JUSTIN: * Shane is nearly back to the inn before Jo gains enough ground to catch up to him, but he doesn't turn to look at her even as she comes into view. His hat is off and in his hand, locked by a vice-like fist, and both arms swing with his brisk, crisp steps. When he does finally move his head, it's only to look up at the inn itself as he approaches the corner it resides on.

JENNA: "Hey!" Jo says again, expression aggravated. "I'm sorry I brought him back with me, but I didn't have a /choice/." She stops to catch her breath, then shoves past him, making her way inside. "Honestly --" She doesn't wait for a response from him, either, continuing to their room.

JUSTIN: * Shane gives her a very sour look as she barges past him, and he picks up his pace to stay on her heels the whole way back to the room. "You could have told them it was my house, /someone/ would have remembered which one it is. I /did/ used to work there, you know. It's probably even still on file somewhere." He digs for his key to the room, which Jo doesn't have, and steps toward their door. "Move." He says shortly, fighting with the lock for a moment before he manages to gain enterance.

JENNA: "I was under the impression you didn't want them to know it was you!" Jo barks after him, pushing inside and slinging her pack on the bed. "The way you were freaking out, I'm surprised you could even talk!" She sits down next to the pack, folding her arms.

JUSTIN: "Telling them the old man was living in my house when he died doesn't mean they need to know I'm in town!" Shane hurls his pack and hat into the corner without a second look, quickly crossing the room and struggling out of his coat as he goes. "It was a stupid job in the first place, and we're actually /short/ money now, because of the damned airship fair. The old fool probably had a heartattack getting himself all worked up over that goddamned will."

JENNA: * Jo glares at him, turning to her pack with a faint rumble of annoyance. "It's not like we're really hurting, is it? We can catch another caravan out of here and make it up in no time flat. If losing the cash bothers you that much, maybe you are getting used to being a mercenary!" With that, she flips her pack open, tossing the first few items on the bed as she searches aimlessly for something that stands a chance of shutting him up. Unfortunately, unnoticed among those items, is the book she retrieved from the old man's bedstand.

JUSTIN: "You think that's mercenary speak, Jo?" Shane turns toward the bed, glaring at her with fierce eyes. "I'll tell you what it is: gate captain. It's thinking smart, it's not taking things for granted. I don't care how much money we have, you don't throw it away carelessly! We live one job to the next, Jo. There /is/ no stability, and it's just foolish to assume there will always be a job lined up." He stomps over to the nightstand on his side of the bed, working off his belt and the pouches and gear therein. "You don't know how long that money is going to last, so stop pretending like everything is all right because you /say/ it's all right."

JENNA: * Jo leaps to her feet, whirling to face him. "When did I say everything was all right?! I've been living job to job a hell of a lot longer than you have, you know that? I'll know better than you when we're in trouble -- after this long on the road, you think it's a carefree way of life?!" She slams her pack closed again, flinging it off the bed and clenching her fists at her sides.

JUSTIN: * Shane throws his gear onto the nightstand with a loud smack or leather and metal, turning to face Jo in all her fury. "And I had a stable life, a house of my own, and a career -- something you've /never/ had, and I'll be damned if I'll let you think you're better than me." He stares her down from across the bed, his arms across his chest. "I know stability, you don't. /I/ have something to compare to."

JENNA: "Have we ever gone hungry?" Jo snaps, glaring at him. "Have we ever had to scrape or beg?! I've been on that end of things, you know -- it's not like I have nothing at all to compare this life to! You can keep your damn stability if it traps you in a life you hate!"

JUSTIN: "I don't have much of a /choice/, do I, Jo? I lost all respect and good reputation when I lost my career and my home, and I never did a single thing wrong." He grits his teeth, turning around and tightening his arms, twitching slightly with only half-contained anger. "No, it takes someone else to come in and pull the rug out from under my feet. And so where do I go now, Jo? What do I do now that I've fallen into this so-called life?"

JENNA: "You want to blame me for your own stupid mistakes?! I told you from the start! I told you every time -- you didn't have to come with me!" Her voice rises an octave with rage, and she lurches forward, stumbling against the bed. She manages to catch herself with one hand, which clenches around the object it landed on. "For someone who babbles so much about taking responsibility, you sure have a gift for shirking your own!" With that, she heaves the object directly at him, alarm flashing across her face when she realizes it's the book that caused her so much trouble.

JUSTIN: * Shane takes the book directly to the back, and he whirls around with a look of utter disgust and disbelief on his face. "So now you're getting violent again?! Is that what it comes down to?" He steps toward the bed again, leaning over to scoop the book up as he goes. He nearly gives into the urge to hurl it right back at her, but as he lifts it up, his eyes graze the cover and he stops. "What -- this isn't mine. Where did you get this?!" He grabs it between his hands, taking a closer look at the cover. "This... this book was in the house. I saw it in your hand! You /stole/ it?! From a dead man?! Do you have /any/ respect?!" He flings it across the room, where it bounces and skids into the bathroom. "This is exactly what caused all this mess in the first place!"

JENNA: * Jo flinches, embarrassed at her choice of missile, but she gathers herself and shoots back, "I didn't --" Then stops again, as she would have taken it even if she hadn't forgotten about it in the furor over the old man's death. "What the hell does it matter to you? It's not like he needed it anyway! Alive or dead! That's the book the helped get me fired -- though if you recall, it sure as hell didn't work alone!"

JUSTIN: "Oh, you're going to try that tactic again, are you?" Shane rounds the bed, marching right up to her and staring her down. "There's no innocence in thievery, and if you expect me to sympathize, you're barking up the wrong tree." He lifts his hands, pressing them forecefully against his own skull as if trying to squeeze a headache out. "Do I even need to remind you that I could have likely saved my job if I'd turned you in? I wouldn't have gotten a pat on the back and a promotion, but I'd still have my /life/."

JENNA: "Your life?! The life you loved so much you got piss drunk to get away from it?!" Jo doesn't back away from him -- pushing forward, in fact. "If that's what you miss, then why not go back to it? I told you then! I told you over and over! Leave if you want to! Make yourself a new life! You didn't have to follow me! If you regret not turning me in so much, why in /hell/ didn't you do it in the first place?!" With this last, she lifts her hands to shove him away, whirling and stalking toward her gear.

JUSTIN: "Well you know what they say about hindsight--" Shane grunts as she pushes him away, rebounding from the force and stepping immediately after her. "My problem is that I care too damn much about people other than myself!" He grabs her by the upper arm, attempting to halt her retreat. "But I suppose I can thank you for showing me that it's better to think only about yourself, can't I?!"

JENNA: * This time, Jo is unable to keep herself from whirling to face him, fist taking its usual path directly at his stomach. "Get OFF me!" She jerks away from him, gaze savage and voice throbbing with fury, as well as something deeper -- more like hurt. "Fine, you. I'm horrible. I'm selfish. I'm nothing more than a filthy criminal." She takes a deep breath, attempting with no success to settle her hammering heart. "This is your last. Goddamn. Chance. Get lost. Wash your hands of me. Make yourself a new life and find someone who's worth your trouble. If that's what you want, then DO IT."

JUSTIN: * Shane grunts with the impact, rolling to the side to disperse most of the impact -- if anything, he's learned that lesson by now. His voice is a bit strained from the sting of her punch, however, when he speaks again. "You... still don't get it, do you? I used up all my chances a long time ago..." He steps up behind her again, this time grabbing both of her arms and holding tight. After a brief second to catch his breath, he leans his face in next to her ear, practically hissing with leaking frustration. "I've /tried/. There are days I've /hated/ you. And I'm still here? I must be crazy!" He sounds like he believes it, too, with the amount of honesty in his angry voice.

JENNA: * Jo flinches at his sudden proximity, then flails wildly for a moment in a disconcerted attempt to get away. She stops shortly, however, panting a little in apparent panic. "I don't -- know what you're talking about," she grits, tensed as if to break and run, though she doesn't actually move. "If you don't like it, leave. It's not hard!"

JUSTIN: "Isn't it?" Shane holds onto her tightly, but not visciously -- more like it's out of fear than of anger. "You tried once already, and it didn't take much to stop you." He slowly circles around to face her again, his eyes wide with a panic of his own. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. The only difference between us is that I'm not afraid to admit it. I'm not afraid to admit that no matter how angry you make me, it's hard to let go of you! I don't know why, okay?!" He leans in again, eyes boring into hers. He stares for a long second, and then lets go of her arms. "So you do it. You leave, if you think you can. Because I won't do it. I can't do it."

JENNA: * Jo stumbles away from him, arms dropping limply until she catches them, rubbing where he held her and taking another step back. She jerks her gaze away from his as if it burns her, and she draws a confused, shuddering breath. "I already.. I already told you," she says hoarsely, and she lifts her gaze again, expression almost fierce. "If I.. if I wanted to leave, I would have done it a long time ago."

JUSTIN: * Shane stares at her for a long time in silence -- or at least, what feels like a long time, but it might be mere seconds. "Then if we can't solve the problem of leaving... why do you stay? Why do /I/... stay, Jo?" He almost glares, still frustrated by his own confusion, as he walks slowly toward her, and around her, to stare from the other side. "I am /sick/... sick of not knowing anything. Sick of being confused, and toyed with. I'm sick of arguing with you over stupid, juvenile things! So what is going on, here?!"

JENNA: * Jo very suddenly feels exhausted, as if she might fall down if she attempts to move. So she remains still, folding her arms over her stomach as if to quell the panicky jitters washing through her. "Some of the things you say..are really confusing, you know that?" She laughs weakly, then lets herself sink to her knees. "It's not like I like fighting with you, either. But.." She shakes her head, falling silent. "Either you're really honest when you're drunk, or you're a great big liar," she mutters, barely audible.

JUSTIN: * This isn't quite the answer Shane was expecting, or hoping for. In fact, he's not even sure if it qualifies as an answer to his question. He steps quietly around to stand in front of her, then slowly lowers himself to his knees, as well. "What are you talking about? What did I say to you?" There's a strange, queasy sensation building inside him where before there was only anger, fear, and frustration.

JENNA: * Jo flinches, gaze dashing once again to the floor as her face heats. "You said.." She stops, lifting a hand to her forehead and peering at him from underneath it, much as if she feels she needs a shield. "You.. you were drunk, anyway. It doesn't.." She trails off again. "You kept asking for me. I mean. You didn't know it was me helping you, so.." She laughs again. "You said I was your girl. For one." She looks at the floor again.

JUSTIN: * Shane watches her with unsteady eyes, and his staring loses more and more integrity as she continues. He remembers the situation she's referring to. He wouldn't have if she hadn't just said it, but now he can make out the fuzzy memories in his head. "I..." He clears his throat uncomfortably, wiping sweaty palms against his legs to get them dry. "Did I say anything else?" His voice almost cracks.

JENNA: * Jo swallows down on a protest -- she's almost sure she shouldn't have brought this up. "You.. you said that.. I always looked out for you .. and I always forgave you." She shakes her head. "There wasn't really.. anything else." She folds her arms across her stomach again, face hot. "I didn't know if any of it.." She shrugs, not bothering to finish her statement.

JUSTIN: * Shane stares off to the side while he listens, piecing together what little he can remember of that night. When she trails off at the end, he turns back to her, however. "Was true?" He rubs at his arm, staring straight through her. "Was it true..." He slides off of his knees, scooting over to the bed and using it as a backrest so he can kick his legs out in front of him. "Have you ever wanted it to be?"

JENNA: "I.. I don't know. I hadn't really.. I just thought it wasn't." She sinks backward, pulling her knees out from under her and drawing them up against her chest. "I.." She rests her forehead against her knees, breathing as deeply as she can in that position. "I.. guess I'd be a lot less confused .. if it was true."

JUSTIN: * Shane lets his hands settle in his lap, loosely gripping at the fabric of his shirt. For a short while, he doesn't answer, simply thinking about where this could lead. He said he was tired of the confusion, too, so the only thing that makes sense is to be honest -- even if it hurts. "It's... true."

JENNA: "Oh." Heat washes over her face, invisible though it is, hidden behind her arms and knees. It's followed shortly by a wave of dizziness, and she tightens her grip on her knees until it passes. Then, slowly, she lifts her gaze above them, head tilting slightly. "Shane?" she says suddenly, "Did you really hate it when .. when I kissed you?" On some level she seems to know this is a peculiar and almost off topic question, and she ducks her head again slightly.

JUSTIN: * Shane is taken a little off guard by this next question, and he almost gives in to an impulse to crawl away. "Th-that's rather... out of the blue." He tries to smile, as if it's a humorous thing, but really it's entirely too serious. He moves a hand to his head, running fingers back through his hair in a horrible attempt at looking casual. "I... never actually said I hated it, did I? I mean, I called it improper, but that's not quite the same thing, right?"

JENNA: * Jo finally straightens, tucking her legs underneath her again and folding her hands in her lap. She seems to be considering her words very carefully, but in the end the direct approach seems to be all she can manage. "So.." Her fingers tangle for a moment, then untangle. "Would you mind if I did it again?"

JUSTIN: * If Shane was surprised by the first question, he's downright shocked by the next one. "Wh-what?" He turns his head to stare at her face, certain he must have misheard her, and feeling very embarrassed because of it. "S-say that again? I don't think I... I'm pretty sure I didn't catch that right." For some reason, though, he turns himself toward her, sitting straighter as if in expectation.

JENNA: * Jo doesn't bother to repeat herself, using hands and knees to close the gap between them, then lifting one hand to cup the side of his face, fingers brushing back over cheek and jaw. "Would you mind," she says finally, easing closer to him until their faces are mere inches apart -- much as if to make certain she's perfectly clear this time, "if I did it again?"

JUSTIN: * Shane closes his eyes tightly, feeling his body temperature rise several degrees quite suddenly, and his breathing stops. He stays like this for a second, maybe two, but in his head it is long enough for him to feel like he's out of breath when he finally opens his eyes to face her proximity. "No... no, of course I wouldn't." He stares into her eyes with a mixture of awe and fear, excitement and hesitation, and his pulse pounds in his ears.

JENNA: * Jo's lips curve into what's almost an amused grin, but there's not really enough time to register the change in expression before she moves forward again to press them gently against his. In the meantime, her fingers brush back farther to curl carefully into his hair, eyes drifting closed.

JUSTIN: * Shane begins to shudder uncontrollably when Jo's lips first connect with his, and he begins to panic when he can't think of a way to stop his body from freaking out. With a lack of options, and not wanting to make Jo think he's reacting sourly to the treatment, he begins to kiss back just as solidly as she's kissing him. For good measure, he slides his arms around her waist and holds on for dear life.

JENNA: * Startled by the sudden embrace, Jo almost goes still, eyes flicking open for a brief moment, but she manages to recover shortly, easing herself closer to him and angling for a more comfortable position. Her hand slides to his shoulder, joined on the other side by its companion, and she finds herself leaning comfortably against him -- and seated in his lap.

JUSTIN: * Shane is just starting to relax into the kiss, but the unexpected climb into his lap causes a surge of energy to rush up his spine and send him straight-backed again. His arms twitch once and close a little bit tighter, while a sudden need for air causes him to break from the kiss briefly, practically gasping. During his attempt to lean back for this breath, he begins to tilt dangerously, and he lifts his legs in a misguided attempt to get some footing. This only bumps Jo's added weight further again his chest, destabilizing his already weak balance, and causing an undignified fall onto his back -- dragging her along for the ride.

JENNA: * Jo's eyes fly open, and she bites down on a yelp when she finds herself tumbling forward, any attempt to break the fall halted by Shane's death grip on her waist. When they finally land with a sharp smack, she pushes her self slightly upright, leaning forward until she can get a good look at Shane's face. "Are.. are you all right?"

JUSTIN: * Shane takes a second to get his wits about him, looking around himself quickly as if unaware that he'd fallen until just now. "I-I'm fine, I just... I slipped, I think?" He turns his panicky eyes up to her, trying with great effort to look -- and feel -- calm. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean... are you okay?" His fingers curl and uncurl in the fabric of her shirt, with a strange impatience to continue that seems to contradict the way he's behaving otherwise.

JENNA: * Jo relaxes, reaching a hand up to brush his hair back with a faint smile. "I'm fine. You're the one who hit the floor." She lets her fingers continue to play through his hair, easing herself down slightly as if to make herself more comfortable, and watches him -- almost like she's contemplating what to do about this. "You're sure you're okay? It sounded like you hit pretty hard."

JUSTIN: * Shane forces his hands to stop their searching and grabbing, placing them flat against her back, and he swallows once in embarrassment at his position. "Yes, I'm okay, I promise." He breaks a small, fickle smile. "You did punch me, remember? I'm sure I can handle a little fall." Attempting to prove his comfort to her and to himself, he slides one of his hands up to brush at her own hair -- gratefully, it only shakes once or twice.

JENNA: * Jo smiles again, closing her eyes for a moment to enjoy his hesitant caress. Then she opens them again, leaning forward once more to bring their faces in closer proximity. She pauses, lips so close to his they brush against him when she murmurs, "Good." Then she finishes the motion, kissing him firmly -- as if to make up for the time lost when he fell.

JUSTIN: * Shane is in the process of thinking of another response, but the impact of her lips silences any desire for more words. His eyes shut tight again, blocking out the light, and attempting to batter down his nervousness again. Still convinced that taking an active role will help him calm down, he places his hand at the back of her head and kisses back with his greatest showing of confidence so far.

JENNA: * Jo seems to take this as an encouraging sign, returning confidence for enthusiasm and deepening the kiss, letting her fingers trail lazily down his neck to slip under the collar of his tunic and play gently against his collarbone. She seems only half aware of the motion, her other hand still toying lightly with his hair.

JUSTIN: * Shane gurgles slightly at this additional attention, but he quashes it quickly before it can sound like a plea to stop. He wraps his other arm tightly about her again, reassuring himself, and makes every effort through this kiss to show that this is what he wants -- all his nervousness and embarrassment be damned.

JENNA: * A pleased sound escapes Jo, and she attempts to press closer to him -- if at all possible -- when a faint knock sounds at the door. She ignores it at first -- barely aware of it until it repeats itself, louder, and a crisp voice demands to know if everything's all right in there.

JUSTIN: * Shane doesn't register the sound at all, until actual words come from the hall. He jerks up slightly, stopping himself mid-motion and tightening his hold on Jo before she goes tumbling. "J-just a minute!" He says, probably not loud enough. The sudden interruption leaves him with an oddly accelerated heartrate, and panting breathing -- like getting caught red-handed with your pants down. He gives Jo an apologetic look, as the knocking continues and the question repeats itself. "I... sh-should answer that."

JENNA: * Jo's face goes hot, embarrassment warring with irritation a the interruption. She smiles wanly, easing back to permit him to stand up, getting to her feet herself. "I can, if you want." She folds her arms, glancing back at him as the knocker becomes more and more impatient.

JUSTIN: "I... maybe we both should." Shane smiles weakly, climbing to his feet and straightening his shirt before he heads to the door. He takes a deep breath, gives one last look at Jo -- with a blush -- and then twists the doorknob, pulling it open just enough to peek out. "...can I help you?"

JENNA: * There are a number of people standing outside the door -- most of whom appear to be hotel staff. Toward the edge of the group, however, is a man in a familiar uniform -- that of the guard. The man knocking on the door, however, gives a faint huff. "A few of the other guests reported a lot of noise and shouting coming from this room -- is everything all right?" Jo pokes her head around behind Shane, looking at the entourage with interest.

JUSTIN: * If Shane was blushing before, it only gets worse now. "Wh-what? Of course everything is all right!" He backs up a bit, allowing Jo room to indulge her curiousity. "Does it look like there's a problem here?" At the back of the crowd, the guard lifts his voice up. "Hey, you're the two who were at the house!" It's hard to tell if he's happy about this or angry. "Haven't had enough trouble for one night, have you?"

JENNA: "We haven't done anything!" Jo is indignant and surprised, straightening to fix the young guard with a hard stare. She turns it shortly to the man who knocked, and he takes a pace back in surprise. "We aren't making any noise now, are we?" He draws himself up, however, and frowns. "Miss, you were disturbing the other patrons with your racket -- if it continues, I'll have to ask you to find lodging elsewhere."

JUSTIN: * Shane is a bit surprised by Jo's sudden, strong protesting -- and a bit motivated by it. He turns the crowd of people a rather disapproving glare and makes a shooing motion with his hand. "There'll be a racket here in a minute if you don't let us get back to bed, and then you'll have something to be disturbed about for real. Now go, go on -- we paid good money to sleep here, now let us sleep!"

JENNA: * The man -- likely a manager -- takes another step back, surprised and alarmed. "Really, sir! I'll thank you not to threaten -- there's a /guard/ present!" He speaks as if this is a matter of great importance, but Jo looks singularly unimpressed. "We haven't broken any laws. We'd just like to get some sleep. Whatever the noise was, it's stopped now, right?" The man stares at her with a mixture of confusion and incredulity, appearing to lose much of his resolve.

JUSTIN: "And we've already met your guard -- fresh out of the academy, right? How did your investigation go at the house, hm?" Shane turns the young man a sarcastically interested look, arching an eyebrow in the process. Jordan merely sputters, taken rather by surprise. "I... I don't know, I was replaced when the captain learned about it..." This seems to be the answer Shane was expecting, and he nods a few times in mock sympathy. "Mm, of course they did." He turns back to the manager. "You know they actually used to get things done when I was in charge? Guess I was the last peg holding that unit together."

JENNA: * Jo stares vaguely off into space during this tirade, leaning against the doorframe with a faint sigh. By now, most of the staff has dispersed, and the manager is murmuring apologetic farewells before he flees back down the hallway. "Shane," Jo says finally. "Will you stop picking on the poor kid? It isn't his fault."

JUSTIN: * Shane has nearly forgotten that Jo is still standing there listening, and he looks almost surprised when he turns to look at her. "I'm not picking on anyone! Except maybe the academy and the guard, and the ridiculous lack of discipline that they portray." He steps away from the door, sighing loudly and completely ignoring the stunned young man who is still in the hall.

JENNA: * Jo gives a lazy shrug, half turning to watch him walk back into the room. "It's still not fair to yell at him." She glances at the guard, brows lifting, and gives a small wave. "Sorry for the trouble. You can go now." Then she turns to follow Shane, sticking her hands behind her head and kicking the door shut behind her.