Mac is a dear to Jo...

CHAPTER 10

Jo sighed, frustrated, whether at herself or at Chief Carver she didn't know. Damn it, why couldn't she follow the orders like every other good cop around the place? I never said the word sniper, my ass!, she mentally chastised herself.

She entered her office like a fury, hoping against hope that nobody would bother her. Plopping down on her chair, she noticed a yellow post-it note right in the middle of her computer screen; she was positive she had not placed it there herself. It was an address, with a reminder that it was Wednesday night. Mac!

Jo bit her bottom lip, conflicted. She didn't fancy going back to her place, alone; somebody to whom she could rant freely sounded marvelous right about now. On the other hand, she didn't want to ruin the guys' night. And what if Sid was there as well? She didn't want to spend an awkward night sandwiched between him and Mac. When her phone started ringing, she made up her mind. The rest of the world deal with it, she was gonna crash at the Taylors'.

***MJ***

Ellie opened the door with a bowl of steaming food in her hands. One look at the older woman and she let her enter, passing her said bowl of food. Peering inside, Jo found rice, zucchini and chicken. A chorus of Hey Jo!, Hey Boss! greeted her. Mac, Adam and Sid were sitting around the table in the living room, sipping some kind of juice. The TV was on, but muted.

-Guys, I'm sitting this one out. Adam, you can take my deck, but don't get too attached. -, the young woman threw over her shoulder, ushering Jo inside the kitchen and closing the door behind her. –You don't have to…-, Jo started protesting, but Ellie stopped her immediately. –Don't worry about it. Adam's been salivating over my deck for a while, let him have fun. So, how'd it go with the brass? Thanks, by the way. -, she rushed, getting a bowl of food for herself.

-Why are you thanking me?-, Jo asked, taken aback. Ellie smirked. –Back in New Orleans, Stella always made Dad speak with the higher ups or the press. You know, she can be a bit tactless…-, she replied, and Jo silently agreed with her. The girl sat down at the counter, and Jo mimicked her. Before starting eating, Ellie showed the older woman her phone, reproducing a video showing her behind Carver. –You don't look too happy. You were brilliant, anyway. Not exactly what I would call subtle, but brilliant. -, she grinned, and Jo covered her face with her hands, groaning.

After a few forkful of hot food, Jo felt more like herself. Bit by bit, she started loosening up, and shared some of her frustration with the younger woman. –Well, shit. It doesn't look good. A sniper in New York. -, Ellie commented without much conviction. –You're not worried?-, Jo wondered. The girl shrugged. –There's a bigger chance of me breaking my neck on my way to the NYU or while doing some crazy stunt with my father. -, she replied nonchalantly. Jo narrowed her eyes at her. –What about him, isn't he worried about you?-

-We made a pact long ago. There were more chances of him dying than my mother, but here we are. We decided to just… live our life, you know? Without holding back. Granted, we're not actively looking for trouble, but why not going to an Ed Sheeran's concert or visiting Greece?-, Ellie replied matter-of-factly.

-You went to Greece? It must have cost a fortune!-, Jo squealed, then mentally slapped herself. Here Ellie was pouring out her heart, and all she could come up with was a lame comment on a trip to Greece? Except Ellie didn't seem to mind, and bombarded her with photos from said trip. It soon became evident that Stella had been there as well, as she was present in most of the pictures, with varying degrees of nudity.

-Stella was trying to go back to her origins, or something. She had been followed by a psycho-killer and, err… have my father tell you the tale, will you? You don't have to worry about her, though, she's gayer than gay. Come to think of it, you should definitely worry. You're her type!-, Ellie was evidently tripping over her own words, causing Jo to look questioningly at her. –Why should I be worried about her?-, she wondered. It was clear Ellie was dreading the question.

-Oh, err… Nothing, really. I just meant to say, we're not going back to New Orleans soon, so, uh, you don't have to worry about filling my father's position at the Lab. -, the girl replied smartly, but her tone didn't fool Jo. At any rate, she didn't comment further. –I'm not particularly worried. Your father seems committed to the Lab. -, she observed, pointing with her chin to the adjacent room.