JENNA: * Jo barely hears him, half asleep already, and though she stirs to reply, she doesn't manage it before drifting off to sleep. It's past dawn when she wakes, sitting up with a jolt and swearing at the time. She shuffles around hurriedly, pulling her pack on and scattering the ashes of the fire, forgetting Shane in her momentary frenzy of activity.

JUSTIN: * It isn't long before Jo's bustling wakes Shane from his sleep, and he watches her in silence for a while before he even bothers to sit upright. "Going somewhere?" He asks, voice groggy.

JENNA: "Slept in -- sorry. I was going to get you up in a minute ..." She pauses, standing and waiting for him. "We've lost a couple hours .. we can eat on the way." A pained smile flits across her face. "I guess I was tired."

JUSTIN: * Shane gets slowly to his feet, apparently not nearly as worried about it as she is. "There's no deadline, Jo. It's all right." He smiles weakly and shuffles over to grab their packs, slinging one over each shoulder and circles the smouldering ashes to stand by her. "You worry too much..." He defiantely ignores how hypocritical that statement is.

JENNA: * Jo looks at him for a moment, embarrassed, then shrugs slightly. "Habit.. I guess." She smiles wanly and starts off, keeping her pace easy and not nearly as fast as she'd like to go. Despite her worries, it's only a day and a half before they reach Juno's gates, the long stairway looking to be hewn out of the very stone they rest on. She hesitates here, considering her options, then shakes her head and makes for the stairs, deciding the delay is worth keeping her stomach steady.

JUSTIN: * Shane begins walking in the opposite direction before stopping and turning to look after her, puzzled. "Jo...? We can use the teleporter, it'll be easier on your feet." He adjusts the pack on his back, ambling slowly over to where she is, and expecting her to meet him halfway.

JENNA: * Jo blanches at his words, shaking her head. "I'd.. I'd rather not. Can we please just take the stairs?" There's more than a little desperation in her face and voice, and she seems to shrink away from the direction he's coming from.

JUSTIN: * Shane stares at her blankly, not knowing what it is that's gotten into her. But, not wanting to argue, he shrugs and starts in her direction without further complaint. Maybe she just likes the exercise. "I'd like to stop by my house before anything else... if for nothing else, to at least take a bath. Is that all right with you?"

JENNA: "That's fine," Jo says, too relieved that she isn't going to have to teleport to worry about anything else immediately. When his words register, she glances at him questioningly. "Can I?" She glances at the ground as they start up the steps, unsure whether he'll even want her in his house, given her past connection to it.

JUSTIN: * Shane nods absently, turning his eyes up toward the city high in the thin clouds. "Of course you can." He doesn't seem to think about that too deeply at the moment, or he might likewise feel slightly awkward at the notion of her being in his house. "There should be some food, as well, though I'm not sure how much would be unspoiled after so long..."

JENNA: * Jo smiles, faintly pleased at the response for reasons she can't fathom, then shakes her head. "We still have some jerky, if all else fails." She continues in silence for a while, not wanting to bring up the unspoken "anything else" of his prior statement. If she has to, she reasons, she can always break and run.

JUSTIN: * The march up the long stairs takes its time, and Shane is distinctly reminded of why he prefers to teleport by the time they reach the top. Stopping only to rest his feet, he heaves a sigh and then moves with an unexplainable rigidness as he enters the Juno city proper for the first time in months. The architecture is familiar, and strangely alien at the same time, never having gone so long without seeing it. "I guess we made it after all."

JENNA: * Jo, meanwhile, is frozen to the spot, staring in silent horror at the wide bridge that spans a chasm of empty air between her and the relatively solid ground of the city beyond. A strangled sound escapes her throat, and she almost sinks to her knees under the weight of a wave of dizziness and nausea.

JUSTIN: * Shane stops his forward march when he no longer hears Jo's footsteps behind, and he turns to eyes her curiously. "W-what's wrong?" Seeing the rather distressed look on her face, he immediately returns to her side, getting down on one knee. "Are you all right? What's the matter?"

JENNA: * She makes a weak sound of protest, clamping her hands over her mouth and shaking her head. "I .. I can't." Her gaze keeps skittering wildly over to the edge of the bridge and the open sky before flinching back again with a shudder. The bridge is so /very/ long.

JUSTIN: "You can't /what/, Jo?" Shane places his hands on her upper arms, leaning over to watch her face with perplexed concern. "What's the matter? You were fine just a moment ago..." He tries to guide her back to her feet.

JENNA: * Jo tries to steady her breathing, willing herself to climb to her feet and stop being such a damned ass. She's crossed bridges before -- bridges in this city, no less. But she can't seem to move, squeezing her eyes shut. "It's.. it's.. too high --" she blurts at last, hands still clamped over her mouth in case her nausea should get the better of her.

JUSTIN: * Shane pauses for a moment, as if he doesn't understand -- so used to the idea of walking around miles above ground that it doesn't even occur to him that she might be afraid of the prospect. When it finally clicks, he looks very shocked. "Ah! Jo, you're afraid of heights?!" This is alarming news, indeed. Everywhere in Juno is heights. "But... but we can't just stand here."

JENNA: * Jo finally drops her hands, sucking in a number of very deep breaths and trying hard not to hyperventilate. With a great deal of willpower, she forces herself to her feet, and she stands there, shaking badly, until she manages to open her eyes. At the sight of all that open air, however, she shuts them again with a groan.

JUSTIN: "J-Jo!" Shane gives her a gentle shake, a suggestive nudge forward. "Jo, please... we'll go slow, okay? We'll stay in the middle of the bridge. I won't let you fall." He tries to smile at her reassuringly, but with her eyes shut, it is useless. He takes her arm and hooks his own around it, holding her firmly as if to emphasize the 'not letting her fall' point.

JENNA: * She stiffens against the nudge forward, then forces her legs to move, however stiffly. She wraps both hands, shaking, around his arm, grip tightening as she's forced forward. When her feet strike the bridge's flagstones, she flinches, almost freezing again, and presses closer to Shane, as if he can provide the stability the ground can't.

JUSTIN: * Shane reddens slightly, finding the entire situation awkward and confusing, but he is determined to help the poor girl. He can't imagine anyone being so afraid when strong stone is so obviously beneath their feet, but clearly she is. "Nice and slow, I won't rush you." He pats one of her hands reassuringly, and twitches slightly at the unusual proximity. Easing her on regardless, he leads her safely along the middle of the long bridge, just as he promised.

JENNA: * Jo doesn't answer with anything more than a whimper as they go, eyes shut the entire way, in spite of a burning sense of humiliation underneath the thick layer of panic in her mind. Part of her is furious with herself for this incredible show of weakness, but her terror of heights, for the moment, is overriding all her other senses.

JUSTIN: * Though it takes far longer than it ever has taken him alone, Shane finally leads Jo past the end of the bridge and back onto wide, flat stone paving. "That wasn't so bad, right? We made it just fine." He lets go of her arm, still somewhat red in the cheeks from all her clinging. A look of concern mingles with a smile, as he looks at her. "Open your eyes, Jo?"

JENNA: * Jo nods quickly, then very slowly forces her eyes open, breathing heavily, as if she's just run several miles without stopping. She almost glances back over her shoulder, then changes her mind, settling instead for looking around at the city. "Thank you," she says, voice very hoarse, and releases him in a quick motion, as if apologizing for still holding on.

JUSTIN: * Shane tucks his arms over his chest briefly, then reluctantly lets them fall back to his sides. "You're welcome..." He rubs at his arm, looking about as if he needs to get his bearings. "This way, Jo..." He touches her shoulder lightly to start her moving, and begins down one of the side streets.

JENNA: * Jo follows him, weariness in her steps, forgetting for a moment that she already knows where he lives. She's quite content to let him lead on, gaze driftnig over the buildings in the area, searching for nooks and crannies out of habit.

JUSTIN: * The walk brings them around the edge of the city for a ways, but it isn't long until Shane's house comes into view, nestled into a corner at the wall. He quietly leads the way to the building, getting more and more anxious the closer he gets. Finally, he stops on the front landing, staring at the door for a moment. "Well. Here we are, then." He reaches out to it, feeling the familiarly worn metal of the doorknob, and he slowly turns the handle and pushes. To his dismay, he finds that had forgotten to lock the door before this wole adventure started, and it swings open with a weary creak.

JENNA: * Jo pokes her head around him, having recovered sufficiently to be curious, as she did not get a particularly good view of the house the first time she stopped in. "Dusty?" she suggests, waiting for him to step inside before she follows.

JUSTIN: "I suppose it must be..." Shane says, his mixed feelings about being home leaving him with a weird flutter in his stomach. "I guess I'll have something to do while you're bathing, at least." He rubs at the back of his neck as he steps into the living area just beyond the door. She's quite right -- there is a noticable layer of dust on everything, but more reassuringly, it doesn't seem as though anyone has disturbed anything at all.

JENNA: * Jo nods slowly, pausing in the entryway to take in her surroundings. It is at least a much nicer house than she has ever lived in -- not that she has lived in many houses. "Where..?" she asks after a moment, having no idea how to navigate the building and not particularly wanting to search.

JUSTIN: * Shane looks up with a question mark on his face, apparently having been distracted with thoughts of his own. "Hm? ... Oh, yes -- down the hall there." He points to a hallway almost directly across from the front door, where the living area and the kitchen meet. "First door on your left. There's running water, and plenty of soap. I suppose you may want to rinse any dust out of the tub, first." He smiles embarrassedly, as he'd never have let the house get this dirty were he able to help it.

JENNA: * Jo nods, then sets off without comment, wanting to get all this over with as fast as she can. She finds the bathroom with little trouble and runs herself some water, rinsing it first, as suggested, then closing the door and stripping down with a tired sigh. She'd like to wash her clothes as well, but it will likely have to wait.

JUSTIN: * Shane watches her until she disappears, then sighs quietly as he's one again left with his own thoughts. The sound of the water running in the distance is a mild distraction, enough to keep him from getting lost inside his head. He looks about at the endless dusty surfaces, and wonders just where in the hell he's going to start. It doesn't take long to make the kitchen a priority, and he wets a cloth before starting to scrub down the countertops and stove.

JENNA: * The bathtub, though not nearly as spacious as the one on Jawaii, is quite suitable, and Jo finds herself relaxing heartily as she soaks in the hot water. Perhaps, someday, it might be worth having a house just in order to have a nice bath, but that day is long in coming, given her current circumstances. She lets herself sink beneath the surface for a moment, bubbling broodingly before she sets about washing in earnest.

JUSTIN: * Shane is making quick progress, as the cleaning turns out to be an excellent way to keep his mind off the near future, and thusly keep his stomach from feeling ill. Every important surface area in the kitchen has been scrubbed down, and after a wash of his hands and cloth, he turns his attention to the much more daunting task of the living room. A rather self-pitying sigh escapes.

JENNA: * Jo takes her own good time in the bath, suspecting it may be the last she gets for quite a while, but eventually, with the water cooling and her skin pruning, she forces herself to stand and step out of the tub. She begins to hum, toweling herself down, and stands there for several minutes before working her way back into her travel-worn clothes and leaving the bathroom in search of Shane.

JUSTIN: * Shane is boredly scrubbing at the coffee table in the livingroom, obviously displeased with the smudges that the cloth is leaving what would normally be a polished surface. He looks up at her arrival, apparently no longer finding the chore a suitable means of distraction, and favors her instead. "Have a good bath?" He gets to his feet, walking over to meet her. "I can't say it's seen anyone else but me in a long time, so I hope it treated you all right." He smiles weakly.

JENNA: * Jo nods, setting her belongings down and looking for a place to sit. "It was hot and it was wet. That usually does the job." She tosses her still-damp hair with a brief smile, relaxing now that the incident of the bridge is well behind her.

JUSTIN: "Then I hope there is some more left. I'll try to be brief." Shane starts to head down the hall, then pauses to look back over his shoulder. "If you can find something to eat, help yourself to it. There should be some non-perishables in the cabinets, I think... Not many bugs in Juno, so you shouldn't have to worry about that." He smiles a bit broader and turns again, heading into the bathroom and shutting the door behind.

JENNA: * Jo watches him go doubtfully, choosing a chair at random and seating herself before digging into her pack for her jerky. She doesn't know many other foods that'll keep for months, and she isn't particularly interested in finding out. She also tugs out her water flask, sipping some of that as she eats and gazing curiously around the room. With a little food in her stomach, curiousity compels her to begin poking around at things.

JUSTIN: * Shane fills the tub as he removes his clothes, quietly humming to himself to keep his mind occupied. Free of his outfit, he shuts the water off and slips into the familiar bathtub, instinctually sinking into his usual position. He drapes one arm across the side of the tub and soaks for a moment before he gets down to business.

JENNA: * Jo continues her investigation in silence, only passing interested in anything she sees and surprisingly not tempted to steal any of it. She makes a bored noise, spying a pile of books and glaring at them for a moment, resentfully. She's tempted to check and see if any of the titles match the one she's looking for, but she decides against it, ambling back to the chair and flopping down.

JUSTIN: * Shane is prompt as promised, and it isn't but a few minutes longer before he returns from the hallway, apparently having changed into another set of clothing somewhere along the way. He steps across to where Jo is sitting, crouching down nearby and turning his eyes to her. It's obvious from the intensity of the gaze that there is a lot going on behind them. "Say, Jo..." He breaks the stare for a moment to swipe at his damp hair, brushing it back. "If you want to stay in the house... until I get back, you can. I... I have to go report in at my post."

JENNA: * Her gaze instantly becomes skeptical, and she sits up, watching him measuringly. "You're not going to turn me in?" Her tone ranges past a number of emotions, the chief of which is puzzlement.

JUSTIN: * Shane was hoping she wouldn't bring the question out into the air so plainly. In fact, he'd hoped she wouldn't say anything, so he could figure it out along the way. "I..." There is a deeply disturbing feeling in the core of his gut, and it almost makes him wretch and keel over. It only looks as if he's trying to hold back a cough. "Jo, I can't answer that. I just don't know what's going to happen in that guardhouse. I don't know if it will even be something I can control. I don't... want..." He bites down on his finger to stop that sentance, and stands back to his feet looking weak.

JENNA: * Jo gets to her feet and shrugs, folding her arms and watching him silently for a moment. His half-admission, whatever it was, somehow, makes her very uneasy, and she shifts her gaze to the nearby table to avoid looking at him. "I won't come if you don't want me to," she says, shrugging. "Or I can stay far enough back to make a break for it." Her mouth curves into a faint grin, though she's not sure why she's even offering to come -- perhaps repayment for his own trip into the lion's den, however stupid it may have been.

JUSTIN: "They won't know, unless I say something..." Shane stares at her foot, apparently the only part of her at the moment that doesn't make him feel overwhelmed. "If you leave, before I come out of that office, I'll understand. Whether you're here... or there, with me."

JENNA: * Jo looks back at him, tilting her head, then lowers her gaze with a shrug she hopes seems comfortable. "I'll go." She hopes her voice is casual enough to cover up the sudden, nervous pounding of her pulse.

JUSTIN: * Shane looks shocked at this answer, having expected her to take an easy out. He had, in fact, entirely expected to come home and find her gone. Not even a letter, since she wouldn't be able to write one. He is both relieved and afraid, because he meant it when he said he was unsure what the outcome would be. "A-all right... we should go right away, then." He starts to reach for her hand, but hesitates, and turns instead, walking to the door and out into the street beyond.

JENNA: * Jo follows him, casting a wary glance over her belongings, then shrugs very slightly, hurrying to catch up with Shane. They're bound to be there when she gets back, and things go badly, she's unlikely to need them anyway. She watches Shane silently for a moment, then walks up beside him, looking tired.

JUSTIN: * Shane makes the trip to the main gatehouse in silence, trying to focus himself for the task ahead of him. He can't help but give Jo a sideways glance now and then, each one accompanied by the simultaneous fear and comfort he felt when she decided to follow. It is mere minutes before they reach their destination, and as Shane expected, nobody seems to take notice of them at first. "You ready for this? You're probably going to be uncomfortable."

JENNA: "I'm already uncomfortable." She glances around at the abundance of guards, forcing natural unease from her face. She turns to him with a very wan smile and shrugs. "I'll live, most likely." She does, however, look around again, and it takes some effort for her not to shrink closer to Shane. She has never been around this much law enforcement in her life.

JUSTIN: * Shane nods grimly, and is unfortunately unable to match her smile this time. He steps ahead, leading the way to the side entrance into the large gatehouse. When he pushes the door in and steps inside, their entrance is immediately noticed by a guard who nearly walks into Shane -- apparently having been on his way out. "Excuse me, but this are is off-limits to... What in the bloody hells, Shane? Where in Midgart have you been?!" The startled guard doesn't wait for a response, turning and rushing off to find the nearest person to tell. "...well, that didn't take long. Better brace yourself, Jo."

JENNA: * Jo looks up at him blankly for a moment, then scratches her head, peering around curiously. She's never been inside a guardhouse before. It doesn't do much to ease the tightening in her gut, but it does help take her mind off what could be impending incarceration. To her surprise, several of the guards are peering back at her even more than at Shane, and their faces frequently bear expressions of unflattering surprise.

JUSTIN: * Shane seems to take notice of the attention, though he doesn't distinguish who they are gawking at. He marches across the floor and straight toward the desk at the far end, around which most of the staring guards are clustered. "I need to speak to the Colonel." He says to anyone, but he's looking at the older man sitting behind the desk. "Shane, where have you been? I've had--" "Now, /please/. You can ask me all the questions you want after I've spoken to Rederick." He gets a lot of disbelieving stares, but the man behind the desk finally scoffs and scribbles out a note on a piece of paper to shove into another fellow's hand. "Fine, but you're in deep shit this time, Captain." The note-bearing guard quickly dashes out of the building -- not without a lingering look of awe at the woman by the doorway -- and runs off toward the north end of town.

JENNA: * Jo, terribly uneasy with the proximity and number of all these guards, finds herself sidling over to Shane, expression wary. The fact that their expressions grow more unbelieving the closer she gets to him does not comfort her, and expression becomes defiant. She has to resist several of her natural impulses -- everything from sticking out her tongue to demanding to know if they want a fight.

JUSTIN: * Shane is in the middle of a quiet argument with the guard behind the desk, mostly consisting of being asked questions and fending them off by restating that he isn't saying anything until he speaks to the colonel. It isn't long before the door to the guardhouse opens again, revealing a man about Shane's height, but at least ten years older and wearing more than a couple scars on his face alone. He steps in, his different uniform showing he is clearly strict military branch, but also the man in charge of the city guard as a whole. All the guards in the room temporarily stop what they're doing and give hasty, if brief salutes. Shane in particular, however, doesn't go back to what he was doing. "Shane, in the office." The man's edged tone commands only obedience, and Shane spares Jo only a brief, nervous look before double-timing it through the door nearby. Rederick is across the room in a few crisp steps and through the door behind him. A second later, a small, spectacle-wearing man is all but punted out of the office, and the door slams shut.

JENNA: * This leaves Jo all alone and surrounded by men in uniforms, so she beats a hasty retreat to the nearest bench, seating herself and staring at the floor for a few minutes before looking up at the door Shane disappeared into. She's beginning to question the wisdom of this course of action after all.

JUSTIN: * Inside the small office, Shane is all but thrust into one of the available chairs -- after a suggestion that he make himself comfortable, because he'll be lucky if he leaves the room with all his limbs intact. What follows is hardly audible through the thick wooden door and stone walls, leaving all outside only guesses at what sort of trouncing Shane is getting. Most of the guards don't seem the least bit concerned with the office, however, and more than a few have found themselves congregating near Jo's bench -- all wide-eyed young men. One of them -- a fellow with short-cut blonde hair, and a tan that may or may not be the result of an elixer -- seats himself next to the lone woman and gives her a broad smile. "So what's your name?"

JENNA: * Jo, finding her back pressed against a wall as they gather nearer, stares at him with a sort of wary incredulity. ".. Jocasta," she finally decides to answer, expression doubtful. She's certain that smile can mean nothing at all good.

JUSTIN: * The man looks about to give a grinning reply, but the sudden, thundering sound of something hitting the office desk jolts the man to his feet. The crowd takes a universal step back, and some eyes leave Jo in favor of the office door, fully expecting Shane's lifeless body to come crashing through the wood. Instead, they are treated to the sound of muffled, angry shouts, that go on for a good minute or two before dying down again.

JENNA: * Jo's face tightens at the sound, and she barely keeps herself from leaping from her seat in similar fashion. She watches the door intently, head cocked as if she might be able to catch some of the conversation. One hand has slipped to her dagger reflexively -- or where her dagger would be if it was with her.

JUSTIN: * Just when some of the guards are beginning to hover back around Jo, the door to the office opens slowly, and a rather pale-faced Shane stumbles out step by step. There is a sharp, biting "/SHANE/" and the man stops in his tracks, going straight-backed again. "Forgetting something, aren't you?" The voice continues with the same sharpness. Shane grabs the hat from his head and stares down at at in his hands, before prying the Juno crest off the front and walking back into the office to place it on the desk. A few more unhearable words are exchanged, and he walks out again, shutting the door behind him.

JENNA: * Now Jo does lurch to her feet, but she doesn't move, standing dead still amidst the cluster of guards. She doesn't seem to notice them at all, however, gaze still fixed on Shane. Whatever happened in there, it clearly did not go well. She manages a step in his direction, then stops again.

JUSTIN: * Only the most curious remain behind now, the rest of the guards hurrying off to do whatever they're supposed to be doing. Apparently, whatever Shane's story is, it isn't worth asking about now. He turns slowly, taking a weak step to place himself next to Jo, and in a quiet voice he manages speak. "You're home free, Jo. They don't have a clue." Then he sets his hat on his head, the front frayed where the crest was ripped from the fabric, and starts toward the exit with a slight tremble.

JENNA: * Jo looks at him blankly for a moment, then looks back at the office, the puzzling series of events slowly clicking into place. Suddenly, for reasons she can't quite fathom, she feels incredibly ill. She follows Shane out without a word, as much to make sure he gets home safely as anything.

JUSTIN: * Shane doesn't make any sound as he walks, his face blank and numb. He knows, on some level, he should have expected this, and yet -- he didn't. Maybe he just figured he'd already learned his lesson, and things couldn't possibly get any worse. Wasn't it punishment enough that he failed his stupid mission in the first place? He blinks out of his thoughts to find himself in front of his house, paused on the front walk, staring at the doorway.

JENNA: * Jo takes a step back to avoid colliding with him when he stops, brow furrowed in silent thought. She looks up at the man -- at his back, anyway -- and frowns slightly. "Shane," she says suddenly, hoping the use of his name will at least get his attention. "I'm going to go check on something," she continues, not waiting for an acknowledgement. "I'll come back."

JUSTIN: * Shane hears her, and understands -- but she'll have to assume that for herself, because he simply walks to the door and silently lets himself in. He closes it behind him slowly, eyes lingering on the conspicuously absent cross that used to hang from the center. There is a sudden weight in his chest when he realizes that he's lost the closest thing he had to a family heirloom. His already horrible mood worse, Shane turns and heads straight for his bedroom, walking to the bed he hasn't slept in in countless days, and collapses into the blankets.

JENNA: * For her part, Jo makes her way to the teleporters, where she's sure most of the business must be, if that's how merchant caravans come into the city. This tactic, however, comes up empty, as she's turned away at the entrance, so she scowls faintly and tends to her other errand -- returning to the book shop she was supposed to rob. It's with relief she finds it open and the proprietor behind the counter, available to question regarding the whereabouts of a certain book.

JUSTIN: * Shane spends the time that she's gone in a state of half-sleep, mentally and emotionally exhausted. He ignores hunger pains and physical discomfort, intent to lie on the bed in an awkward position and wish he wasn't so stupid.

JENNA: * Jo spends perhaps an hour chatting with the bookkeeper, finding the conversation surprisingly pleasant and informative. By the time she leaves, she's armed with more knowledge about the circumstances behind the book's purchase, but less about why anyone would want the book itself. Walking out the door, she nearly collides with a young man deep in argument with one of Juno's scholars, and after she makes her apologies she lingers to listen, as the argument seems to center around travel arrangements. It's twenty minutes later before she returns to Shane's home, a feeling of warm self-satisfaction buoying her steps. She pokes her head warily inside the door, wondering where he's gotten to.

JUSTIN: * Shane hasn't moved from his spot, face half-buried in a pillow and eyes open but unseeing. His room is at the far end of the hall, and the door -- closed when they were in the house before -- is wide open. The interior of the house, however, is eerily quiet.

JENNA: * Jo frowns slightly, for some reason uneasy at the prospect of poking around his house, but she spies the open door before too long and makes her way toward it, expression curious as she peeks inside. She watches him for a moment, then raps her knuckles on the doorframe. "Awake?"

JUSTIN: * It takes a few seconds for the knock or the voice to register, having to crawl through a thick jumble of thoughts to compete for his attention. After this moment has successfully been reached, he rolls over for the first time since he laid down, staring up at her in the doorway with dark circles under his tired eyes. "Yeah."

JENNA: * Jo isn't entirely sure how to handle this reaction, leaning in the doorway with her arms crossed and watching him to make sure he doesn't collapse or throw up or even attack her. "I found a job," she says, pressing ahead regardless. "Small merchant caravan -- he couldn't get airship transport to Alberta, so he's going to have to hoof it, and he's looking for an escort."

JUSTIN: * Shane sits up slowly, lethargically, leaning heavily on his thighs after his feet find the floor. He grazes the wooden boards with his eyes, hands knitting together between his knees. "You'll be leaving soon, then?" He slides his eyes toward her, but they barely make it above her shins. The emotion in his voice is unreadable, so it's difficult to guess what he's thinking.

JENNA: * Jo arches a brow, straightening and resting her hands on her hips. "You can come," she says, voice growing wary at this dismissal. "He needs more than one guard ..." She frowns, feeling all this should be completely obvious. "It's a small caravan -- we should be able to handle it."

JUSTIN: * Shane pushes his gaze up to her face, the hints of a frown creasing the corners of his lips. "You want me to go with you?" It isn't really his biggest concern, but he is having trouble getting his thoughts together -- he really didn't expect her to come back with this sort of news.

JENNA: * She pauses, embarrassment creeping into her expression. "Well, I thought ..." She trails off, shifting uneasily. "I thought we worked well enough together ... and since ..." She trails off again, not particularly wanting to put his current employment situation into words.

JUSTIN: * Shane's eyes shift focus, staring through Jo's face and into space. "And since I have nothing better to do..." His voice is quieter, and carries the weight he feels in his gut. "So, I suppose it comes back full circle, then. Got what I deserved." It's as if he isn't even registering the other half of her comment, forgetting about the offer she just made.

JENNA: "I didn't say that," Jo says, an edge of some difficult-to-define emotion in her voice. "I thought you would want work." She takes a step back, folding her arms defensively. "It.. it isn't good to brood." She looks away, knowing this last from personal experience.

JUSTIN: * Shane's eyes snap back into focus, and his brow creases slightly as he stares at her with a tight frown. "You would know, would you? I thought you'd be glad to be rid of me, anyway. I have plenty of scars and bruises to prove it." He turns his head away from her, spying his maimed hat on the bed where it fell from his head an hour earlier. His hands fold together behind his neck, and he rocks slightly, some of the deadpan expression cracking to reveal a cross between bitterness, fear, and sadness.

JENNA: * Her feet take another step in retreat, arms tightening around herself. Hurt and annoyed, she's beginning to wonder why she did bother in the first place. "If you don't want to come, then don't. If you want me to leave, then I'll leave." She forces a trace of sullenness from her tone. "I thought .." She shakes her head, voice dropping in volume. "I thought I'd offer."

JUSTIN: * Shane reaches a trembling hand to take his hat by the brim, dragging it across the blanket and into his lap. He favors it with his his attention, staring as though he could will the polished crest to reappear in the ragged material. "I just..." There's a tone in his voice, not quite bitterness, not quite sadness -- almost like desperate confusion. He turns the hat over, peering inside of it, blank except for the burning in his eyes. "I wish you'd never come here." Once it's out, there's nothing holding him back. He closes his eyes tight, thrusting his arm out and sending the hat brutally into the wall. "Why did you ever come here?! Why did I follow you? If I'd never met you, none of this would be happening!"

JENNA: * Jo's spine goes rigid with surprise. Half a dozen responses spring to her lips, but she clamps down on all of them, startled by the sudden, painful sting of his words. "Ah," she says after a long moment. "Well then." She manages to loosen herself enough to turn, glancing back over her shoulder with what she hopes is a sufficiently careless shrug. "The caravan leaves in a week," she says, once again unsure why she's bothering, except perhaps to give him a timeline on when he'll never have to be bothered with seeing her again. "South teleport platform." Then she starts up the hall at a rapid clip, scooping her gear off the floor before marching out the door and shutting it with a sharp slam.