Rifiuto: Non Miriena

A/N: Now the real fun begins...

"You can stay in the guest room. Bathroom is here, there's extra toiletries, and an extra pair of pajamas; Ev and I will be right down the hall if you need anything. Kitchen is down the stairs, and to your left. There's tea and coffee, and plenty in the fridge, help yourself. Evan and I have to be at work at eight, if you want us to drop you off somewhere, let us know and we will. If you need to make a call, feel free to use the phone; you're also welcome to the TV. Questions?" Jo placed her hands on her small hips, watching Zane. He shook his head slowly, but stopped.

"Just one." She raised an eyebrow. A moment passed, before he stood, going to her and taking her hands. "How can you not remember who I am?" She furrowed her brow, confused.

"Sorry?" She stammered, struggling to think of some sort of response. "I... I don't remember you because I don't know you. I've never met you before." Zane shook his head, releasing her hands to cradle her face.

"That's not true. You know it's not. Jo, we're meant to be together, we always have been. What we went through in not one- but two- timelines, proves that we're meant to be. I... I even gave you my grandmother's ring-" He said, lifting her hand, only to find himself looking at a simple gold band, sandwiched between her knuckle and a simple gold band with a simple oval cut diamond in the center.

"Evan gave it to me two years after we met at UBC."

"UBC?"

"University of British Columbia." She clarified. Zane swallowed. She chuckled. "It was... quite funny, how we met, actually. It was... a day I'll never forget." She sighed, leaving the bedroom and going downstairs; Zane followed, listening. He had no idea where Evan was, and he didn't care. He needed time alone with Jo. She led him into the kitchen, pouring two cups of hot coffee and setting one on the counter in front of him. He had to keep her talking.

"My... best friend and I were leaving a coffee shop heading back to campus; we cut through Stanley Park. It was snowing, so we were... bundled up in our coats and scarves, and... as we... entered the dorm and headed upstairs, I slammed into this guy who was rushing down the stairs. Spilled my drink all over my coat, and my sweater, and knocked me flat on my ass- after throwing us both down the stairs. Ended with him on top, at the bottom of the stairs. And then... he kissed me." She gave Zane a small smile.

"I shoved him off me and... he apologized profusely, hauled me to my feet, and kissed me a second time."

"She was asking for it." Zane looked up as his doppelganger- Evan, he had to remind himself, her husband- came into the room. Jo rolled her eyes, shaking her head, but she couldn't shake the smile from her lips. "So I kissed her." He stopped beside her, a cup of coffee in his hands.

"Gave me his jacket and slipped his number into the pocket; found it when I returned to my room that night. Took me out for dinner the next night, started dating, exchanged keys... and... two years later, he brought me back to the stairs where we'd met and... proposed. Gave me his grandmother's ring, and... we've been together ever since." She smiled at him, and he kissed her, drinking her in before slowly pulling away. "So... what about you? A family? Children?"

Zane thought a moment, before nodding. "Yeah... ah... three... Erica, Jamie and Salli."

"How old?" She asked, unaware that she was asking about her own children.

"Erica's eight, Jamie's six and Salli is four."

"Oh, they sound precious." Jo sighed, leaning against the counter, as Evan rubbed her back. Zane nodded.

"They... they are." Just like you, Jojo.

"He seems like a nice guy."

"Hmm."

"He looks like you. Did you notice that, Ev? Do you have a twin brother I don't know about?" She asked, glancing at her husband over her shoulder. Evan pulled her closer, wrapping his arms tight around her waist as he buried his face in her hair.

"Not that I'm aware of." He murmured sleepily, before nudging his nose into her thick black locks. A moment passed, before she turned to face him. He pulled away, concerned. "What's wrong, Jojo?" She sighed, settling onto her side to stare at him.

"I... I just..." She reached out, running a hand over his chest, working on the buttons on his pajama top and then slipping her hands over the muscles of his abs. "That little boy today-" He waited, watching her. "I just... I just kept thinking that... that could have been our... little boy..."

"But he wasn't, Jojo."

"But he could have been." She choked out, tears in her eyes, her voice rough. "He could very well have been our boy... and... and the way you... the way you protected him... protected me..." Gently, he reached up and cradled her face in his hands, brushing the tears away.

"I'm so sorry, Jojo."

"Trevor... I wanted to name him Trevor. I just... I love that name. It... it's beautiful. I..." She sat up, folding her legs beneath her. "I don't think it was an accident that that little boy..." She stopped, sniffling.

"So... do you want to keep trying?" He asked, sitting up and taking her hands. She shrugged, playing with her father's wedding ring- the ring Evan wore. A moment passed, before she nodded, tears in her eyes.

"Yeah." She whispered. "I... I want to..." She choked on a sob, leaning into him and burying her face in his chest. He held her, running his fingers through her long dark hair, listening to her soft sobs. He tightened his hold on her, his mind drifting back to the day when they'd been forced to accept reality- in more ways than one.

"You guys, this is trespassing!"

"It's for lease! Besides, aren't you even the least bit curious?"

"No! And you shouldn't be either! Not with the baby coming."

"The baby won't be here for another six months, besides, he's growing just fine. Just as he should. So would you quit worrying?"

He closed his eyes, struggled to control his tears as he shook with silent sobs. Jo wrapped her arms tighter around him, her cries breaking his heart.

Zane sighed, rolling over and turning his attention to the wall. He couldn't sleep; a million questions whizzed around his brain, begging to be answered. He rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling. There was no way this could be real. He had to be lying in a ditch somewhere, or in the infirmary, in an induced coma, or at home, sound asleep with Jo wrapped around him, her soft, supple body melded perfectly to his. Yes, that was the only plausible reason his tired brain would accept at this time of night. This was all a dream.

We're home, and we're in bed. The kids are sound asleep, and we're relaxing after the hectic day we've had. We've made love, and now we're curled in each others' arms, sound asleep. Yes, this is all some... some crazy dream, and when I wake up tomorrow morning, she'll be sound asleep in my arms.

But even as the thought crossed his mind, he knew that this was no dream. He knew that he was in some sort of sick parallell universe that deemed it necessary to take Jo from him.

Finally, he climbed out of bed and pulled out his cell. He dialed his apartment, but the phone didn't ring through, and after several minutes, he tried Jo's place. No answer, not even an answering machine. He tried several more numbers before finally dialing Carter and Allison. Surprisingly, Allison picked up on the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey Allison? It's Zane... um..." He bit his lip, weighing his options. "I... I was just... wondering... if I could... this is going to sound silly, because I should have just called her at home, but she didn't pick up. Anyway, I was wondering if I could... talk to Jo..." Allison was silent on the other end of the line, and then he heard her call for Carter. Muffled voices spoke in the background, before Allison returned to the call. "What? I... I don't under... What do you mean she's..." But before she could finish, Zane dropped the phone, his heart stopping.

"I'm sorry, Zane, but there's no one named Josefina Lupo or Josefina Donovan living in Eureka, or working at Global Dynamics."