A/N: This chapter is all Wade/Zoe. Exploring her pain, how he handles her pain and now his. This was a little heavy to write. I hope I gave an accurate description of what might actually happen. Please review this chapter. I have never written this story line before. I would appreciate feedback. Feel free to Private message me if you don't want it on the review.

CHAPTER 8 Information Overload

Thankful that she hadn't cancelled me from her life, I went to the local flower shop and bought her a bouquet of flowers, Gerber daisies, my mom used to grow Gerber daisies. They are bright, cheery, round and full of life, exactly what I wanted for Zoe Hart. I would put them on her nightstand and let it be a surprise.

It's been a couple of days but slowly I think she is letting some happiness back into her life. It is just a sliver. She still hasn't told me why she left. I know these past few days have been better for me, just knowing I am near her.

Last night was the first night that we hadn't fallen to sleep on the couch listening to each other breathe. She knocked on my door around two in the morning. "Wade, can I come in?"

"Umm yeah"

"I can't hear you breathe from my room"

"Where do you want me?" I asked.

"Can I come in here with you?"

"Come 'ere" as I moved from the middle. "You get under the covers and I will stay on top because I am not used to this electric heat. It's hotter than Bluebell."

She knew I was lying, making an excuse so she didn't have to. The way she stared at the bed and wouldn't look at me. It hit me, her issue was with sex. All I cared about was taking care of her. She would eventually tell me. I held her hand until it slipped out as her body relaxed the smallest amount. I didn't hold her, something was telling me not to.

"Wade, the daisies are perfect." I smiled myself to sleep with Zoe talking to me.

XXXXX

"So are you off to the therapist?"

"What?" She sounded shocked.

"I just assumed you were seeing a therapist. I wasn't trying to pry."

My fingers grabbed the tips of hers. "I'm sorry"

"I don't want you to think I am crazy."

"Zoe, I went to therapy when my mom died. It's ok"

"I know. I am a doctor. I know that." She said offended.

I leaned against the wall in the hallway. "Do you want me to go with you? I can wait outside. Maybe we could grab lunch or that bagel?"

"Wade, not yet."

I shook my head, said "okay. I think I may go to see some sites this week. Anything really close by?"

"Not really but there is a great little pizza place, about three blocks away. Would you want to pick us up lunch? I should be home by one."

"I would love to Zoe Hart."

We ate pizza and I drank a Corona. One thing I love with beer is pizza. I had also bought a bottle of Zoe's favorite wine. I asked her Wine or Diet Coke? She chose wine. We just watched remodeling shows. She asked me if I would fix the carriage house. I took that as a good sign that eventually, we would be back home in Bluebell.

In the evening, I cooked and she read a book. Zoe and I had settled into a little 'family' routine. After dinner, she would take a shower and come out with her hair wet sticking to her back. We would find a movie and she would lean on me. It wasn't cuddling, but it was a closeness that we were both needing. I gently stirred circles on her arm. But tonight, she had something to say.

Zoe didn't look at me and I felt her body tighten. Her shoulder leaned up off my chest just a little. "Wade I was raped."

She kept her body in the exact same place because she was afraid that one of us might break. She said nothing else. I had no idea what to say. My mind was raging. Who would do that to her? Why? How dare they hurt my girl. I felt as if I had been on a rollercoaster, when you go down the big drop and it takes your stomach. Me throwing up was a definite possibility. I finally mustered up the courage to speak.

"Zoe, I am so sorry."

Tears rolled down my cheeks onto her hair. I turned her a little so I could hold her tight. I think she could feel my pain. I wanted to kill whoever did this. I lifted up her chin to look at me. She tried to keep her eyes off of mine but when she finally looked in my eyes, a single tear trailed down her face and she saw rows and rows streaming down my face.

"When? Not in Bluebell?"

She shook her head no. "Eight years ago."

My brain was flashing INFORMATION OVERLOAD but I had to be there and be strong for her. I just kept trying to comfort her. This is so much worse than anything I could have imagined like her getting a job offer here, being homesick, or that she really wanted George and didn't know how to tell me. All of those ideas that I had concocted in my head, paled in comparison to the news she finally delivered.

"Are you ready to tell me more?" She was wordless.

"Zoe you are the strongest person I have ever met. When you are ready, I will listen to you. I will do my best to comfort you and to help you heal. I am here to love you."

Her wet eyes searched my face and she held down my lips with hers. It wasn't a kiss. It was a primal need or at least that is what it felt like. She was giving me her pain to share. I took it willingly.

She laid beside me in the bed. Her under the covers and me on top of them. Grabbing my hand and placing it over and under her sides. I kissed right below her ear and whispered, almost inaudibly, 'I love you". Zoe didn't move. I wanted her to know but I was scared to say it out loud.

I woke before Zoe and made pancakes. She needed her strength to get through this or to accept it. Hell I had no idea what the correct terminology was. My thoughts wandered to who raped her. Was it someone she didn't know, was it someone she did know, was it a boyfriend, was it her dad? There were so many questions. I had to wait for her to give me answers. She didn't have to give me any information. I wasn't even her boyfriend.

If it happened eight years ago, what triggered this relapse, the memories?

Now, more than ever I had to find out where the pictures came from that were leaked to Dash. I knew what I had to do when Zoe went to her therapy session.

"Wade you really don't have to pamper me."

"I'm not, I wanted pancakes. There is also bacon and eggs. Can I make your plate?"

"No I can do it and you are pampering me."

"Zoe, that is a job I will gladly accept for the rest of my life." My eyes were frozen on her. Her smile was a little wider today. I imagine bearing her secret to me was like a weight lifted from her small frame.

"My offer stands to go with you to therapy and wait outside, inside, whatever you need."

"I am trying so hard to heal. Thank you for wanting to come."

"That is all you can ask of yourself." I kissed her cheek and watched her from the windows get in with her driver.

I took my phone out and called Lemon.

"Hey, I need a favor."

"Anything, Wade."

"I need Rose's phone number."

"Rose, why?"

"Don't tell anyone except Jesse. But I am going to find out who sent the pictures to the blog."

"So is that why she ran away, embarrassment."

"No, I don't really know much yet but what she has told me has to stay between me and Zoe. Capisce?"

"Capisce. Magnolia probably has it. I will text you when I have it."

"Lemon, she is in a lot of pain. Please not a word to anyone."

I am sure she hung up more confused than when she picked up the phone.

L- 555-398- 5515 Rose, hope this helps I still don't understand why Rose

W-Thanks, she loves Zoe and I know she will do me this favor.

Ringing, ringing, ringing. Come one rose pick up.

"Hello" Rose said in a whisper.

"Rose this is Wade. Zoe and I need your help."

"Wade I'm in school"

"It's urgent, can you get a hall pass, you are basically Albert Einstein."

"Yes, but definitely not Einstein." I could hear her eyes rolling. "Ok I can talk now."

"Do you still work at The Blawker?"

"yes"

" I need you to find out who sent in each picture of Zoe. They could have come from multiple people. I can't imagine Dash taking that picture of me and Zoe in the bar alone."

"Yeah, I doubt it too. Wade that was incredible. So romantic. Do you know every girl in town wants you. Did you find Zoe?"

"Rose not word to anybody, No One. If you need help getting the info then make up something, do not link to me or Zoe.

"Ok, I will do my best."

"Thanks Rose"

Buzzz, buzz. DOC's name and picture flashes on my screen.

"Hi"

"Hi, do you want to get lunch? I am ready to get out."

"Sure, are you coming back here first or do you want me to meet you."

"Meet me at Trim Dim West 467 Columbia Ave, great Chinese place. We can ride back together."

"Should I leave now?"

She laughed and said "Yes"

Zoe laughed. We are turning a corner. Zoe freaking laughed. "Thank you, God. Thank you. Please continue to give me strength and words to heal her."

I went to my bedroom and splashed on some cologne. I had a date for lunch with the most beautiful doctor. I combed my hair back, put on my Nike's and headed out to my first restaurant in New York City.

She was sitting close to the front. Her dark hair cascaded down her right side of her body. I am glad I brushed my hair as this was much more upscale than I imagined a Chinese restaurant. I will put it this way, nothing like the Wah Mei in Mobile. Zoe grinned at me when I entered.

"Your hair looks great Wade."

I raised my eyebrows and gave her a small grin. "Thanks, combed it." We chuckled under our breath.

"Thanks for inviting me out. This place is nice. What is good? Never mind, you order and surprise me."

She ordered soup dumplings, peking duck and sesame chicken. We enjoyed sharing food and I loved seeing her coming slowly back to life. We both knew that there were very hard conversations to come. She was good with chopsticks and fed me the dumplings. If this counted as a real date, I wasn't sure that it did in Zoe's book, it would qualify as romantic. Afterwards we walked a few blocks and stopped at a bakery. Zoe bought her favorite Black and White Cookies. Zoe called for the car and soon we were back in the comfort of her Manhattan Penthouse.

"What's for dinner?"

"Who said I was cooking dinner?"

"Oh sorry."

"I'm just kidding. How about we cook dinner together?"

"Okay, we have hours before dinner, what do you want to do?"

"To tell the truth, I would love to take a nap." I didn't really want one, but I was hoping she would let me hold her.

"Your place or mine?" she teased.

"Just lead me on" I answered.

"That's the song we danced to, that we got lost in."

"Oh Zoe, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

"Bad, how could you say bad memories?" We sat on the edge of her bed. The daisies had really filled out like her pouty lips.

"Great memories for me but evidently not for you. I just assumed something that night triggered your, huh, umm"

" Rape Wade, I was raped."

"I know God damnit! I want to kill the mother…." I took a few belly breaths that I had learned as a ten year old boy. "Who the hell? How could anyone hurt you Zo? How? and why?"

My muscles were tense, my entire body covered in red heat rash, my eyes hurt from the amount of tears that were falling.

"I was waiting for this to happen. I went through it too. I thought I had gotten through it Wade."

"What did I do to trigger it? I thought I had been conscious of your body. I thought I had treated you and your body with respect. God, Zoe, I never want to hurt you, mentally or physically."

We sat criss cross on her bed facing each other. She said it was a technique she learned in therapy. We held each other's hands to create a safe place for our words and our feelings.

"I was raped multiple times by a person I knew. A person I trusted."

"Zach, your long term boyfriend?"

"No, it wasn't Zach."

"How can I help you?"

"You are doing it? I shouldn't have run away but I needed to see my therapist."

"But why Zoe? That is the part I don't understand. What made these feelings quell back up inside you?"

"When you showed me Dash's blog, at first it didn't register but then you asked WHO would have taken these. I knew it had to be someone we thought of as a friend or friendly. Was someone stalking me, spying on me. It just brought up all those memories."

"So you were stalked by someone you knew and he raped you."

She was so strong. She had made a breakthrough, it was clear. I was a complete disaster trying to comfort her. It was all consuming.

"My doctor was really happy that you came to stay with me. It means the world to me that you did, especially after the way I have treated you the first eight months."

"I am a grown man, I loved your stubborn streak, your sassy attitude. I gave it to you and you gave it back, but one thing you have to admit. I was always there for you, demonstrating how much I cared even though I couldn't express it. If you are able, can you tell me everything and stop if you can't. Start from the beginning."

She took a deep breath and scooted her crossed legs as close to mine as she could get. Our heads met in the center to give each other a soft kiss before reliving her nightmare.

"I was in college, undergrad. There was an opportunity to shadow a young promising surgeon so my dad set it up. I worked for about a month before he began making suggestions to me. At first I smiled and then winced behind his back. I began thinking I was seeing him lurking around even though I could never prove it. I tried to stay as far away as I could but at work he was professional. He stalked me at a disco tech bar where it was loud and the strode lights made it difficult to see clearly. I left my friends and said I was getting a taxi back to the apartment."

Her hands began to tremble, her bottom lip started to bleed where she had been biting it so hard over the last two weeks. I kissed the blood from her lips.

"I am here, never leaving you. Be open and we will make it."

Her sniffling continued. "He found me outside and said he was looking for me because he had an emergency surgery and knew I would want to sit in. He said he had hear me talking on the phone to his friends and he was nearby so when I didn't answer my phone, he came to get me. NOT TRUE. It was almost one in the morning but in New York that happens all the time. The cab took us back to the hospital. He said we should scrub up. I wasn't in med school yet so I didn't know the protocols.

We entered the OR. We were as sterile as sterile could be, which I am guessing was a turn on for him."

"Bastard."

"He cornered me against an OR table. I asked when the patient would be in and he called me some names like naïve bitch, etc. He ripped off my scrubs, literally tore my scrub pants off of me. Just tore them in two pieces Wade."

Her face looked like a river was running through it. My thumbs tried to wipe her tears away but they were being replaced so quickly with new ones.

"Zoe, I love you. Did you hear me last night? I love you?"

"That is how I knew I could tell you my story, my history. There are so many reasons for things I have done but those will have to wait for another night. I need you to know the depths of my trauma."

I shook my head urging her to continue. The whole time, caressing her knees, her arms her face.

He threw me against the table. My back side was facing him. He held my hands so I couldn't fight. I tried so hard to fight. He raped me from the back and then again by throwing me on the floor from the front. My legs were trying to kick but my body went into shock so I ended up laying there, it wasn't long the second time. He pitched my clothes to me and said, "Yeah I think you have what it takes for med school."

"He left the room and I tried to tie my scrubs together so no one would see when I walked out. I was so ashamed, Wade."

"God baby, I am sorry you have to relive this for me."

"It's for both of us. I want there to be an US. There can only be an us, if you know everything.

"What happened next but only if you feel like going on?"

"I came home to my mom's apartment, not this one. Stayed in the shower for at least an hour. No one was home as usual, I had no one to tell, no one that cared enough about me to lean on. I have been very lonely for a long time and this shoved me into the depths of depression. I called my dad and left a message for him to call. He didn't call me back for a week. By then I was mad, thought it would embarrass him since he got me the position. My mom called the next day but blew me off , so I didn't tell her. Mom was gone for a few weeks. Granted I did not tell either of them but they should have known by the tone of my voice. They should have known Wade. Like you did. You knew something wasn't right and we hadn't been together 2 weeks even."

I quickly, uncrossed her legs and sat her facing me on my lap with her legs spread around me. I had to drink her in. I wanted her to know she was loved. Her insides, her heart, her soul, her love, her pain. I loved it all and would treat it as delicately as I needed and as she wanted.

"So, did he rape you after that?'

"Yes, he stalked me, following me to my own apartment and pushed his way in. He said he was there for another piece of ass. I hate that term to this day. It is so vile, so disrespectful."

I nodded in agreement.

"I tried to push him out, but then I wasn't probably 95 pounds. His breath was disgusting, his hands were rough, all over me as I screamed until he put a handkerchief in my mouth. He slapped my face several times and pushed me into my stereo stand. I kept trying to reach for something to hit him over the head but then he was done. As he left, he showed me pictures he had taken of me in the locker room naked, changing, in my bedroom sometimes naked sometimes touching myself in my bedroom. He said 'If you ever tell a soul, you will not be a cardio thoracic surgeon. In fact, you probably won't get into med school."

"Jesus Zoe, and you have carried all of this around by yourself?"

Her eyes fell and she leaned her head over my shoulder hugging me as tight as she could.

That's enough for tonight. Why don't you take a shower and I will get started on dinner. "

"Can we just lay here for a little bit and then we can do dinner later. I just need to be with you. Will you get under the covers with me in our pajamas or your boxers?"

"I brought lounge pants, will that be okay?"

Our emotions were so high, mine were so raw and new. Hers were sad and still very painful. She has been dealing with this for so long. None of this was her fault or my fault but we were left to deal with the wreckage of our hearts. I lowered myself into the bed. She laid on her stomach with one arm bent beneath her head and the arm closest to me, laid straight with the palm of her hand pressed between my leg and the sheet. Her head on its side looking at me, she said lovingly, "I don't know what I would do without you."

"Me either"

Neither of us anticipated being able to fall asleep but our heads and bodies longed for rest. I tried to roll out of bed without waking her up but she tugged at my pants.

"A few more minutes" she said

"I will stay in here all night. No place I would rather be. Zoe."

We stayed there all night long. I got up once to make us a tray of fruit and cheese and grab some water. Our words were sparse. Our hearts still ached but now I knew her pain. I could help her carry it. She had someone to confide in, someone who loves her and understands her better than anyone.