Rifiuto: Non Mirena
A/N: Yes, this is Zane's... relationship with Alternate Jo...
Thanks to crazyforjacksonrathbone for reviewing 12.
He raised an eyebrow. "I'd at least like to hear about it, Jojo." She snorted, rolling her eyes.
"No you wouldn't." He wrapped his arms around her again, tighter, and with a gentle squeeze, whispered,
"How do you know what I would and wouldn't want to hear?" She turned to look at him. Several minutes passed, before she whispered,
"These are my memories, of when you first came to Eureka. My Eureka. What do you remember- of this Eureka, before I showed up?" She pulled away, turning to him. He sighed, slipping his hands into his pockets. The two stood in silence, neither one refusing to give in; eventually, Zane sighed.
"Fine. But... you won't like it. I... I did some... pretty stupid stuff..." She raised her eyebrows.
"How stupid?" He curled his lip, thinking. "Zane." He sighed.
"You really expect me to believe that this wasn't your fault?" Jo's head snapped up as her own voice reached her ears. She took a step towards the memory, reaching out to touch it-
"Is... is that... me?" She turned back to Zane, who nodded, slipping his hands in his pockets.
"Yeah. That's... you... the other you." He amended, nodding towards her counterpart. She turned back to the memory, mouth dropping open in surprise. There she stood, the one Zane remembered, dressed in a black pants suit and purple blouse, her hair in a tight ponytail, much like Jo herself wore.
"I told you, Lupo, I didn't do anything." He replied, as she entered the code and shoved him into her holding cell.
"You really expect me to believe that you didn't steal those glowfish from the aquatics' lab, fill them with helium, and then time it so they'd all lose air at the same time and go zinging around GD at the same time?" She demanded, crossing her arms. He slipped his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels.
"Yep." She watched him for several moments, dark eyes boring into him, before turning on her heel and going to her desk. Taking a seat, she sat back, putting her feet up on the desk.
Jo started; sure, she did that every so often, but... but her? From what Zane and Grace had told the group, her counterpart was so tightlaced it was amazing she could breathe. The woman was a bitch, an ice queen, or, as Zane had so gleefully called nicknamed her- the Queen of Hearts; from his perspective, not having a heart to break or lose made her the ruler of cold-heartedness.
"Right, you wouldn't do something like that. How silly of me to suspect you, Donovan." She muttered, twirling her PDA between her fingers. A moment passed, before she said, "You know, next time you screw up, I can send your ass right back to federal- if it's bad enough." She glanced towards Zane, and he narrowed his eyes at her, even as she grinned wickedly.
"You wouldn't dare, Lupo." He growled, and her grin widened. Then, she stood, going to the holding cell.
"Don't tempt me, Donovan." Her deadly whisper shook Jo to her core. She stepped back, realizing how her other self scared her. Had she ever been that... horrible in her own timeline, and just not realized it? Had everyone seen it, but never said anything? Surely Carter would have said something- he was her best friend. But then again, even he was afraid of her at times. She continued to back up, until she'd bumped into Zane's chest. He laid his hands gently on her hips, and then wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her to him. A moment passed, before he pressed a kiss to the soft flesh of her neck.
"I hated her... but... a part of me had... fallen in love with her." She turned to look at him.
"You... you fell in love with her?" Her whisper was breathless, surprised. He nodded.
"I'd never admit it, though. Me? Admit to falling in love with the Enforcer? The Queen of Hearts? Please. Like she'd ever buy it." He chuckled softly, pressing a light brush of his lips to the side of her head. "And then you showed up, and you... were so different from her." He breathed in the scent of her hair. "You acutally have a heart to break. A heart that's been shattered one too many times. I don't intend to break it again. I did it once, and I almost lost you... I won't risk it." He whispered, his soft words gently caressing her scalp as he spoke, his nose buried in her hair. She felt a small smile tug at her lips, and she looked back at him.
"Really?" He nodded, tightening his hold.
"All I have to do, is dial Mansfield, and you're outta here. He wants you gone as badly as I do. You have no ties to this town, no relationships other than the ones you ruin. No one would miss you, and... let's face it. Everyone would be glad to see you go. You're a leech on this town, Donovan. And when there's a snitch in the regiment, you take them out- court marshalled and executed for treason." She laughed softly. "If I'm lucky, I'll be the one to pull the trigger." Then, shooting him a glare, she returned to her chair, never taking her eyes off him. He returned her glare before beginning to pace the length of the cell. Eventually, she turned to him. "Would you stop your Goddamned pacing! It's driving me up the wall!" He stopped, looking up at her, blue eyes wide with mock innocence.
"Who? Me? I'm not doing anything." A moment passed, as the two each attempted to stare the other down, before she grabbed her phone.
"Carter... I don't care... just come get him... because I'm sick of him watching me, and if he stays here any longer, I may kill him myself before Mansfield gets a chance to send his ass back to federal... I DON'T CARE, JUST DO IT!"
Jo winced as her alternate ended the call, and as the memory faded, she turned to him. "Zane, I... I'm so sorry... she must have been... horrible..." He shrugged.
"She was. But... the only good thing about her was that when she left, you took her place." She grinned at him, capturing his lips in a gentle, tender kiss, before jumping back, fingers going to her lips.
"Ouch!" Stronger this time, the spark ignited the beginnings of a wildfire they'd likely never see again, though they would be certain to see what and where it led.