This is an AU story so it's a little different from the other Hart of Dixie stories I've worked on so far. Zoe's mother never told Harley about the pregnancy, but she told Ethan from the beginning so he was never in Zoe's life. Without Ethan's influence Zoe never has a desire to become a doctor. And due to her difficult childhood she is not very confident or self-assured. Wade's situation is different as well. His mother never died and Earl never started drinking. Wade made his way through college, and is working as a medical assistant for Brick and Harley. However, he struggles to find something he's truly passionate about. It will take an emergency situation for Wade and Zoe's paths to eventually cross, but once they do they will shake up each other's world's! They are each around 23 in this story.

Zoe listened to her ipod as she closed up the mom and pop shop she was working at. She didn't really need to work to put herself through college, but she liked to keep busy. It was also an interesting experience. There was never a dull moment servicing all of the eccentric New Yorkers that would wander into her store. People watching was one of Zoe's favorite pastimes and there were plenty of opportunities for it at this job. She also enjoyed helping the people she saw. She was never short on advice for the people who'd stop in, and she even came to know them all by their first names.

However, it was times like these that she felt the loneliest. It was quiet… too quiet and she was all alone with her thoughts. She was taking a full load of courses a local college, but none of them really did much for her. It all seemed made up and theoretical. She liked dealing with real people, real situations. But she knew that she didn't want to work a dead-end minimum wage job for the rest her life either. Frankly, she was confused and Zoe Hart hated being confused, she liked to have a plan- a clear direction.

It was also times like this that she was haunted by memories of her childhood- her distant, alcoholic mother; her abusive step-father; her confusion over why her real father never wanted her. She tried to fight the flashbacks, but they always found their way to the surface, so when she heard the door open she felt a sense of relief. A customer would provide a perfect distraction.

"We're closed" she called out in a friendly tone. "But I can ring something up for you real quick if you'd like."

"That won't be necessary" a gruff voice answered as he made his way to where Zoe was standing and stuck a gun in her side.

Zoe's heart stopped when she realized what was happening. She struggled to catch her breath and figure out what to do next.

"The register is over there" she said shakily. "There isn't a whole lot of money in it, but I can give you what's there."

"Money isn't what I want" he whispered into her ear as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Oh God" she cried. "Please."

"Mmmm" he moaned. "I've got you begging already."

"No!" she screamed as she pulled away suddenly and tried to run away.

"That wasn't very smart sweetheart" he yelled as he ran after her. She knocked a display over as she ran which tripped him and then struggled to open the door.

"Damn it!" she thought to herself in a panic. "What a time for this cheap-ass door to get stuck!"

"Bitch!" he laughed from the spot on the floor he had fallen on. "Now you're really gonna pay."

Terror spread through her entire body when she heard the gun go off. She prayed that somehow he had shot himself, and that this whole situation could be over, but deep down inside she knew that wasn't what had happened. She gasped as she felt an odd sensation spread through her lower back. It felt hot, really hot, and as the moments went by it only felt worse. She looked down at her shirt and her eyes widened as she watched a red mark get bigger and bigger and bigger. She was still in too much shock and denial to process what had happened as the color drained from her face and her vision blurred, but she knew one thing- this situation was far from over.

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"Hey buddy" Wade sighed as he took a seat next to Lavon at the Rammer Jammer.

"Hey, how was your day?"

"Boring as sin" he smirked. "All I could think about was coming here and gettin' a cold one."

"Seems like your more passionate about drinking than you are about your job" Lavon cuckled.

"That's because I am. Who could be passionate about taking people's blood pressure all day long? It's like I said, it's boring as sin. How about you? How's the whole mayor thing going?"

"Pretty good, I'm really enjoying it. It's been a little crazy with the Founder's day parade coming up and everything, but it's pretty rewarding. You know, working's a lot more fun when you like what you're doing …"

Wade's mind drifted off to how he would be spending his evening. His day at work had been plain awful, and he needed to blow off some steam. Normally he'd take off with Tansy for the night, but she'd been getting a bit clingy for Wade's taste lately. He wanted a girl who knew that there would never be anything serious between them. Wade Kinsella didn't do serious, not in relationships anyway.

"Wade are you listening to me?" Lavon asked as he noticed Wade staring blankly.

"What, yeah- something about Founder's Day…"

"I was saying that I like my job."

"Good for you" he shrugged. "If I was town mayor I'd probably kill myself."

"Wade!" Harley called out as he saw the two of them.

"Damn it" Wade muttered. "It's bad enough that I have to deal with this old geezer during the day, now he's going to bother me at the bar too."

"Wade" Lavon scolded. "I suggest you change your tune before he gets over here or you're gonna be out of a job."

"Hello Dr. Wilkes" Wade said trying to sound pleasant. "How are you doing this evening?"

"Pretty good, except I can't figure how to work this damn new-fangled phone."

"Wade, why don't you try to help him out?" Lavon suggested.

"Because" Wade whispered. "Today I've already helped him figure out the new-fangled computer, the new-fangled blood pressure machine, and the new-fangled coffee maker. I'm off duty, he can figure it out himself."

"Someone keeps calling me" Harley added. "I can't even figure out how to pick the damn thing up. I hope some patient is lying out there bleeding half to death somewhere."

They both stared at Wade for a moment before he finally relented. "Okay, okay I'll help you figure it out" he muttered as he took the phone. "Maybe the person whose calling left a message."

Wade looked through his voicemail and was startled by what he saw.

"Damn it Harley, you have 20 missed calls, all from the same number."

"Who is it?" he asked nervously.

"I don't know" Wade responded. "They left a few messages though, would you like to listen to them?"

"No" he responded. "It'd probably be better if you did."

"And why's that?"

"Because, my hearing aid's been acting up. If it's that important I don't want to miss anything."

"Fine" Wade said as he held the phone up to his ear. "But I just want to be clear- I'm going way above and beyond here."

Hello Harley, this is Candice. Gosh… I don't even know if you remember me. We met on that cruise over twenty years ago… Anyway, um- I need you to call me back. It's an emergency. You're the only one who can help. Please.

"Who is it?" Harley asked.

"Someone named Candice" Wade shrugged.

"What?" Harley gasped. "What… what did she want?"

"She wants you to call her back. She said it was an emergency, that you were the only who could help… she kind of sounded crazy."

"What's wrong?" Harley asked urgently.

"I don't know" Wade shrugged as Shelley finally brought him his beer.

"Well, maybe she said something on the other messages- check those too."

"Damn it" Wade cursed as he slammed his beer down at the table. "I am not gettin' paid, and we are not at the office, check your own damn messages."

"Please" he begged tearfully.

Wade looked at him and felt a surge of guilt. He obviously cared about this Candice woman, and he obviously had no idea how to check his messages on his own. He reminded him a little bit of his father, and he did miss him since he moved to Mobile.

"What were you thinking buying a phone like this?" Wade asked as he picked it up again.

"The guy at the store talked me into it" he shrugged.

"I'll go with you next time" Wade offered. "We'll get you one you can actually use."

"Harley, I really didn't want to tell you this over the phone but you still haven't called me back and we don't have much time. I'm so sorry I never told you, but I knew you had a life in Alabama and I didn't want to ruin that for you. You have a daughter Harley. Her name is Zoe, and she's been attacked. She needs a kidney and I'm not a match. She needs you. Please, please call me back. Just come to New York and get tested. It's the only thing either one of us will ever ask of you. I know it's a lot, but she's your daughter and she's got so much ahead of her-"

"My God" Wade said softly as he looked at Harley. How the hell was he going to tell him any of this? He had a daughter that he never knew about, and now someone's attacked her, and she might die. Any one of those pieces of news would be a knock-out punch, but all three of them together? It's just brutal… too brutal. Wade felt sympathy stronger than he'd ever had before, for Harley, and oddly enough for this Zoe girl. He'd never met her, but it sounded like she was going through hell. Nobody deserves that.

"What kind of bastard could…"

"What is going on?" Lavon asked as he looked at Wade nervously.

"Tell me" Harley begged. "Please."

Please Review, if there is interest I'll write more!