Rifiuto: Non Miriena
A/N: Don't worry, this isn't the end for Jo and Zane...
Thanks to Luisa and Jennie for reviewing 27.
"I'll be seeing you, Carter." The sheriff held tight to his former deputy, his arms wrapping tight around her. He struggled to keep the tears at bay, and instead, buried his face in her cascading raven locks.
"You can't leave us, Jo." She held him tighter.
"I know, but I need to be with my family. And... you're making your own family, making this home with Allison and the kids..."
"And I consider you a part of my family." She pulled away to look at him, tears in her own eyes.
"Me, too." Her whisper was soft, and tugged at his heart. Then, she reached up, cupping his face gently in her hands. With a sad, small smile, she pressed a kiss to his cheek, and pulled away. He latched onto her hand, trying desperately to keep her, but she pulled her hand free, going to Allison. "Watch over Zane and Carter for me, will you, Allison?"
"Of course, Jo." The older woman wrapped her friend in a hug, swaying gently back and forth with her, before pressing a kiss to her cheek.
"You're the closest I've ever had to an older sister. Thank you." Allison choked on a sob, burying her face in Jo's black hair. The two women held tight to each other, knowing that this would most likely be the last time they would ever see each other. Eventually, Allison let go, and Jo turned to Henry.
By the time she got to Zane, she thought she'd wasted all her tears, but was surprised to find that she still had a few left. He wrapped her in a hug, burying his face in her hair. "Be safe up there." She nodded.
"You too." And then he leaned down, capturing her lips in a soft kiss. She pulled away before he could deepen it, and gave him a soft smile, before pulling away and going to Evan and Vanessa. With one last glance at them, she climbed into the car.
"We'll get through this, Jojo, I promise."
"I don't want to go, Ev, I... I can't leave you, leave Nessa..." He slid his hands up her shoulders.
"I will never let you go, understand? I swear, I will do everything I can to bring you home." He reached up, cradling her face firmly in his hands. "You understand? I will bring you home, I promise. I won't let you stay in that town for the rest of your life, I won't allow it." His lips crashed on hers, and she drank him in, holding tight to him.
She looked around; the last time she'd been in Vancouver, she'd been a child, living at the base with her family. Vancouver was a big city, a beautiful city, and she could understand why her alternate had loved her life up here. The landscape alone was beautiful-
"Morning, gorgeous." She looked up from her gaze out the bay window in the kitchen. From her perch, she was able to deduce that their home overlooked all of Vancouver; this was a view she wouldn't mind waking up to for the rest of her life. A small, sad smile flitted across her face, and she set her coffee cup down as Evan made his way towards her. He captured her lips in a kiss, drinking her in as he sat down next to her. A moment passed, before he pulled her into his lap, deepening the kiss as his hands moved along her thighs and around her waist, holding her against him as the kiss became one of fervid passion-
And suddenly, an image of Zane, bright blue eyes and charming smile, covered in flour, two rambunctious black-haired children with his eyes and her smile, sitting in the living room of a house, playing a board game or watching a movie; his arm around her shoulders as she snuggled into him, and the feel of his wedding ring brushing against her skin as he traced soft patterns on her skin.
She pulled away, eyes snapping open as the image faded.
"You okay, Jojo?" She glanced up at him, nodding slowly as she licked her lips.
"Yeah... yeah, I'm okay." He nodded, pressing a kiss to her forehead before getting up and going to the counter. She watched him go, noticing for the first time the subtle differences between him and Zane. They may have looked like twins-
Tears filled her eyes, and she blinked them away, feverishly. For the last two weeks, she'd been debating whether she really belonged here. She loved her job, and the dinosaur hunting was the coolest thing in the world, and while it had the adrenaline rush she craved... something was missing. Something that she knew was staring her in the face, and had been since before she'd left. Finally, she choked out, "I... Ev, can we talk?"
He set his cup down, turning to her. "Sure sweetheart, what about?" She patted the seat beside her, and he joined her, reaching out to take her hand. A moment passed in silence before,
"Evan, I..." She swallowed, gathering her courage.