Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize from the show.

Okay so at this point this is AU. It takes place after the season 2 finale. Zoe is back in Bluebell, and unattached as is Wade.


Zoe sat on her bed holding her cell phone, numb to the news. Logically, she knew that she had to deal with it, but for the last few minutes all she could do was sit there and stare into space. Sometime after the conversation with her mother she'd grabbed the flannel shirt she'd "forgotten" to return with the rest of Wade's things and put it on over her shorts and tank top. As much as she hated to admit it he always made her feel safe, and right now his shirt was the only thing keeping her sane.

Minutes turned to hours, and she was no closer to processing what was going on. As if on autopilot she'd made coffee, packed a small suitcase, downed the full pot of coffee, then returned to her earlier perch on her bed only this time with her laptop in tow.

She got as far as Googling an airline when she slammed the laptop shut, jumped off the bed and walked out onto her porch. It was dark out, and probably sometime between three and four am. Sitting on her porch steps she watched Burt Reynolds swim in the pond by moonlight, then the lights came on in the gatehouse. Not stopping to think she stood up, and in record time she was on Wade's porch knocking on his door.

Wade opened his door with a smirk, "I knew you..." He was cut off by Zoe flinging her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest. Shocked he wrapped his arms around her, earning him a muffled sob from the tiny woman in front of him. "Hey Doc, come here." He placed a kiss on her hair, before scooping her up into his arms and sitting on the couch with her curled in his lap, crying into his shoulder.

Wade held her tightly, occasionally rubbing her back or smoothing her hair. Once she calmed down a little bit he spoke again, "Whatever it is Doc, we'll figure it out." he whispered into her ear, then cringed when that seemed to start the sobbing all over again. By the time dawn started to break she'd cried herself to sleep in his arms.

Trying not to wake her he once again scooped her up and placed her on his rumpled bed, pulling the covers over her small form.

He was walking back to the couch when he heard a groggy, "Wade?" making him walk back to her side.

"I'm right here Doc, get some sleep."

"You, too."

"That's where I was headed." he whispered giving her that lopsided smile she'd always loved. But it didn't have his intended outcome, instead of smiling back, or even rolling her eyes, she just looked scared and maybe a little embarrassed. Taking a deep breath, not wanting her to think he was taking advantage of the situation, he crouched down to look her in the eye. "Or, I could stay here if you want?" he suggested softly.
Visibly relaxing, Zoe just nodded and made her way to the other side of his bed.

"Okay, I'm just gonna get the lights."

By the time Wade made it into the bed Zoe was curled up on the other side in the fetal position sniffling. "Come here girl." As he expected, that's all it took for her to turn around and settle onto his chest where she quickly fell asleep, most likely exhausted from crying. As tired as he was himself Wade spent the next few minutes just watching the girl in his arms. He'd prayed for this moment since the day he messed up all those months ago, but even though they now had a good banter going and most would even mistake them for friends he'd kind of lost hope of ever holding Zoe in his arms again. Even so, it broke his heart to see her so torn up. She was the strongest person her knew, for something to shake her like this it must be big. Careful not to disturb her he grabbed his phone off his nightstand and shot Lemon a text letting her know he wouldn't be going into the Rammer Jammer, before letting himself get some sleep.

Zoe woke up feeling better than she had in a long time. She smiled as she felt the arm wrapped around her tighten, then the last night's events hit her like a ton of bricks. "Hey Doc, you awake?"

"Yeah." She mumbled taking a deep breath and sitting up, looking at the concerned look on Wade's face. She knew that it was unfair to come here, especially after she's told him she needed time to heal after he professed his love almost six months ago but she wasn't thinking last night. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what exactly?" Wade asked sitting up as well.

"I shouldn't have come here, I just needed..." she broke off shaking her head trying to clear the fog in her brain.

"Needed what Doc? Whatever it is we can figure it out."

"You're the only man who's ever loved me, and I know it was a while ago and it's not really relevant, but when I found out he...and then I...and I tried...but then your lite was on and I didn't think I just needed to feel safe again." She shrugged drawing his shirt closer to her body.

"It is relevant, Zoe, you can always come to me. I may not always succeed but I'll do everything I can to keep you safe, now baby what happened?"

"He's gone. I was just getting to know him again and he's gone."

"Your dad?" He asked eyes wide.

"Yeah, he had a heart attack." she laughed humorlessly, "There was nothing they could do."

"I'm so sorry." he sighed, knowing more than most that the words were kind of pointless, they wouldn't bring her dad back. "What's the next step?"

"What?" she asked somehow shocked by his question.

"With all of this, are you going to New York? Or do you need help planning anything, I mean there's gonna be a funeral right?"'

"Yeah, I don't think so...I suppose. I got as far as packing last night before I came over to break down. My mom said his family is taking care of everything, given the nature of their divorce she's not likely to go, but I have to."

"Okay, when do you leave?" He asked, grateful she was at least talking to him now.

"I don't know, soon? I have to talk to Brick, but I need to be in the city by Thursday." Slowly she was snapping out of her haze, and back into her usual planing mode.

"Okay, so it's Tuesday now, that means tomorrow at the latest?" He asked trying to ease her into making these decisions.

"Yeah, am I a horrible person?" she asked out of the blue.

"What? Doc I think it's pretty safe to say you're the opposite of horrible. Why would you even think that?"

"Lots of reasons, like when I blew off Harley the first time he offered me a job, or all the crap with George, and then when I was so mad at my dad, and what I did to you...but mostly because I don't want to go."

"Nobody's perfect Doc, all that stuff with George and Harley is just you being human. As for me, you didn't do anything I didn't deserve. But why don't you want to go? I thought you and Dr. Hart were in a good place?"

"We were, that's what makes me horrible! I just, I don't know if I can face his family alone. I mean I know he'd want me there, but I'm not related to them anymore. They're all gonna stare at me, and probably make snide comments the whole time. I know how they see me." She sighed looking defeated.

"What if you don't go alone?" He asked, earning a surprised look from Zoe.

"What are you saying?"

"Well, I mean I own the place, I can take a few day's off if you want and go with you. It may get you more stares to show up with a hick though. Or you can ask Lavon I'm sure he'd go with you. All I'm saying is, you don't have to do this alone." he rambled on trying to hide his nerves.

The reality is this is the longest they'd been together since the break up. Sure they were in a decent place, but that just being where they were when she first moved next door. He was in love with her, but even after her trip to New York she'd make it clear that she wasn't over her trust issues with him. She'd told him straight out that she wanted to go back to how things were but she'd have to learn to trust him again. That had left things kind of up in the air, and they went back to their old banter and sexual tension but nothing ever happened.

"They could use the shock." She finally said after a long moment, "You'd really come with me?"

"Talk to Brick and book the flight. I just need to stop by the bar to let Lemon know I'll be gone, and complete this weeks orders." He smiled kissing her forehead before going to take a shower.