Disclaimer: These characters belong to Eureka's writers, not me.

I wrote this to satisfy the dirty little shipper in me, because it will be a while in my other story before things progress anywhere near this far.

"I'm not stupid. I know something happened with the five of you and part of it had to do with us. You had my grandmother's engagement ring, Jo. Come on. Tell me what we were to each other." Zane stepped closer to Jo. She lowered her eyes and cleared her throat. A million things she wanted to say went through her mind.

She shook her head and tried to smile. "Nothing. I gotta go." She turned away. She felt warm fingers wrap around her arm. Zane pulled her to him and captured her mouth with his. Lost in sensation, she kissed him back, stroking his face.

He let her go too soon. She looked up at him, terrified. He tilted his head. "Now why didn't that feel like a first kiss?"She stared at him, lost for words. He licked his lips and her eyes dropped to his mouth. "Jo? I'm not leaving until you tell me something."

She closed her eyes and breathed for a minute, trying to stop her heart from pounding so loud. She opened them and he was less than an inch away, as if he'd come in for another kiss. "Oh, the hell with it," she growled and stepped into him. She slid her arms around his neck and kissed him softly. She kissed him again and his hands crept to her waist. She tried to pull away a little so she could see his expression, but he pulled her back in and fastened his mouth on hers. She whimpered into his mouth when his tongue touched hers and his hands snaked down to cup her ass. She twined her fingers into his hair and pulled, which made him moan.

Deputy Andy cleared his throat behind Zane. Startled, Jo and Zane separated and when Zane turned to face Andy, Jo bolted out the door. She dashed to her car, dropping her keys. She scooped them up, unlocked the door, jammed the key into the ignition, and roared off down the road without putting on her seat belt.

Deputy Andy cocked his head. "I think Ms. Lupo is having some sort of breakdown. Perhaps I should call Ms. Blake or Sherriff Carter."

Zane shook his head. "No, Andy, I don't think that would be a good idea right now. She probably just wants to be alone."

Andy frowned."But she was kissing you. All of my memories show that she dislikes you immensely."

"Sometimes humans act the opposite of how they feel. Ask S.A.R.A.H., she knows. Do you mind if I sit down for a minute?" Zane's head was spinning.

"Certainly, Mr. Donovan. Please, we have a variety of chairs." Andy smiled and walked back to his desk. Zane sat on the bench closest to him. What the hell just happened? Well, he knew what happened, but that was insane. Even when Jo was staring at him with her heart in her eyes, she was still completely in control. Did he push her over the edge? He didn't know, but he wanted to do that again. Very soon.

Jo slammed her front door, put her back to it, and slid down to the floor. What had she done? Oh, god, Zoe. This was going to break her heart. It can't happen again. She got to her feet and staggered over to the couch. Zane certainly knew how to push ALL of her buttons. And she was going to have to face him the next day, where he'd either be gloating or pressing for more answers. She could still feel his hands on her body. She needed to get very drunk. There was nothing in the house, she'd just moved in. And she couldn't go out; she was sure everyone would see what had happened in her face. Or they'd already know – Andy knew, which meant that S.A.R.A.H. would know very soon, and that meant the whole town would know. Jo buried her face in her hands and fought back tears.

There was a knock on the door. She pulled herself together and opened it to find Zane holding a box from Café Diem in front of him. He held it out to her. "Can I come in? Please? I need to talk to you and I just need you to listen. You don't have to say anything." Numbly, she stepped aside and watched him walk past. He looked around and smiled at her nervously. "The house looks good." She looked down at the box and back up at him. "I asked Vincent for something to help me grovel to you."

She found her voice. "Wait, you told Vincent that you were getting something for me? Are you crazy? He has a bigger mouth than S.A.R.A.H.!" They sat down at the table.

"Before you go ballistic, I told him that if he said anything to anyone, I'd scramble his filing system so bad he'd never be able to find the correct ingredients for anything every again." Zane looked at her. She smiled at the image of Vincent's face thinking about his precious filing system. She opened the box. On top was a bottle of ouzo. Underneath that was paella and at the bottom, a huge piece of chocolate cheesecake.

"It's definitely groveling food." She got up and grabbed a couple of shot glasses. "I don't know about you, but I need a drink if we're going to do this." She poured herself a shot and looked over at him. He nodded. She poured him a smaller shot and tossed hers back. The ouzo warmed her chest, anise exploding on her tongue.

Zane sipped his. "Oh god, licorice?" He made a face and put the glass down.

"Anise. It's a spice that tastes similar. If you hate the taste, grab a coke from the fridge and mix it. The licorice taste will go away. Or don't drink it." She poured herself another, this time sipping it. Ouzo was powerful stuff and she didn't want to get too drunk.

Zane sat back down with his soda, opened it, and topped off his drink. He sipped again. "Much better." He looked over at Jo. "Before I say anything, you have to know that you don't have to worry about Zoe."

"Do tell."

"She came by this morning and told me that she realized that we were in the 'friend zone.' She likes hanging out with me, but she wants someone who is more into her. I'm guessing that means she met someone at the lake the other day."

"Ah." Jo's heart began to pound again. She sipped her drink to cover her flush.

"Um." Zane drank off the shot glass. "How strong is this stuff?"

"Depends on your tolerance for alcohol. I'd say it's pretty strong."

Zane nodded at the bottle and she handed it to him. He poured a careful half inch and filled the rest of his glass with coke. "I only need a little extra courage." He drained his drink and looked down at his hands for a minute. "I'm not going to press you for answers now, but for the sake of argument, let's pretend you're someone who hasn't been around for very long." He looked up at Jo and she nodded. "I'm not very good with people. I'm good at manipulating them, but if I ever wanted to actually talk to someone I screw it up completely.

"When I came to town, I tried to get friendly with someone and she shot me down completely. It was pretty humiliating. I kept trying for a while, but she acted like I was lower than dirt and refused to give me a chance. Everyone I was in contact with was a friend of hers, so it was a pretty unfriendly place for a while. So I decided to stop trying and instead I'd amuse myself any way I could." He took a swig of coke from the can. "I did get an answer from a friend of hers that was willing to talk to me a little bit. He told me I'd made her feel like she was stupid and she wasn't going to forgive me anytime soon.

"So when we started working together, I kind of hated her. She was so icy and I loved making her lose her temper. I started dressing like this," Zane waved his hands at his tight shirt and jeans, "and when that didn't get enough of a reaction; I started working out so I'd fill them out better. I flirted with every woman in sight just to see her roll her eyes. And I know she looked at my ass when I walked in front of her."

"How?"

"Mirrored sunglasses." He touched a button on the side of his sunglasses and handed them over. They didn't look mirrored. She turned them so she could see the inside of the lenses and on the peripherals; you could see everything behind you. She handed them back. "I made them for motorcyclists, but they come in handy for spy work, too."

Jo smiled and shook her head. "Go on."

"Anyway, things went that way for a while. And then one day, everything changed. She wasn't dragging me to jail at any sign of misbehavior; she was giving me second chances. She hardly ever yelled at me. She acted as if she trusted me. I didn't know what to think. Conspiracy? Entrapment? Drugs? Was I going crazy? I kept acting the way I was used to, but instead of getting angry, she seemed sad and disappointed."

Zane sat quietly for a minute, looking back down at his hands. Jo watched the pulse in his temple, wanting to lean over and stroke his hair. She clasped her hands together tightly and laid them on her lap. She wasn't sure where this was leading and she didn't trust herself – or him – just yet.

Zane looked back up at her. "Jo, the truth of the matter is, I think I love you." She gasped, then picked up her drink and tossed it back. Zane continued, speaking quietly, "I tried to tell myself I was just obsessed with one of the few women who wouldn't give me the time of day, but that's just not true. Look at Allison and Tess. Neither of them flirted back once, but I was fine with that. I didn't lose any sleep over them." Which implied that he'd lost sleep over her. Jo didn't know what to think.

"So when we kissed today… Damn it, I'm sorry that I treated it like an experiment. But I had to kiss you. And when you kissed me back, I thought the world was ending. It was too impossible." He took a deep breath. "And I know you well enough to know that you are thinking of never doing it again because you're scared of the consequences. I'm here to beg you to reconsider. Because if I can never kiss you again, I don't know how I'll keep breathing. I know you think I'm melodramatic." His voice started to shake. "This is a completely new thing for me – I've never felt this way before – I don't know what else to say…." Zane looked up at her, blue eyes bright with tears.

Jo was dumbfounded. She sat silent in shock, joy, and relief to know that her pain could be over right now. She grasped for words, but nothing would come. Zane sat staring at her for a few minutes and slowly stood up."All right," he whispered and turned towards the door. She shook her head. This couldn't be happening again. Not again! He couldn't leave like this. He was reaching for the doorknob.

She stood up and screamed, "ZANE!" He turned back and she slammed into his arms, kissing his face, wrapping her arms around him, and pulled him back into her world. "Don't you dare walk out that door," she croaked. He looked at her in disbelief. "I mean it," she began, but his mouth cut her words short. She kissed him back desperately, trying to communicate every bit of love she had for him with that kiss. They came up for air.

"Ew, licorice." Zane grinned. Jo started laughing, and then broke down into hysterical tears. Zane sat her down on the couch and held her tightly. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he whispered.

When she could talk again, Jo looked up and said, "You know, I could almost hate you for what I've been through these last few months." She touched his lips with her fingers. "I know it's not your fault. Well, it is to some extent – watching you and Zoe was pure torture."

Zane kissed her forehead. "Nothing happened between us, I swear. It was a dick move of me to string her along like that, but I'll never do it again, I promise."

Jo chuckled. She turned in his arms and pulled his face down. She kissed him lingeringly, in the way that had always led to more. Slow, sweet kisses with a bit of heat; not so much that they'd boil over, but enough to leave him simmering. He stroked her back and her side; she gently pulled his hand over to her breast and laid it there firmly. He broke the kiss, looking at her questioningly. "Are you sure?" he whispered. In reply, she threw one leg over his lap and shifted until she was straddling him. She leaned down and kissed him again, this time with a bit more urgency. Zane pulled away again. "Isn't there a better place to be doing this?"

Jo slipped off of his lap and stood up, holding her hand out to him. Zane took it and she led him into the bedroom. She sat down on the bed and reached for his belt buckle. He laughed shakily, stepped back and pulled off his shirt. She looked at his smooth chest and giggled. "You laser that hair just for me?"

"Shut up, Lupo," Zane mock growled. She giggled harder and he pounced on her, looking for her ticklish spots. She squealed and tried to get him back, but he had her arms pinned. Jo wriggled out of his grasp and smacked him with a pillow. He looked at her, shocked, and then started to laugh. "I thought you were more serious than that, Jo-Jo."

Zane reached for the other pillow to hit her back, but she intercepted him with a kiss. "Serious enough for you?" she murmured and kissed him again.

"Yes, absolutely." Zane kissed her throat and began undoing the buttons of her shirt. They undressed each other and sank down into the bed together, kissing. Zane moved over Jo, brushing his lips over every inch of her skin. She sighed and shuddered with each touch. He moved lower and kissed her belly and her thighs. He propped himself up and looked up at Jo. She had her eyes squeezed shut and her fists balled into the sheets. "Everything ok, Jo-Jo?"

She opened her eyes. He was grinning cockily up at her. "Damn it, Zane, stop teasing – oh!" He slipped a finger inside her. She closed her eyes and arched her back. Zane smiled again and began tasting her, sliding another finger in. Jo moaned his name, which only encouraged him. He went to work and she came screaming within a minute. Zane kissed his way back up her body.

He kissed her temple. "Need a break?" he whispered.

Jo's eyes flew open and she flipped him on his back. "Nope." She straddled him and they both cried out as he entered her. She leaned forward, kissed him, and started to move slowly. It was all Zane could do to keep from exploding immediately. He ran his hands over her body. She moved faster.

"Jo!" He gripped her waist.

"Wait for me," she panted. Groaning, he slid a hand between them to help her catch up. She cried out and ground her hips against him harder. "Almost there…. Don't stop." After an eternity, he felt her clench around him as her orgasm hit. He exploded as she came down for the last time. She stretched up to kiss him and then laid her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her. They stayed like that for a while, just listening to each other breathe.

Zane cleared his throat and licked his lips. "So, is it like that every time?"

Jo slid off him and kissed his cheek. "No. Sometimes it's better." She grinned at him. "I'll take that paella and a glass of water now."

"I'm not done groveling yet?" Zane asked as he got up.

"Well, no," Jo said. "I just need to refuel for round two."