Rifiuto: Non Miriena

Thanks to Ghostrider for reviewing 4.

She rushed through GD's headquarters, her heart racing due to the last few moments of fleeing from the droid and her conversation with Zane. All she wanted was to see Jack.

"Jack?" She rushed through the building, her heart in her throat. "Jack!" She turned a corner, and spotted them through the glass of the door. She rushed inside, leaving Zane to catch up several feet away. He turned, and relaxed when he saw her.

"Well, it obviously worked." He said, wrapping her in his arms. He kissed her forehead, holding her close. The couple only looked up when Zane entered.

"Jo, can't we talk about this?" Zane demanded. She looked back at him before pulling away from Carter.

"There's nothing to talk about, Zane." She replied, as Henry and Grace joined them.

"Come on, let's get out of here." Henry said, laying a hand on Jo's back. She nodded to him, before pulling away from Jack and heading for the door. Zane grabbed her arm, turning her back towards him.

"Jo, please, we need to talk about this!" She yanked her arm away.

"I don't need to talk to you about anything."

"But-"

"There's nothing to talk about, Zane! I've told you! I fell in love with Carter and he fell in love with me! We're happy! We did nothing wrong! Carter didn't, I didn't! Okay? So leave me alone!" Then, she turned and strode out of the room. Grace turned towards Carter.

"You... and Jo are together?" She looked at Henry. "What happened?"

"I'll explain it to you later, Grace." Henry replied as he led the others after Jo. Once outside, Jack rushed after Jo, grabbing her arm before she climbed back into the car.

"I said leave me alone-"

"Hey, hey, it's me." She relaxed at the familiar tone. Moments passed before she turned to him, leaning back against the car. "Are you okay?" She nodded.

"Yeah. Kind of. I just... I can't believe Zane..." She sighed. "I just..."

"I know. I know, but you have to let them all readjust to everything. Four years is a long time to adjust to. Everything is still new to them. Give them all some time, Jo. Even Zane." She closed her eyes briefly before reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck. He held her close, rubbing her back.

"... I am reinstating all Astreaus crew members to their previous posts. And Jo Lupo as my head of security. We have our town back!"

Applause filled the room followed by cheers and whistles at Fargo's statement. She watched Zane disappear, down the hall, and had the urge to call Jack.

"He'll come around, just give him time."

She felt the small smile begin as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. She sighed and turned to face him.

"I don't know about that, Jack." He pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes for several minutes. When he opened them again, he took her face in his hands and kissed her.

"Come on, let's go home."

Dinner was a tense affair; Allison had stayed for dinner, to the delight of Jenna. As for staying the night, she preferred to stay and sleep on Zane's couch, than to subject herself to Jo and Jack's secret glances and coy touches. So after Zane picked Allison up, Jack joined Jo on the sofa, pulling her close.

"Allison hardly ate anything tonight."

"She probably wasn't hungry." Jo shook her head, pulling away from him.

"No Jack, it was because of me. Before Astreaus, she was planning on moving in with you. And since Astreaus..." Jo looked down at her nails, picking at the pale pink manicure Jenna had given her weeks earlier. "... since Astreaus, she feels like I've taken her place, like I've stolen you from her..." Gently, he reached up and cupped her cheek.

"It's not your fault, Jo. And it's not mine. We can't control what our hearts' desire. Or who they desire. And... if it makes you feel any better, Zane thinks I stole you from him."

She snorted softly. "They're a perfect pair. Jealous and angry and going after the people they claimed to love." She looked down at her hands again.

"And so are we."

Her head snapped up and she stared at him with wide, horrified eyes. He watched her for several minutes before realizing what that simple statement had implied. "I... I mean... we're a... a perfect pair. Not... not the jealous and angry and going after... people part. The... the perfect pair part." She chuckled softly, shaking her head.

"That's one of the reasons why I love you." She told him, reaching up to cradle his face in her hands.

"Which is?" He prodded.

"Your explanations. You always make them so complicated when the explanation itself is so simple."

He smiled at her, his hands moving to her waist as they lay back on the sofa. They shared several chaste kisses, relishing in the feel of each others' arms. Just as Jack reached down to work the buttons on her shirt...

"Daddy? Jo?"

The couple broke apart and looked up. Jenna stood in the middle of the room in her pink flowered pajamas, her hair in pigtails, a teddy bear in her grasp. Jo sat up, backing away from Jack so fast, her feet couldn't have been on fire. Jack sat up as Jenna climbed onto the sofa between them.

"What's wrong, Jea?" Jo asked, reaching out to stroke the girl's hair. She looked up at them.

"I had a nightmare."

"What was the nightmare about?" Jack asked. Jenna turned to look at him.

"Mama took you away from Jo." The little girl said, fear in her eyes.