Fate and Destiny had a Meeting
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this.
I am seriously busy right now so this is like a break in the few hours I can grab. Please enjoy and review.
Slowly, Wade opened his eyes and blinked. He winched at the slight pain in his head but when he reached up a hand to touch it, Wade saw the wires attached to it. Staring at these wires for a moment, Wade then finally looked around him.
He was sitting in a hospital bed, in a white room that had a large window looking out into a corridor. Wade frowned and tried to gather his thoughts. What had happened? The last thing he remembered was working at the Rammer Jammer, trying to chat up a hot blonde that had driven through town. And then... he was here.
Finally Wade caught sight of Brick sitting in the hospital chair, lost in his own thoughts. "Brick?" Wade asked his voice hoarse.
Brick's head shot up and the older man smiled. "Wade, oh thank goodness! How are you feeling?"
Wade was slightly confused at his concern but he replied, "My head kind of hurts but other than that, I feel fine."
Brick pressed the call button and he grinned again at Wade, placing a hand on his shoulder. "That's great. You had quite a fall from that ladder."
Wade frowned again and he asked, "What ladder? What fall?"
Brick stared at him for a moment and then he nodded saying, "Oh you have a bit of memory loss. Well that can happen with head injuries. Wade, yesterday you were up on the roof, fixing a loose tile and you slipped off the ladder. Thankfully Zoe was there and she called the ambulance."
Wade nodded and then replied, "But I don't remember having a loose tile. And Zoe is that new doctor you are always complaining about?"
Brick gave him a funny look but the doctor came in at that moment. After a few moments of examining him, the doctor declared that he was perfectly healthy with only a slightly bump. Wade was happy about this but when Brick grabbed the doctor's arm and whispered something to him, the doctor frowned.
Before anyone could say another word, Zoe Hart walked tiredly into the room. When she caught sight of Wade, sitting up in the bed and alert, the weariness melted from her face and she smiled widely. She ran over to his bed and threw her arms around him.
"Wade! I am so glad you're awake! Do you have any idea how much you scared me?"
She pulled back from the tight hug to see Wade staring at her with a confused look on his face.
"Um...sorry?" he said carefully, looking at Brick for help. Zoe caught the looked from where she was now sitting on the bed and she looked between him and Brick. "What's going on?" she said not only asking Wade but Brick and the doctor too.
Brick cleared his throat and asked, "Wade, do you know who this is?" gesturing towards Zoe.
The brown haired woman looked at Wade and he replied, "She's the new doctor and my neighbour who now complains about the fuse box breaking."
Zoe gasped and Brick placed a hand on her shoulder. "Wade, where do you work?"
"At the Rammer Jammer!" Wade said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Brick looked at Zoe and then she asked, "Wade...when did I come to Bluebell?"
Wade shrugged and replied, "I don't know, a few days ago?"
Zoe and Brick were staring at him and Zoe was shaking slightly. "Wade...that was nearly two years ago."
Wade gapped at her and he looked at the doctor in panic. The doctor cleared his throat and he said, "I am going to order some more test and scans but right now, he may have a case of amnesia."
The next few hours were a blur of these scans and examinations but Zoe and Brick never left.
They stayed by his side through it all, only leaving if they had to take a call or get something to eat. Wade found that strange. Brick had always been 'Lemon's father' or 'the doctor' he had never had any kind of concern for him like this before. As for that Zoe Hart, well he didn't know what to make of her. Sure, she was hot and he remembered how she burst into his house, yelling and stomping all over the place. But she looked so happy when she saw him sitting up...as if...as if all the worry just fell away from her. Watching her now, she was talking to the doctor and he was pretty sure that the red plaid shirt she was wearing was his.
Wade watched as Brick and Zoe's faces fell as the doctor spoke and soon all three of them were walking into his room. "So...what going on?" he asked them and the doctor replied, "Well the tests and scans came back clear so everything seems fine."
"Except for the fact that I apparently can't remember the last two years of my life," Wade replied and the doctor nodded. "With head injuries like yours, amnesia can happen. Your memory could come back in a few hours or a few days. It all depends. What I recommended is rest and being around familiar things and people."
The doctor nodded to him and walked out of the room, with Brick trailing behind him asking when could Wade leave. Meanwhile Zoe made her way to Wade's side, smiling sadly. "So...me and you? We're...friends?"
Zoe grinned slightly and awkwardly before replied, "Actually...we've being dating for about a year."
Wade didn't even try to stop the smile that came to his face. Zoe smiled back at his obvious joy but then Wade's smile dropped. "Dating? Like...picnics and dinners dating?"
Zoe blinked at him and then replied, "Well, yes. I mean we fight like cat and dog but...we're happy. More than happy."
Wade just nodded and pulled the blankets around him. "Uh, well I'm beat so I think I think I should get some rest."
Zoe paused but nodded and replied, "Yes, you really should. I mean, you should be ok to go home by tomorrow and I'll get the house ready."
"The house?" Wade asked and Zoe replied, "Yes...I moved in with you a few months ago."
Wade nodded and rolled over to go to sleep. Zoe walked quietly towards the room but she turned at the doorway and said, "Goodnight, Wade."
"Uh, goodnight Doc." Wade stayed with his back to the door so he missed the slight smile on Zoe's face at the nickname.
She walked out of his room and folded her arms as she made her way over to Brick, who was standing in the hallway. "Are you alright Zoe?" Brick asked her and she shrugged.
"It's just so strange. I mentioned that we were dating and that we lived together and Wade looked terrified!"
Brick sighed and replied, "Zoe, because of the memory loss Wade has pretty much gone back to the way he was before he met you. And I think we both know that back then, he wasn't the greatest fan of commitment and actual relationships. But his memory will come back, we have to be patient." Zoe nodded and Brick gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze.
-The next day-
"Here we are!" Zoe exclaimed as she stopped the car outside his house. Wade sat in the car for a moment, something in his mind telling him that Zoe and driving usually didn't mix this well together. But he managed to shake it off.
Wade got out of the car with her and stared at his home. It looked pretty much the same. Same windows, same door, same porch. Except that he had new porch furniture; a dark wood that looked comfortably worn. Wade caught sight of the ladder that was now sitting on the ground, leaning against the house.
"Wade?" He looked over to see Zoe standing at the now open door and he hurried after her. As he stepped into his house, Wade finally saw real differences.
His living room was redecorated in way that he actually liked but had never been bothered to change to. His kitchen seemed a lot cleaner and someone had actually put in a wall between the bedroom and the living room. Looking through the new door in said wall, Wade looked into the bedroom. The once messy covers were actually made and it was clear from the nightstands on either side of the bed that two people slept in it.
Then Wade caught sight of the picture frames on a dresser by the wall. There were pictures of him and Zoe, a lot of photos while he saw ones with Lemon, George and Lavon. Wade was surprised to even see pictures of Jessie there as well; apparently they had made up. He was about to check out the bathroom but Zoe called to him.
"So, I can't stick around; I'm afraid that leaving Brick with the practise for two days has been enough and I really need to get to work." She was standing in the living room, searching through her bags for something. Wade watched as she scrambled through it, only to realise something and pull open the drawer in the coffee table and take out a set of keys. Wade raised an eyebrow at this; he always kept his keys in that drawer. This Zoe really seemed to know her way around his house...or their house.
She was looking at him now with big brown eyes that Wade guessed had been his undoing the first time and said, "Will you be ok on your own?"
She was looking at him with such concern; no one had done that in a long time.
"Um...actually maybe you could drop me at the Rammer Jammer? The doctor did say for me to be surrounded by familiar things right?"
Zoe hesitated but replied, "Yes but Wade, the Rammer Jammer closed down a few months ago."
Wade's eyes widened and he said, "What? How did that happen? It's the only bar in town."
Zoe smiled slightly and said, "Well, once you set up your bar, everyone kind of just...flocked to your place. The Rammer Jammer just couldn't keep up."
Wade frowned at her in disbelief and asked, "I own a bar? Really? How did that happen?" He frowned again and mumbled, "I seem to be asking that a lot."
Zoe giggled and Wade was not impressed with the way his stomach flipped at that sound. "It's a great success. I can drop you there and pick you up after work. Plenty of people have been asking for you."
Wade could only nod and together they walked out of the house and got into the car. Silence fell over them as Zoe drove towards the town. They had driven in the same kind of silence from the hospital and Wade couldn't stand it.
"So...you and Brick seem to be getting along better then I remember."
Zoe smiled and replied, "Well, we started to agree on things during the first year I was here. I went back to New York for a few weeks and when I came back, Brick was so worn out that he nearly begged me to return and I didn't need much convincing."
Wade nodded at this. It didn't sound like Brick.
Zoe adjusted her hands on the wheel and said, "He's been really great. I mean, he's kind of being the father figure I never knew I wanted, you know. And he was really worried about you when you fell."
Wade smirked at this and replied, "That's funny; all I used to think about him was all the time he said I was a bad influence on Lemon."
Zoe smirked as well but it soon turned into a soft smile. "Well, that's the thing about this town; I seemed to find things I never even knew I needed." He did not miss how she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye but he kept his head stubbornly turned towards the window.
It was all so confusing. He thought he knew who he was but apparently, everyone else thought he was somebody else! I mean, how did a bartender from Alabama, a slacker and-even he had to admit it-an immature guy like him, get a doctor for a girlfriend. Zoe Hart was hot and smart and from New York! How did they end up together? As for Brick, well, the older man had looked really worried about him at the hospital but he had never really had a father figure like him before. Well he had never really had a father figure.
Finally they reached the town square and Zoe parked the car outside the doctor's office. "Your bar is just across the street on the corner where that old shop used to be. We can meet here around six?"
Wade stared at her for a few moments. The funny thing he had grasped about Zoe was that she didn't treat him like an invalided. As a doctor, she knew that he wasn't in any medical danger but as his girlfriend, she knew he could take care of himself. It was one thing he was adding the already long list of things he liked about her.
"I'll see you then," he said and he watched as she walked up the steps and into the doctor's office. With a sigh Wade hurried across the road and down the street to 'his bar'. Seeing a freshly painted building on the corner with some chairs and tables outside it, Wade guessed that this was the place. He looked up at the name and frowned.
"Doc's," he mumbled to himself, "Why would I name the place Doc's?"
But with a shrug, Wade walked in the open door. He stood in the doorway for a moment and found himself looking into his dream bar. It was had everything he had always wanted to change about the Rammer Jammer but still keeping the things he loved about the place. It had the same layout as the other bar but there were more windows and the walls were filled with photos and posters from the town. It was just how he would have decorated it...because he had decorated it. It was pretty full for lunch time but no one had noticed him yet.
He spotted Tom standing behind the bar polishing glasses. He walked up to him and sat down on a stool just as Tom noticed him. A wide smile appeared on his face and he exclaimed, "Wade! You're ok!"
Wade swore that every head in the place snapped towards him. Suddenly he was swarmed with people, asking him how he was, did he feel ok and was there anything he could do for them. He couldn't even get his mouth to form words, the shock that these people-some who had called him a waste and lazy before-were so concerned about him.
"Alright, give the guy some room; he just got out of hospital!" Tom ordered and the crowd dispersed back to their seats, many people shaking Wade's hand and patting him on the back as they went.
Wade turned back to Tom who was smiling at him. "How are you feeling Boss? We were all really worried about you."
Wade guessed that Boss was because Tom must work at the bar and he shook his head as he said, "I'm fine. Just a little memory loss."
Tom frowned at this and asked, "What do you mean? Can you not remember the accident? That can happen you know."
"Does everyone know that but me!" Wade snapped but then sighed. "Sorry Tom...I don't remember the accident because I don't remember the last two years."
Tom's eyes widened and he thought for a moment. "So...you don't remember opening this bar?" Wade shook his head.
Tom paused for a moment and then asked, "You forgot Zoe?"
Wade nodded and Tom winched. "Not cool dude. You're lucky to have her in the first place."
"Tom, you know me. I don't do the whole responsible, mature relationship! This is all so weird."
Tom leaned against the bar and said, "Wade that sounds like the old you. But you're a better man now. I know that, Zoe knows that...it's only a matter of time before you remember that too."
Wade didn't look too pleased with that idea so Tom sighed. "I remember the first time I knew that you had changed for the better. It was after George and Lemon disastrous non-wedding."
"George and Lemon didn't get married!" Wade exclaimed as if stating the grass wasn't green and the sky wasn't blue.
Tom nodded and said, "Yup. You see, George and your Zoe had a thing a while back after he found out that Lemon cheated on him with Lavon-."
"Lemon and Lavon!" Wade said again and Tom shook his head trying not to smile. "Yes, now be quiet while I finish the story. You see George thought he had feelings for Zoe so he dumped Lemon on the day of their wedding. That very night, he went to Zoe telling her that he wanted to give them a try. Of course, he didn't know that you and her had hooked up. By the next morning this news was all over town and when you met George in the Rammer Jammer, you punched him straight in the mouth! Of course we all thought that it was because he made a move on your Zoe. But that wasn't the case."
Tom paused at this point to let it all sink in. Wade nodded for him to continue, trying not to pay attention to the times when Tom said, "Your Zoe."
"Anyway," Tom said, "I went with you to Zoe's office to get your hand seen to and you admitted that although you were pissed at George for trying it with Zoe; you were really mad at him for what he did to Lemon. You see, all of us kind of forgot how close the two of you were in high school, you were like her big brother and when you stood up for her...that's when I knew you were a better man then I gave you credit for."
With a shrug Tom went back to polishing glasses, leaving Wade to think. George and Lemon broke up? Lemon and Lavon? The world had gone crazy!
Before Wade could even think of anything else, he attacked by a handbag.
Bracing his arms in front of him, Wade blocked the blows from the yellow bag to see Lemon beating him with it, letting out something he could only describe as a high pitched growl, if that even existed. Finally she stopped, glaring at him and Wade could only blink at her.
"In what world Wade Kinsella did you think it would be a good idea to get up on that ladder? I have told you before that thing is past its prime! Imagine what could have happened to you?"
She hit him with her bag one more time before sitting down on the stool beside him. Tom came over to them with two glasses filled with cool juice for the hot day and he mentioned to Lemon, "By the way, as a side effect of the head injury, Wade got amnesia. He doesn't remember the last two years."
Lemon looked over at Wade in concern but then she asked, "Do you remember Zoe?"
Wade shook his head and Lemon said, "Do you remember me and Lavon?"
Wade looked at her with a face that was a cross between mad and slightly confused and she replied, "I guess not. Would you like me to explain?"
"Yes! That might actually be helpful," Wade said, throwing his hands in the air.
Lemon took a sip of her juice and folded her hands on her lap before saying, "George was in New York during a very hard time in my life and Lavon was there for me. That's how it's started. I am not blaming George or anything like that, mind you. Lavon and I ended when George got back and everything went back to normal. Until Zoe Hart came to town."
Wade sighed and replied, "Why do I get the feeling that Zoe Hart is responsible for most of the changes in this town?"
Lemon gave him a smile and replied, "Oh you have no idea. Anyway, George started to get feeling for her and did you hear what happened with the wedding?"
Wade nodded and Lemon continued, "Well, Zoe chose you and for a long time there was this awkwardness between all of us. Then George decided to go to New York for a while, to see what being alone for the first time in fifteen years feels like...as for Lavon and I? Well, we have decided to see what happens between us and give us a chance."
"So you two are dating?" When Lemon nodded, Wade shook his head.
"What's wrong?" she asked him and he looked over at her. It had been years since she and he had sat down and talked like this. It kind of reminded him of high school when his dad would drink too much. He would arrive on Lemon's doorstep and they would sit on the couch and talk. Sometimes George would be there, sometimes he wouldn't; but Wade would still go to Lemon's.
"Everything has changed; I don't even recognise myself anymore. I'm actually in a relationship!"
Lemon frowned and rested her elbow on the bar, pointing at Wade. "Now you listen to me; no matter how confused you are, you better not hurt Zoe's feelings. Trust me Wade Kinsella, you are not going to find another girl as perfect for you as Zoe Hart."
"Since when?" he argued and Lemon smirked at him.
"Well, Fate and Destiny had a meeting while you were unconscious and made up their minds. So drop the immature bull and be the man you know you are."
Wade didn't know wither to be more shocked that she was so clued in with him and Zoe or that she just swore. Before he could say another word, Lavon walked up to them placing his hand on the back of Lemon's stool.
"Hey," he said to his friend, "Zoe called me and told me about the amnesia. Have you remembered anything?"
Wade shook his head and looked around the bar. Lavon watched him and said, "Don't worry about the bar; Tom and I will run things until you are able to get back."
Wade nodded and smiled at his friend.
The next few hours were a blur of stories and memories that were supposed to be in his head. People kept coming up to him and saying they hoped he would recover. Apparently, he had volunteered for the fundraiser to fix the church roof and there was something about him agreeing to repair Mr Lewis' tables in his shop. As he sat there, surrounded by the town people who seemed to care about him, Wade was starting to think that the person he had turned into wasn't that bad of a guy. He caught sight of Zoe walking into the bar and he stared at her for a moment, letting an easy smile come to his face. She found him in the crowd and smiled back.
It took them another couple of hours to get away from the bar but finally the two of them managed to pull themselves away and drive home. The drive was much more relaxed and pleasant. Wade and Zoe talked and laughed and for the first time in two days, Zoe felt like she got the old Wade back.
They stopped outside the house just as it started to rain heavily. Zoe leaned forward to look out the windshield and she sighed at the weather. Wade looked over at her, the rain from outside throwing shadows on her smooth skin.
Suddenly, the image of Zoe standing on his front porch flashed in his mind. He startled and Zoe looked over at him in concern.
"Wade?" she asked softly, touching his hand. He looked down at their hands and back at her face.
The image flashed again, soft yellow light falling on Zoe's face. But it wasn't the image that scared Wade; it was feelings that came with it. For the first time since he met her, he didn't just want to kiss Zoe because she was hot, but because he knew she was feisty and funny and smiled in a certain way that made his heart speed up.
Quickly Wade got out of the car in the pouring rain and hurried into the house, leaving Zoe to go after him. The run from the car to the house had left them quite drenched so Zoe said she was going to take a hot shower.
Wade nodded, biting back an innuendo and got changed into some dry clothes. He had a pair of jeans on and went to the drawer to get a shirt to wear. Picking out a white one, he slipped it on but only then did he see the black pouch that was sitting in the drawer. He stared at it for a moment before picking it up.
He opened it up and looked inside. His eyes widened and he dropped the pouch on the floor before scrambling away from it. Wade started to pace up and down the room as Zoe showered. He couldn't- he wouldn't-. How could he even think of doing that it himself? Why would he be that stupid?
"Are you ok?" Wade turned around to see Zoe looking at him in concern but he was distracted by the fact that she was just in the towel.
"Um, ya!" he managed to say before bolting out of the room, somehow managing to grab the pouch and stuffing it in his pocket while Zoe had her back turned to the wardrobe. With a sigh, Zoe quickly changed into jeans and a shirt before following him. She found him pacing the living room and she moved towards him.
"Wade, I know that this is confusing for you. You have been told so much information in such a short amount of time."
Wade nodded and then said, "I just think I need some space Doc, ok? I think I need to stay somewhere else tonight."
Zoe stared at him, trying not to show how hurt she was but it didn't work. "Oh," she said quietly, "Well, I still have the key to my old house under the mat so I can go there, if you want?"
Wade nodded at this, placing his hands on his hips. "Ya, I think that will be for the best."
Zoe blinked at him, not really grasping the fact that he wanted her to leave. He wanted her to leave her home. Her home with him. She had picked up this furniture with him and painted the walls with him. Granted they did while arguing about every single little thing but making up was sure worth it. She walked towards the door, to check on the weather to see if it had let up. It hadn't in the slightest.
Finally Zoe got her wits about her and she rounded on Wade. "Look, I get that you are confused but this is my home. I live here! I really don't appreciate you kicking me out of it."
Wade sort of did a double take and replied, "Well it was my home first so I should get to stay! Plus I don't appreciate you walking into my life and messing everything up."
Zoe froze at his harsh words. "Messing it up?" she asked, "You think you and I together messed your life up?"
Wade nodded, "Yup! I liked my carefree life the way it was and now I've got a house and serious girlfriend and a bar as well as all these responsibilities that I don't want!"
He stared at her for a few moments before saying, "I am not the man you all seem to think I am."
"Yes you are," Zoe argued.
Wade sighed and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He took a few steps towards her and said, "Zoe, I don't know you and you certainly don't know me. I think it's best if you just gave me my space for a while."
Zoe tried not to let him see the tears in her eyes but she was sure he had. She nodded and took a deep breath before turning her back on the man she didn't recognise. She hurried to open the door, trying to get by herself before she burst into tears.
Wade watched her go, fighting the strange feeling to run after her. And right before the door shut behind her, a thunder clap echoed through the house.
Wade froze. Thunder. A storm.
There had been a storm the night they had almost first gotten together. There had been a storm the night they had gotten together.
More thunder and lightning clattered through the house, waking every memory in Wade's head.
Memories of dates and dinners. Of days spent lying in bed with the woman he loved. Of opening the bar; of making something of his life. He gasped at all the images and feeling, mostly about Zoe. There had been a storm the day he told her that he loved her. She was so shocked that she had pushed him in the lake. Thankfully she said it back once he got out of the water.
Finally Wade came to his senses and he bolted out of the front door. What had felt like hours to him was only a few seconds and he caught Zoe on her front porch. They were both soaking wet but when Zoe heard him coming she turned around from trying to open the front door.
Without a word, he pushed her against the door and crashed his lips on hers. She gasped against his mouth and kissed him back. Pent up frustration poured out of them both but somehow Zoe knew. He remembered her. Finally Wade pulled away from her and she smiled stunningly at him.
"You remember!" she exclaimed, her arms still wrapped around his neck. He smiled down at her and said, "Yes, Doc I do. I remember. I'm sorry I was such an ass back there."
She smiled at him and they stood in quiet for a few moments, only the rain and thunder to be heard.
Finally Wade said, "I-I remember lying to you Zoe."
Zoe frowned at him and he pulled out the black pouch from his pocket. He handed it to her and she looked at him confused before opening the pouch. "In the barn two years ago, when I told you I didn't want to marry you; I lied."
Zoe had tipped the pouch upside down and gasped as a diamond engagement ring fell into her hand. She looked up at him and Wade said, "It was my mom's; a family heirloom. But the point is, this amnesia has taught me something. I like the person I am today and I got that way because of you. I love you Zoe."
She was smiled so wide now, so he grinned back at her. "Zoe Hart you have a pain in my ass since the moment I laid eyes on you. Will you do me the honour of being a pain in my ass everyday for the rest of my life?"
Zoe giggled and she said with a happy sigh, "Well, what girl in her right mind would say no to a proposal like that?"
Wade took the ring from her hand and slid it onto her finger. Zoe bounced up and down and started to ramble. "Oh I have so many people to call! My mom and dad are going to be amazed and Lemon is going to love this! Lavon will be so excited too! We can get married in the local church or the town square and Doc's can do the food and we can have the gazbo as well and-."
Wade cut her off with a kiss and smiled as he pulled away. "Later, Zoe; think of all that later," he said before kissing her again and leading her back to their home.
