Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Okay I know there are a few AU "When they were kid's" fics out there, and I have to admit I love them! But this one hopefully will be a bit different. It starts when they're young but doesn't focus on that too much, it will get to the point where the series starts and kind of take off from there. Well, if I can accomplish what I want LOL.

Quick note of how old they are at the beginning of this, I tried to keep the ages consistent with the series based on conversations the characters had with each other and knowing Zoe was only 28 when it starts.

Lavon-17

Ruby-16

Jesse-15

Lemon, Wade, George, Annabeth-13

Zoe-11

Dear Diary,

A few months ago, my mom told me that Ethan Hart was not my father. That's why he moved out and doesn't really keep in touch. As if that isn't bad enough, I now have to spend the next few weeks of my summer in some little nowhere town with my "real" father Dr. Harley Wilkes. I guess I should just be happy that he's a doctor.

Anyway, I have to go now, the plane is boarding.

Until next time,

Zoe Last-Name-To-Be-Determined

Candice Hart walked along the sidewalk of Bluebelle with her eleven-year-old daughter in tow. She could feel the curious eyes on her, that's why she'd made the choice she did all those years ago to stay with Ethan. He was like her, not these people...but the road to hell is paved with good intentions and even the best-laid plans blow up in your face. Hopefully, some good would come of this. She really was too busy working to take care of her young daughter, and maybe being here with these people, backward as they seemed, Zoe would come out of her shell a bit. Be less obsessed with being just like Ethan, stop either reading or writing in that darn diary all the time. So taking a deep breath Candice opened the door to Harley's practice and got ready to finally face the man she'd avoided for eleven years.

"Candice, I'm glad you made it in okay, and you must be Zoe." Dr. Wilkes smiled. As much as he loved kids, he never thought he'd have any of his own. He did make sure to look out for a few of the town's kids that seemed to need it more than others and he'd always figured that was his lot in life being an extra pair of eyes or another shoulder to lean on for those kids that didn't get enough from their parents. But now out of the blue here was this little girl, small for her age, and she was his. Sure, he was shocked when he got the call but more than anything, he was excited.

"Hello Harley, thank you for doing this."

"My pleasure."

"Zoe. Don't be rude." Candice finally reprimanded when she noticed her daughter had no intention of speaking.

"Hi Doctor, I'm sorry I wasn't trying to be rude." Zoe said quietly.

"It's okay, this is a lot to take in." He smiled kindly, and Zoe couldn't help but smile back. "I'm free the rest of the afternoon, how about we go to lunch then we can get Zoe here all settled in?" Harley asked Candice with the same charm she remembered.

Dear Diary,

So, this is my first night in Bluebelle, it's quiet. Like too quiet. Mom left a little after lunch, she helped me unpack and made sure all my clothes were organized because as she likes to say, "It doesn't matter how you feel it only matters how you look." What does that even mean? Anyway, I'm all unpacked and Dr. Wilkes says tomorrow we can explore Bluebelle some more. He's a lot nicer than I thought. I thought he would be like some of the doctors in New York all serious and mean looking but he's not. Maybe this won't be as bad as I thought. I have a long day tomorrow so goodnight diary.

Just Zoe

The next day proved to be much more eventful, Dr. Wilkes (or Doc, as Zoe now called him because Dad was too weird) showed her all the different shops in Bluebelle and introduced her to a few kids in town when they went to get ice cream. They ended up in the park each reading a book while they just enjoyed the good weather. Zoe was just starting to think that nothing ever happened in Bluebelle when a man came running up to Doc.

"Dr. Wilkes, something's wrong with Mrs. Hattenbarger, she's scared for the baby!"

Harley looked from the man in front of him to his young daughter. He was supposed to have the day off, but in a small town, you were always on call. He couldn't just leave his eleven-year-old alone in a new town, and talking her along wasn't much of an option.

"Doc, I can stay here if you want...you can go." Zoe said quietly used to being left alone anyway.

"Zoe, I can't just leave you."

"Hey Doc," someone called out behind Zoe, "I'm hanging out with Little Kinsella overt here anyway, she can hang with us." the teenager offered running up to Harley carrying a football.

"Are you sure son?" he asked skeptically.

"Yeah, no worries," he assured him, then turned to the little girl "I'm Lavon Hayes, what's your name?" he asked holding out his hand for her to shake.

"Zoe."

"Well, Big Z what'd'ya say to helping me keep that one over there in line?" he asked pointing to a skinny blond kid scaring some ducks.

"Not sure it's doable but I can try." she sighed causing the guys to laugh.

After that Dr. Wilkes went to help out Mrs. Hattenbarger and Zoe followed Lavon to the other side of the park eyeing the blond boy wearily. The three hung out in the park for a little while longer before it got too hot and they all headed to Lavon's for grilled cheese sandwiches and sweet tea. Once they were all seated at the kitchen counter the questions started.

"So, Big Z what brings you to Bluebelle?" Lavon asked, though he like everyone else had heard the gossip about Harley having a daughter with a married woman while on some trip. Normally that kind of scandal would ruin someone in Bluebelle, but the good doctor was way too respected for even that kind of scandal to do anything but endear him to the community. Everyone knew Harley loved kids.

"Well, my mom had to work and the guy who I thought was my dad doesn't like me anymore so...here I am with Doc who turns out to be my real dad." she shrugged.

"Wait, so that's true?" Wade asked, speaking to her for the first time since they'd met.

"As far as I know." Lavon couldn't help but laugh at how much attitude this sweet, shy little girl could muster.

"Way to be rude dude." he reprimanded. Ever since Mrs. Kinsella died three years ago Earl had hit the bottle pretty hard and Lavon had taken Wade under his wing. He wasn't a bad kid, but life had handed him a bad hand and once the other kids at school started making fun of him or trying to beat up on him Lavon couldn't just stand by and let it happen. As the school's football star, he knew kids would at least leave Wade alone if not accept him if he was friends with Lavon Hayes.

"Sorry," he smiled sheepishly "It's just I heard some of the girls in my class gossiping about it and most of what they say is cr..." he caught himself at Lavon's glare "Um...well they're known to make stuff up, so I just thought that Doc having a daughter was made up too."

"Are you talking about that girl named after a fruit?" Zoe asked scrunching up her nose causing both guys to laugh.

.

Zoe spent the rest of her summer getting to know Harley and some of the people of Bluebelle. As far as she could tell they were nice enough except for the gossiping girls Wade had warned her about, they seemed to want nothing to do with her because at eleven she was just a kid and at thirteen they were more mature. She didn't really think so, but she had fun with Lavon and Wade anyway. Most weekdays she'd go to the practice with Doc and hang out for a while then Lavon and Wade would drop by sometimes with Lavon's girlfriend Ruby and they'd all eat together then she'd go hang out with them until Doc was off work. Days that Lavon was busy she'd still hang out with Wade, he claimed that she was kind of annoying, but he didn't seem to want to go home and she'd rather pick on him than be alone too.

Dear Diary,

This is my last day in Bluebelle, I leave for the airport in a few minutes. It's weird I miss the city so much but I'm going to miss Doc too. He said we would keep in touch and see each other a lot so we'll see. I never expected to make friends here, but I really had fun with Lavon and Wade even though they're crazy boys. I also decided that I still want to be a doctor, and even though Ethan Hart isn't my father I'm not ruling out surgery. I'll write more later Doc says someone's asking for me downstairs.

Z

"Hey Big Z!" Lavon greeted picking Zoe up in a bear hug. "Didn't think you could leave without saying goodbye did ya?" he asked pouting a little, Wade standing close by.

"I guess I didn't think about it." she shrugged.

"You know for someone so smart, that's pretty dumb." Wade smirked shoving her shoulder.

"What was I thinking?" she deadpanned with an eye roll.

"Probably weren't." Wade offered.

"That means you're contagious." she gasped causing Lavon to laugh.

"Keep it up Runt and I won't give you this." he smirked pulling something out of his pocket and holding it just out of her reach.

"What is it," she asked skeptically.

"Well, I figured most people here are pretty lame anyway...except you Lavon," he added to the tall boy's cough "so if you wanted to keep in touch I wouldn't really mind." he shrugged giving her the pink pocket-sized address book.

"My address is already in there too Big Z, along with the Doc's. That way you can let me know if anyone gives you any trouble." he said glancing at the blond boy next to him.

"Thanks, guys I love it!" She smiled hugging each one goodbye before Dr. Wilkes told her it was time to go.

Well Diary,

It's me again at the airport. I get to fly alone this time, but I have some woman assigned to make sure I make it on and off the plane okay. Turns out Lavon and Wade were at the door. They gave me this little book for addresses and even said they wanted to keep in touch. I guess I made better friends than I thought. I figured Lavon was just being nice, and Wade is kind of a jerk, but he does come through when I need him, and it seems like the other kids in Bluebelle are weird around him because of his dad. I guess that's how people in New York will be now that they know I'm not a real Hart. Not that I really care what people think, but I still miss the guy I thought was my dad. We were close before I had to fall off that stupid swing, even though if it weren't for my falling, I wouldn't know Doc or the other people in Bluebelle. Everyone says being a teenager is confusing, no one said anything about eleven!

Until next time.

Z