A/N- I can't believe I wrote this. I'm a total Jo/Zane shipper... But I wanted to see Zoe find out, so this happened. Though it will be from Zoe and Zane's perspectives, it's really all about Jo (the title and song are from her perspective).

*NLWps (Null-Weps) = Non-Lethal Weapons

I love you
From the bottom of my heart
And that's not gonna' change
But things look grim
When I am watching you watch him

~Watching You Watch Him, Eric Hutchinson

"Dad, I'm not a child anymore! You can't tell me what to do! I can see who I like. You don't even know him—if you knew him you'd understand why he gets into so much trouble. You are basing this strictly on the fact that he's got a criminal record—"

"Zoe, I'm going to stop you there. Because, despite the criminal record, I do think he's an alright guy. Could be a great guy. And yes, I still think he's a mess, but that's not why—"

"Then what is it, Dad? Is it because he's older than me? Is this some sort of ageist thing?"

"Zoe, I just wish… I wish you could see what it's doing to the people around you."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I—Oh, geez, this is hard to explain."

"Morning, Vincent," Zoe greeted cheerfully as she entered the café. It had taken some time to get used to real world food at Harvard—between S.A.R.A.H. and Vincent, she hadn't had food that was any less than perfect since before moving to Eureka. Being back here again, she planned to eat as much of Vincent's cooking as she could.

"Good morning, Zoe. You're here exceptionally early today. Something going on?"

Zoe smiled. Some things never changed, like Vincent knowing everybody's habits—and being the biggest gossip in the town. "Actually, I was just meeting Zane. He has to be at work pretty early."

"So, you and Zane, huh? How's that going?" He leaned forward over the counter, dish rag forgotten as he nested his chin in his hands.

Zoe seated herself on the barstool across from him and found her smile growing wider. "It's going. You know, when he started tutoring me, I honestly thought he was flirting with me just to mess with my dad. But then we just… sort of clicked. He's so smart, it's almost hard to comprehend how smart he is."

"And hot, too."

"Yeah, that doesn't hurt anything."

"Speak of the devil," Vincent said, nodding through the café's windows.

Zane was crossing the street toward Café Diem in an easy gate that projected to the world how untouchable he was. The door chimed when he entered, and he grinned when he saw Zoe.

"Good morning, Zoe."

"Good morning, Zane," she replied, already blushing for the attention.

"I'll be back for your orders in a minute," Vincent assured them as he pretended to be flagged down by another table.

"So, why do you have to be at Global so early?"

"Fargo's moving me to a new project," he started.

"Not another stupid, brainless one," she interrupted sympathetically.

"No, I don't think so. It's in Section Five, so it must be something military. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that, but anything's better than NLWps*, right?"

"Or rebuilding that Sky Cruiser."

"Or doing CIT's job for them."

"Or, what was that really bad one? A couple months ago? Cooling gel?"

Zane laughed, though Zoe thought she heard some residual bitterness in it. "Yeah, I couldn't get rid of that slimy feeling for weeks."

"What can I get for you this morning?" Vincent was back, looking at them with eager interest.

"I don't have much time," Zane said. "Just something quick. Maybe a bagel?"

Vincent turned to Zoe. "And you, Miss Carter?"

"I'll have the same."

His face fell, she noticed, at the simplicity of the order. But then he perked up and hurried back to the kitchen, calling over his shoulder, "I've got just the thing!"

Zane and Zoe glanced at each other, and burst out laughing.

The door of Café Diem chimed again, and Zoe turned her head to see who had come in. Her eyes locked with Jo's. She was about to wave her over to join them when she saw the strangest deer-in-the-headlights look on Jo's face. Without a word, Jo turned on her heel and left.

Zoe felt the laughter fade from her face. "That was odd."

"Yeah," Zane agreed, and Zoe saw that he was looking at the doorway Jo had just vacated.

"You know, I think she's been avoiding me these past couple days. Before I came back from school, we had all these plans to go to the spa and shopping and—yeah, girl things," she said at the look on his face. "But once I got here…she keeps cancelling."

"I don't know what to tell you. She's been avoiding me for months."

"Well, that's not that unusual. You two never get along."

"I don't know. A few months ago, she just got really weird and started being nice to me, and then she started avoiding me. I haven't been thrown in jail since then."

"Now that is unusual."

"Hey!"

"I'm kidding, Zane. But really, I am worried about Jo. I thought everything was fine while I was at college, but since I've been back, it's like she's pulling away. She's like my sister. I need her to be okay."

"I had no idea you two were so close. It kind of makes more sense now that your dad invited her to stay with him while her house is under construction."

"Yeah, she's kind of like his daughter. When we got to town, she didn't like him much because he'd gotten her job, but once she saw how he was suited to it, we sort of became her family. She doesn't talk much about her past, but she really misses her brothers. And even by the time we came, she wasn't really close to anyone in town."

"Well, that's more about Lupo than I ever thought I'd know."

"Here's your bagels!" Vincent slid two plates in front of them, with the most complicated looking bagels ever nestled in the middle of an arrangement of fruits.

"I thought we said 'just a bagel,'" Zane laughed.

"That's all it is," Vincent insisted.

"What exactly is in here?" Zoe asked as she took a bite. Of course it was delicious (especially compared to her dining hall's food).

"Ah ah, chef's secret." He left again.

Zoe looked at Zane, who was already scarfing down the food.

"What?" he asked defensively around a mouthful. He swallowed. "I have to be at GD soon."

"While you're there…just…if you see Jo, try to find out what's wrong?"

He snorted. "Seriously? Me? You think she'll spill her deepest darkest secrets to me, the guy she thinks is the ultimate screw up bane-of-her-existence over you, her sister-like friend? Who she happens to be living with, at the moment. Why don't you just ask her at S.A.R.A.H.?"

"She won't stay in the same room as me long enough. Catch her off guard at GD. She'll never expect it. Or, you know…"

"Know what?"

"Hack some security feeds and spy on her!"

Zoe giggled as Zane mouthed wordlessly for a few seconds.

"You think I should spy on her?"

Zoe nodded.

Zane's look of shock turned to one of mischief. "You know, if I wasn't such a curious guy, I'd think you were crazy." Now he looked serious. "I do want to know what's going on. There's been something happening in this town for months, and she's a part of it." In a flash he was back to the untouchable goof-off. "I wonder how long it'll take her to notice she's been hacked."

Zoe grinned. Even if he had his own agenda, Zane was now on board and she would get to find out what was wrong with her friend.

"Okay, I've gotta go." Zane stood and pushed his plate across the counter. The wait staff whisked it away before Zoe had time to blink. "Thanks for meeting me for breakfast, Zoe."

Zoe was practically blushing again. "I'm glad you had time."

"I'll see you later," was the last thing she heard him say before he disappeared into the crowded street.

"So you two looked like you were having a good time," Vincent said conspiratorially across the counter, making Zoe jump. She never did get used to the way he could be everywhere at once.

That blush just wouldn't go away.

"Yeah, we were." Her grin faded a little, remembering Jo. "Vince, do you know what's up with Jo? I can't believe I didn't think of asking you earlier."

"Honey, I've been trying to get it out of her for weeks, but she's locked up tight. Sheriff Carter!"

Oh no, Zoe thought without looking up.

"Hey, Vince. Zoe?"

She cringed. "Hey, dad."

"You're here at," he glanced at his watch, "eight o'clock? And you're finished eating?"

"Yeah, just meeting a friend for breakfast," she hedged.

"At a time when you're usually dead to the world?"

"They had work early."

"I'm not going to have this argument right now. I'm just here for coffee, then I need to get to GD. Can I get a Vinspresso?"

"Right away, Sheriff."

Once Vincent was back in the kitchen, an awkward silence fell over the father and daughter. She could see out of the corner of his eye how he looked resigned. He had that I-know-exactly-what-you-were-doing-but-I'm-not-going-to-say-anything fatherly look about him.

"Dad, I—"

"Not right now, Zoe. Someday I'll… someday you'll know and you'll wish you'd done things differently. Thanks, Vince." He took his coffee and left.

Zoe stared after him in shock. Her father was many things, but cryptic was not one of them. What did that mean? Why wouldn't he just tell her?

"Vince? Thanks for the food. Delicious as usual."

And, still lost in her thoughts, Zoe left the café.

A/N-Constructive reviews would be greatly appreciated :)

I know this is a shrinking fandom since the show was cancelled, so every reader/reviewer counts!