A/N: Okay, so this is my first full-length Hart of Dixie fanfiction, or it will be when I get around to writing and posting it all! lol I'm starting on that Season 4 boxset this weekend and in a couple of weeks when I'm done with it, then there will be more of this fic. I'm just reluctant to dive head-first into a complete AU until I've seen all of canon, plus I want to be able to have people review without fear of spoiling me. So, yes, this is just a Prologue for now BUT that's not all...

(Disclaimer: All recognisable characters and any recognisable dialogue from Hart of Dixie belong to Leila Gerstein and other folks who aren't me).

Prologue

It was a beautiful day in Bluebell. A perfect day for a wedding. Just as with every event in the small town, everybody was invited, if not to the actual ceremony, then certainly to the reception. The whole of town square, including the gazebo, was taken over by flowers and ribbons and twinkle lights. To ten-year-old Zoe Wilkes, it looked like a fairy land.

"I never saw anything so beautiful," she said, staring in wonder at the whole display.

"It's alright, I guess," replied her friend Wade, shrugging his shoulders and making a face.

Zoe laughed and socked him the shoulder.

"Boys just don't understand," she told him, rolling her eyes.

Before he had a chance to counter that comment, the church doors burst open and the bride and groom stepped out in a shower of rice. Zoe's eyes were all full of wonder as she stared at the scene, all the guests, including both her parents, were cheering and applauding as the happy couple shared a kiss.

Zoe let out a sigh. "I hope I get married someday."

"Sure, you will," said Wade, nodding his head. "In fact, I'll marry you."

"You?" asked Zoe, turning to stare at him. "Why would you wanna marry me, Wade Kinsella?"

"Because..." he said, turning towards her, quickly leaning in and planting a peck of a kiss on her lips.

The next second, he was running away from Zoe towards the buffet table just as fast as his legs would take him. A moment after that, she went chasing after him, laughing all the way, as the church bells thundered, louder and louder...

Dr Zoe Hart woke up with a start, almost falling from the break room chair. She glanced around to see two fellow doctors seated at the table with her, both smiling too much.

"What?" she checked, trying to wipe the drool off her chin with one hand and hoping nobody noticed.

"You know that Southern accent you try not to have really comes back when you talk in your sleep," said Brandon, sipping his coffee.

"Oh, yeah," said Cathy sat beside him. "I'm just wondering who Wade is," she said, one eyebrow raised as she watched Zoe squirm.

"Nobody?" she tried, already sure they didn't believe her, but hey, she didn't have to explain if she didn't want to.

Guilt crept in anyway as she moved and felt the chain shift around her neck inside of her clothes. The engagement ring dangling on that chain tapped against her chest and Zoe sighed. What would her new fiancé think if he knew about that dream? Not much since he wouldn't make any sense of it. He wouldn't know it was a memory as much as anything. Zoe shook her head clear and looked at her friends still staring at her expectantly.

"I think my break is over," she said suddenly leaping up from the chair and heading for the door.

She turned back at the last, retrieving her coffee mug from the table and taking a big slug, even though it was stone cold.

"I love my job," she said to herself as she finally headed back out into the fray, "but I hate double-shifts!"

To Be Continued...

A/N2: If you like the sound of this, I urge you to check out the trailer on YouTube, which is more of a thematic trailer than a literal one (the scenes and dialogue used in the vid won't necessarily be in the fic exactly, but it's to give you the general vibe of what's coming). Just search for 'Going Back To 'Bama (Hart of Dixie, Fanfiction Trailer)' and it should come right up. My account name over there is UltraVids1. That's all for now. Expect Chapter 1 in a couple of weeks, after which plenty more chapters will, hopefully, swiftly follow ;)