JENNA: * For Jo and Shane, the next several weeks are spend largely on the process of reacquainting themselves with each other's bodies, as well as settling back into a comfortable routine. It comes as something of a surprise (for Jo, at least) when they get yet another summons from Mackenzie, this one to explore a smaller ruin somewhere in the north. As is their custom, however, they stop by the man's house first to drop off his book and receive further instruction. By the time they reach Mack's abode, Jo is feeling shaky and cranky -- she hasn't felt entirely well for a couple of days, nearly vomiting on several occasions. She isn't inclined to mention that to her partner, however, expression suitably irritable when she rings Mack's doorbell.

JUSTIN: * Shane doesn't seem to think anything of Jo's crankiness, attributing it to the fact they're visiting Mackenzie, as history shows her moods are always at their worst while on the man's property. It's only a minute before the door opens, revealing the man as he always is, and he doesn't waste any time leading the pair inside. "I've yet to get anything useful out of the Heartstone gem, but that is hardly surprising. I'll likely need several more months before I learn how to properly focus its abilities--" he cuts himself off with a wave of his hand, sounding suitably grumpy about the entire matter, "In anycase, I saw no reason to ignore the rest of my work while I study it. You read the book, I assume."

JENNA: * Jo waves a hand, completing the ritual with an irritable, "Would we be here if we hadn't?" She seems disinclined to belabor the matter, however, falling silent for a moment and folding her arms across her chest. "What is it we're after this time? I'm inclined to hope it's nothing that talks."

JUSTIN: "I've never sent you after anything that talks," Mackenzie answers her flatly. "If you recall, I sent you to Jawaii to find whatever you could. You are the ones who brought back a talking idol. Which, I might add, never gave me anything the least bit useful." He looks even more grumpy now, and starts up the winding stairs leading to his upstairs study. "What you're looking for this time is a crucifix, said to be buried with a champion of the Church, a paladin from its earliest days. I don't particularly care what condition it's in when you retrieve it, I'm only concerned about the metal it's made from."

JENNA: * Jo shrugs, not religious herself and not particularly bothered by the thought of robbing a paladin's grave. She glances at Shane and shrugs, following the man wearily up the stairs. "As long as there's no divine intervention." Her mouth quirks in a weary smile, and she trudges up the stairs with less than her usual enthusiasm.

JUSTIN: * Shane isn't particularly happy about robbing any grave, Church or otherwise, but if it's old and forgotten then they at least shouldn't get into any trouble -- and he can always make Jo do the actual thieving. Wouldn't be the first cross she's stolen, he muses, but it does seem a bit worse taking it from an actual paladin, even if the chap /is/ dead. All the same, he keeps his mouth shut on the matter. Mackenzie has already reached the top of the stairs and has opened the door to his office, stepping inside and turning to wait impatiently for the two. "I don't think the gods particularly care. I've never seen any indication that a crucifix has anything to do with Odin's divine plan." He fixes his sleeve, and then mumbles out, "Of course, I've never seen any indication of Odin having a divine plan, either."

JENNA: "If the guy's as isolated as all that.." Jo pauses at the top of the stairs, leaning heavily in the doorway for a moment before walking in. ".. then you're probably right." She leans in her customary place, raising a hand to her forehead to discover she's sweating now, as well as shaky.

JUSTIN: * Shane nudges Jo, noticing her sluggishness, and leans against the wall next to her. Mackenzie, on the other hand, doesn't bother to notice, going to fetch maps and notes for them, as well as the contract for them to sign. "If I'm wrong, you can sue me in the afterlife," he mumbles absently, getting everything arranged. "It's not worth much compared to the gem, but I'll give you five-hundred thousand. If it were in better shape, I'm sure it would be worth more to the right people, but I'm not the right people -- and you don't particularly care, I wager." He waves Shane over to sign the slip of paper, not bothering to ask if the price is reasonable, as his last statement would indicate it isn't worth the effort.

JENNA: * Jo waves Shane off with a shake of her head, concentrating her gaze wearily on the floor. She looks up when Mack speaks, about to put in her usual two cents, when a wave of dizziness strikes her, and she attempts to get a grip on the wall. It's followed shortly by a now-familiar wave of nausea, however, and she stumbles away from it. The two actions, pretty much incompatible, cause her to lose her balance, and she finds herself tumbling to the floor. Once there, however, she discovers she's not much inclined to try to get up again.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie and Shane look up and turn around at about the same time -- one looking distinctly confused, the other panicked. "Jo!" Shane drops the pen, signature half completed -- Mackenzie growls in frustration -- and dashes to her side. "Jo, what's wrong? Did you trip? Are you hurt?" He turns her carefully onto her back and looks around, but he doesn't see anything that could have possibly tripped her, and he knows well enough she's not wanting for dexterity.

JENNA: * Jo makes her usual effort to push him away, but she discovers she's really not much up for that, either. "Just.. gimme a minute, Shane," she grumbles, attempting to lever herself up with moderate success. "I just felt dizzy." As she struggles to get to her feet, another voice echoes from below, worried and questioning. "Mr. Malachi? Is everything all right?"

JUSTIN: "Oh, when have you ever gotten randomly dizzy?" Shane forces her to keep a seated position, though he puts his arm around behind her for support. "You must have been sick all day, and you didn't say anything?" Mackenzie, meanwhile, is getting more and more agitated, and when he hears Kalaani's voice he immediately goes to fetch her. If anyone can sort this out, it will be her. He just wants the damn paper signed so he can get on with his day. Trotting down the stairs, he takes Kalaani by the hand and tugs her over, pointing her toward the upstairs office. "Apparently someone is too stubborn or stupid to respect when they're ill," he says with clear annoyance, giving her a swat to start her moving. "I believe that's your specialty."

JENNA: * Kalaani gives him a blank look, but she starts moving when prompted, hurrying up the stairs to Jo and Shane and promptly kneeling. "What happened?" she asks quietly, putting a hand to Jo's forehead in spite of the other woman's objections. Jo only looks at her wearily for a moment, caught between answering the question and defending herself against Shane's accusations.

JUSTIN: "She fell over," Shane supplies, not giving a damn about Jo's obvious disinterest in being helped. He's partially mad at himself for not noticing the signs earlier, or he'd have called off the job before they even got here. "Jo, what else is wrong? Have you been throwing up, is there any pain? How long have you been sick without telling me?" He also doesn't seem to realize he's better off letting Kalaani ask the questions. Mackenzie, for his part, hasn't moved, standing at the bottom of the stairs with one arm across his chest and the other hand pressed firmly against his forehead, as though trying to contain a headache.

JENNA: * Jo gives Shane a hard look, but she lets Kalaani go about her business, at least until she sits back slightly and nods. "Those are good questions," she suggests, and Jo gives her a very irritable look. "I haven't been throwing up," she growls. "Felt like it a few times.. It's been happening for a week.. maybe two." Kalaani's expression becomes briefly grave. "And weakness and dizziness?" Jo nods at this as well, looking even more annoyed.

JUSTIN: * Shane is appalled that this has been going on for even longer than he assumed. "Jo, what is the matter with you? You could have told me! We live half an hour's walk from a doctor, you know that!" He grits his teeth and looks wholly aggravated -- but even more worried. Mackenzie comes silently into the room behind them and circles around to his desk, which he leans back against to watch the scene. There's a bitter resignation on his face, knowing without needing to be told that they aren't going to be completing his job for him. And since he didn't get their signature, he can't even hold the boy to it.

JENNA: * Jo looks annoyed. "It wasn't anything serious," she defends herself snappishly, pulling away from him and attempting once again to get to her feet. "It's nothing life-threatening." Kalaani gives a weak smile and shakes her head, not wanting to interject. "I.. I really think you should go see a doctor, though. It's.. it's still not something you can just ignore." She stands up, offering Jo her aid as well.

JUSTIN: "See? I'm not the only one who thinks you should see a doctor." Shane stands up, catching Jo around the waist with both hands and gently hefting her up, holding on until she gets her feet under her with Kalaani's help. "Don't be so stubborn all the time. It's a wonder you didn't die from a common cold before I ever even met you, the way you brush things off. These sort of things can get worse if you just ignore them!" Mackenzie rolls his eyes at all the fuss, finding it ironic that Shane (who is mysteriously talkative this morning) and Kalaani aren't a pair, as they're both overly excitable and worrisome. What he sees in Jo is beyond him, nevermind the other way around. Clearly they're complete opposites. "Can we move this sideshow out of my office, please? It's clear I'm going to need to research other options for myself." He reaches behind him and snags the contract, ripping it up and crumpling the pieces into a ball to throw into the rubbish basket beside his desk.

JENNA: * Jo looks as though she wants to explode at almost everyone present, so she takes the route that involves the least effort and starts down the stairs, carefully working herself free of the unwanted help. "I can walk fine on my own," she snaps, and Kalaani doesn't argue with her, instead stepping away from the door to get out of both of their ways. "It's -- it's really not bad," she offers Shane, clearly at a loss.

JUSTIN: * Shane doesn't particularly look like he buys it, even coming from Kalaani. "It's bad enough," he says, staring after Jo and clearly resisting the urge to run over and all but carry her. "She's like this about everything, she's convinced her body is capable of recovering from anything as long as she wills it to." He turns to Kalaani with a pained look. "Excuse us." With that, he does head after Jo, shutting the door behind him so nobody can see the ensuing madness as he tries to help her against her will. Mackenzie lets out an audible sigh, turning his attention now to Kalaani. "Now was it even worth all that fuss, or is she going to be over it in a matter of days?"

JENNA: "Ah.." Kalaani hesitates, turning to face Mack, then walks a little closer to his desk, as if she's concerned they might hear her. "I.. well. I didn't want to tell them right out.. since it was obvious they didn't know ..." She wrings her hands a little, looking embarrassed. "I ... I doubt she'll be back for several months.. seven.. maybe eight. She's pregnant, you see ..."

JUSTIN: "/Pregnant/?" Mackenzie rolls his eyes again. He wants to say something about how certain people shouldn't be allowed to reproduce, but he manages to contain it. "Wonderful. So for the next year or more, I have to find someone else to do work for me. /Brilliant/ turn of events." His tone of voice leaves no mistake he clearly thinks it couldn't be any less so.

JENNA: * Kalaani gives him a slightly pained smile, deciding against mentioning that they might not want to work for him anymore at all after the baby comes. "I'll.. go get some tea," she offers, quietly hoping the pair will make a return, somehow.

JUSTIN: "Suit yourself," Mackenzie mumbles dismissively, pushing from his desk to round it and sit down in his chair. He tugs out his glasses and slips them onto the ridge of his nose, sniffing quietly as he gathers up the items he intended to give to Shane and Jo and puts them away again. Sorting his work on his desk, he distractedly appends a request before she can leave. "And if you could bring something to eat, I'll likely need the extra energy..."

JENNA: * Kalaani nods and sets off down the stairs, perfectly willing to tend to the additional request. She keeps an eye out for Shane and Jo as she goes, but the pair has apparently already exited the building. The pair is, in fact, already on peco and headed up the front walk, Jo in the lead. "She already said it wasn't life-threatening. I can walk, and I can ride."

JUSTIN: "Sure, until you get dizzy and fall over again," Shane says grumpily. He kicks his peco into a trot to bring himself up alongside her, and turns her an impatient glare. "I still think we should share a peco for the return trip. What if you pass out and break something when you hit the ground?" Life-threatening or not, he's not about to take any chances with Jo's track record.

JENNA: * Jo heaves an irritable sigh, ignoring another wave of shakiness and jitters. "Then I'll pass out and break something in addition to whatever it is I've got," she says shortly. "Believe me, I'll take full responsibility for it." She pushes the bird faster, irritable at the wasted trip and not particularly wanting to see the doctor when they get back -- though she's fairly certain Shane will insist they go /immediately/.

JUSTIN: * Shane grumbles a bit, but he's smart enough to realize nothing he says is going to change her reckless behavior, so it's not worth fighting over it. "Fine, but don't expect me to catch you or carry you. All responsibility is yours." Though if she does pass out, taking care of her is the first thing he'll do, regardless of what he says. She'll be easier to treat when she's unconscious, anyway. "Let's just get back to Hugel before you have the opportunity to prove me right."

JENNA: * Jo gives him a hard look, but she doesn't argue, and the bulk of the trip back to Hugel is made in grouchy silence. Though things do manage to ease up in the intervening time, it's with a distinct air of gloom that Jo approaches the city proper, somewhat offended that the day's only half over by the time of their arrival, so there's no excuse to put it off. She does, however, do a fair amount of dragging her feet.

JUSTIN: * Shane quite determinedly ignores Jo's obvious disinterest in getting herself fixed up. Even if it's just a common cold gone awry, he sure doesn't want to live with it for the next several weeks if the doctor can get her healed up in one. If she doesn't agree, she can just deal. "Come on, the sooner we get there the sooner it's over. Then you can go pout in the loft the whole rest of the day if you want." He takes her by the hand and attempts to force her pace to quicken, unless she'd rather be dragged across the cobblestone.

JENNA: * Jo directs a swift, mild kick to Shane's ankle, but she lets him keep his hold on her, quickening her pace reluctantly. "Don't tempt me," she snaps, though despite her bravado what she really wants is to lie down for a while. Even more than that, she wants nothing to be wrong with her at all. She falls slightly behind again as they near the office, expression growing even more gloomy.

JUSTIN: * Shane ignores the kick, and the comment, rounding the bend in the street and marching straight up the walk to the doctor's front door. He's reluctant to let her go, but he doesn't necessarily want to look like he really /did/ drag her all the way here, so he releases her hand before knocking, turning her a stern stare that practically dares her to try and make a break for it.

JENNA: * Jo feels a strong urge to kick him again, but she refrains as the door opens, and the doctor's assistant appears, looking curious. Her face clears immediately, however, upon recognizing them. "Oh, if you'll just wait inside, he'll be with you in a moment." She steps aside, and Jo stalks past her sto stand in the middle of the room with arms folded.

JUSTIN: * Shane tips his hat before taking it off and leaving it on the coat rack by the door, doing the same with his coat hastily. "Thank you," he says almost as an afterthought, stepping quickly up behind Jo and setting a hand on each of her shoulders. "Jo, why don't you sit down." Less a suggestion and more of an insistance, as he's already trying to move her off to the side and toward one of the padded chairs.

JENNA: "Because I don't want to sit down --" Jo starts, but the argument is rapidly made moot by the appearance of the doctor, who looks them over for a moment before scratching his head and sighing. "Injuries /again/?" he asks, sounding almost plaintive, and Jo shakes her head sharply.

JUSTIN: "No... for once." Shane nudges Jo a bit, giving up on seating her now that the doctor is here. "She got... dizzy, while we were visiting Juno, and fell over. A friend who knows a little about medicine suggested we see a doctor, so here we are." He nudges her again. "Go on, Jo, tell the doctor what your symptoms are."

JENNA: * Jo gives Shane a chilling stare that may or may not imply the threat that he'll be sleeping alone for a while if he doesn't back off. "It was just that once," she says flatly. "I haven't been getting dizzy real often. Shaky yeah. Sometimes nauseous." The doctor looks at her for a moment, frowning, then shrugs, starting for an examining room. "Well, let's have a look at you, either way."

JUSTIN: * Shane returns Jo's stare with one of his own, doing his best not to seem intimidated. He's inclined to believe Jo's understating her symptoms, anyway, considering her usual habits. "Yes, let's go and get this over with," he says specifically to Jo, and he starts walking after the doctor with her in tow.

JENNA: * Jo wrenches away from him reflexively, already aggravated by his condescending attitude. "I can see where the guy is goddamn walking, Shane," she snarls, and she pushes past him into the room. The doctor, looking somewhat irritated by both of their behavior, lifts a hand and flips it dismissively at Shane. "She's all I need, thanks," he says, moving to close the door.

JUSTIN: * Shane opens his mouth to protest, but the door closes before he can get anything out. Aggravated and insulted, he turns around and stalks back down the hall to throw himself into a chair, glaring at the carpet. Part of him hopes it is something serious, just so Jo can't brush off all his worrying as simply paranoia. Of course, the smaller, wiser, more concerned part of him that isn't upset doesn't wish anything of the sort.

JENNA: * The doctor's examination last somewhat longer than either of them expects it to, though the assistant doesn't seem the least bit bothered, going about her business with a cheerful hum. It's perhaps an hour later when Jo is released, and her mood is clearly somewhat more subdued. The doctor is still barking instructions from behind her as she exits. "I'll want to see you monthly at least, and weekly once you're further along -- keep in mind what I've told you, and for godsakes take better care of yourself." Jo waves him off with a low utterance of consent, looking at Shane with an oddly blank expression. "We can go now," she says absently, and starts immediately for the door.

JUSTIN: * Shane turns his head to glance down the hall, where the doctor's voice can be heard issuing from. He has no idea what most of his comments are referring to -- though he agrees with the final statement -- and he looks back to Jo with more than a bit of concern. "What... what did he tell you? What's wrong?" He gets to his feet and grabs his coat and hat, not bothering to put them on and instead taking up position at her side. "It sounds serious."

JENNA: "It's not.. exactly," Jo says, starting out the door. She looks as if she's carrying several tons of bricks on her shoulders. "I don't want to talk about it here. I'll tell you when we get home, all right?" She looks up at him pleadingly, curling an arm around his waist and slumping against him. "I'm.. I'm not really sick," she says as a final effort to make him stop worrying.

JUSTIN: * All this does is make him worry more. Is it something genetic? A tumor? Maybe there really was a curse on that tomb in Morroc. "A-all right... all right, you can tell me when we get home." He tries to keep from rushing, but he's extra eager to get to the pecos, wanting to know just what went on in that room. He should have been in there, too.

JENNA: * Jo lets him set the pace as he will, not paying too much attention to the walk, as she's lost, for the moment, in thought. She's barely aware when they reach the pecos, and it comes as something of a surprise (and not a nice one) when they arrive at the house. She dismounts slowly, starting to lead her peco to the stable.

JUSTIN: * Shane's already out of his saddle and circling around Jo's mount when she sets down on the ground. "I'll put them in their stalls, you go on inside." He takes the reigns from her and immediately starts off with the birds, clearly having intended to do it whether she turned him down or not. He's quick about it, throwing out some food for them and and the sheep before he rushes back to the house, coming in through the front door and searching her out with his eyes.

JENNA: * Jo hasn't gone far, sitting on the steps leading up to the loft with her arms around her knees. She glances up as Shane enters, then lets her gaze drift back to where it was before -- staring off into space. She doesn't seem depressed so much as severely unsettled, but some of the symptoms are remarkably similar.

JUSTIN: * Shane throws his coat and hat over the back of one the living room couch and circles around to where she's sitting, crouching down in front of her and giving her face a worried stare. "So? What did the doctor tell you?" He takes her hand as much to settle his own nerves as anything, moving to sit on the step beside her.

JENNA: "Mm?" Jo looks at him distractedly, then blinks, shaking her head. "Oh. Right." She turns her gaze away from him again, apparently trying to muster up the will to start talking. "It's.. I wasn't expecting.. I mean, this isn't ..." She falls silent, then starts over. "I'm not sick," she establishes once again. "I'm.. I'm pregnant." She sounds as if she isn't sure this alternative is any better.

JUSTIN: * Shane's hold on her hand goes very stiff for a moment, and it almost seems like his bloodflow has halted. He takes in a sudden breath, fingers twitching back to life, and he levels a disbelieving stare at her. "P... pregnant?" His gaze jumps down to her belly, and he almost reaches over to touch it before stopping himself, slowly lowering his hand to rest against her knee instead. "Jo... you're pregnant?" Just in case there's the slightest chance he misheard her.

JENNA: * Jo doesn't answer immediately, turning a weary gaze on him and nodding again. "That's what they tell me, anyway." Her gaze suddenly comes into focus on him, expression uneasy as she realizes she hasn't even thought about how he might react to the news. She starts to shift away almost defensively.

JUSTIN: * Shane doesn't let her get far, snagging her suddenly with both hands and drawing her into a tight hug. "Jo! You're pregnant!" His voice sounds clearly more excited than it did the first time, and he's almost shaking with glee. "Oh, wow -- I can't believe this. It's... I never even..." He stands abruptly, slicing his fingers back through his hair and trying to calm himself enough to speak clearly. "We're... we're going to have a baby. You and me, parents!" He grins broadly and crouches down in front of her again to hug. "I can't wait to tell someone."

JENNA: * Jo submits to both embraces with the same puzzled blankness, managing to lift her hands on the second one to give him a very vague pat on the back before attempting to squirm from his grip. The fact that he isn't angry or unhappy doesn't seem to soothe her, in her present state of mind, and she pushes unsteadily to her feet to travel vaguely in the direction of their bedroom.

JUSTIN: * Shane's smile wavers a bit at Jo's behavior, which clearly doesn't match his enthusiasm or joy, and for a moment he worries he might have upset her. He doesn't even want to think about the fact she might not even want a child. "Are you all right? Are you still feeling sick?" On a more optimistic note, maybe she just needs to lie down. He follows after her, putting a hand to her back, and hovering worriedly over her.

JENNA: "I want to lie down," Jo responds, trying to keep hostility and a rising edge of panic from her voice. "I just.. I need to think." She pauses in the hallway, a little dazed. "I haven't.. this isn't.." She falls silent, putting a hand to her forehead, and continues on to the bedroom.

JUSTIN: * Shane hesitates in the hallway for a moment, his emotions becoming rather mixed instead of an obvious happiness. When she pulls a few feet ahead of him, however, he continues to follow, gnawing at his lip nervously. "Do... do you want anything to eat? Drink? I can give you a backrub if you want... Jo?"

JENNA: * Jo pauses, turning back to look at him, and steps over to snag his shirtsleeve loosely with her fingers. "Just.. stay with me for a while," she says quietly, starting for the bed again. Upon reaching it, she releases him and sprawls on it for a moment before curling up with a soft sigh.

JUSTIN: * Shane lets her lead him to the bed, and he waits for her to settle before sitting down on the edge of the mattress. He bends to take off his boots, then rolls over next to her and slips an arm around her middle. "I'm... I'm sorry for..." He casts about for how to express what he's trying to say, sighing frustratedly when he has a hard time with it. "For attacking you like that." How else can he describe it? "You must be awfully stunned by all of this."

JENNA: * Jo stirs, slowly kicking her boots off, then rolls over to face him, burrowing against his chest. "You didn't.." she begins, voice muffled, then trails off. "It's all right." She turns her head up to look at him silently for a moment, then smiles wanly. "It's not.. something I ever.." She hesitates a moment, unsure how to word her statement. ".. Planned for."

JUSTIN: * Shane tightens his hold on her comfortably, nuzzling into her hair and placing a kiss against her head. "You never planned to meet me and settle down, either, but... I think those worked out all right, hm?" He settles against the bed and stares through the far wall and into space. "I guess it's just another consequence of an unexpected relationship."

JENNA: "Maybe.." Jo burrows against him again and makes a muffled noise -- hard to tell whether it's positive or negative -- then heaves a tired sigh. "I think.. I need to sleep on it ..." Rather than thinking, which is doing nothing but sending her mind into a tailspin. She utters a muffled apology, giving him a slight squeeze, then curls tighter against him.

JUSTIN: * Shane sighs, trying not to sound aggravated or wounded by her lack of enthusiasm -- after all, she is who she is, and he shouldn't be surprised she's finding it difficult to wrap her head around. He returns her squeeze and keeps his silence, resigning himself to the fact that they won't have a decent discussion about this development until she's good and ready to. Kissing her head quietly, he closes his eyes and lets himself drift.

JENNA: * Not talking about it seems to suit Jo fine, at least for the next week or so, though by her frequent, uncharacteristic brooding, she does seem to be thinking about the situation quite a bit. It doesn't seem to have put her off eating, or any of her usual activities, but she's definitely quieter. She doesn't even seem particularly morose -- just quiet.

JUSTIN: * Shane leaves her be for the duration of the week, though with each day that passes without discussing the matter, his patience wears thinner and thinner. He doesn't want to pressure her, but if he doesn't get to talk about this soon he's likely to start losing sleep. It's during a late dinner one night that he finally brings it up, hoping that the meal will keep her in the room with him long enough to talk, even if she doesn't feel like answering. He comes back to the table after getting a glass of water and sits down with an unusual amount of care, watching her almost cautiously. "Jo... I know you said you needed some time to think..."

JENNA: * Jo stirs slightly, looking up at him with an almost blank expression for a moment, then turns back to her meal, chewing methodically on a piece of meat. Once it's dealt with, she looks up again. "I have been," she answers him, arching a brow. She doesn't seem inclined to elaborate on this, however, turning her attention back to her food.

JUSTIN: * This isn't a particularly encouraging reaction to Shane, but it only makes him more determined. If she's still being this closed about it, it's quite possible she intends to drag this silence out as long as she can -- and he can't allow that. "Jo, what are you going to do? Think yourself into a coma?" He gets up to his feet, having no interest in his food anymore, and walks over to crouch next to her. "This isn't just about you. It's my baby too. I want to /talk/ about this..."

JENNA: * Jo selects another piece of meat and chews it over slowly, glancing at him again. "What about it?" she asks, as if she isn't entirely certain what they need to be discussing. Her gaze returns to her plate shortly after asking the question, and she continues eating.

JUSTIN: "What about it?" Shane sounds a little impatient and frustrated, but not angry. "Jo, you didn't spend an entire week thinking about it because there's nothing to talk about." He sets a hand on her leg and grips it gently, thumb rubbing against the fabric of her pants nervously. "I just want to know you care about it, one way or the other -- anything! That's our child in there, I don't want you to be indifferent towards it--" He moves his free hand to rub at his face, closing his eyes. "Do you resent it? Are you angry with me?"

JENNA: * Jo glances at him curiously, tilting her head for a moment as she deals with another bite of food. "Why would I be angry with you?" she asks. "It's as much my doing as yours." She turns back to her plate and selects another piece of meat, snapping it down with a little more speed than she has the others. She pauses, however, before she speaks again. "I don't.. not care," she says finally, as though she can't think of anything else to say.

JUSTIN: * Shane continues to rub at his face, taking in an audible breath and letting it out again. "That's something then, isn't it?" He doesn't sound too honest about that observation. His hand lets go of her leg and he gets to his feet with some difficulty, feeling very heavy. "Whenever you're done... thinking, maybe you can let me in on some of your conclusions..." He returns to his chair and sits down, looking fairly tired, to continue his meal without enthusiasm.

JENNA: * At this, Jo finally seems fed up with the conversation, and she gets sharply to her feet, pushing her chair back with a slight screech against the floor. "Shane," she says crisply, trying to keep a strong undercurrent of anger from her tone. "You're free to feel however you want without my approval -- happy, sad, giddy or melancholy -- but don't try to tell me how I'm supposed to feel." She pauses, falling silent for a moment. "Don't act like I'm wrong for not feeling the same way you do. I don't know how I feel -- I'm trying to figure it out!" She pauses again, then starts away from the table, shaking her head.

JUSTIN: "Is it wrong to want you to be happy about it?!" Shane calls after her, sounding every bit as exasperated as he looks. "I'm not telling you /how/ to feel, I'm just telling you /to/ feel!" He gets up again from the table and walks after her, grabbing for her hand to stop her retreat. "Jo, come on! You've gone an entire week without saying a damn thing about it, and I'm not supposed to worry?"

JENNA: "There's nothing to worry about!" Jo snaps, wrenching half-heartedly away from him. "I'm not going to do anything -- stupid -- I just --" She stops for a moment, then turns her gaze to him pleadingly. "Maybe this is something you wanted -- you always saw happening someday for you -- but for me -- it's /not/. I haven't ever -- ever -- thought about a -- a child." She sems to have difficulty even saying it. "Would you just -- let me figure things out my own way? In my own time? I can't -- it's too much for me to suddenly be happy about. It doesn't even feel /real/."

JUSTIN: * Shane reflexively tugs her closer, getting a grip on her with both hands. "Jo! Jo, please -- I've left you alone for days, and listen to you! You haven't gotten /any/ closer to figuring this out for yourself." He puts a hand to the back of her head, eyes boring into hers with obvious desperation in them. "Would you please let me help? This is about both of us -- this involves /both/ of us, not just you. Why can't we deal with it together? You can /talk/ to me, I'm not trying to... to /force/ anything on you, o-or change you -- I just want to help." He shakes his head, looking down at the floor between them. "You said you never expected this, never thought about it -- do you think I did? Just because I'm happy? I never thought I'd... make love with a woman at all, nevermind all this. I haven't got everything worked out in my head, all right? But what good does it do us if we both come to separate conclusions, figuring things out isolated from each other?"

JENNA: * Jo looks at him wearily, shaking her head and feeling very much as though she wasn't clear enough. "There's no guarantee --" She breaks off, looking at him again with a great deal of resignation. "What do you want to talk about?" she asks finally, giving up. He wants to talk so badly, he'd better have a place to start.

JUSTIN: "Jo, I already said -- a person doesn't think about something for an entire week if they have nothing to say about it." His powers of observation are plenty good enough to realize she's still an unwilling participant in this conversation, but he can't just let it go. "You want to think so much, start thinking out loud. If you have doubts, worries, concerns -- tell me. You can talk to yourself over and over again, but it doesn't /change/ anything. What you need is another perspective to contrast with." He looks at her with a weary expression, wishing silently that she wasn't so fiercely independant. "Don't you want encouragement?"

JENNA: * Jo pulls away from him again, starting for the stairs to the loft. "I already said I don't know." She pauses on the steps and looks back at him. "I'm trying to work it around to where it feels like it's really happening before I worry about anything else. But if you want to talk, then talk. I'll answer back if I can." She starts walking again, now feeling a little tired. "That's the best I can do right now."

JUSTIN: "Fine, Jo." Shane stops at the bottom of the stairs, watching her work her way up the steps. "We'll do things your way. Until you're ready to accept that it's real, I won't talk to you about it. I'll just be off in my make-believe world where I have a pregnant girlfriend. Maybe if you get curious, I'll even tell you what it's like." This is hardly the ideal way he would choose to envision spending the next few months, but maybe when her stomach starts to buldge she'll be willing to accept that there's a child growing inside her. And if he's lucky, maybe she'll even figure out what she thinks about it by then. "I'll leave you to your..." He waves his hand, grasping for a word, then finally settles on the obvious. "Thoughts."

JENNA: * From the top of the stairs, Jo glances back at him again. "I can see talking meant a whole lot to you, then," she retorts, and she stalks out to the balcony to lie down, staring silently skyward -- and in spite of her arguments, not really thinking much at all.

JUSTIN: * Shane scowls at her comment, but he doesn't bother to argue or correct her -- what good would it do? She'll believe what she wants to believe, and there isn't much he can do to change it. He heads back to the kitchen to finish his dinner, cold as it's getting, and then goes to sit on the front porch and think. And in his case, he does a great deal of it.

JENNA: * Stargazing doesn't keep Jo busy for long, as she usually uses it as a method to help her sleep anyway, and before much longer, she's dropped off yet again, relaxing in the cool, evening air. As much as she likes cool air, however, eventually it gets cooler than is comfortable, and she winds up curled against the wall beyond the door.

JUSTIN: * Shane stays outside for a good portion of the rest of the night, doubting he could fall to sleep at this point no matter how tired he might be. By the time he stands up and heads back into the house it's only a couple hours before sunrise, and he isn't surprised to see the bedroom at the end of the hall is still empty. He collects what's left of their dinner and empties the remains into the garbage, leaving the dishes by the sink. He considers going straight to bed and letting Jo show herself whenever she's ready, but he decides it's best to check on her before doing so, and so starts up the stairs to the loft.

JENNA: * Jo, in the meantime, hasn't woken from her slumber, except to toss or turn once or twice. As the night wears on, she continues to shift in her sleep, finally giving a long stretch and relaxing in place, one arm spilling over in front of the doorway, while the rest of her remains shielded by the wall.

JUSTIN: * Shane tuts quietly when he finds the loft empty, hoping for Jo's sake that she's not out on the roof or he's going to have a word or two for her. He saunters wearily toward the balcony and pulls the door open, nearly tripping over her arm when he walks out and catching the railing to steady himself. Once he's in no danger of falling, he turns a sharp, bewildered stare back to the floor behind him and sighs when he sees the culprit. "Jo..." He crouches down beside her and gives her a slight shake.

JENNA: * Jo murmurs a faint protest when he shakes her, finally opening her eyes and sitting up to look at him blearily. "What.. time is it?" she asks vaguely, rubbing her arms against the chill and scooting instinctively closer to Shane's warmth. "I fell asleep again?"

JUSTIN: "That's certainly what it looked like when I tripped over you." Shane helps her to her feet, straightening her shirt and trousers as he does so. "Come on inside, it's going to be dawn soon. Don't want you getting a fresh coat of morning dew." He pushes the door open a bit further and leads her back into the loft.

JENNA: * Jo yawns, nestling against Shane and curling an arm around his waist, their previous argument apparently forgotten. "That's.. kind of late. Didn't you sleep?" she asks, looking at him questioningly. She peers at the cushions for a moment, attempting to decide whether she wants to walk all the way back downstairs.

JUSTIN: "I'm going to, once I get to the bedroom." Shane apparently notices her drifting eyes, because he pauses and turns to follow her gaze. "Unless you had somewhere else in mind." He turns his tired, red eyes down to her face and arches a brow questioningly. "I'm open to suggestions."

JENNA: * Jo glances at him, then reaches up to kiss him lightly. "Cushions are faster.. but we can go to the bed if it's more comfortable." She kisses him again with an odd air of apology, then leans against him, nuzzling. "I've slept some.. so it's your choice."

JUSTIN: * Shane shrugs his shoulders lightly, too tired mentally and physically to wonder about her change in mood, and not wanting to risk it by asking her about it. He kisses the top of her head and scoops her up into his arms, heading for the stairs. "If it's all the same, I think I need a solid mattress under me tonight. But I won't make you walk." He trots down the stairs and around the corner, making for the hallway and their bedroom.

JENNA: "Mmkie," Jo says agreeably, resisting the urge to stretch, as it might throw them both off balance. After a moment, however, she leans her head against his shoulder, sighing. "I'm sorry," she says finally. "About earlier." She pauses, tilting her head up to look at him. "I just really.. don't know." She lets her gaze drop to her lap, toying absently with his shirt. "I promise.. I'll tell you as soon as I do."

JUSTIN: * Shane deposits her gently on the bed and steps back to start undoing the buttons on his shirt. "I know you will," he says wearily, not wanting to do anything other than take her at her word at this point. He can't handle anymore pointless arguing. He slips his shirt off and lets it fall to the floor, turning to sit on the bed before leaning down to work on his boots.

JENNA: * Jo doesn't bother with her clothes, watching Shane silently and curling her legs up to her chest for a moment, wrapping her arms around her knees. Then, after a few moments' thought, she inches over to him and leans against his back, twining an arm around his middle. When she speaks, it's almost as if she's talking to herself. "I.. every time I try to think of something to say, my mind just.. goes blank. I can't.. I don't even know if I've been thinking," she says quietly, then she releases him and scoots back over to lie down, staring vaguely off at the wall.

JUSTIN: * Shane pauses until she lets him go, then slowly, distractedly tugs his boots off, staring at the floor. "I understand," he says, almost a mumble, and starts undoing his belt with disinterest, only bothering because it gives him something to do for a minute or so. As it happens, he doesn't understand, but his greater concern is keeping things civil. Stress won't do any of them good -- him, her, or the baby. Though it's probably too late, anyway. He stands up to drop his pants, stepping out of them and around to his side of the bed, where he draws back the covers and lays down quietly.

JENNA: * Jo gives a very low sigh, relaxing into the bed, and attempts to recapture the somewhat restful sleep she had out on the balcony. No matter how hard she tries, however, it doesn't come, and before an hour's up, she leaves the bedroom. She doesn't wander far, walking into the living room and angling for the nearest armchair. She seats herself wearily, pulling her legs up to her chest again, and proceeds to stare at the far wall on the off chance sleep will find her there.

JUSTIN: * Shane doesn't sleep a wink, his thoughts not having taken so much as a moment's rest ever since he started churning over his doubts on the porch earlier in the night. He's awake and aware when Jo departs, but he hesitates to ask where she's going. Almost ten minutes pass before he finally gets out of bed, feeling a pang of guilt over the situation, and he takes a robe from the bathroom to wrap around himself before following her path to the living room. He finds her where she sits and crouches down by the arm of the chair, folding his arms across it and leaning. "The sun will be up in an hour. Sky's already getting brighter." His head tilts, eyes watching her with obvious circles of sleepless dark about them. "Can't you sleep?"

JENNA: * Jo turns her head slowly to look at him, then gives a small shrug. "I slept earlier.. it's not that big a deal." She pauses, then she reaches over to brush his hair back. "You should sleep, though." She retrieves her hand and curls her arm around her knees again, gaze returning to the far wall.

JUSTIN: "If I could fall asleep, I already would be," Shane notes, almost cautiously moving a hand over to rub at her shin. "I'll pay for it later, I suppose." He watches her face closely, trying to fathom what might be going on inside her head. Surely it's more than she lets on to. "Are you all right?"

JENNA: * Jo glances at him again and lifts her shoulders in a slight shrug. "Not really. Are you?" She reaches down to catch his hand, toying absently with his fingers before twining hers around them. "I guess not.. if you can't sleep." She leans her head against the chair again, eyes half closing.

JUSTIN: * Shane looks down and slightly off to the side, guilt and paranoia vying for control of his reaction. "You would guess right," he says quietly, then looks back up at her with an odd look in his eyes. He simply watches her for a moment, then stands up, letting go her hand, and debates over what to do with himself.

JENNA: "Go back to bed." Jo follows him to her feet, turning to lean against him and work an arm around his waist, much as if she craves the physical contact. "I'll come, if that'll help." She isn't entirely sure it will, but it was worth the offer anyway. She doesn't really want to be by herself.

JUSTIN: * Shane gingerly places his arm around Jo's shoulders and, after a moment's hesitation, gives her a squeeze. "We can stay here, if you want. On the couch." Apparently it wasn't so much a question as a suggestion, because he starts moving toward the couch without waiting for a response. "I'll just... try to take a nap, it's about all I can hope for anyway." He lets her go and sinks into the large, comfortable cushions, eventually letting himself slump over into a laying position. After a second, he motions for her to join him.

JENNA: * Jo looks at him quietly for a moment, then nods, pausing at the edge of the couch to bend and kiss him gently. She then joins him, wriggling a little as she settles into place and curling an arm around him. She nestles as comfortably as she can, then sighs and closes her eyes, whether she's going to sleep or not.

JUSTIN: * Shane puts his arm around her and gives her a reassuring squeeze to keep her from having second thoughts, then lets his eyes close as well. Whether he likes it or not, her close company seems to help him find some sort of peace through his doubt and jumbled thoughts, and it isn't too much longer before he falls asleep.