A/N: Okay, time for something different. First off, it's only going to be a short story (7 or 8 chapters, I think). Secondly, it starts before most of the main characters we know and love from Hart of Dixie were even born. However, it will move forward in time as we go along... It's just quite difficult to explain without spoilers! lol Oh, well. Maybe somebody out there will read it and like it despite all of this? I hope so :)

Disclaimer: All recognisable characters and any recognisable dialogue from Hart of Dixie belong to Leila Gerstein and other folks who aren't me.

Chapter 1

July 1981

This was not a place she ever thought to find herself. On a smelly bus driving into a small Alabaman town by the name of Bluebell. It was a long way from the kind of life she was used to. Yellow taxis, high rise buildings, expensive restaurants, but Candice was fast realising that her latest string of decisions had taken her off that high class path she used to know. She made her choices and this is where they had landed her, at least, for now.

When the bus pulled up, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, Candice realised it was her stop. Bluebell was still a couple of miles away, but the driver was insistent he was going no further.

"What do you expect me to do? Walk?" she asked as he turned her off the vehicle and piled her luggage at her feet. "With all this? Don't you realise I-"

The doors closed before she could even finish speaking and the bus drove away, leaving her coughing from the cloud of dust kicked up in it's wake. When she could finally breathe and speak properly again, she pointlesly finished her question.

"Don't you realise I'm pregnant?"

Of course, no-one was there to hear her. Nobody much cared what happened to Candice at this point. She hoped to find one person that might, but it seemed a long walk stood between her and where she might find him. Taking a deep breath, she picked up her luggage, straightened her back, and started to walk.

She hadn't gone too far when a truck appeared in the distance, eventually coming alongside her and slowing to a crawl.

"Hey, there, little lady," said the man behind the wheel. "Can we offer you a ride?"

"No, thank you," said Candice turning her face away. "I'm fine," she lied, knowing it was safer than crawling into a truck with some hillybilly stranger from Nowheresville.

After all, he could be an axe murderer or anything!

"Really, honey, you don't look all that fine," said another voice, female this time. "In fact you look just about ready to drop. I so wish you'd come along with us. We can take you anywhere you wanna go."

Candice looked up then, saw the man at the wheel still smiling at her, and then what she presmued to be his wife on the passenger side, looking at her with genuine concern.

"I'm afraid you'll have to share the back seat with the little one, but I promise, he won't bother you too much," said the kind woman then. "You'll be nice to the poor lady, won't you, Jesse?" she called into the back.

It was only then Candice realised there was a whole family in the vehicle, including a little boy of no more than three, strapped into a child seat in back. They didn't seem at all like axe murderers and, honestly, the heat was starting to get to Candice already. Nodding her head, she thanked them for their kind offer, letting them know she was headed for Bluebell. She allowed the driver to get out and grab her bags for her, while the woman asked for her name and then made introductions to her family.

"My name is Jackie Kinsella, and that there is my husband, Earl. As you just heard, that's our boy Jesse in back," she explained. "Oh, honey, you look so tired. I know that feeling, believe me, but then I have more reason than some, chasing after this critter and carrying around another," she said, her hand on her stomach drawing Candice's attention then.

"You're pregnant too."

She hadn't meant to say that, at least not the last word, it just slipped out. She wasn't showing yet herself, she could've gotten away with keeping it a secret, at least from strangers.

'Too late now,' Candice realised.

"How far along are you?" asked Jackie, making polite conversation as Earl drove them on towrads Bluebell.

"Nine-and-a-half weeks," said Candice. "And you?"

"Oh, comin' on for four months now. Stupidly, I went ahead and thought the second time around would be easier. Now, I'm not so sure," said Jackie, though there was laughter in her voice as she did so. "But I know it'll all be worth it in the end. Children are such a gift, it is more than worth all the other stuff that comes before."

"I guess so." Candice nodded and smiled, since she was pretty sure that was what she was supposed to do.

Most of the time, she was good at that, anticipating what she was supposed to do and delivering, keeping everybody happy, playing the role of perfect daughter and girlfriend and everything. The first big mistake she made was on a Greek cruise, nine weeks ago. Not that she wanted to think of her fling with a charming older Southern gentleman as a mistake. She certainly didn't want to think of her baby that way either, but it was hard. From that time to this, things certainly hadn't gone according to any kind of plan.

"You okay there, Miss Candice?" asked Earl, as they bumped along down the road towards Bluebell. "You're lookin' a might green, you don't mind me sayin'."

"I'll be fine," she said, swallowing hard. "I'll be fine when we get there."

She had the Kinsellas drop her off in town, unwilling to tell them exactly where she was headed or who she planned to see. There was such a thing as oversharing and Candice was not a fan of it. Bad enough that she already let slip that she was pregnant. She had vowed that nobody else was to know until she had told the father, but so much for that. Now she only hoped she could get to him before he found out from the town gossips.

Thankfully, not far from where she was standing, she spotted the sign that declared 'Family Doctors' and underneath the names of the two professionals within. Taking another deep, cleansing breath, Candice walked forward with a purpose, hefting her luggage with her as she headed for the practice and in through the door before she could change her mind.

She was only halfway to the reception desk when the woman there looked up and asked if she could help at all.

"I don't need an appointment, I was just looking for... Harley," she said his name suddenly as he appeared in her path.

"Candice." He looked so startled by the sight of her, but then he smiled that same warm, charming, inviting smile and her heart soared. "Oh, Candice. I can hardly believe you're really here!"

In a second his arms were around her, hugging her close, telling her over and over how pleased he was to see her again, how elated, how excited. She hugged him back, overwhelmed by the sudden feeling of safety and comfort, and finally, she allowed herself to cry all the tears she had been holding in for far too long.

It had been a real surprise to have Candice show up in Bluebell the way she did, and a heck of a shock when she announced she was pregnant too. Sat across from him in the living room of his own house, she explained to Harley that she had confessed the truth of their affair to her fiance, when she realised she was having a baby and that the dates just didn't add up for Ethan Hart to be the father.

"I wasn't sure then what I was going to do. I'll admit, if he had forgiven me, accepted me and the baby as we were... maybe I would've stayed," she said, her eyes fixed on the carpet. "Of course, I would've told you about the child, you had a right to know, regardless, but Ethan and my life in New York, I just..."

"I understand," he told her kindly, his hand on hers, squeezing comfortingly. "You loved him and you loved the life you had. I was under no allusions about how things had to be after that cruise, Candice. I was sorry that it had to end the way it did, but I understood."

"I know that you did," she said with a tearful smile as she met his eyes once more, "but things are so different now. Harley, I just... I don't know what I'm going to do. Ethan, my parents, even some of my friends, they don't understand. I've become a pariah in my own circle, my own family."

She was so completely devastated and Harley's heart hurt for her. He just loved her so much. It was nothing for him to offer her everything he had and more. To give her a home, a marriage if she wanted it, certainly all the love and support she could ever need. There was a part of him that wondered if she really would take any of what he had to offer, that was actually a little surprised when she so readily accepted it all.

"I know it will be a big change for you, living in Bluebell..." he said carefully, watching her exprssion shift through at least ten different emotions then. "Well, Candice, sweetheart, you know that I can't leave. I have my work here, my patients, everybody and everything I have ever known," he explained what he was sure she already knew. "If it was easy for me to up and move to New York for your sake, well, you know, I would find a way if I could, but as it is..."

"I understand," she told him, nodding her head, finding him a smile at last. "Besides, I don't suppose Manhattan would be the very best place to raise a baby," she considered.

"Certainly not when compared to good old Bluebell," Harley assured her with a smile of his own. "And just think how it could be for us, Candice. You and me and our little one. I have this big old house here, plenty of room for everything we'll need for a baby. Lots of room to run and play. Plus, you know, we have no crime rate to speak of around here, much less pollution than a big city. Great schools and nice folks all around, always willing to lend a hand."

Harley wished she looked more convinced than she actually did. Poor Candice, it had to be such a wrench for her to leave all that she knew, but if those in New York were turning their backs on her, what did she really have to go back there for?

At least, in Bluebell, Harley could take care of her. He could provide eveyrthing she needed and would do so more than willingly.

"I know it'll be a big adjustment," he said kindly, his hand at her cheek, "but in time, I'm sure you'll learn to love this place, just like I do."

Taking a deep breath, she let it out like a sigh, some of the worry lines fading from her beautiful face as she looked at him then.

"You know, I think I probably could," she admitted, meeting his eyes. "It certainly wasn't hard to learn to love you. I think that happened within an hour of first running into you on that cruise ship."

"An hour?" Harley echoed, shaking his head. "Funny, I fell in love with you within the first minute."

When he leaned in then, he wasn't sure if she would welcome it, but Candice didn't shy away. Harley wasn't sure there was much a woman like her ever did shy away from, even now. When he kissed her, she kissed back, like she meant it.

So she had come to Bluebell to seek him out because of the baby, and because the other man in her life couldn't accept her as she was. That was fine by Harley. He would be her second best, if that was what it took, because she might just be the love of his life.

Besides, there was a baby to think of, a little boy or girl that he would love like nobody else ever loved anyone. The child was the most important one in all of this and always would be.

It was such a huge adjustment. Candice knew living in Bluebell would take some serious getting used to, for so many reasons, but she figured she could make the best of it. She had Harley, after all, and she had meant what she said about loving him.

Maybe he wasn't the ideal man for her to marry, and certainly not in the ideal place, but Ethan didn't want her and New York didn't feel like home when so many had turned their backs already. Besides, there was the baby to consider, the badly-timed, accidental pregnancy that Candice wanted to be pragmatic about, but just couldn't quite bring herself to deal with coldly. She had to keep her child, and that meant she was going to need support, preferably a husband. So, it came to pass.

There was just a small ceremony, private and fast, that made her Mrs Candice Wilkes. They announced the pregnancy pretty quickly afterwards and nobody seemed anything but happy for them, nothing but supportive. If anyone realised the wedding had happened mostly because the baby was already on the way, they never said anything. Except for those that Candice was well aware already knew the truth.

"Don't you worry on it, Candice. Me and Earl, we won't say a word, if that's how you want it," said Jackie in a soft whisper. "Truth to say, you know, our Jesse was the reason we tied the knot quite as fast as we did," she said, blushing even at the mere mention of it. "I mean, don't get me wrong, there's never been another man for me but Earl Kinsella, but we had planned on waiting a little while to head on down the aisle. I guess fate had other plans, huh?"

"I guess so." Candice nodded, sipping at her sweet tea and wincing at just how sweet it truly was.

"Well, next to my Earl, I can't think of a nicer man than Harley Wilkes," said Jackie with a wide smile. "Not that I need to tell you that, of course, with him being your husband and all."

Candice smiled and nodded in the right places as Jackie went on talking in a sweet and friendly way. Honestly, she was a nice woman and Candice was glad of a girl-friend in town that knew a little more of the truth about her situation than anyone else. The trouble was only that even the kind and adorable Jackie really wasn't the kind of person Candice was used to. Much like the sweet tea, she was just a little too sweet, a little too much, if that made sense. She was certainly far too nice to be friends with someone like Candice.

"Are you okay there, honey?" asked Jackie then, her hand suddenly on Candice's arm making her startle. "Lands, you don't look too good at all. Is it the heat? I'll bet it is. You know, we're all used to it down here, more or less, not counting those darn heatwaves come the summer time, but it must be just unbearable for you, coming from the north and all."

"I'm fine," Candice assured her. "Honestly, I'm just... just tired, I suppose," she said eventually, sure she should be able to get away with that excuse.

"Maybe that's it," Jackie agreed, nodding her head. "Well, come on now, honey. I'll walk you back to your place."

Though Candice tried to insist she could go alone and would be fine, Jackie wouldn't hear of it. She knew what it was to be pregnant and come over all woozy, so she said. The last thing she wanted on her conscience was Candice having some kind of fainting fit halfway home and nobody to take care of her.

So, they went together, arm in arm like the best of friends, Jackie reminding Candice to take deep breaths and not try to walk too fast if she felt wobbly still. She was so nice.

Everybody in Bluebell was nice. Candice wanted to scream at them all for being so nice, even if that made no sense. Maybe it was only because she didn't feel she deserved their kindess, given what she had done.

Marrying Harley had seemed like such a good idea at the time. She loved him, in a way, and he certainly loved her. He was offering her a comfortable home, support and comfort, a good life for their child when he or she came along. It made sense, and yet, Candice was already wondering if she hadn't made a horrible mistake. Of course, it was a little too late now.

To Be Continued...