" Jo tried to joke, but even she knew it fell flat.

"While I'm glad to hear that, it's not something to joke about." The woman replied tenderly. "Besides, you know that's not what I meant," she added in a gentle chastising tone.

Jo let out a sigh and closed her eyes. "No, I know," she answered softly, then opened her eyes and turned to face out the window. "How do you think I'm doing? Having Blair here, in the apartment?" she asked irritated, but with a hint of sadness to her voice.

"Oh? She's staying with you?"

"Yes…no…kind of." Jo replied a bit flustered. "She's staying on Nat's side. I stupidly volunteered to be her bodyguard."

"I see."

She'd missed it a moment ago, but now Jo couldn't help but smile at the attempted clueless nature. "Come on, I know you've talked to Nat by now. You were probably her second call. You know exactly what's going on," Jo gently berated the caller.

The reply came with a slight sniff of offense. "I was her first. And yes, she told me quite a bit, but I wanted to hear from you what happened."

Jo sat down heavily on the chair next to her and began to tell the basics of the day's events. When she was finished Jo let out a deep sigh and ran the palm of her hand over her face. Reliving the day only served to bring heaviness to her heart again. "This isn't what or how I want it to be. I just don't...I really wish you were here," Jo didn't care that she sounded so needy. It was how she felt.

"Oh Jo, I'm so sorry. I wish I was too," replied the woman, sympathy and regret more than evident in her voice. After a brief pause, she started. "You know, a lot of time has passed, don't you think it's time you and Blair talked? If you'd just..."

"There's nothing for me and Blair to talk about," Jo said gruffly, as she wiped at her eyes, regaining some of her control. "I've moved on. It's the past."

"Jo, you can't just act like the time you spent together doesn't mean anything to you. I know you better than that."

"Sure it means something," Jo admitted as she looked out the window, her tone harsh, but tinged with hurt. "It means I made a mistake and put my trust in someone I shouldn't have. When this is all over, Blair will go back to her life and our paths won't cross again."

"I just wish you two would talk….that you could work things out. Maybe I could help. You know it wouldn't take much for me to get a flight..."

"No..no," Jo said quickly, cutting the other woman off. Knowing how it sounded, she regretted it immediately. "Listen I appreciate your concern, honestly I do," She said in a softer tone. "But I don't want you to do that. Stay where you are. The work you're doing is very important. Look, you've been there for me right along and just being able to talk to you now has meant the world to me. I just…I-I miss you and I could really use one of your hugs," Jo said with deep sincerity.

"I know you do, honey. I miss you too," the voice answered back with equal genuineness. "You know I can't help but worrying about you. All of you. Promise you'll be careful? That you'll be safe? Who knows? You may see me sooner than you think," she added, trying to lighten the mood.

Jo couldn't help but smile. "I promise I'll be careful and I'll keep us all safe. Besides, I got Nat here to keep me in line," Jo replied with a small laugh. "Ya know I love you, but please, don't come home on my account. I'm not going anywhere," Jo added with a bit of swagger in her voice in her tone. Hearing the soft laugh at her comment, Jo's mood softened. "That's not to say I think you comin home would be a bad thing though," Jo teased

"That's good to know." Followed another short laugh. "I love you too sweetheart but, are you sure Jo?" the woman asked unconvinced.

"I'm sure," Jo said with earnestness.

"Alright then Jo, but please be safe. I'll talk to you soon,"

In the hallway, Blair leaned back against the wall with her eyes closed as she listened to Jo's side of the phone call. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop. Not at first anyway. Blair had really been headed back to the living area in the hopes that she and Jo might be able to actually talk – alone. However, when she reached the end of the hall she heard Jo's voice and realized the brunette was on the phone. Thinking the call might be short, she'd hesitated in the hall. Blair knew she shouldn't have stayed once it became clear the call wouldn't end quickly. Unfortunately, curiosity got the better of her and now she wished she hadn't stayed. Hearing the loving playful manner that the brunette used, had Blair convinced Jo was speaking with her girlfriend. The tone of Jo's voice brought, not only memories, but tears to the blonde's deep brown eyes. There had been a time when that same warm style had been directed at her and it broke Blair's heart to know it never would be again.

The level of emotion she heard in Jo's voice at missing the caller was more than Blair could take. With the tears that had formed in her eyes threatening to fall, she pushed away from the wall and hurried back to her room, almost running into Natalie as she did.

"Whoa! Watch out!" Nat said a bit startled. "Hey...you okay?" she asked, concerned at the look on Blair's face.

Blair nodded, not making eye contact. "I'm fine," she replied, wiping at her eyes, and continued on.

"Uh, ok," Nat replied not entirely convinced that was true. Shrugging as she watched Blair disappear into her room, Nat figured if Jo and Blair had a fight she'd know soon enough. As she rounded the corner into the large open space, Nat heard Jo's voice.

"Sounds good Mrs. G. Thanks for the call. It really meant a lot. Take care of yourself too. Love ya, bye"