A/N: So, y'all were a little surprised by how well Brick took the news about Zoe, huh? Well, I thought it'd be nice if they got along from the get-go in this world, not least because I really wanted Zoe to feel welcome in Bluebell from the start. You know that's all that Wade wants too, right? ;)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 27

Zoe didn't think the town of Bluebell could welcome her and love her any more than they already had when they believed she was Wade's girlfriend. Of course, that fact was still true and most were still amazed that any woman could possibly get Wade Kinsella to commit in any way at all, but when they found out she was Harley Wilkes daughter, Zoe really had not been ready for that particular outpouring of love.

"Oh, now I know why you look so familiar!" Shula Whittaker declared with a wide smile. "You got those same kind eyes."

"Any child born of dear old Harley is more than welcome in our town," Delma Warner insisted. "You ever need anythin', honey, you just come to me, you hear?"

"Lord knows, Dr Wilkes took care of us all for years enough," Wanda said happily. "I can hardly believe he went ahead and got himself a daughter and never said a word, but Zoe, you won't find a person in this town that didn't love your daddy."

Everybody was kind, just every person that she came across. From Lemon Breeland and Annabeth Nass - who Wade assured her were two women he had been close to a while in nothing but a brother-sister type fashion - to Lavon Hayes, who Zoe was still bowled over by, something that amused the ex-NFL player to no end.

"Seriously, everybody in this town is making such a big deal out of me being a local doctor's daughter, when they live in the same place as you, Lavon Hayes, the linebacker!" she told him across the breakfast table. "How are you not a bigger deal than me?"

Lavon chuckled into his orange juice. "I guess 'cause I was born and raised around here. No matter what I went out and did for the Tide or in the NFL, I'm still just the kid they all saw raised up from a baby. Now, you, Miss Zoe Hart, you are somethin' special 'cause they never saw you comin'," he insisted, as he got up to fetch more coffee and refilled the cups. "Not only are you a doctorin' legacy from the great Harley Wilkes, who was a much-beloved citizen of Bluebell for all his years, but you are also the same miracle woman who tamed the wild ways of one Wade Kinsella."

The way he said it more than the words themselves made Zoe laugh out loud. Though she was aware of Wade's reputation before she came along, she really didn't see what she had done as such an amazing feat.

All she did was fall for a guy who had apparently fallen for her too. That meant they were committed to each other, monogamous because they wanted to be. When love was involved, she couldn't see how anyone could be anything else. Well, she could see how others could, because her mom was practically known for it, but Zoe herself could never be that way. Apparently, in the right relationship, Wade could be just as committed as she could, and that was a very good thing.

"What?" the man himself asked as he came through the door, clearly wondering why Zoe and Lavon were staring at him in such a way.

"We was just talking about you," said Lavon with a grin. "All good, I swear."

"Like there's anythin' bad to say." Wade smirked right back at him. "You about ready to go, doc?" he asked Zoe then.

"Oh, yeah, I guess so," she said, looking down at her plate and finding it empty.

Zoe took one more long drink from her coffee cup and then set it back on the table. That was it, her last Bluebell breakfast. Today, they flew back to New York to resume real life. Strange then that the more she thought about it, the less Zoe was convinced she was ready for reality and all it brought with it.

"Doc? Hey, Zoe?"

Only when Wade's hand landed on her arm did she become completely aware that he was speaking to her again. Looking up at him with wide open eyes, she apologised for zoning out.

"Sorry, I don't even know what's the matter with me. Um, we're going through town before the airport, right? I promised to say goodbye to Lemon and Brick, and Annabeth... and Tom and Wanda. Also, your dad."

"Geez, we better leave right now or we're never gonna get out of here." Wade rolled his eyes, even as he wrapped his arm around Zoe's back and kissed the top of her head. "You sure have made a lot of friends real fast, doc."

"They're nice people and they love me," she told him, shrugging her shoulders.

"Yeah, well," Wade considered as they headed for the door, "I speak from experience when I say that ain't hard to do."

Just as he had suggested, they set off immediately, with Lavon playing chauffeur, of course. They headed through town, like Wade promised, and just about everybody wanted a personal goodbye from both him and Zoe.

Brick made promises to take care of the practice in Zoe's absence and she promised to let him know the minute she made any decisions about how to move forward with that situation. Lemon was looking for other vows to be made to her, wanting to be sure both Wade and Zoe would be back to visit again very soon.

AB cried as she hugged them both goodbye for now. Tom and Wanda did the same. George said he hoped to come visiting in New York with them soon and maybe he would even bring Tansy. Every person in town had something to say, love and best wishes to give, hugs they were determined to get.

It was really something to see as everyone poured all their usual goodness onto Zoe, acting as if she was as much part of Bluebell as Wade was himself. He didn't mind it at all. In fact, he hoped she felt all that love and support and everything. Hoped she started to crave it just like he did when he was away too long. He wasn't so sure it would happen, but man, did he ever hope.

Their last stop before heading out of town was at old Earl's shack. Wade figured his dad deserved to be the one who got the final, most important farewell if anybody did. No sooner had Lavon pulled the car up outside the house than the old man was there on the porch, opening his arms to Zoe rather than his son and hugging her tight.

"You take good care of my boy now, you hear me, pretty doctor?" he said definitely. "I know he thinks he's all smart and fanciful, livin' in the big city, but believe me, he needs somebody to watch out for him sometimes."

"I promise, I will keep my eye on him for you," Zoe swore as they parted, her glancing at Wade and giggling some.

"You know, I used to think they called you Crazy Earl because o' your drinkin'," he told his father with a look. "Now, I ain't so sure that's all it was. Maybe you're just crazy as all get out either way."

Earl only laughed at what was clearly a good-natured remark, reaching to hug his son. Wade hugged him back without pause, patting him on the back and promising he would be back to visit again real soon.

"You take care of yourself now, you hear?"

"Hey, I managed the last time you went off to be all famous and important, I can do it again," Earl insisted. "I will be fine," he added more firmly when Wade was sure his own expression showed a hint of doubt.

It had been a while now since Earl got sober and stayed that way, but there was always that worry in the back of Wade's mind. Falling off the wagon came all too easy to some, he really did not want to see his dad go down that road again.

"Wade?" Zoe prompted when he had clearly been stood staring too long. "The plane?" she reminded him as he glanced her way.

"Right, gotta catch that flight," he agreed, saying one last goodbye to Earl before they got back in the car and headed for the airport.

Wade concentrated on the view flying by the window and where he was headed, trying not to give too much thought to what he was leaving behind. The first time he left Bluebell for New York, he had been with the band. They were all so damn excited about what happened next, about playing their music to big crowds of strangers, recording an album, getting rich and famous, Wade hadn't given too much thought to the people, the familiarity, the whole life he was leaving behind. It was strange how it was hitting him harder this time, even though he still had Zoe, even though he knew this wasn't forever.

Maybe that was the problem. Going back to New York after coming away from it, seeing everybody and everything he held dear, it felt like that much more of a wrench because he was actually calling the city home now. More importantly, Zoe was calling it home. She saw Bluebell as a vacation spot, somewhere to visit every now and then, but New York, that was where she belonged. Wade wasn't so sure he would ever feel quite so at home there as she did, but what did that mean for the future?

"Wow, I did not expect this to happen," Zoe said then, blowing her nose hard into a wad of tissue. "I mean, I want to go home. I really, really do," she insisted, even as she cried. "It's just... everybody in Bluebell is so nice. It's such a beautiful place and... oh my God, what is the matter with me?" she asked, laughing as much as crying by then, clearly feeling pretty stupid about her unexpected crying jag.

"You been through a lot these past few weeks, doc," Wade reminded her, reaching out to take a hold of her hand across the backseat. "Ain't so weird that it's catchin' up to you now, I guess. 'Sides, you ain't wrong about Bluebell. Crazy as that place can get, you're right, it's full of pretty decent folks. People who wanna love and take care of just about everybody that comes their way."

"I never really thought... I mean, you told me all those stories, and it's not like I didn't believe you," Zoe insisted. "It's just... I don't know, I guess it's hard to understand until you actually experience it. New York is all I've ever known. It's not a community in the same way. You just don't know your neighbours there. Now, I feel like... like I made a whole family in the space of a week, and I know that sounds so weird..."

"Not to me, Zoe." Wade shook his head. "I mean, I can't speak for other small towns, not down south or up north, but Bluebell is pretty special. You're not wrong that it feels a lot like a family most of the time. After my momma passed on and Jesse left home and old Earl... well, you know. After all that happened, there was pretty much just me, some skinny kid with no place to turn for help, 'cept that help came to me. Every person in that town stepped up and did their best by me, no questions asked. They raised me, I guess, every single one of 'em."

"Including Harley Wilkes?" Zoe asked curiously.

Wade smiled as he spared her a glance. "He did his part," he assured her. "You had yourself a real good daddy, Zoe Hart. I'm just sorry you never got the chance to meet him in person."

"Me too," she said, sniffling some yet, "but at least I got to meet everybody else. All those people who knew him and loved him. They love you too, you know? You are seriously beloved."

"Like you're not." Wade rolled his eyes. "Between you bein' Harley's daughter and comin' along to town on my arm, you're prob'ly the most popular woman ever to walk the streets o' Bluebell, doc. Hell, next time we go back, they'll probably have erected a state to you in town square!"

Zoe laughed at that, which she was supposed to, quite honestly. Not that it would exactly shock Wade if that was exactly what happened. Bluebell was nutty enough sometimes, they might just put a life-size marble version of Zoe right up there by the gazebo. Probably not though.

"I hope we can go back again soon," said Zoe then, sighing as she took her turn at looking out of the window at the view flying by.

"Sure thing, doc," Wade agreed easily, smiling maybe a little too much.

Was this the same woman who, just two days ago, was telling him she couldn't wait to get home? Now she seemed all kinds of sorry to leave, but Wade had to wonder how long that could really last. When they got back up north, Zoe would probably get comfortable again, maybe even forget all about her wish to head back down Bluebell way.

Wade shook his head and concentrated on whatever Lavon was calling back to him now, having missed the first part already. No use worrying about things until they actually happened, he supposed. They were headed to New York for now. Zoe had her doctoring to get back to and Wade was aware he had an album to promote and gigs to play - Brad had pretty much been blowing up his phone for a couple of days straight with all that information.

Home would have to wait and future plans must be put on hold. New York and work was what mattered right now, but as the radio began playing another country favourite, Wade couldn't help but wonder if he wasn't headed in completely the wrong direction, both literally and in his life in general.

To Be Continued...