JUSTIN: * Shane is, indeed, still with her and not entirely surprised by the brisk pace she set. He follows loyally without complaint, however, figuring the poor woman has had enough harassment to last a few days. Not to say he doesn't have a hundred things to ask, and poke her about -- but for now, he'll be a good boy and hold his tongue.

JENNA: * Jo seems grateful for the lack of interrogation, refraining from mentioning anything about Milna's comment, the dress, the dance or even the caravan for the next several days. They've passed through the rolling plains, and they're making their way into the mountains before Jo brings up any recent incidents. As she calls a halt for the day, the territory should look familiar -- they've reached the edge of the brown forests that lead to Juno. Jo gives a low sigh, dropping her pack to the ground and sitting on top of it. "Rabbits, I guess, until we reach the river."

JUSTIN: * Shane crouches down beside her, recognizing the area well enough, even coming in from a different direction than they left months earlier. "That's fine. You roast a mean rabbit." He attempts to lighten her mood, ill content to settle for what she's mustered so far. "Want some help catching?"

JENNA: * Jo blinks at him, mustering a wan smile, and shakes her head. "Let's just make camp for now -- I'm tired. You're not too hungry, are you?" She shifts off her pack, setting it upright and sifting through it for flint and tinder. "There's probably some jerky left over, if you are."

JUSTIN: * Shane stretches, straightening back to his feet again. "No, I should be good for a while yet." He slides his pack off his shoulder to place next to hers, and hums quietly for a moment, thinking. "I'll go get some suitable wood for the fire." He turns to start off then, into the edge of the forest, whistling lazily to himself.

JENNA: "A..all right." Jo pulls her legs up to her chest for a moment, trying to remember when exactly he started volunteering to help. After a moment, however, she shakes her head sharply and starts clearing an area for the fire, hoping the activity will similarly clear her head.

JUSTIN: * Shane isn't gone long, the abundance of suitable wood quite plentiful on the outskirts of the forest. He wakes his way back to their little camp quietly, settling the wood nearby for Jo to use as she sees fit, and seats himself next to her. "Long couple of weeks." He says, as much to himself as to her.

JENNA: * Jo nods wearily, getting to her knees to start the fire. She works in silence, getting the blaze going in short order, then leans back, resting her arms on her knees. "Almost done, though." She doesn't really consider who her words might apply to, leaning back to look skyward through the foliage. "You ..." She hesitates, not sure she wants to complete the statement and even less sure why it came to mind. "You said .. a few days ago.. there was something you wanted to talk to me about?"

JUSTIN: * Shane's eyes jump from the newly-kindled fire at her question, and he sits up straighter with a nervous swallow. "I did say that, didn't I?" He forces himself to relax again, looking over at her face slowly. "You're sure... you want me to? I don't want to cause trouble again..."

JENNA: * She keeps her gaze on the fire for a moment before turning to meet his questioning eyes. "I'm fine now. Go ahead." She forces herself to match his gaze, despite a strong feeling she's going to want to look away before long.

JUSTIN: * Shane isn't entirely comforted by these words, but he takes a deep breath and runs a hand through his hair, attempting to settle his pulse. "Well... where to start..." He pulls his legs under him, turning to face her and nervously gripping the material of his pants. "I... I wanted to -- I mean, I thought it would be best if... you knew why. Why I went after you... in Morroc, even when you told me to stay put..."

JENNA: * Jo nods slowly, expression tightening somewhat, then she shakes her head, looking away from him and into the fire. "You don't have to.." she says quietly, a little unsettled by his sudden show of nerves. "It doesn't matter anymore --"

JUSTIN: "It matters --" Shane's quick to interject, looking at her with earnest. "It matters to me. I know, either way, it's in the past. I know, either way, I was stupid. But..." He drops his gaze. "But it matters, because I didn't go for the reasons you might suspect. And maybe more importantly, for the reasons I would have expected." He rubs at his face, sighing quietly. "When I was in the inn, I overheard a few members of your guild talking... The way they were going on about the situation, it lead me to believe that you could have been in real, physical danger. I can see now that I let my imagination get the better of me, but it wasn't something I could just let go, not if there was even the slight possibility that it was true..."

JENNA: * Jo's forehead wrinkles, and she frowns, turning to look at him again. "That.." She stops, pressing a hand against her forehead. "I'm not very popular with my guildmates. I was never.. very friendly. And the boss.. they thought he favored me. So of course ...." She shakes her head, turning to look at him again. "But.. even so.. why would you.." She trails off again, not entirely certain she wants an answer to that.

JUSTIN: * Shane begins to look somewhat paniced, having no good answer readily available. "I don't... I don't know, I just thought..." He rubs his eyes harshly, sniffing. "I'm sorry, Jo..." He avoids giving a direct reason for his actions, though not entirely on purpose. His brain is beginning to scatter in a dozen directions now.

JENNA: "I-it's all right --" Jo looks somewhat alarmed, reaching one hand out to touch his arm in an attempt to calm him down. "It's.. it's over anyway. Don't worry about it." She shakes her head. "I wouldn't have been able to explain everything to him anyway." A small measure of gloom creeps into her expression. "He was really set on that book."

JUSTIN: * Shane sets his forehead into his hand, rubbing at the headache that barely creeped in, but is already fading away. "It's not just that..." He can't manage the willpower to lift his gaze from the ground between them. "I never apologized for what I did back in Alberta, either... I should have never said it. I should have apologized a long time ago, I--" He swipes at his eyes, which are burning for some reason. "I'm sorry, I really am. I didn't mean it at all, I was just angry..."

JENNA: * Jo looks deeply puzzled for a moment, trying to recall exactly what he said in Alberta that could have been so horrible. Then she puts a hand to her mouth, unable to stifle a startled chuckle. "Th..that? You shouldn't.. it was a p-perfectly normal reaction, under the circumstances ..."

JUSTIN: * Shane looks up at her with some surprise, his face perplexed by the reaction she's given. "M-most certainly, it wasn't! You could never wrong me enough that I should be comfortable saying such things..." His eyes go distant, as if imagining the words in action. "I-I couldn't ever do that to you -- not you." There is no doubt some underlying significance to those words, but in his current state of mind he doesn't seem to notice. "I insist, I am sorry... you don't have to forgive me if you don't want, I just needed to say it."

JENNA: * Jo feels her face go hot, badly startled by his sincerity -- not to mention his wording. "N-no -- it's all right," she stammers quickly. "Consider yourself forgiven." Her gaze skitters away from him, searching for somewhere safe. "Please -- don't worry about it." She falls silent, trying to calm herself, and risks looking at him again.

JUSTIN: * Shane is calmed by her promise of forgiveness, and he pulls his knees up to bury his face in his arms with a sigh. "I will try not to worry anymore..." He says quietly, then turns his head to look up at her and tries to smile.

JENNA: * Jo almost reaches out to touch him again, but she stops, shaking her head. "Good.. you really shouldn't worry so much." She takes a deep breath, glancing at the fire, which is crackling merrily, oblivious to them both. "I should go catch some food." She makes to stand, smiling wearily.

JUSTIN: * Shane straightens, watching her still, expectantly. "Did... did you want some help, or no?" He tugs at a tuft of grass below him, and bites at his lip, apparently unsure if it would be appropriate after his outburst.

JENNA: * Jo takes a step or two away, half-turning to reply, when something -- or someone -- springs from above in a blur of motion. Jo whirls to face down the attack, but she gives a short shriek when whoever it is snatches her off the ground and spins with her in a wide circle before catching her up in an enthusiastic embrace. "Fray!" she yelps in recognition, and he releases her with a grin, letting her stumble a step back. "Getting slow, Jocasta? You haven't been gone that long."

JUSTIN: * Shane is on his feet in a heartbeat, and reaching for his sword, at least until the assailant and Jo address each other with familiarity. He stands there for a moment in confusion, before tightening his grip on his sword's handle anyway. "Jo, who is this?"

JENNA: * The stranger, a tall man with long hair hanging in a loose ponytail, eyes him with interest. "This the guy, huh? Doesn't seem your type." Jo looks embarrassed, shaking her head sharply. "I don't know what Teague told you, but he was probably wrong --" she begins to defend herself, then stops. "Shane, this is Fray. I.. mentioned him before." She glances at Fray, smiling wanly. "Fray, Shane."

JUSTIN: * Shane straightens somewhat, head cocking back in a suspicious and curious look. "How do you do..." He says quietly, releasing his sword but continuing the scrutiny. "Have you been following us?"

JENNA: * Fray shrugs easily, grinning at him. "Mostly tracking. Had a job to finish before I could follow you out here. Jo's pretty good about covering her tracks." Jo looks embarrassed once again, shaking her head, and Fray laughs, slinging an arm around her shoulders and giving her a shake. "You are!" His face becomes serious, however, when he continues. "Teague's off his rocker, kicking you out like that -- I can talk to him, try to --" But Jo shakes her head again, sharply. "No -- please, Fray. It's done." He looks about to argue with her, then he shrugs, glancing at Shane. "Guess you've been getting along well enough, though."

JUSTIN: * Shane isn't sure what to make of Fray's arrival, and he sits back down slowly while giving the man a wary stare. He straightens his belt so that his sword and gun are comfortable and easily accessible, just in case the friendly front turns into a backstabbing when Jo lets her guard down. If she hasn't already.

JENNA: * Fray draws Jo back to the fire, seating himself and pulling her down beside him. "Well, he's good-looking enough -- I can see where Teague would get the wrong idea." Jo looks torn between relief at seeing her old friend and a strong desire to run away and hide. His statement seems to draw forth a sort of snappish irritation, though. "It's not like that. Teague's an ass for thinking so." Fray lifts a hand placatingly, but by then she's shaken him off, getting wearily to her feet. "Three rabbits, then?" Her former guildmate looks up. "Oh, am I invited to dinner?"

JUSTIN: * Shane shifts in his spot, looking away from the pair and folding his arms over his chest subconsciously. His lips twitch once and half-frown, but he refuses to dignify these uncalled-for remarks with a proper response.

JENNA: "Need any help --" Fray starts, but Jo shakes her head, hurrying into the woods with a call over her shoulder. "I'll be /fine/." The other watches her go with interest, then glances over at Shane, waiting a moment just to be sure Jo's out of earshot. "So -- how'd you meet her? You're law enforcement, right?"

JUSTIN: * Shane looks back sharply, as if surprised that Fray is talking to him after Jo's departure. "...that's right." He points to his hat absently, and the Juno crest thereon. "She refused to show me her passport and ran off. That's how we met."

JENNA: "Probably 'cause she doesn't have one," Fray observes sagely. "You've been followin' her since then 'cause of her passport? You serious?" He leans forward, a lock of hair falling into his eyes, and peers at Shane with great interest.

JUSTIN: * Shane looks uncomfortable at having his actions scrutinized, especially since he still hasn't come up with a decent version of events that doesn't make him look bad. "Of course not! She also demonstrated several other criminal tendancies, and I couldn't just let her walk away! Who knows what she'd been doing in Juno..." His face reddens only slightly. This is the first time in a while he's had to think about Jo in a bad light, and for some reason it bothers him.

JENNA: * Fray chuckles, leaning back again and watching Shane as if he doesn't believe a word of it. "That's some dedication," he remarks, rolling his eyes to take in the branches of the trees above. "But tellin' a girl she's under arrest isn't any way to get on her good side."

JUSTIN: "Telling a girl she's under arrest obviously indicates I had no /intention/ of getting on her good side." Shane makes a face, thinking this should be fairly obvious. "There's no point in trying to make friends with a criminal."

JENNA: "Well, you seem to be getting along pretty well now -- unless you're still planning to somehow lock her up once you're back in town." He tilts his head down to look at Shane again, brows lifting. "High-minded ideas to keep around a pretty girl." He grins. "How long you been on the road together? One month? Two? Most people would have given up, unless they had another reason to stay."

JUSTIN: * Shane gives the man an incredulous look, tightening his cloak around himself. "It was hardly as simple as all that." He turns his eyes to the fire and looks suddenly distant. He hardly wants to even think about his first statement, nevermind try to find an answer for it. "None of it is as simple as all that."

JENNA: "Uh-huh." Fray stretches lazily, then settles down on his side, leaning on his elbow and resting his head against his fist. "'Course it ain't, she's a complicated girl. But that's not too hard to deal with." He glances at Shane and grins again. "Bet you didn't know she used to keep her hair long. Cut it when .. ... well, that's not important." He scratches his chin.

JUSTIN: "Is there a reason I should care how her hair used to be?" Shane glares through the fire into nothing, pulling his knees up and folding his arms over them. "And just where are you getting all these insinuations from? I don't know what you think you're getting at, but I can tell you it's a waste of time."

JENNA: "Insinuations nothin'! Only Jo'd be thick enough to miss it at this point." Fray sits up again, pointing at Shane for a moment before dropping his hand. "You're gonna have to be a lot more direct with her if you want to get anywhere, or she'll just chalk it up to mishearing you." He nods sagely.

JUSTIN: * Shane cranes his head back to stare at Fray in shocked disbelief. "What on /earth/ are you getting on about? You don't know anything about my relationship with Jo." He half-scowls, the insistance of the man starting to hit nerves. "And I'll spare you the obvious retort by saying there /is/ no relationship. We're travelling together, because together is better than alone. We help each other out, and if you think there's more than that, you're delusional."

JENNA: "Oh." Fray leans back farther, resting his hands against the ground. "I see. Well, if it's /both/ of you, I guess there's not a lot I can say." He glances into the fire with a faint sigh. "How boring. If you're going to screw up your life, why do it for someone in denial?" He frowns at Shane. "You aren't still planning to turn her in, are you?"

JUSTIN: "Is it any of your business?" Shane continues to glare into the fire, his temper rising and falling as his thoughts go back and forth inside his head. "Jo is going to Juno of her own accord. I'm sure she's already though about it."

JENNA: "Bet you've been thinking about it, too." He leans forward again, setting his hands in his lap and grins. "Just keep in mind you aren't the only person cares what happens to her." He looks about to say more, then he stops, craning his head around. "Looks like she's headed back."

JUSTIN: * Shane looks up past the fire and Fray, searching the dark for Jo's presence. He's simultaneously relieved and nervous at her return, noting that her presence will either stop the man's incessant prodding, or just encourage a whole new breed of it. He pushes to his feet and moves to intercept her, trying to look casual.

JENNA: * True enough, Jo emerges from the brush moments later, looking tired and carrying enough food for three. She promptly tosses the rabbits to Fray. "You clean them," she suggests, and sits down with a set of sticks to whittle for roasting. Fray gives a faint snort, but he starts his assigned task without complaint. Jo glances warily at Shane, then returns her gaze to the sticks, sighing wearily. "I didn't say anything embarrassing about you," Fray says, chuckling.

JUSTIN: * Shane reseats himself with Jo between him and Fray, bringing his knees up again and half-burying his face in his crossed arms. He resumes his quiet staring at nothing, for the moment not sure about what to do. If all goes well, however, he won't need to talk at all, and Fray will promptly forget about him.

JENNA: * Fray glances at Shane curiously as he cleans the rabbits, then at Jo, who appears to be taking no notice of either of them. Finished with the stakes, she plants them on either side of the fire, saving the last for the rabbits. "Hey, Jo, all yours --" He leans over to hand her the skinned rabbits, using the same motion to peck her lightly on the cheek. She reddens in surprise, frowning at him as she sets about skewering the rabbits. "What's gotten into you?" she mutters after a moment, and he gives a mock-sigh of injured dignity. "Come on, Jo, I haven't seen my girl in months -- what's a little affection?" Jo, in response, arches an eyebrow at him and places the rabbits over the fire. "If you say so."

JUSTIN: * Shane's back goes rigid at the sight beside him, but he furiously holds himself to his position, refusing to look away from the fire. His cheeks flush uncontrollably, however, and he twitches at least a few times in some unspoken protest. For a minute, he appears to have stopped breathing.

JENNA: * Jo lays the rabbits across the fire, settling back with a sigh, and Fray contains a delighted smirk at Shane's poorly repressed reaction. Curious to test his limits, he reaches over to toy with her hair, running his fingers along the back of her neck. At this, however, Jo gives him an irritable look. "Stop that. Your hands are filthy." He sighs again, withdrawing. "You /are/ the one who told me to clean the rabbits." Jo rolls her eyes leaning forward to turn the meat. "So go wash your hands."

JUSTIN: * Shane firmly believes that there is more dirty about Fray than just the man's hands. A very tight frown tugs his lips down at the thought, brow knitting with aggitation. After a moment he pushes to his feet and moves around the fire to snatch up his pack, digging around inside before yanking out his uniform coat.

JENNA: * Jo looks at him curiously, but she's forced to swat Fray away again with another order to wash, and the man finally obeys. But not before leaning over to muss his fingers through her hair. "Damn it, Fray!" she shouts after him, then turns the rabbits again. "Honestly ..."

JUSTIN: * Shane is distracting himself by rather forcefully removing his cloak and thrusting his coat on, rearranging his belt to wrap it around the waist of the uniform and fasten it tightly shut. He stuffs the cloak into the pack and drops it unceremoniously onto the ground before sitting where he is and staring darkly into the forest.

JENNA: * Concern flickers onto Jo's face, and she sits back, watching him uneasily. "Is something the matter? He didn't say anything stupid, did he?" She sets her hands in her lap, then grimaces, realizing they're nearly as dirty as Fray's. "He can be kind of a pest."

JUSTIN: "Does he say anything that isn't stupid?" Shane snaps crossly, tucking his arms tightly around his knees. "I'm fine." He adds, before she can possibly repeat the question. He does not, however, turn his gaze from where it is, nor look any less tense than he did before she asked.

JENNA: * Jo looks surprised, more than a hint of irritation in her voice when she responds. "I don't guess I could judge from the company I've been keeping." She turns back to the rabbits, scowling, then yelps when Fray sneaks up behind and sprays her with cold water, poking her in the back of the neck before settling beside her again. "Clean!" he announces, before she can shout at him.

JUSTIN: * Shane moves with a start at Jo's yelp, but upon seeing what caused it, he wastes no time in curling back into his brooding state. He stares at the dirt intently, wondering why things always have to turn bad right when they're starting to go well.

JENNA: * The rabbits roast on in silence, punctuated by a little more poking and prodding from Fray. Eventually, however, he grows bored with it, looking up eagerly when Jo pronounces the rabbits fit for eating. She snaps the stick in two, handing the part with a single rabbit to Shane and fishing around in her pack for a cloth she can use to remove the second for herself. Fray protests ("Aw, we can share --"), but she removes her rabbit without comment, handing him the last with a level stare.

JUSTIN: * Shane accepts his dinner without more than a very quiet "thank you", twitching and gritting his teeth at Fray's obtuseness--real or faked, it borders on outright rudeness. He concentrates on eating, ignoring the fact that its almost hot enough to burn him. At the moment, he doesn't even notice.

JENNA: * The meal continues the trend of silence with the trio, at least until Fray breaks it, this time apparently serious. "Jo.. you sure you don't want to try patching up with Teague?" She doesn't look at him, chewing thoughtfully on a bite of her meal, then shakes her head. "I already said no. I'm afraid there's nothing left to patch." Fray sighs briefly, tossing his stick and the remains of his meal (he ate quickly) into the fire. "Guess he wasn't kidding, then. Never would have thought you'd do that." Jo shrugs, and he continues. "I can't really stay.. I'm way off course already, and he ordered me not to look you up." She glances at him in surprise, then chuckles. "I guess I should have expected that."

JUSTIN: * Shane's appetite isn't there, despite whatever fervor he was attempting to fabricate toward his meal. He jabs the stick with the half-eaten rabbit into the dirt and stands to his feet, straightening his coat before turning to walk slowly toward the edge of the woods.

JENNA: "Be careful," Fray says, giving Jo a quick squeeze before standing. She repeats the sentiment, and he grins. "I should go, before your friend loses it." Jo blinks at him, but he's already jogged around the fire to catch up with Shane. "Hey --" He claps a hand on the other man's shoulder, leaning in conspiratorially. "Just so you know, she's really sensitive --" Then he breaks off, catching sight of the girl herself glaring warningly at him. "Nev' mind." Whatever he was intending ot say is left unsaid, and he shortly disappears into the brush.

JUSTIN: * Shane's face tightens at the touch, and he whole-heartedly ignore Fray's continued presence as he marches forward undeterred. He doesn't even feel relief when the thief leaves, far too frustrated to stop now. Shane doesn't spend long in the woods, mostly walking aimlessly just out of sight of the campire, waiting for his mood to cool down, and taking the opportunity to answer a call of nature. When he finally makes his way back to the campfire, he doesn't look any better off, though the anger is replaced with weariness and stress.

JENNA: * Jo, in the meantime, has disposed of her own meal and washed up a little, even taking a scrub at her hair, though she didn't have time for a full bath. Still a bit damp, she's stretched out by the fire, looking a little moody herself.

JUSTIN: * Shane stands outside the firelight, attempting to decide what to do with himself. He finally starts over toward Jo with a little hesitation in his step, and he seats himself by her feet. For the time being, he doesn't seem to have anything to say, so he simply stares at the ground.

JENNA: * Jo shifts, leaning up on her elbow to glance at him. "Something bothering you?" She gives him a weary smile, dropping down again. "You should be happy.. you're almost home." For some reason, this information doesn't cheer her any, which she finds puzzling. She doesn't dwell on it, however, staring boredly into the fire.

JUSTIN: * Shane flicks at a pebble with one idle finger, only moving his eyes to watch it bounce across the small camp. "I should be, shouldn't I." It's an observation more than a question. "Maybe I'm just tired." He looks back to the grass between his feet again, staring into his mind more than at what's in front of his eyes.

JENNA: "Mm.. maybe you should sleep." That seems to be her inclination, nestling down further into the grass and sighing. "How strange.. wonder what he was trying to accomplish, coming all the way out here.." She shakes her head, glancing toward Shane again, even though he's out of her range of vision. "Oh well.. it's not long now, at least."

JUSTIN: * Shane shakes his head solemnly, and it's unclear which of her comments it is meant to be a reply to. He doesn't say anything to clarify as he lies back, pulling his legs around so that he's facing the fire. With some willpower, he manages to get out a couple quiet words. "Goodnight, Jo..." And then he closes his eyes.