A/N This is my first time posting fic here, and my first time writing in ages, so please be kind.
RE-posted after beta'ing by my buddy Mjimeyj
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING! ( i wish i owned Wade :) ) and I make no profit from this.
As Zoe walked away from the remains of the Christmas celebration and the Miss Cinnamon Beauty Pageant, she resisted the urge to turn around and walk right back in Wades direction. Things needed to change, and fun as it was to annoy each other and give him a hard time, Wade was a good guy, a good friend, and he deserved to have her act like it for a change. If she was going to last here in Bluebell for the rest of the year, and lets face it, possibly longer, things needed to change. She needed to change. And she was going to start by doing the most difficult thing she'd maybe ever done. Talk to Lemon. Like a grown up.
#~#~#~#
Lemon and George made their way down the street slowly, hand in hand. George was talking about asking her dad to consult on his upcoming case, and Lemon was trying very hard to focus on what he was saying, and not what had happened outside her mother's, or with Lavon. She knew he was right, she should be able to talk to George about this. But her mother was such a hard topic for her to talk about. With Lavon it had all come out in an emotional overflow, and consequently, much easier to repeat.
She was distracted from her thoughts as George suddenly paused at the end of the path to the house. Startled, Lemon looked up to see what had caused the abrupt halt. And suddenly tensed. Zoe Hart was sitting on their top step. "What is she doing here?" she whispered to George, who shrugged and moved on up the path pulling her along with him.
"Hey Zoe" George nodded as she stood.
"Hey George" Zoe smiled a little, but turned to face Lemon.
"Do you mind if we talk for a bit? In private?" Zoe asked hesitantly. Lemon frowned even more, but nodded, jerkily towards the porch swing. "George would you mind getting me a glass of lemonade, I'm sure Zoe would like one to." Lemon smiled that not quite plastic smile and nudged George towards the door. As soon as the door closed she spun around to face Zoe who was seated on the swing. "I don't know what you think we could possibly have to say to each other, but manners demanded that I hear you out so if you must, talk." Lemon settled against the railing.
'Right' Zoe thought, 'I can do this, I've been sitting here for half an hour going over and over it in my head. Just spit it out Zoe.'
"I know we got off on the wrong foot, my first day in town. Everything in Bluebell is so different from what I was used to, and I admit, I didn't really want to be here. It was a means to an end for me. A way of getting back to my life in New York and getting my life back on track. I admit, I was judgmental and narrow-minded and a bit of a snob. I can accept my part in how things started, and how they continued." Zoe grimaced as she thought of the ridiculous display she and Lemon had made of themselves during that outburst outside the Hair Salon. "I would like for us to try and start over. I'm not saying we will ever be friends but we don't have to be openly hostile like we have been."
George chose that moment to emerge from the house with a tray holding a jug of lemonade and 2 glasses. Sensing that his presence was counter-productive, he settled the tray on the nearby table. Kissed Lemon lightly on the cheek, and said, "I'll be in the study when you're done here. Night Zoe."
"Night George" Zoe called after him as he retreated back into the house, standing from the swing and diving back into what she had been saying.
"I know that Brick wants me out of the practice. I know he wants it to himself. And even though I was only planning on being here for the year, when I started, I know better than to make those kinds of plans now. The Practice is my only link to my father. It's the only thing of his that I have and I'm not prepared to let that go without a fight. But I wish it didn't have to be a fight. I've already learned a lot from your dad, and I'm a good doctor. I just want a chance to show it."
"And in the spirit of being thoroughly truthful, I can admit when I first arrived, I had a bit of a crush on George, Please hear me out." She rushed as Lemon's face flushed with righteous indignation
"He was never interested, and crush or not, I'm not that person. I'm not a *home wrecker*. I did get over it. You probably don't know this but, that crush? Ancient history!"
Zoe smiled a little whimsically as her thoughts drifted to the cheeky eyes and the church social smile. She was so ready for that *rain check* Shaking off that thought, she continued. "But George and I are friends though, and I don't want that to make things difficult between the two of you. I'm not a threat to you Lemon. And more importantly, I don't want to be. I would really like it if we could start over?"
Zoe stopped abruptly, completely out of breath and on tenterhooks for Lemon's response.
Lemon seemed to be taking her time in composing her thoughts?
"So you and George never…?"
"No… God No! It was a short-lived thing on my part, he had lived in New York. Someone I could relate to a little in this town, which was so alien to me. He was never more than friendly. I never really had a high school crush, maybe this was my form of therapy." Zoe babbled.
They both looked at each other, each trying to get the measure of each other.
There was a long uncomfortable silence as Lemon processed everything that Zoe had just told her. Thinking of the constant tension and nastiness between herself and Zoe Hart, and poor George, so kind to everyone and trying to keep everyone happy. Maybe this way Lemon could come at this from a different angle, and still make Zoe Hart realise that she didn't belong here. Finally Lemon stood, her skirts flowing around her legs. Zoe hurried to stand to.
"Alright," Lemon held out a graceful hand, much the way she had done the day they met, with a slightly more sincere smile on her face, "Lemon Breeland, I believe you'll be working with my daddy for a time, It's nice to meet you."
Zoe's smile was huge as she returned the handshake enthusiastically, "Zoe Hart, nice to meet you too, and yeah, turns out my illegitimate father, whom I didn't know, left me half his practice, in this amazing original little town in Alabama," Zoe rolled her eyes "go figure."
Unsure where to go next both girls dropped their hands and before the silence could become uncomfortable again, Zoe jerked to attention, "I should go. It's getting late. Maybe we could have lunch some day and you could let me know some of the things to look out for in town?" she enquired as she made her way down the steps.
Lemon smiled uncertainly as she turned to lean on the post at the top of the stairs, "Sure, I'll swing by the practice someday this week."
"Great!" Zoe shouted as she hurried off before Lemon could change her mind.
Wandering into the house in a bit of a daze, Lemon found George hovering in the doorway of the study, and looking desperately like he wanted to quiz her.
"Well there was no screaming so I guess it went well?" George enquired, stuffing his hands in his pockets and shuffling a little towards her.
"The strangest thing," Lemon said, shaking her head as if trying to clear the cobwebs, "I think I just agreed to have lunch with Zoe Hart and declared a truce."
George chuckled and pulled Lemon close, "I'm glad to hear that, I'm so proud of you and I love you so much." Lemon decided to take a leaf out of the horrible Scarlet O'Hara's playbook and think about it tomorrow. Right now she was in the arms of an amazing man who loved her. Nothing else mattered.
#~#~#~#
Zoe sauntered into Lavon's house around lunchtime. The guys were playing a crazy computer game in which Wade was kicking Lavon's B U T T.
Zoe got a mischievous grin on her face as she wandered to Wade's side of the otherwise empty sofa, Lavon preferred the chair next to it.
"Wade"
"Yeah just a sec Zoe, I'm kicking butt here"
"Wade…"
"Aww Zoe, you made me crash, now I'm back to the start again." Wade grumbled, "What did you want anyway?"
Zoe glanced at Lavon and jerked her head ever so slightly towards the kitchen, and Lavon quickly excused himself. Zoe stepped around Wade, and sat abruptly on his lap sideways facing the armrest of the sofa. In Wades stunned silence, she leaned towards him, raised one hand to cup his jaw, her thumb grazing his stubble from cheek to jaw, Zoe whispered 2 words "rain check" before closing the distance between them and kissing him.
Wade was too stunned to really react at first, by the time his wits were returning Zoe was out of his lap and half way back towards the door. "See you later Lavon" she called as she exited the kitchen into the garden and headed back towards the guesthouse. As the door snapped shut, he jerked out of his seat. "Later Lavon" he bolted out the door to catch up to Zoe.
A/N: so... what did you think? please review and let me know. Was I truly evil to end it there?
And would anyone like to see how things turn out with Wade and Zoe, and if Lemon can keep the peace? I may be inspired to write more if i get some favorable feedback :)
Reviews are like candy, and a sugar high me writes much faster ;P
