A/N: Thanks for the latest reviews, folks. It's great to know y'all are into this, even though the main focus isn't Zade or any other pairings… for now ;)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 3

Lemon felt a little buoyed up by the sight of the door that led into her very own apartment. Sure, it wasn't hers alone, but she was paying her share to be there, and living with Zoe Hart was a lot more independent than being under the wing of her daddy, or even George Tucker, as she would've been now if her wedding went ahead.

Of course, the joy of having her own place might be short-lived if she didn't improve at her work, Lemon knew. Wally hadn't fired her tonight, but she was pretty sure she had a little of Wade's fast talking to thank for that, more than anything else. Lord knows she owed that boy a pie sometime in the near future. Not that she would tell Zoe who it was for when she was baking it, given the circumstances.

"Lemon, you're back early," said the doctor herself, the moment Lemon came through the door.

"No, I most definitely am not," she replied, frowning some. "What on God's green and verdant earth are you doin'?" she asked, eyes drifting to the papers spread across the coffee table, all full of scribbles in Zoe's own hand.

Zoe didn't answer at first, just checked her watch, her eyes getting wide with surprise.

"Oh my God! I have been calling people for hours and nobody wants to help me," she groaned. "Rose is going to be heartbroken if we can't get a headliner."

Lemon continued to frown as she moved to sit by Zoe on the couch, tossing her purse to one side and picking up a sheaf of papers from the table.

"Bluebellapalooza?" she read aloud. "Is this a concert?"

"A music festival, or it was supposed to be," Zoe explained. "It's kind of a long story, but Rose really wants to have this big event, and she came to me, looking for a headliner. You know, with my mom's connections and everything, I guess I seemed like a good bet."

"But you're failing at finding a famous person prepared to come to town for this charming event?" Lemon checked, noting just how many names had lines crossed through them.

"Failing big time," confirmed Zoe, nodding her head. "Ugh, I really hope you had a better night than I did."

Lemon wasn't sure exactly how to answer that one. If she said she had a successful first shift, it would be a lie, and no doubt Zoe would hear the truth later on, in any case. Still, to admit the truth was showing weakness, as far as Lemon was concerned. She never, ever wanted to do that.

"I am adjusting to my new role," said Lemon eventually. "It takes time to get used to that kind of work... or any kind of work, I guess," she added thoughtfully.

"Oh, well, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it," said Zoe brightly, smiling like she meant it.

Lemon smiled back because she couldn't seem to help herself. It was so very strange to suddenly have a friend in Zoe Hart, but she supposed that was what they were becoming, of all unholy things. They were helping each other out, with the apartment, with trying to have better sense over the men in their lives. If that didn't make them some kind of friends, Lemon didn't know what could, in which case...

"You know, there was a local singer that ended up kind of famous," she said then. "Not Blake Shelton famous or anything, but probably good enough for Rose Hattenbarger. You ever hear of Lily Anne Lonergan?"

"Can't say that I have." Zoe shook her head. "But she's at least locally famous?"

"My goodness, yes, and you know, you two should just get along so well, what with you having so much in common," said Lemon with a look.

She didn't wonder at Zoe's confusion and tried not to take too much pleasure in it. Unfortunately, that didn't come so easily. Friends they may be becoming of late, but Lemon wasn't likely to forget the trouble Zoe Hart had caused her in the past few months, one way or another. If she could get the occasional barb in, she might just take the opportunity as it presented itself, especially in the privacy of their humble abode.

"What could I have in common with a country singer that I never heard of?" asked Zoe in earnest.

Lemon got up from the couch and headed for the bathroom, throwing her answer back over her shoulder as she went.

"I do believe you and she have the same ex-bed-fellow, and in fact, if you wanted to get a hold of her, he might just be your best bet. Probably has her on speed dial from their days playing together," she said smartly, turning back to look at Zoe from the bathroom door.

The little doctors' eyes were wide and her mouth had fallen open.

"No way!" she declared then, clearly understanding Lemon's barely-cryptic clues all too well. "Wade? Lily Anne and Wade?"

"It might be your only chance in getting a headliner for poor little Rose," said Lemon, heaving a fake sigh. "I'll leave you to ponder your decision," she added, before taking herself into the bathroom to get cleaned up and ready for bed.

From beyond the door, Lemon heard Zoe let out a growl of pure frustration and tried not to find it amusing. She knew she was being kind of cruel, and in fact, she had probably gone a little too far in encouraging Zoe to get in contact with Wade again.

After all, Dr Hart had made a wise decision in taking herself out of the situation she found herself in with Wade, and frankly, Lemon thought it might be better for Wade too. After all, she was one of the few who realised just how real his feelings were for Zoe Hart. The two of them having sex and pretending that was all it was between them simply wasn't healthy for either of them, Lemon was sure on that.

"And I oughta know," she told her own reflection, thinking of the other man living up at the plantation.

The second she started, she made herself stop. Lemon was also sure that dwelling on that part of her past was going to do her no good at all. She and George had agreed to try to be friends, she and Lavon had all but done the same too. Lemon Breeland was an independent woman these days with no need for a man to help her long. That was what she told herself as she got herself cleaned up and ready for bed. She said it over and over so many times, and with such conviction, she ought to have believed it. Ought to, but didn't, not at all.

Two days later...

In the end, it had all worked out. Zoe knew it wasn't really anything she had done, at least, not the parts that had gone right, but Rose got to have her music festival, her amazing Bluebellapalooza, and it was certainly a hit. That wasn't to say there hadn't been plenty of ups and downs along the way, the last down, most notably being the great Lily Anne Lonergan walking out on the whole event. Thankfully, Zoe had managed to fix at least that part in a pinch.

"How you got George Tucker up on that stage to sing, I will never know," said Lemon, shaking her head as she stared up at her ex, practically lapping up the attention from at least thirty adoring young women. "Well, maybe I just don't wanna know," she amended, looking sideways at Zoe.

"Hey, it was nothing like that," said the doctor with a look of her own. "Lemon, I told you. When it came to a straight choice between George and Wade, I chose no-one. I wouldn't lie about that. Come on, we live together for crying out loud!"

Lemon huffed out a sigh. "Yes, I am well aware of our living arrangements, Zoe Hart. What I'm a little baffled by is how the box of cookies I bought only yesterday seems to be half missing already," she said then, hands on her hips. "I certainly didn't eat them."

"Oh, cookies, right," Zoe said sheepishly. "Well, that might've been me."

"You don't say?" Lemon rolled her eyes.

"I've been under a lot of pressure!" her room-mate explained. "You know I have spent the last two days trying to help out Rose with all this music festival stuff, and with Lily Anne and her hypochondria, and Wade with his... his advances," she said, making a face. "I have resisted so far but..."

"Oh, my Lord! Can you not just... I don't know, crazy glue your knees together or somethin'? Zoe Hart, you have got to have better sense around Wade Kinsella."

"You think I don't know that?" Zoe put her hand to her chest. "Believe me, I really know that. I didn't choose Wade because he was just so... so crass and degrading about our little encounter. He doesn't really care about me and I don't care about him either," she said definitely, even as her eyes wandered in a distinctly Wade-like direction.

She had sort of hoped that Lemon wouldn't notice. Zoe really ought to have known better.

"Oh, I see exactly how it is," she said, shaking her head. "You don't want to... be with Wade, but you don't want him to be with anybody else either. That being true, I really don't see how you can stand there and say you don't care."

Zoe opened her mouth to make a counter-argument but came up empty. The only thing she could say was that she liked George better than Wade, though there were times when she doubted it herself. After all, if she really wanted to be with George Tucker, there wasn't much to stop her anymore. Of course, saying anything about any of that to Lemon seemed like the wrong move if they wanted to live harmoniously in the future.

"Yes, I know," said Lemon then, almost as if she read Zoe's mind, which was a pretty creepy thought all on its own. "You like George Tucker and you'd sooner he wasn't sleeping with half the girls in Bluebell either. Well, if he does, that is all your fault, Dr Hart, because from what you told me, that is just exactly what you told him to do."

"No, I... Well, yeah, I guess I did," Zoe added with a sigh. "But I didn't mean it like that," she said, gesturing wildly with one arm to George and his adoring public. "Doesn't it make you mad too?"

Lemon took a moment to stare at her ex and the crowd of girls around him, then she glanced back at Zoe and shrugged one shoulder.

"I don't really think it's my place to judge," she admitted. "Much as I loved George, I still went behind his back with... someone else," she said, noting the many people milling around them still. "You know that as well as anybody. If I couldn't be faithful when we were together, he can't owe me much now we're broken up."

Zoe took in the sad smile on Lemon's face and immediately felt bad. Sure, what her room-mate said was true. She had cheated on George with Lavon, long before Zoe ever knew any of them, but by the same token, Zoe had done her best to get George's attention when she knew very well he was engaged to Lemon. She had turned his head and made matters worse. It seemed that each and every one of them was at least a little bit to blame for the mess they found themselves in now.

"So, George and Wade are clearly not going to lack for company tonight," she said then, turning her back on the scene and encouraging Lemon to do the same, "but I for one am not going to give them the satisfaction of watching it happen or showing that I care. How about we head to the Dixie Stop, I'll buy you a replacement box of cookies, another one for me, maybe some ice-cream, and we'll just eat our feelings for the rest of the night?"

Lemon scoffed at the idea. "That does not seem like sound medical advice, Dr Hart," she said pointedly.

"Doctor, schmoctor," Zoe said, waving her hand in the air. "I'm not on duty today. I'm just Zoe, Lemon Breeland's room-mate," she told her, finding a smile. "And you know, what? I think we need some real men-bashing, girly bonding time. What do you say, roomy?"

She didn't look entirely convinced at first, but one more glance back over her shoulder seemed to change her mind. Zoe couldn't tell if it was George and his groupies or the sight of Lavon that changed things. Frankly, for the moment, she didn't care.

"Throw in a bottle of tequila and you got yourself a deal, Zoe Hart," said Lemon definitely.

With a grin on her face, Zoe looped her arm through Lemon's own and they headed for the grocery store.

Lemon couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so much. She had a horrible feeling that if she wasn't careful, she was going to actually pee her pants before long, and yet, somehow, she kind of didn't care.

"Oh my God, I need to stop drinkin'," she said definitely, even as she poured her and Zoe another shot each.

"No, you don't. Just eat more," said Zoe, up-ending a cookie box and shaking it.

Only crumbs came out and she looked so pouty and disappointed it was almost too funny. Lemon had her hand over her mouth to keep the laughter in, at least until she realised she had to move said hand if she wanted to get her next drink into her body.

"Come on, you're gettin' behind," she told Zoe, waiting for her to pick up her glass and they both drank at the same moment.

"Woah!" Zoe exclaimed as the fiery liquid hit the back of her throat.

She listed badly to the side then and it was only thanks to Lemon's fast reactions that she didn't topple right off the couch. They were both balanced pretty precariously, sat lotus style opposite each other amongst the cushions with packets and crumbs just about everywhere. In the morning, they might care about it. For the moment, they couldn't care less.

"I am a terrible waitress," Lemon declared then, even as she tossed an empty chip bag onto the carpet. "I mean, so bad."

"You can't be that bad," Zoe insisted, leaning into the cushions some more to keep herself stable, apparently.

"Oh, can't I? I almost killed Daddy's Emily last night."

"What?"

"I brought her gumbo and she ate it and she had one of those animal-lasik shocks!"

Zoe burst out laughing so loud that Lemon felt as if both her eardrums burst with the force. She was just wondering what the heck was so funny when suddenly Zoe told her.

"Anaphylactic!" she declared loudly. "She had anaphylactic shock, and oh my God, how did that even happen?"

"I don't know," Lemon grumbled. "But it was bad, and Wally didn't fire me yet, but I know he's going to." She huffed out a sigh, leaning heavily into the cushions and squashing her face against them. "I won't have a job and I won't have money and then I'll have to move back in with my daddy and my little sister and everybody will laugh at me."

"No, that won't happen, Lemony-lemony friend," Zoe told her, shifting closer to her and practically collapsing onto her room-mate with an undignified snort of laughter. "I will cover your rent. I won't let you go," she said definitely, hugging Lemon awkwardly before throwing herself back into her own spot on the couch.

"You would do that?" Lemon checked, trying to lift her head and finding it a little harder than it usually was. "That's sweet."

"I am sweet." Zoe nodded definitely. "But hey, I won't even have to!" she said then. "You could come work for us!"

"Us?" Lemon echoed, as the cogs in her head began to turn. "Oh, no. Nuh-uh. No, I will not work for my daddy! That is charity and coddling and... and just no," she said with real determination.

She tried to get to her feet to head for the bathroom, but her legs didn't seem to work, so the moment she got up she sat straight back down again pretty hard.

"But we need somebody," Zoe groaned. "Receptionist person, all organised and... and Addy is leaving," she explained, even as she curled further into the couch cushions and her eyes began to close. "We need you, Lemon Breeland. Need you and... and it's not a coddling thing."

Lemon blinked hard, tried to focus and got up to head to the bathroom again. This time she made it across the room, albeit she bumped into almost every piece of furniture between the couch and there. She vaguely heard Zoe still muttering about the job at the practice, but Lemon knew she couldn't take it. Unless maybe she could.

She hadn't managed to figure out the correct answer by the time she got into the bathroom, and frankly, from that point on, Lemon wasn't aware of very much at all.

To Be Continued...