Zoe sat up in bed and struggled to make sense of everything that she learned the day before. She had been shot and nearly raped by a crazed lunatic at work, saved from certain death by two mysterious good Samaritans she had never met before, and to top it all of it turns out she's had a long lost father all of these years. A doctor. From Alabama.

"Jeez" she muttered to herself as she stared out the window near her bed. "I missed a lot while I was in that coma."

"Oh" a startled man gasped standing in her doorway. "I… I didn't realize you were awake. It's um… nice to meet you."

"I'm sorry" Zoe replied confused. "I'm not sure who you are."

"Right" he muttered apologetically. "My bad. My name is George. George Tucker."

"The George Tucker that saved my life?" Zoe asked as her eyes widened in awe.

"Yeah" he answered with a grin.

"I- I don't know what to say" she replied flustered by the handsome stranger. "Um… thank you. Thank you so much. If there's anything I can do to make it up to you-"

"Nah" he shrugged. "You don't owe me anything; I did what anyone would've done. I'm just glad that you're feeling better."

"Yeah, I- I am. Thank you" she muttered appreciatively.

"I should get going" he said after an awkward moment of silence. "I'm expecting a call from my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Zoe asked trying to sound casual. "You have a girlfriend?"

"Yeah, her name is Lemon."

"That's a pretty name" Zoe smiled. "What's she like?"

"It's kind of hard to describe Lemon" he grinned. "She's…special to me."

"Well I'm sure she's very nice then."

"When she wants be" he chuckled as he began to walk towards the door.

"Wait-" Zoe called out after him.

"Yeah?" he asked staring at her expectantly.

"I just wanted to thank you again. I really appreciate what you did."

"Really" he chuckled. "It's no big deal."

"But it is" she answered sincerely. "And, I know I have no right; you've already done so much for me, but can I ask you a favor?"

"Of course" he replied urgently as he walked back towards her bed. "Anything. What do you need?"

"I'd like to meet the man who gave me his kidney. Wade Kinsella."

"Why-why do you want to meet him?" George asked nervously as he began to scratch the back of his head.

"Because he saved my life like you did. I got the chance to thank you; I'd like to be able to thank him too. Do you happen to know if he's awake?"

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure he is" he answered nervously. "It's just-"

"What?" Zoe interrupted as her eyes widened. "Oh God, he's okay, right? Nothing happened to him…"

"No, no" George interrupted. "It's nothing like that."

"Then what's wrong?"

George took a sharp intake of breath as he struggled to explain his reservations. "Wade is a little bit of a playboy."

"Playboy?" Zoe repeated; her face wrinkled in confusion.

"I have this friend, Tansy. She's a real sweet girl, and Wade's been jerking her around for years. It's clear she's head over heels for him, and he just sees her as a…booty call."

"Booty call?" Zoe smiled, trying to contain her laugh.

"I know we don't really know each other at all, but I don't know, I just don't want to see you get hurt."

"Well, I appreciate your concern, but there's no damsel in distress here. I am a mature and competent woman, I just want to thank the man, not marry him. He gave me one of his internal organs, but what he chooses to do in his free time with your friend… Tulip?"

"Tansy."

"Right. Tansy. What he chooses to do with Tansy is really none of my business."

"Okay" George shrugged. "You're right. You're a full-grown woman, if you want to meet Wade then you should. How can I help?"

"Well, the thing is I'm really not supposed to be moving around yet. So I'd need a wheelchair, and someone to, you know, kind of- push me over to his room."

"Okay" George smiled at her. "I can do that for you Zoe Hart."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey" George greeted as he entered Wade's room.

"Tucker" Wade muttered bemused. "What's going on buddy? You were just in here a minute ago."

"Well" he explained. "Zoe Hart needed someone to wheel her to your room."

"What?" Wade gasped in horror. "You let Zoe leave her room? She just had major surgery, she shouldn't be movin' around. What were you thinking?"

"She wanted to meet you" George answered in his own defense. "She asked me to help."

"Well if she asked you to help her jump off a bridge would you help her do that?" he snapped back.

"Wade, come on. She really wants to thank you for what you did. She's already here, just hear her out."

Though he was nervous she'd get hurt, Wade really liked the idea that the sleeping beauty he'd met before was so desperate to meet him. "Fine" Wade answered trying to contain his smile. "Let her in."

"Hi" Zoe said nervously as George pushed her in. "I couldn't help but overhear, it really isn't George's fault. It was my idea. So if you're going to be angry at anyone…"

"Don't worry about it" Wade smiled as his eyes widened. She was even prettier than he remembered; her voice was even pretty if that was possible. And she seemed nice. Really nice. The kind of girl you'd bring home to meet the parents.

"I just wanted to thank you, I really appreciate what you did" Zoe continued, as a wide grin spread across her face as well.

"It was no problem" he shrugged. "I'm glad I could help you out."

Zoe paused for a moment unable to think of what to say. He was cute, really cute, and it seemed like he liked her. But when she considered the prospect that he more than likely wouldn't like her anymore if he knew about her messed up past she grew increasingly nervous.

"So anyway… I don't want to take up anymore of your time" she muttered as she looked down at her hands. "I just wanted to say thanks."

"You're not" Wade replied quickly. "Taking up my time I mean." He wanted her to stay, but then he remembered his previous concerns. Zoe needed to be in bed. The thought made his mind drift as he began to picture Zoe in his bed back in Bluebell with that big gorgeous smile and those big brown eyes staring up at him.

"Still- I should go" she said interrupting his wandering thoughts. "But once again, thank you, it was nice to meet you."

"You too" Wade replied confused as he noticed that she was avoiding eye contact. Why had she grown so cold all of the sudden?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What was that about being a mature and competent woman?" George teased on the way back to Zoe's room.

"What are you talking about?" she protested in a voice that sounded much whinier than she intended.

"I saw you in there. Wade didn't have to try; you were totally falling for his charm."

"I was not" she muttered. "And even if I were, what's it to you?"

"I just don't want you getting hurt" he explained.

"I know how to protect myself, I've had to do it for a long time" she snapped suddenly.

"Of course you do" George answered sincerely. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"I know I didn't do a great job at it that night you found me, but I'm not stupid and I'm not naïve. I know exactly how cruel people can be, and I know how it feels to be hurt by them. I'm the last person who needs protecting, you got that?"

"Yeah" George answered confused by her sudden outburst.

"Good" she replied trying to calm herself down. "Because you seem like a cool guy, but if you're going to be my friend I can't have you going into white knight mode all the time just because you saved my life once. I can take care of myself."

"You've made that clear" he smiled, flattered in an odd way that this mysterious girl wanted to be his friend.

"Good, now could you please help me back into bed?" she asked as they finally reached her room.

"Of course" he answered playfully. "I don't want to cross you again. You're kind of scary."

Please Review!