She had only been in town for a handful of days. She started off with staying with her father, as that was why she was in town for, to keep an eye on him and take care of him when he needed it, but he was a stubborn old man and convinced Zoe that he didn't need her help. But she stayed close just in case, she didn't like seeing him sick or even injured but she knew enough to let him do things at his own pace giving him the assurance that she was there if he needed the help. Somehow over the days she found herself staying more at Wade's place. It had started out when he'd call her to see how Harley was doing and because he was missing Zoe like mad. He had tried to get away but couldn't find any time where he could escape to come and visit. He had told her the first time he talked to her on the phone that it made more sense if she just moved into his place, that he wanted her there everyday, that when he gave her the key to his place and professed his love to her that he was okay with it and that he wanted her to be at his place, to know that she was at home waiting on him. She didn't give him a straight answer on if she was going to move into his house while she was there or not. She wanted to surprise him if he was ever able to came home while she was there.

Leaving the team behind was hard, but it had only been a stepping stone on what she had really wanted in life. She missed it all and she wished that she could be there for the last few games of the regular season, but when her dad got sick and injured Brick called her worried and there was only one thing that she could do, she took the time off, making sure that someone was able to fill in for her while she was away, no matter how much she was convinced they would be just fine without her she worried they wouldn't be able to fill the hole created when she took off. She had plans of being back the second the team had their first playoff game, there was no way she would miss those games, playoff season was her favorite part of football season.

"I'm not having this fight again," she sighed, sitting across from her dad.

"Then don't," Harley told her, shaking his head. "I'm fine," he said being his stubborn old self.

"No, you're not, dad," Zoe told him with a light sigh. "You have more than a cold and it's not the flu, you're a doctor you know this better than I do, you need to go in, Dad," she begged him. "I can't lose you now. Whether you go in or not, it's not going to change."

"I know," he sighed, closing his eyes. Going in to get it confirmed was bad enough.

"You're a doctor, you're not suppose to be afraid of the hospital," she told him amused helping him up. "How is the wrist today?" She asked him.

"Pain in my damn ass," he grumbled. "I'm not afraid of the hospital, more like terrified of what they're going to find out," he said under his breath. "And not every doctor knows what they're doing," he stated. Zoe sighed trying to keep her composure, because he had been into see the doctor once and he couldn't figure out what was going with her dad, Brick didn't know either and Harley couldn't exactly diagnose himself.

"They should be able to catch it in time, dad. Plenty of people beat it, there's no difference here," she told him, helping him outside to her car. "We need to stay positive about this," she stated in a very demanding tone. She stopped by the car when she heard her father start to laugh. She looked at him like he had just gone crazy. They weren't dealing with a laughing situation, it was serious and she was taking it that way. She found no humor in what they were dealing with. "I don't find any of this funny," she told him with a very serious face, pulling the car door open for her father.

"I know," he said getting his laughter under control. "This situation is very serious, but sweetie we don't even know what's going on, it could just be a virus that I'm having a harder time getting rid of because of my age, doesn't mean I have cancer and it doesn't help that I've been acting like a spoiled little brat," he chuckled with a small cough.

Walking around the car she smiled and let a smile laugh out. It was still serious because she had no idea what was going on with her dad and that scared her greatly, because she wasn't ready to lose him quite yet, but he made a very valid point, they didn't know what was going on and she was jumping to the worst possible thing she could think of. She needed to relax and stay calm until they had the facts laid out for them. "You're right," she said starting the car. "Let's go figure out what's going on before we jump to conclusions and I might need to pull your ear to make you listen," she joked, backing out of the driveway.


"Zoe is going to be pissed," Lavon laughed, sitting down next to his friend. Wade was quick to shake his head.

"No she won't," Wade argued back. She'd be worried and maybe a tad upset that he got injured but she wouldn't be pissed, she knew that injuries were going to happen on the field, she was the team doctor after all.

"What makes you think that?" Lavon questioned him. He enjoyed riling his friends up, especially Wade because it was so easy to do such a thing.

"She's not going to find out," he threatened Lavon and that only made the man laugh harder because they both knew Zoe would find out. "I'm serious, she's got enough going on with her dad, she still can't convince Harley to go in and see what's wrong, I can't add my shit onto her plate as well," he explained with a sigh, dropping his head to his hands.

"I get that you don't want to worry her, but she's your girlfriend, you love her and whether you tell her or not, she's going to find out and she's going to pissed at you that you didn't tell her and she had to find out from someone that wasn't you," Lavon reasoned with him.

"I can't exactly call her up and say hey Doc I bruised my ribs the very same ribs that had just healed from being broken and I'm going to be missing the first playoff game," he said rolling his eyes.

"Maybe not," Lavon chuckled, "but you'll figure it out, you have to. Video chat with her or maybe go back home, you not only need to talk to Zoe about this but you need to have a chat with your family because that whole can of drama is still messing with you. You don't need to be here and our first playoff game isn't for another two weeks and by then she's going to know because she's going to be back and she'll see your medical file because that's something you can't hide from her," Lavon told him standing up.

"Yeah, maybe you're right," Wade said giving in to what he was being told. He didn't want to keep his injury from Zoe, he couldn't lie to her either, he didn't want to lie or keep things from her, she was the type of person that deserved the truth from him but it was more of the fact that he didn't want to make her worry when she had enough to deal with when it came to her father.

With his mind made up he got up and got his things together. With this injury not as serious as the first one he would've been able to stay and practice but because he had just came back from his broken rib injury and was able to play a few games they were going to be extra cautious with him, giving him the chance to go home for the week and see where he was sitting when Sunday rolled around, not that they had a game that day. But telling Zoe in person would be better for the both of them.

"Wade what are you doing here?" Zoe asked when Wade had entered the house, dropping the bag he had by the front door as he pushed it shut, reaching behind him to lock it.

"I could ask you the same thing doc," he smirked. "We need to talk," he told her, watching as her face paled at those words, he cringed at the look that had overtaken his girlfriend's face figuring out he had said the wrong four words to her. He sat down by her, taking her hand in his own, his fingers drawing little circles to the back of her hand. "I can't play until the second game of the playoffs when we make it that far," he started to say. "I did everything you told me to do and in the last game we had a few days ago I took a hit wrong figured I was okay because nothing hurt, the doctor checked me over and I was good, but at practice this morning I took a normal hit and my side was filled with intense pain, I was checked over and I happened to bruise my ribs," he got out, refusing to look away from her brown eyes.

"You're fine and accidents happen," she told him, cupping his face with her free hand. "You're okay that's what matters," she whispered.

"Yeah it is," he told her, his hand tangling in her brown locks, pulling her face close to his. "I love you," was the last words he said as his lips met hers in a much needed kiss.

Zoe laughed breaking the kiss hearing the timer going off. "Hungry?" She asked getting up, pulling him with her. "It's not much just something Lemon brought over earlier today, I followed her directions on how to bake it," she informed him.

"You know me, Doc, I can always eat," he smiled, lightly pushing Zoe to the cupboard with the plates as he took the dish of food from the oven. "It does smell good," he commented, dishing some food onto the plates Zoe was holding.

"That it does," she agreed, taking the plates to the table as Wade got them silverware and something to drink.

"Did you get Harley to the hospital to find out what's wrong with him?" He questioned swallowing the bite of food he had in his mouth. He raised an eyebrow when Zoe broke out into a small laughing fit. "What I miss?"

"Nothing," she told him shaking her head. "We jumped to conclusions when we shouldn't have and he said himself that he was acting like a spoiled brat," she filled him, seeing Wade crack a smile. "But they're not entirely sure what's going on, they ran a bunch of tests and we go back in a few days to find out the results. They ruled out most of the more dangerous things," she informed him. "It's just a waiting game from this point," she sighed.

"That's good that it's not a life threatening thing," he commented, Zoe shook her head. "Don't even think like that Zoe, whatever it is he will be okay," he tried to assure her.

"You don't know that and it could be a bunch of things yet, one life threatening thing after another," she sighed, dropping her fork on her plate, no longer hungry.

"Zoe," he sighed, pulling her hand to him, both of his hands holding onto hers. "I see you finally took my advice in staying here," he smirked. She smiled happy that he had changed the topic of conversation.

"Sometimes it was nice to be here alone especially with a sick and injured father that refused help from anyone, it was a nice escape to be surround by you," she told him a blush creeping over her face.

"Was that suppose to be sweet?" He questioned with a smirk. "Because it sounded awfully creepy and stalkerish," he finished with a straight face. Pulling her hand free she quickly smacked him in the arm. "Must I go have Bill write up a restraining order against you?" He questioned.

"What's going to happen when you're done for the season?" She asked ignoring his joke. "I ask because spending a few nights out of the week together is great, but even though we love each other, I just don't think we're ready to be living together yet," she rattled off.

"Honestly I haven't really thought about it," he told her, leaning forward his forearms resting against the edge of the table. Any moment now their season could be over with, he was confident that his team would make it to the Super bowl but anything could happen out on the gridiron. "We can always find you a nice little place to rent that is if you're really serious about living here." He wasn't going to assume she would be moving to Bluebell, it was one of the few things they hadn't talked about out of their own fear.

"I had planned on spending the summer months with my father, so yeah I'm going to be here, but after that I have to figure out what I want to do. Do I want to go back to being the team doctor next year? Or do I want to work on opening my own practice specializing in sports medicine?" She questioned with a sigh.

"I can't answer that because I don't know what's best for you, only you know," he told her. "But why can't you do both? Why does it have to be one or the other?" He asked.

"Because it's hard to do both, they both need my full attention. I have to pick on or the other," she told him.

"Then we'll figure it out together," he promised her. "Why don't you go over and check on your father and I'll clean up and when you get back we'll crash and watch a movie, okay?"

"Now that's something I can do, but it's my turn to pick the movie since you made me sit through 7 seasons of your favorite show," she warned him.

"You were into it, you laughed a lot and cried more than once while watching the show," he tossed right back. "Besides it was a badass show, there was doctor stuff in it," here smirked.

"How can you not cry when you follow the dude for 7 seasons only for the dude to off himself in the end, that's not a very happy ending," she protested. "Yeah a psychotic doctor by the end which was a little understanding, considering."

"Babe, not everything has a happy ending and he had to do it for his sons," Wade said, pulling her into his arms for a hug. "Just like she was trying to do."

"I know it was the ultimate sacrifice. That doesn't mean I have to like the ending," she replied, pulling away. Wade smiled tenderly kissing her soft velvety lips.

Harley was already sleeping when Zoe made it over to check on him. She did clean up after him, when he felt good enough to actually move around by himself. She didn't like to leave him alone but with the way he had been acting she needed the escape. But she shouldn't feel bad as she was nearly always there to check on him. Some days he'd be fine and the next he could hardly get out of bed.

"How was he?" Wade asked, getting everything set up. All that needed to done was for Zoe to pick out the movie.

"He was sleeping so I just cleaned up a little. Figured I'd go over in the morning and see how he's feeling and then maybe together we can see if there's anywhere to rent," she suggested.

"Now that sounds like a plan," he smiled. "Which movie?" She smirked, slipping her shoes off. "You're going to make me watch Dirty Dancing again, aren't you?" He questioned with a small groan.

"You do love me," she commented with a shrug.

"Yeah I do," he smiled, getting the movie ready.

Zoe smiled snuggling into his side when he joined her on the couch, ready for a relaxing night in with the man she loved.


Over the next week Wade had to head back to Charlotte, but before he had left he had helped Zoe try to find a place to rent in Bluebell, but out of the few places she did see there was nothing that she had liked. She had tried to keep an open mind about each place but they just weren't the place for her and for now that was okay because she still had time and if she had too she could always stay with her dad liked she had planned until she found a place to rent.

"What did the doctor have to say?" Zoe asked when her father joined her in the waiting room of the hospital.

"Out of everything that could be wrong we were off because it's nothing serious," he informed her, sitting down next to her. She turned to look at him curious to know what was wrong with her father. "Turns out the new medication they had put me on, was wrecking havoc on me, so I've been taken off of it. That's why when I was too sick to take my medicine I'd be fine later in the day." Zoe shook her head, tossing her arms around her father, happy to know that nothing was wrong with him and it was as simple as change him back to his old medicine.

"That is such a relief," she said with a smile. Now that she knew nothing major was wrong with her dad she would be able to go back to work feeling better about leaving him, she loved her dad and spending the last couple of weeks with him had been fun even if he was sick for the most part of it, but she missed work. "They say anything about the wrist?"

"No, I didn't even ask, I do know a thing or two about broken bones, Zoe," Harley smirked, getting up. "Why don't we get something to eat and spent the afternoon together before you jump on a plane and hightail it out of here," he suggested.

"Think you're up to that?" She asked him. They may have found the problem to why he was getting sick, but it was still going to take a few days for him to be totally fine.

"I know I am," he stated, turning on his heel and walking from the waiting room, making Zoe easily catch up to him.


After getting back to work the days quickly passed her by. She had a lot that she needed to catch up on from when she was gone, needing to go over the files of each player, making sure that each player that had been in to see the doctor while she was way was good to go for the playoff game in just a short few days. Each person that had been injured from any point in the year she had seen wanting to go over their injury to see how the player was doing and how the injury was healing up.

Playoff games came and went, each one more intense than the previous one knowing that each game won meant they were that much closer to making it to the Super bowl, the one game every person on every team wanted to be at and not only that it was the game they all wanted to win, to hold the Lombardi trophy saying that they had the best team in the league that year, to leave their mark in football history.

Wade had been cleared to play again and he was on a roll out there on the field looking better than ever, that didn't mean that Zoe didn't flinch every time his body had connected with another body on the opposing team, her breath always held until he was on his feet back in the huddle with his teammates.

Zoe found that the most nerve wrecking game so far had been the NFC (National Football Conference) championship game, to name what team would be heading to the Super Bowl to go against the team that had won the AFC (American Football Conference). They had put the victory in and it was one heck of a celebration that night before they had to get serious and focus on what was going to be the hardest game they would be playing all year around.

Wade and Zoe had shared low key dates together relaxing from the training sessions that Wade was putting in, he was by far too tired to do much of anything other than stay in and Zoe was okay with that because she knew how important the Super bowl was to him, what she didn't like was how he kept pushing himself harder than he had the previous day, she warned him daily to slow down and he was only going to hurt himself in the long run, her words just never seemed to register in his head and it had been frustrating for her. She didn't want to see him injury himself before the big game was able to come around. But he had heard his girlfriend and slowed down his own workout more for her than it was for him because he had quickly came to realize that there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for Zoe.

The day they had been waiting for, the day they had counted down too, the game they had been playing for was upon them and spirits were high in the locker room. It was easy to get caught up in the happy and excited feeling as it floated around the room with a hint of nervousness mixed in. Everything they had done all year had came down to this one game, they had 4 quarters to play and their season would be over and they were going to take that trophy with them, they were the best team in the League.

The first half of the game had gone in their favor; they were up by two touchdowns. Zoe found herself busy during halftime tending to some of the players they had gotten hurt during the first half, none were serious and after a good wrap job they would be good to play the second half.

"You're ribs feeling okay?" Zoe asked when Wade stepped into her office. Even though his ribs were healed from both injuries, she kept a close eye on them at all times of the day even when they were at one of their places; it was the doctor in her wanting her boyfriend to healthy.

"They're fine, I'm fine," he told her. "You doing okay?"

Zoe laughed rolling her eyes. "I'm not the one out there on the field with a bunch of guys trying to knock me down, you are," she reminded him.

"How can I forget that," he chuckled. "I'm good really, ready to get this game over with so I can celebrate this win in style with my sexy doctor," he winked walking from the office leaving a red-faced Zoe behind.

The second half of the game started off good but for Zoe it had quickly became a nightmare. Wade had the ball but he had been tackled hard, his helmet coming off and he wasn't getting up. She was scared but she had a job to do, she had to figure what was wrong with Wade.


Wow, when I started this chapter I wasn't expecting it to be this long, but it all just came out, I actually had another scene for this chapter planned out, but I couldn't find the right place for that to fit in at. I do however feel that the last part of this story is a bit rushed, but I couldn't get it out the way I had planned it to go in my head.

I'm really sorry to leave you all with this kind of a cliff hanger but I had plans of getting the final chapter up on Friday for all of you but I realized I'm not going to be home long enough on Friday to finish writing the chapter, I will try my hardest to get this story wrapped for you all on Monday as my weekend is busy as well and I'm not going to have time to write, so I'm really sorry about that.

I used what my grandma had gone through for Harley when they changed her to a different kind of medication and I really liked that even though he's a doctor he's not very found of being the patient. And kudos to anyone that figured out that the show Wade and Zoe are going on about is Sons of Anarchy. I love that show and I've been re-watching it at night when I have a spare second to do so.

Anyway I do hope that you all enjoyed this chapter.