I wasn't going to post this story yet, but it's been sitting in the doc manager forever waiting to be posted so I figured why not.

I don't own HoD or anything associated with HoD. I don't own or have any association with the NFL or the Carolina Panthers.

Major thanks to KSD17 for all the wonderful feedback with this chapter transforming it into something so much better.

I hope you all like this one. I'm not sure when I'll have the second chapter up for you all. Enjoy.


Zoe stood by her car, her nerves starting to get the best of her. This is what she wanted. To be treated as an equal. She had every intention of going to school to be a heart surgeon like her father... Ethan but after a long fight with him he had slipped up and told her what her mother was too afraid to ever say. So not only had she taken the time to build a better relationship with Harley...her father but at the same time she switched to a different field. Sports medicine. And after months of convincing everyone she was rewarded with foreshadowing a doctor that dealt with various after school sports. This was new territory for her.

"You can do this. You've worked extra hard for this moment," she told herself straightening out her suit jacket and fixing her skirt. With a deep breath she walked across the parking lot, her heels echoing in her own ears, her heart pounding against her chest.

Wade sat with his boys making plans now that they had worked their asses off in the grueling sun all day training for their season to start up. With the way his muscles were feeling he knew that he was gonna need a few minutes in the ice bath but after that he was down to having fun with the guys. He had no one back home to worry about. He had a bad break up over the off season and he was looking for a little fun. He wasn't interested in another long term relationship right now.

"Yo Wade you with us?" Tyler asked with a chuckle. Wade looked outta his locker tossing his practice jersey in the bin to be washed.

"Hell yes," he replied digging his towel out. "Let me know when and what room," he told them shutting his locker.

"Hey guys," their coach yelled with an ear piercing whistle getting the team to quiet down to focus on the next words outta his mouth. "As you all know today was the last day for Dr. Lewis. I would like all of you to welcome our new doctor with kindness and respect. You will not belittle her," their coach warned them.

"It's a chick," one of them groaned.

"She best be a hot one," another guy commented getting his buddies to agree with him.

"She is sexy and single, right?" Wade asked with a smirk getting a few slaps on the back from the guys around him.

"That's the attitude that will get all of us in trouble," their coach sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Hey she's the one coming into our world. A world that revolves around guys," Tyler stated, getting a few yeah's in agreement.

"Just because our world is dominated by us guys doesn't mean she can't feel welcomed," Lavon spoke up for the first time. He didn't care what sex the doctor was as long as they knew what they were doing. Sure he like the rest of them liked Dr. Lewis; the dude was awesome and knew just as much about football as the rest of them did. He had easily become one of their buddies over the years he had been with them. But Dr. Lewis was ready to retire and enjoy the rest of his life and a guy couldn't fault him there. "Time's have changed. Who is she?" Lavon asked.

"Dr. Zoe Hart," Zoe said walking into the room. "Thank you for that wonderful welcome, Mr. Hayes" she told him.

"Whether I'm single or in a committed relationship has nothing to do with me being the doctor, Mr. Kinsella," she stated in a professional voice finding it hard to keep her eyes off of his bare chest. Not that she would do anything, she was here to work not play. "I've spent the last week going over each and every one of your files. Starting now I need the special team to stay after so I can get your physicals out of the way," she told them, going to her office to finish getting settled in.

"I'd like to apologize for them now. Some can be set in their ways. I was raised better than that. Welcome to the team Dr. Hart." Zoe gave him a smile.

"I know this won't be easy but I can overcome it," she told him trying to believe the very words that came from her mouth. She knew coming into a man dominated sport wasn't going to be easy and she was prepared to show them she was the best. "Thank you, Mr. Hayes. Is that all you need? I don't need you until tomorrow for your physical."

"Feel free to call me Lavon. Mr. Hayes is my Father," he told her with a huge grin. "It was and don't let what they say get to ya," he informed her.

"I'll try not to," she told him with a smile. She hadn't been left alone for long when someone else was standing in her office.

"You don't have any crazy rules or anythin' I need to sign for the ice bath do ya?" Wade asked with a smirk, towering over her desk.

"Oh yes a signup sheet, it's by the door," she replied sarcastically.

"A real comedienne you are," he huffed, walking to the door. He took one look over his shoulder. "This is why Dr. Lewis was so much better. He was cool with us just jumping into the ice," he replied with attitude. She rolled her eyes.

"Just go ahead. I'm not here to interrupt your normal activities after a long and hard training session," she informed him, giving his attitude right back.

Zoe had made it through the physicals with very little attitude from the players. Once alone with them she was able to see the true side of them, the sweet side they kept hidden from the other players. She was busy catching up with what Dr. Lewis had left for her when there was a knock on her office door. "Come in," she called, closing the folder she was reading through.

Wade stayed in the ice for around an hour before pulling himself outta the ice. Showering and getting his things ready to go after getting dressed. He was ready to head out and chill with the guys until he spotted the light was still on from the doc's office. His words to his buddies clear in his mind.

"I bet I can bed her within the first two months," Wade smirked.

"No you can't. She's a stuck up bitch," Tyler stated.

"She just needs a certain someone to remove the stick shoved up her ass," Wade stated.

"I'll take your bet. I wanna take your money and see you squirm," Ayer chuckled. It wasn't long before the rest followed suit.

Setting his bag on a bench he walked to the door that was slightly ajar and knocked. At the soft come in he pushed the door open, stepping into the room. "You aren't some crazy cyborg are you?" He joked, leaning against the bare wall laying his charm on the table.

"Oh no. I have a lot to catch up on, time slipped past me. Though I prefer being a cyborg than dealing with my Mother," she sighed putting the folders away.

"We all have that parent," he commented, thinking back to his dad. "I do wanna welcome ya to the team, the guys can be jerks. You hungry?" He asked. He really was trying to be friendly, even if he didn't wholeheartedly agree that she should be the team doctor. He couldn't help that she was attractive, and she had this effect on him that just happened to take his breath away and tie his stomach up into a ball of knots. He was having a hard time trying to control his thoughts on the things he would like to do to her. He would succeed in his little bet. That was certain.

"That sounds," she paused, chewing her lip. She wanted to go with him she did, but she was afraid to get too close to him. Having a fight with him in public wouldn't help her cause or help him in the slightest.

"It's just two people getting dinner on the way to becoming friends. We're gonna be working together at the very least we can be on the same page here," he explained, stuffing his hands into his pockets. He needed her to agree to this. He couldn't waste a single minute of the next 60 days.

"Put that way, I would like that," she told him with a soft smile.

They had ended up at a nice little place a few blocks away. Wade was the one to ask Zoe questions wanting to know more about her, acting like he cared. Everything about his life was on the internet that he was sure Zoe knew most everything about him. And he wasn't one to talk about himself anyway. Every now and again he would stumble upon an article that was nothing but lies. At those he would just chuckle and move on with his life.

Zoe took a sip of her red wine, licking her lips. "I know all your stats Wade," she told him. Wade hid his amused smile by taking a drink. Maybe getting the doctor to sleep with him wouldn't be so hard after all.

"Stalking me now are we?" He joked, placing his cup of scotch down on the table. Zoe rolled her eyes, a soft smile on her lips.

"I don't stalk anyone," she informed him. "That's part of the reason you asked me to join you, to know that if I know anything about the gridiron. I've been a fan all my life, Wade. I wouldn't just up and change my major from a heart surgeon to sports medicine without liking sports. I could tell you your stats, but they're all over the web and in the files on my desk."

"You caught me and the fact you called me out on it, shows me that you know the game," he smirked clearly impressed with her. The fact she knew the game made her that much more hotter and the desire to win that much better.

"Or it proves that I'm just trying to pull one over your eyes because now you won't ask me questions about the game," she replied with a smirk.

"You are one of a kind, Doc. But now I'm trying to decide if you know the game or not," he laughed, making sure to pour the right amount of charm into the air.

"I guess you'll learn as we go," she replied, sitting her wine glass down. "Now I don't like to believe everything that I read, so tell me about you Wade, why football?" She asked, digging into her food that was placed in front of her. She was clearly shocked that they were able to get along after their rocky start.

"I love the sport and it was one of the few things I was good at," he answered vaguely. The reason on why he got into football wasn't up for discussion right now. "Just drop it," he snapped. Zoe chewed her lip, swirling the red liquid around in her glass. It seemed they were right back where they had started.