A/N: The second half, as promised :)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see Part 1)

Part 2 of 2

It was too early for people to be knocking on his door and Wade couldn't think who he was going to find on the other side. He knew who he would like it to be and smiled a little when he realised he got his wish.

"Morning."

"Hi," said Zoe, looking less than chipper still. "Listen, I just... I wanted to apologise for last night."

"Me too," Wade admitted. "I didn't mean to-"

"No, Wade, please," she cut in fast. "You... you really told me some things that I needed to hear. It made me think, a lot, about what I've been doing with my life. It's so weird, I always had my career all figured out, and then that took a weird swerve, but I'm where I want to be with that now, I love my job. Apparently, that old saying about one part of your life going well means another part has to go wrong definitely holds true for me. Career, great. Love life, train wreck.

"Anyway, I... I thought a lot about what you said. A lot. Honestly, I barely slept at all from thinking about it. First, I got sad about it, and then I got mad at you for saying those things to me and making me feel sad, and finally, I realised just how right you really were," she told him, meeting his eyes after a long time of looking everywhere else.

"I'm not proud of myself, Wade. I did use you. I used your feelings for me and I am so sorry for that. You didn't deserve it. As much as you could be kind of an ass when we first met, you were really there for me. I kept thinking that I had pretty much zero friends in this town, except for Lavon, but when I look back and remember all the things you did for me, and I wasn't even nice to you."

"All feels like a long time ago now, doc," he told her, because it was the truth, but also because he couldn't bear to see the tears welling in her eyes again.

"I guess," she agreed, nodding her head, "but it doesn't mean it's okay. I need you to know that I'm sorry, Wade. I need you to believe me when I say that I didn't entirely realise what I was doing, not when you were being a good friend and maybe not even when we started... being together," she said with a significant look.

Wade smirked, unable to be anything but amused by the fact that even now she couldn't just say 'sex' and have done with it.

"I went in with my eyes open, Zoe," he reminded her, leaning on the door jamb. "A part of me always figured we were just marking time until you and Tucker... Well, you know."

"I know, and for what it's worth, it helps me understand a little more where all that defeatist attitude you had came from. I may not be the cause of all those inferiority issues that you had, but I sure didn't help at all. I made you feel like second best and that's... God, I was a horrible person."

It seemed to be hitting her all over again in that moment as her hand covered her mouth and the tears finally fell. It made Wade want to cry too, but one of them had to be stronger.

"Come on, doc," he told her, swallowing the lump in his throat. "You think I'd still feel the way I do about you if you were so bad? You screwed up, we both did. Doesn't make us the worst people in the world. Just proves we're human, I guess."

"I guess," she told him, smiling slightly and sniffing hard. "Anyway, I wanted to apologise for before, and for last night, when I..."

She made a vague gesture with her hand, avoiding the s-e-x word a second time. When a burst of laughter escaped her then, it actually made Wade jump a little.

"It's kind of insane, isn't it?" she said, shaking her head. "You, with the reputation you have, and me being the one to... And you say I'm not a horrible person."

"At least you didn't cheat on anybody."

Wade almost regretted the words the moment they were out of his mouth, half-afraid that he just made a bad situation worse, but apparently not.

Zoe sighed heavily, wiping her cheeks with the backs of her hands.

"We really are a couple of screw ups."

"Any ideas on what we do about that, doc?"

"Maybe," she admitted, meeting his gaze one more time. "Look, I'm going away for a while, to New York. My friend is getting married and I was going for the wedding anyway, but I think I might stay longer. If I can get a job, well, I could be gone all summer."

"All summer?"

"Three months, but that's a good thing, right? I mean, I think we could both use a little time apart. I know we've been apart, but real time and distance, it could help give us some perspective."

"I thought you got that from all your thinking last night."

"I got some. Enough to know why I've been acting like an even crazier person than usual these past few months," she said with another small smile. "I realised that there was no way you could've hurt me as much as you did if I... if I didn't love you, and I do, Wade. I love you and I'm hoping that somehow, one day, we'll both be able to move forward and figure this whole mess out, because I don't know about you but I would really like a second chance at us."

She rushed it out so fast, he almost thought he heard wrong, but no. She said she loved him, that was what he heard, and then the words 'second chance.' For a second, Wade wondered if he was dreaming.

"Second chance sounds good," he said, more softly than he meant to.

She moved in closer, reached up to plant a kiss on his cheek, and he knew it was all real.

"So, in three months, we'll see," she said, stepping back again.

"We'll see," he agreed, nodding his head, watching her back up to the edge of the porch. "Take care of yourself, doc."

"You too," she replied, with a little wave, before she turned and walked away.

"How you doin' there, Wade?"

"I'm fine, Lemon," he snapped at her, focusing all his attention on cleaning the bar top just a little too vigorously.

It was late on Monday, just three days since Zoe had upped and left for New York and already he was missing her like hell.

"I was just askin'," said Lemon in a small voice, so unlike herself that Wade actually felt bad.

He should be nicer. She really had been trying the last couple of days, trying to be kind because she knew how things were with him and Zoe, how these three months were likely to tear him in half if he wasn't careful. Looking up from his work, he met her eyes and forced a smile.

"I'm doing okay," he promised her. "Thanks for askin'."

She smiled back at him and then her eyes flew to the door as it opened. Wade wasn't really paying attention anymore, not until Lemon spoke again.

"Well, I think in a minute you might be doing a whole lot better."

"What's that now?"

Wade was watching Lemon, waiting for her to answer his question but she just upped and walked away. He never noticed who had come in and sat down on the stool until she ordered her drink.

"White wine please, bartender?"

With wide eyes, he turned slowly to see her sitting there, all big brown eyes and that familiar smile he had missed so much, long before she ever went away. Nodding his head, he reached for a glass and the wine bottle, pouring her drink and placing it before her.

"Wow. Those three months sure did go fast," he said, smiling as he watched her blush.

"They do say time flies when you're having fun," said Zoe, sipping from her glass, "not that I had much fun. The truth is there was really nothing keeping me in New York, and lots of things seemed to be calling me back to Bluebell."

"Lots of things?"

"One thing more than most," Zoe confessed, glancing up to meet his eyes. "Look, Wade, what happened with us... You were right, we both screwed up, but I know now that I can forgive you for your part, and I can learn to trust you again, so if you can forgive-"

He couldn't listen to any more of what she had to say, there was no way. Wade just had to be kissing Zoe right then, he couldn't stand to wait another second. The bar between them made it kind of uncomfortable, but that didn't matter, he was kissing Zoe Hart again, after way too long without.

"I already forgave you a long time ago, doc," he promised when they parted. "I was just waiting on you."

"It took a little while," she said, her hand at his cheek, "but not as long as I thought. Three months suddenly felt like a lifetime and I just couldn't wait that long."

"Welcome home, Zoe Hart," he said, moving in to kiss her again with a smile on his lips.

They loved each other, they had forgiven each other, and for now, all was very much right in the world.

The End