I have one more chapter planned for the summer and onto Season 2 we will go. And I promise you that the Wade cheating storyline won't be brought into this story as I don't like it and I don't have a place for it. I'm going to try to get the next chapter up within the next week or so. Enjoy.


She enjoyed getting to know the city she once loved all over again with Wade by her side. It made the city feel more intimate. Visiting places they've never been to; making plenty of memories to told on to, revisiting places they shared when they were in the city for Jesse's wedding. When they were together the city wasn't nearly as big it seemed to be.

"Do you really think that your dad is going to make the move?" He questioned. They were curled up on the couch watching a movie, waiting for Jesse and Calla to get back from their date. It made sense to wait up rather than go to bed in case Calla happened to go into labor. They wanted to be ready so they could be there for them.

"I don't have a single doubt about it," she told him. "I can see that he loves her. And it's not a love that I have seen him have growing up over the years with his other girlfriend's. Thelma is different and it shows. I want him to be happy, I do," she smiled. "He doesn't have me to take care of anymore so that does give him the right to move on and not worry about his daughter," she shrugged, closing her eyes not wanting her tears to fall, because as much as she is okay with her dad moving away, even with it being 8 hours away, it was still tough because she would miss having him around all the time. Now she can truly understand how he felt when she went away to college and when she called New York home.

"Your dad is going to worry about you no matter the distance between the two of you, whether it be next door or the world. Him moving won't change the worry he has over you. That will stick with him, Zo," Wade told her, pressing a soft kiss to the crown of her head.

"I know," she sighed. "And I do think he feels better about the move because I am with you. And he knows that you won't let anything happen to me, not if you can help it, that is," she smiled, looking up at him.

"I won't let anything happen to you, Zoe," he stated, locking his gaze with hers. "You are perfectly safe with me," he promised, sealing it with a kiss.

"Am I?" She smiled, breaking the kiss. She knew that it couldn't work the way he wanted it too. Things would happen and they would fight and she would get hurt, he would get hurt. It isn't something that they can help or stop before it happens. It is something that is going to happen because they can't change who they are and agree on every little thing in their lives.

"Are you doubting me?" He questioned half teasing and half serious. He wasn't stupid, he couldn't keep her from safe from everything, but he would try his damnedest to try. "I am your safe haven among the bleak blackness," he told her.

"Bleak blackness?" She questioned with a smile. "I don't know how many dark days are ahead of me, but I take comfort in the fact that you will be there at the end of the tunnel or road, whichever really, to hold me until everything is good once more," she sweetly and sincerely told him, putting her faith in him.

"I'll be there to catch you and hold you," he promised. "Lighting your way."

"You know I'll do the same for you, right?" She asked him. "Be the light you need on the darkest of days," she assured him. "I love you, Wade Kinsella," she smiled, lightly pressing her lips against his.

"As I love you, Zoe Wilkes," he returned the sentiment, a grin on his face long after they broke the kiss.


Zoe stretched the next morning, keeping her eyes closed feeling the sun streaming in from the window. She frowned finding the bed empty. Opening her eyes revealed that it is a quarter past 9 in the morning. From her spot in the guest bed, she didn't hear any noise come from the house. She couldn't hear water running, she couldn't hear hushed tones down the hall, she couldn't hear the TV playing the morning news. Other than the static in her own ears from the quietness of the house there was nothing else. She frowned looking for a note left by her boyfriend. With no such luck, she didn't see a note as there just wasn't one. No missed messages on her phone indicated that she would need to take this search of hers further from the spot she is in.

Before leaving the room, she changed into shorts and a tank top, pulling her hair up to keep it off her face and neck, with the heat that would soon be heating her up.

"This is where you all disappeared to," Zoe commented stepping outside, seeing her best friend sitting in the shade, her feet in kiddie pool of cold water. Her boyfriend and his brother, moving things around the backyard.

"Yep," Wade commented, getting the grill in a better spot for the day's use. "We're ready to get the days events started," he said, coming over to sweep Zoe into a good morning kiss. "You looked rather peaceful this morning, so peaceful that I couldn't wake you," he shared quietly.

"I don't mind," she told him. "What are the events of the day?" She questioned, moving to sit in the vacant chair by Calla, letting her own feet cool off in the water, the sun already making the day a hot one without it being fully in the sky.

"I am sure it's not as eventful as Bluebell is," Wade teased. "But we have a backyard party, games to be played before we watch the fireworks light up the night sky," Wade told her.

"Plenty of food to be shared," Jesse pipped up. "It's an event you'll be happy to partake in," he laughed.

"Now I don't know about that," Zoe laughed. "I have been the winner of the hula hoop contest for five years in a row," she gloated. "And I've won the patriotic race more times than I have lost," she stated.

"I think I might need to be seeing this next year," Wade laughed. "Then I can beat you at that patriotic race," he smirked.

"Or we could just work together," Zoe stated. "It is a team event," she shared.

"That way you don't have to lose to your girlfriend, little brother," Jesse laughed.

"Can't deny that logic," Wade shrugged, glaring at his brother. "We're not kids anymore you don't need to be calling me little brother," he grumbled.

"That'll be your kids," Zoe laughed pointing at the two brothers who were two seconds away from actually fighting on the ground.

"If things with Wade get any more serious, that'll be your kids as well," Calla stated, very little teasing to her voice. "I can handle that. At this point I am used to it," she shrugged. "The question remains if you can handle it?" Calla asked her.

"Calla, don't be scaring my girl," Wade said, coming over to sit in the grass in the shade, Jesse plopping down by his wife.

"If anyone here is scaring her, it's the way you're acting with your brother like you're little five year olds," Calla quipped out.

"For the record no one is scaring me," Zoe stated. She knew how kids acted having spent plenty of time babysitting growing up and taking part of running a summer camp for the kids when she was 17 through the church as they needed the help and it would look good on her college applications. She wasn't afraid of having kids that fought with each other. It was her future with Wade that scared her the most as that is the one thing that is the most uncertain. "So a band?" She asked noticing the drums, the guitars, the keyboard and the couple microphones set up in the corner of the back yard. Anything to keep from talking about her future with Wade at the wrong time and wrong place. She wanted to enjoy her day and not worry about a fight with her boyfriend on America's birthday.

"Uh yeah," Wade grinned shyly. "I do think you'll like it," he commented. "It's myself and Jesse," he informed her. "You remember Joel, Hunter and Charlie?" Wade asked her.

"It is hard to forget them," Zoe smiled. They were the only three friends of his she has met, it made it that much easier to remember them. "Who plays what?" She asked. "I know you play the guitar, as I have seen it at the gate house," she says turning her attention to Jesse. "What do you play?"

"Drums," he told her. "Back when the guitar was bigger than Wade we decided that we wanted to start a band. Only problem we didn't play instruments. So we had to beg and plead for lessons. They lasted for a year and a half," he explained with a heavy sigh. "Took years to pick it up again and then it was only at Wade's pestering," he laughed softly.

"I am not even sorry," Wade chuckled, resting his head against Zoe's legs. "You enjoyed the band as much as the rest of us," he pointed out. Jesse laughed, nodding in agreement. "Joel plays guitar, as does Charlie and Hunter plays the keyboard."

They sat around a bit longer until they really needed to be doing something about the backyard before all but Zoe's friends were to arrive for the night.

She easily caught up with Joel talking about how his book could be turned into a movie by next summer. Learnt he has been busy and locked away from any real relationship. Hunter and Charlie found her, wanting to know that she wasn't out to hurt their best friend, before telling her stories of Wade he would never tell her. Zoe filing those stories away for a rainy day she would need them to use against him. She met Tina and Faith, the girlfriends of Hunter and Charlie respectfully.

Later the night went on, she found herself in her boyfriend's arms, swaying to a tune on the stereo. Her head resting against his chest, her shoes never making it to her feet since that morning.

"Is this better than a fourth in Bluebell?" He whispered, laying his head against hers.

"It's close," she smiled. "The tipping factor, I get to be here with the man I love," she told him, pressing a kiss to his bare chest; losing his shirt before noon rolled around.

"Having the woman I love in my arms, is pretty amazing, I must say," he said, kissing her temple.

"I never thought I would see the day any woman would be able to tame the wild one we call a friend," Hunter joked, dancing with his own girlfriend.

"We sure hell didn't freeze over?" Charlie joked, twirling his girlfriend around to be next to them.

"Really funny," Wade deadpanned. "I never had the right woman before," he commented, pulling her closer to him.

"Boys, he's quite the changed man," Joel laughed, having heard the conversation on his way past them.

"Would you all go mind your own business and leave me be with my girl?" He asked looking pointedly at his three friends.

"If we must," Charlie laughed, twirling his girlfriend to a different spot on the makeshift dance floor.

"With as much grief that we give you," Hunter started to say. "We are happy for you. If Zoe can deal with you, then we are happy for you and feel sorry for Zoe," he teased, whisking his girlfriend away.

"Just so you know," Zoe started to say, pulling away from him. "I can deal with you any day of the week all day long. I really don't mind," she smiled.

Wade saw no use in using his words to tell her the same thing, instead he opted out for a better way to tell her, gently pressing his lips to hers. Zoe easily deepening the kiss. The bright colors from the fireworks bursting in the dark sky; casting the blues, reds, and the white colors to sparkle against the dark night sky, making the perfect backdrop for them.

With the fireworks display over and the guests tired, they all called it a night heading to their own homes. Zoe helped to clean up, while Calla headed inside her body sore.

They were halfway finished cleaning the backyard for the night, when they heard Calla screaming for Jesse. Wade and Zoe paid no attention to it after Jesse took off inside the house.

"The rest can wait until morning," Wade told her stifling a yawn. Zoe nodded in agreement, ready to curl up in her boyfriend's embrace and sleep until about noon.

"Yes please," she yawned. "I do want to see if Calla is okay," she said, easily falling into his side, Wade quick to wrap an arm around her; leading her into the house. To see Jesse and Calla at the front door.

"Her water broke," Jesse quickly informed them, trying everything in his power to stay calm for his wife.

"Do you want us to come with you?" Wade asked, ready to jump in and help in any way that he can.

"I'm sure it's going to be awhile yet. The doctor did say it could take hours, so you guys stay here and sleep and come to the hospital at a much better hour. There isn't anything that you can do at this time," Jesse told them. He saw no sense in them coming to sit in the waiting room on hard plastic chairs for hours on end depending on when their baby decided to arrive into the world.

"Okay, let us know," Wade told them, getting the door for his brother and sister.

"Well do," he winced; his wife getting an intense contraction, her hand clamping down on her husband's hand.

Wade and Zoe got very little sleep wondering about Calla, Jesse and their little baby. By the time 7 rolled around they were showered and dressed ready to get the hospital.

They sat in the waiting room quiet more than they talked, waiting on any sort of news from Jesse. Wade had texted him letting him know they were in the waiting room.

What felt like a lifetime later which happened to be about an hour later, Jesse came out smiling like a loon.

"Want to meet your nephew?" Jesse asked, barely able to contain his excitement over his newborn son.

"Heck yes I do," Wade grinned. "A little boy then?" Wade questioned, lacing his hand with Zoe's.

"Yep," Jesse smiled. "Baby and mother are doing great. She is sleeping, so maybe come back later in the day to see her," he suggested. He really wanted his wife to get all the rest she could after bringing their guy into the world.

"Let me see my new little nephew and we'll come back when Calla is awake and alert," Wade told him.

"That little guy," he said pointing to the little boy surrounded by baby girls.

"He's a little heartbreaker already," Zoe commented, leaning into Wade's side. "He is a cute little boy," she gushed.

"Cute?" Wade questioned with a laugh. "More like a badass little handsome dude. He clearly takes after his uncle Wade," he joked.

"I don't know about that," Jesse laughed. "You looked like me as a baby, so he takes after his father," Jesse smirked.

"He has a point," Zoe laughed. "Let Calla know that we will be back later and get the name of your little guy, as I don't think Calla will be too happy if you tell us without her," Zoe said.

"You're right about that," Jesse laughed. "I'll let you know when it is safe to come back," he informed them, starting to walk in the direction of the room his wife happened to be calling hers for the time being.

Wade and Zoe made plans to go back to his brother's place and get a few more hours of sleep before getting food and going back to the hospital later in the day to see Calla and hold the little boy that would forever have a special place in Wade's heart.