Things left un-forgiven and unsaid.

Really? And it wouldn't have looked suspicious if either of them had wanted to take it elsewhere? You just didn't do stuff like that in the sanctuary, especially when it was so packed. People loved to gossip here and Jo didn't want everyone and their mothers to know what had gone down.

She took another swig from her soda can, glancing down at it. Was it cherry? Huh, no wonder it tasted weird. She set the can back down on her knee. "No, I wouldn't have liked it," she answered honestly. What sane person would condone being lied to? No one Jo knew. "But you'd have lied in my place too, and you know it. It's not the kind of thing you say in front of a crowd, which was why I told you when we were -- more or less -- alone."

Did he really understand how it was like to kill for the first time? Because yes, it had changed her. In that split second it had changed her and she'd even been prepared to kill again, and kill Zurg, of all people... Simply because she'd been furious at him -- and at herself -- and thought it'd been his fault. She could never feel clean about what she'd almost done even if she used all the soap in Portal Breach to scrub herself with. She had honestly wanted to kill Zurg too in that moment too, and the very recollection of her feelings in that moment shocked her dumb. She didn't ever want to wind up in that situation again, not if she could help it.

She took another sip from hr soda, the fizzy zing bringing her mind back to sharpness, but the taste was stale in her mouth. "I prefer to forgive myself when I see your sister come talk with me." No, she couldn't forgive herself for killing someone and almost ending up killing someone else. But that was her problem. She could move past it if, and only if, she and Sonia managed to speak with each other.

Otherwise, she could not move on. It was as simple as that.

I have no idea what I would have done. Maybe I would have lied, maybe I would have told you the truth. I've couldn't tell you Jo. Leo wasn't going to make a comment about the "more or less alone" part of what Jo said.

He was still upset at Zurg over what had been said, because frankly what had happened, probably shouldn't have happened. What they were doing right now, the two of them just talking is what should have happened. Zurg, lawrence, proxy, tally, and bonkers, they shouldn't have ever been involved. It was a bad idea and it had only left a bad taste in leo's mouth.

[color:90cf= #9999FF] "I prefer to forgive myself when I see your sister come talk with me." If. If his sister ever came back. Even if he didn't say it out loud he thought it, death was complicated in portal breach, and who knew how many times sonia had already previously died.

Not that he would say any of this out loud, really there wasn't much more of a way he could be an ass than by saying something like that.

She'll come and talk to you Jo.

Jo spread her hands and shrugged her shoulders. "But we can't know for sure, can we? I mean, I think it's pretty unfair that you're judging me so harshly about that when you don't know if you'd lie if you were in the same mess yourself."

Jo was ready to forgive him. She was ready to move on to the next step too, and once Sonia returned -- she had to return -- this would be all but an unhappy memory to leave in the past.

"I know she will, Officer Leo." Jo finished the last of her soda and tossed the can into an empty trash can. It bounced off the edge, narrowly missing the bin, so the mechanic got up and went over to throw it away properly. "Fact is, things still feel frosty between us. Are you ready to forgive me yet?"

Yeah, yeah I am. He had wanted to be able to forgive her since the whole damn thing had started. Now he was finally going to be able to as well. But his own feelings had held him back.

His hand extended to grasp Jo's. Why had it taken so long to finally get to this point when it was obvious that they had both wanted forgiveness to at least some extent? This was better for both of them in the long run so why had it taken him so long to finally get around to going to see her?

Probably because he hadn't been able to get over his own feelings. He had been hurt and he let himself be blinded by it. Something he wouldn't be able to let happen again. At least now though things could start getting back to normal. Hopefully Sonia would come back soon and be able to talk to Jo about what had happened. The two of them probably would benefit from talking to one another.

(oh god jo! This sucks so bad and I'm so sorry. This entire post has been mauling itself in my head for weeks and I've had to re-write it about five times now and it's still no where good like it should be. Sorry :< )

Jo stooped down to pick up the can, tossing it into the garbage. When she turned around, she saw that Leo had extended his hand towards her, saying that yes, he was ready to forgive her. But was he really? Call Jo paranoid, but she didn't trust people that easily. It came from growing up on your own and fending for yourself for so long. But cosmos, he'd come here to talk about this. He wanted her to forgive him just as much as she wanted him to forgive her. Shouldn't they take the chance and risk it...?

With a smile, Jo grasped his hand and shook on it. "Good! Now that that's been settled... want a soda?" Maybe they could talk about something random before Leo had to go to get this situation patched up. Truthfully, Jo felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders now. It felt much better to finally be able to put this behind them.


(( It's okay, I think the thread can end here or with one more post from Leo. We can finish it with them talking about random stuff so there'll be no awkwardness by the time we're both in the sanctuary again. XD ))

(ho shit, i never even saw that you posted to me jo. o___o I'm sorry. )

The instant Jo grasped his hand a weight rolled off of Leo's shoulders.

A soda sounds great, if you wouldn't mind. A very small smile came to Leo's face. The entire situation had a hint of awkward still, but he had no doubt in his mind that it would pass with time. It was such a relief that the two of them would be able to get passed the situation.