A/N: Here comes the happy ending! Thanks to those who have taken the to review throughout this odd little journey - glad to know y'all enjoyed it :)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 8

They had the best time. Even Zoe doubted that she would really enjoy herself in New York, knowing why she had gone there in the first place, having that meeting with Candice looming large in her mind, but it didn't matter. When she and Wade got into the swing of being tourists in the city, it was impossible not to enjoy it.

They could never see and do everything a person might want to in a place as big as New York, not in just a couple of days, but they gave it their very best shot. They did eat lunch in Central Park, ride to the top of the Empire State and look out of the city, get another excellent view form the torch of the Statue of Liberty, and almost lost each other in the swell of people criss-crossing Times Square. For the remaining day and a half of their trip, they threw themselves into having nothing but fun, and then, finally, it was time to go home.

Zoe had her case all packed and was just pulling the zipper closed when someone tapped on her door. She knew it had to be Wade and immediately went to let him in.

"You about ready to head out?" he asked, one hand rubbing the back of his neck.

"Sure. Honestly, this weekend has been amazing, but I will also be so happy to be home again!" Zoe declared, leading him further into the room. "How can two days feel like such a long time?"

"I guess when it's been a pretty crazy couple of days, that's normal," Wade considered. "Look, Zoe, I know you prob'ly don't wanna hear this and the last thing I wanna do is bring you down but..."

"But?" she prompted, turning to look at him.

All the signs were there that he was just about as nervous about saying what he had to say as he had ever been in his life. That bothered Zoe more than a little, at least until he finally spat it out.

"Are you so sure that you're all done with... with Candice?" he asked her awkwardly. "And I know what you said, how you laid into her and all, and I let it lie before, but now we're headed home, and I just thought-"

"Wade, don't think," she advised him, with a smirk she couldn't help. "It's not your strong suit."

He tried to be mad at her, but failed miserably, laughing even though the joke was at his own expense. He always knew she meant no harm.

"This is what I get for carin'?" he asked, shaking his head. "Why'd I ever get mixed up with you, Wilkes?"

"Come on, Kinsella, you wouldn't know how to live without me, any more than I'd know how to live without you," she said, smiling widely but not kidding anymore and hoping he knew it. "See, that's the difference, Wade. You have always been in my life. If you went away, I couldn't... Well, just don't, okay?" she said, swallowing hard. "I need you, like I need my daddy, and Lavon, and George and Lemon, and pretty much all the crazy folks in Bluebell. They're my family, all of them. I'm not missing anything or walking away from anyone that matters to me. I honestly feel fine about everything. Come on, would I lie to you?"

"I hope not," said Wade, shaking his head.

Zoe smiled, moved in to give him a hug, then checked her watch as they parted. Given the time, they really should be getting to the airport already, and so, they headed out immediately, checking out of the hotel and finding a cab to take them over to JFK.

The flight home was easier than the one heading to New York. There was nothing to worry about this time, only something to look forward to. Zoe honestly couldn't wait to get there, to hug her father, to see her friends, to go on living the life she always had, safe in the knowledge that she really wasn't missing out on anything. Everything she needed was in Bluebell, save for one person, and he was sat right there beside her.

"What?" Wade checked, catching her staring, his hand going to his face as if he expected to find something stuck there.

Zoe smiled and shook her head. "It's...nothing," she assured him, even though that wasn't entirely true.

She never did lie to Wade. When she said it in the hotel room, Zoe meant it, but she simply didn't know how to explain what was going on in her head right now. Any time anybody asked her if she and Wade were dating, she always laughed and said, 'Of course not, he's my best friend.' She was being honest, every single time she said it.

Not that she didn't know he was attractive, because he absolutely was. A blind person could see that, she was sure. It was just that they didn't have that kind of relationship. She had never thought they could or should, until the last couple of days. Until the trip up to New York, sat on a plane, just like this, when he told her how amazing she was. Until he stood by her in her darkest moment and saw her through. Until this very second, when she looked at him and she just knew.

"Wade, I..."

Just as she began, Zoe was cut off by the pilot announcing they were coming in for a landing. The flight had gone so quickly, thanks to a long movie and a short sleep. A few more minutes and they would be disembarking, heading into the airport where her daddy would be waiting to whisk them back to Bluebell. Zoe was more than ready for that.

Of course, she wasn't quite as prepared for what she got when they finally did get back into her hometown. When they sped right by their home, she did question it, but her daddy only smiled and keep his eyes on the road.

"Wade, do you know what's going on?" she asked, turning to look at her friend there in the back seat.

He wouldn't even glance her way, but the grin on his face let Zoe know he knew exactly. She bugged him some more, but he wouldn't give in, neither of them would. Then suddenly the car stopped outside of the Rammer Jammer and her father told her this was their destination. Zoe was confused, but could do nothing but leave the car when her daddy and Wade did, following on into the eatery to see what was going on.

Her hand went to her heart and the breath left her body in a rush when she saw what was in store for her. Everybody was there, underneath a banner that welcomed her home. Zoe couldn't have been more surprised.

"I don't understand," she said, shaking her head even as she smiled at all the people grinning back at her. "I was only gone two days. I was away way longer at college last semester."

"Well, sure, but most of us are doing the college thing," said Annabeth, rolling her eyes. "This is different. You went so far away, all the way to New York!" she declared, arms raised in the air like she was suddenly back in the CLJJ High cheer squad.

"What AB is tryin' to say," said Lemon with a look as she pushed herself forward, George at her side, as always, "is that we are so very glad to have you home, Zoe Wilkes. This is your home, you know?"

"And we are your family," George promised her. "For as long as you want us to be."

They knew. All of them knew. Not that it was a secret. Zoe always intended to tell anybody who asked what had happened with Candice, she just hadn't expected them to know before she got around to giving them the whole story. She had only given her father the briefest of explanations, which had to mean...

"Wade?" she checked, glancing back at him.

With his hands deep in the pockets of his jeans, he rocked on his heels and looked more than a little sheepish. "When you got done talking to the doc here," he explained, tilting his head towards her father, "he called me up, just to make sure you weren't puttin' a brave face on it all, that you really was doin' okay."

"Wade didn't know exactly what you'd told me and what you hadn't," her daddy said then, picking up the tale where Wade left off. "I'm not ashamed to say I did pump him for information, since your version lacked a few details. I figured that, as well as you handled everything with... her," he said diplomatically, "maybe you'd like a little reminder of just how much Bluebell loves you, honey."

Biting her lip to keep from crying, albeit tears of joy this time, Zoe threw herself into her father's arms and hugged him tight.

"Thank you, Daddy," she whispered as he rubbed her back and kissed her temple.

"I am so happy to have you home, baby girl," he told her softly. "Everybody is just plum delighted to call you a part of their family."

Zoe was grinning so wide her face hurt as they parted, and then, she found herself being whisked away by one person after another, determined as they were to welcome her home, as if she had been gone for a year or more. George insisted on dancing with her, Lemon and AB wanted to hear about the fancy hotel she stayed at, little Rose wondered if Zoe brought her back a present and got a severe look from Mrs H for daring to be so forward. (Of course, Zoe had brought her a gift, so it didn't really matter!)

Somewhere in the middle of the hubbub, Zoe looked up with surprise to see Lavon standing there. She went barrelling into him and her feet came off the ground as he hugged her tight and spun her around.

"How are you even here?" she asked, shaking her head. "You're not supposed to be."

"Hey, my lil' sister is havin' a party," he said, smile wide and eyes sparkling with fun. "You think I was ever gonna miss that?"

"Not really." Zoe laughed giddily.

There was more dancing, and eating, and talking, and an awful lot of laughter in the Rammer Jammer that night. Zoe was pretty sure she never had a better time, in Bluebell or anywhere else besides. The first part of her trip to New York started to feel like a distant memory, while the larger part, the fun part with Wade, was a great adventure that she could tell everybody about. They certainly were too glad to hear it, but never as glad as they were to have Zoe back with them to stay, apparently.

"There she is," said Brick, wandering in at last and immediately coming over to give Zoe a hug. "Sorry I'm so late, shortcake. You know, Mrs Johnson's baby started comin' just as I was leavin' for the party, I couldn't do anythin' but go to her."

"Oh, is she okay? Was it a boy or a girl?" asked Zoe with real interest.

"A little girl, six pounds, five ounces, mother and baby doin' just fine," he told her happily. "You know, I heard tell they might even name that child Zoe?"

Zoe laughed, sure he was probably joking, though in Bluebell, she wouldn't be at all surprised if it were true.

"I'm glad you made it, Brick," she told him, looking around at all the people gathered together in the Rammer Jammer.

Lavon had to leave almost as quickly as he arrived, and the younger kids, like Rose, were taken home to bed hours before. Wade's dad, Earl, had dropped in only briefly, knowing he was better off staying out of the bar as much as he could. His drinking had never gotten really out of control, but he had his moments. Still, everybody had been there in their turn. Zoe couldn't think of one single person who was missing, except maybe for Jackie Kinsella, and that couldn't be helped, of course.

"You know what, Brick?" she said then, smiling in his direction. "Whether the Johnsons name their baby Zoe or not, I feel like today is a real day for new beginnings. The past is done, put to rest for good. I don't think I've ever felt this good about the future ahead of me."

Brick smiled back at her, seemingly happy to hear her speak that way, even though he couldn't ever have understood her full meaning. Much like everyone else, he would guess she was talking about Candice and maybe her wish to be a doctor someday, just like her daddy and Brick. Those were parts of it, no doubt, but not the real point.

Excusing herself from a man she would always look to as an uncle, Zoe walked over to the jukebox that had just that moment fallen silent. Picking out a song she knew was one of Wade's favourites, she pushed the buttons and stood back with a smile on her face, waiting for the opening chords to play.

With all the confidence in the world, she crossed the floor then, tapped her best friend on the shoulder, and waited for him to turn around.

"Hey, Zoe," he said, smiling down at her. "Feel like I've hardly seen you all night, Little Miss Popular."

"Well, it is my party," she said, shrugging her shoulders, "which means I get to do exactly what I want, right?"

"I guess so," he agreed, though he seemed a little wary of her somehow.

Zoe didn't wonder why, just grabbed his hand and pulled him with her onto the dancefloor. Pushing herself into his embrace, his arms went around her like the most natural thing in the world. They fit together. Best friends, yes, but it was more than that. Zoe had never been more sure of it than now.

"You like the music?" she asked, already knowing what the answer would be.

"You know I do," he told her, staring down at her. "You put this on for me?"

"You know I did," she said, deliberately mimicking him. "So, I wanted to thank you, Wade, for this weekend. You were... you were everything I needed, just like you always are," she told him easily.

"'S what we do for each other, right?" he said softly as they swayed to the music amongst so many other couples doing the same.

"It is," Zoe agreed. "I mean, we've always been best friends, and that's great, obviously, but I'm starting to wonder just exactly how long I have to wait before you actually ask me out on a real date."

She looked up at him through her lashes and saw something as close to a blush as she had ever seen in Wade's cheeks. That aside, at least he was smiling.

"In case you forgot," he said then, "I tried that a couple of times. As I recall, you didn't seem all that keen on the idea."

It took Zoe a moment to even remember the occasions he was talking about. At least once he had been drunk, and the other time, well, maybe she had just avoided the topic, sure she didn't want anything to screw up their friendship. Now, she wasn't so scared anymore. Now, she was positive they were unbreakable.

"They do say the third time's the charm," she told him, meeting his eyes.

Wade was silent a moment, seeming to take a moment to process what she was telling him, maybe to find it in him to take the big step that Zoe knew she was so ready for. She was glad to realise, moments later, that he was too.

"Zoe Wilkes, you think maybe you wanna go out with me some time, on a real date?" he said pointedly, leaning down so far that his nose touched hers.

"Wade Kinsella, I would love to," she told him with a smile, her hand at his cheek, keeping him close, as she tilted her head up and kissed him softly.

It seemed to be all the encouragement he needed to dive right in and really kiss her like he meant it. Zoe didn't mind at all. Maybe it should've felt strange in some way, but it didn't. The rest of this town was family to her, no doubt, but Wade was something different. He was... everything else.

"And to think you always told me you were nothing more than friends."

Zoe and Wade all but leapt apart at the sound of her daddy's voice.

"Uh, for the record, sir, I never said that," said Wade. "Pretty sure I've known for a while now I felt more for Zoe than that."

"And I only said it because, at the time, I believed it," Zoe confirmed to her father. "I guess I know better now. That's okay, right?" she said, looking up to Harley for confirmation.

The severe look he had clearly been faking broke in a moment, then he smiled the usual warm smile that Zoe loved so much.

"Sweetheart, I couldn't be happier for you," he said, looking to Wade then, "for both of you."

Zoe laughed, mostly out of relief, then threw her arms around her father one more time. Truthfully, she couldn't be any happier either, not even if she tried. A lot of that had to do with Wade, but a great deal of it had to do with one Harley Wilkes. She hoped he knew it as she hugged him tight and said;

"Thank you, Daddy. I love you so much."

The End