This idea has been plaguing me for months now and I finally caved. I do hope this is a story you guys are interested in reading more of, I had fun writing this chapter. The poll on my page is still going and the story that wins will replace A Beginning to End when I get it finished so don't worry about that. Anyway I hope you guys can enjoy this one.

Disclaimer- Everything belongs to it's respected parties. I mean no disrespect.


"Why Wade?" Zoe asked sitting across from her boyfriend of 4 years. Things had been rocky for the better portion of their relationship but they loved each other dearly and managed to work things out. They couldn't stay away even if it should've been that way, but they knew better than that, anything was worth having as long as they fought for each other.

"These last 3 months have been pure hell, Zo. Just think about it, please. I need a familiar face around here, it's safe and it'd be for a year, less than that if I can get out of here for good behavior," he begged his girlfriend the itch to hold his her hands there but knowing he couldn't hurt so much. He hated seeing her in this much pain, he had tried to reason with her that she didn't have to come in as much as she did to see him, that it would be best for them both but she wouldn't listen to him and the days she would come in were the days he looked to the most, they were a bright spot in his dark and gloomy days of being locked away from the world he was missing out on.

"You're asking a lot from me here Wade. I can't just put my life on hold for a full year because you and Jesse messed up," she explained with a sigh. The idea was appealing but she was scared just to drop everything to be in the same place as her boyfriend.

"Just think about it, please?" He begged her.

"Okay fine, I'll think about it," she relented. The last 4 months had been hard on her. Things had been going smoothly for her and Wade, but Jesse showed up and ruined it all. He needed his brother's help, Wade refused to tell Jesse no. 'Jesse took me in when our life went to hell, I lost my parents, my mom died and my dad is slowly drinking himself into the ground. Jesse stepped up, he put his life on hold for me, the least I can do is help him out when asked.' That was the same response she got every time she asked her boyfriend why he kept helping his brother when it resulted in getting locked up time after time. "I love you, Wade," she told him softly.

"I love you too, Zoe," he replied just as softly, reaching out to let his fingertips collect the small teardrop that silently fell from her sad brown eyes. Just as quick as she felt his warmth it was gone leaving her cheek frozen from his little touch. How she wanted to wrap her arms around him tightly and bury her head into his chest breathing in the scent that was just him, the scent she longed for. The scent that was starting to become no more at home.

She blinked her tears away watching the guard lead him away. Taking a deep breath she exited the visitation room and walked down the hall to sign out, her boyfriend's words ringing loudly in her ears. She needed her best friend. Pulling out of the parking lot of the state penitentiary she had to breathe deep as the brick building got smaller in her rearview mirror. She could do this; it was on a loop in her head.


Wade was lead back to his cell; his cellmate lying on the bottom bunk, Wade was in no way taking the bottom bunk when he got tossed in the slammer. His cellmate was this scrawny guy that Wade had no doubts that he could easily overpower. Wade nodded slightly climbing on his bunk; they had came to some kind of mutual respect for each other. He pulled the letters out from under his pillow. A lone picture of a little girl at her third birthday party smiled back at him, her blonde hair in two pigtails, and her green eyes shining brighter than the mid afternoon sun. He kissed the picture placing it back in the one spot it was safe under his pillow. He had missed the birthday party because Jesse and now she had to suffer for his stupid mistake; he had decided that if Jesse couldn't turn his life around after he was released from the slammer he was done until Jesse cleaned up his act.

"How'd it go?" His cellmate asked. Wade grunted slipping off his bed. "At least she comes every other day to see you, I've got no family, I got tossed in the slammer and they disown me."

"Joel shut the hell up," Wade snapped. Knowing he couldn't hold his girlfriend the way he wanted to or see his little girl and hear her laughter, knowing he couldn't do those things it annoyed him and pissed him off. "Doesn't make this hell any easier," he hissed under his breath, standing before the cell door as they made the announcement for doors to open to head out to the yard.

Wade headed to the same spot he went to every time for yard, the bleachers were his brother sat. As much as he wanted to rid his life from Jesse he couldn't do that until he was a free man, he needed his brother to have his back while he was locked up.

"She agree to it?" Jesse asked in a hushed voice, not wanting the other prisoners to hear.

Wade shook his head for a few different reasons, Jesse never seemed to listen. He really wished that he could punch his brother to knock the sense in, but he doubted that would work out. "She's thinking about it," he replied looking straight out in front of him avoiding his brother, it was better that way. "I'm not risking her life, Jesse, not like that. I told you I have a family out there waiting on me I will not mess this thing up, you want to bust out, you're on your own," he spit out. A life on the run wasn't the life he wanted to live, not when he had a little girl to provide for. "I can't do that to them," he said shaking his head. "Do you really want to live a life on the run? They'll catch you if you even make it out of here to start with," Wade sighed, looking down at the ground.

"They're going to kill if you don't get out," Jesse hissed, ignoring everything his brother just said. "Without me hear to protect you, they'll kill you and you know this," Jesse reminded him harshly.

Wade closed his eyes letting the memories of county jail slip through his mind. He had gotten into one fight not his fault and that one guy he fought with had alliances up the ass and nearly every group in prison was ready to jump him. "So be it, I want to serve my time and go back to my family where I don't have to look behind me at all times."

"I'm your family, you forget that?" Jesse hissed in his ear.

"How can I?" Wade asked, getting up, hands in his pockets as he walked away from his brother. Staying locked up for the next 12 months, 6 months for good behavior was a risk he was willing to take. The only risk he needed in his life right now.


"No, that's downright stupid," Lemon scolded her friend. She couldn't even fathom the idea on why Zoe would want to do this for.

"I miss him, Lemon and I want to touch him without the guards yelling or hurting him for not abiding by the rules," Zoe sighed. By the time she got to Lemon's place, she had convinced herself that being a doctor at the prison could be brilliant. It was the only way where she could see him and hold his hand; she needed this just as much as he did.

"I know the next year is going to be hard on you, Zoe, but George is working on a way to get him out," Lemon pleaded with her.

"I know George is an excellent lawyer but there isn't a miracle, Wade's sitting until his time is up," Zoe told her. "I've made my mind up and I'm talking to my boss first thing in the morning," she informed her friend. "He's missed out on a few different things with Evie and I want to give him something the warden won't have a chance to wreck for him."

"And if you get caught sneaking pictures and who knows what else into him, it's your ass on the line not to mention he'll be sitting even longer," Lemon hissed.

"You're reading too much into this, Lemon," Zoe stated awfully calmly. She knew what was at risk and right now she was torn. "I'm not going to do anything to risk my job or make him sit longer, but I need to be there and I promise if things don't feel safe, I'll leave and stick to visiting my boyfriend," Zoe assured her friend.

"Okay," Lemon sighed. "Just take a few extra minutes when you have your daughter in your arms tonight to really think about what the father of that child is asking of you and then you ask yourself if you have the heart to ruin anything else in her life," Lemon told her.

Zoe took a deep breath and just walked out of Lemon's place, she wasn't in the mood to fight any longer, she just wanted her little girl and to go home, today had been an emotionally draining one. She wanted to believe that working at the prison was a good idea, but maybe it wasn't that good of one.