A/N: Thanks for all the latest reviews, peops. Now, a sort-of-first date for Zoe & Wade :)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 12

Zoe looked herself over in the mirror and decided she looked pretty good. The smile on her face didn't hurt, of course, and tonight, she felt like she had plenty to smile about.

It felt a little weird, knowing she was going on a date with Wade. It had been a while and so much had happened in between, not least him losing all of his memories. She tried not think about all the complications. How they had started out sleeping together, casually and then monogamously, how they stopped all of that only to start dating for real, how he broke her heart by cheating on her one night and lying about it the next day.

She did her share of wrong too, Zoe was well aware. Making use of Wade for sex, giving him false hope on too many occasions, most notably just a couple of months ago. Then, just when he told her he loved her and wanted to be with her, she upped and left for New York, not even sure if or when she was coming back.

The last big date Zoe Hart had got herself all dressed up for had been with a guy she met in the city. It had gone pretty well. Joel Stephens was very sweet and kind of cool, but the next day she got the call from Lavon that had her running on back home to Bluebell. Zoe had barely thought about anyone or anything but Wade since then.

"I guess I just love him too much to pretend anymore," she told her reflection, knowing it was so very true.

Not that Zoe had plans to tell Wade that she loved him tonight. Though he knew something had happened between them in their shared past, he had no idea exactly what. As far as he was concerned, they liked each other and they were going on a first date. Zoe really didn't want to scare him with anything else just yet, it would be so unfair.

A knock on her door made her jump. Her eyes went to her watch and those same eyes went a little wide when Zoe realised that, a) Wade was very much on time, and b) he was actually waiting for her to go and answer his knocking instead of barging in.

Hurrying across the room, she grabbed up her purse, fluffed her hair, and arrived at the door with a smile on her face.

"Hey," she greeted him happily.

"Well, hey, yourself, Zoe Hart," Wade replied, eyes travelling up and down her whole body. "Wow, you really... Uh, I mean, you look amazin'," he told her, seeming oddly overwhelmed.

Zoe took that as a good sign. Not that he wasn't always good with the compliments, but she wasn't sure she ever stunned him quite like this before. Of course, he wasn't quite the same Wade that he used to be.

"Thank you," she said fast, on realising she hadn't yet. "You look pretty good yourself," she assured him.

"Thanks," he replied, adjusting the jacket of his suit. "I got a feelin' this ain't exactly how I usually dress, right?"

Zoe stumbled over her answer, unsure just exactly what she should and shouldn't share in the circumstances. Wade must have noticed.

"You don't have to answer that, I already know it's true," he said, hands in his pockets by now. "I went ahead and arranged this whole fancy night out, with Lavon's help, of course, and then when it come time to get myself dressed up, I had a helluva time findin' anything in my closet that wasn't jeans and plaid."

"You do kind of have your own style." Zoe nodded her agreement. "But it works for you. Not that you don't look great like this too, because you do," she assured him, feeling a little prone to blushing herself just as soon as the words were said. "We should probably go, assuming we have a reservation somewhere?"

"Yes, we do," Wade confirmed, seemingly remembering his manners all at once and holding out his arm for Zoe to take.

He escorted her down the steps of the carriagehouse like a gentleman would and right over to the waiting car. Zoe spotted Lavon in the driver's seat, complete with chauffeur's cap. She couldn't help but giggle.

"Wow, driven around by the Mayor?" she said, grinning at her friend. "When did we become royalty?"

"At your service, ma'am," Lavon told her with a smirk and a tip of his hat.

Zoe was still laughing even as she climbed into the back with Wade and sat down close beside him. Soon they were on their way out of Bluebell, though as yet, she wasn't sure exactly where they were headed. Apparently, it was a surprise, which was nice, though of course Wade had to tell her that at least part of the evening consisted of a fancy dinner. She wouldn't have known how much to dress up otherwise.

Looking across at Wade, who's gaze seemed fixed on the view from the window for now, Zoe realised all over again just how good he looked in his smart suit. It took her a few seconds to realise where she had seen that outfit before. Her cheeks began to burn again when she recalled the day of George and Lemon's wedding. Though the actual ceremony never happened, another very significant event most certainly did. The first time she and Wade ever had sex.

"You feelin' okay, Zoe?" he asked her then, looking her way with a genuinely worried expression. "You look kinda flushed."

"I'm fine," she said too fast. "Uh, I guess it's just a little warm in here," she lied, flapping her hand in front of her face.

Wade called up to Lavon, asking him to put the air on, which he duly did. Zoe thanked them both, though she knew it was only going to help so much. She really had to stop thinking about that night and focus on this one instead!

"You know, I'm really glad you asked me on this date, Wade," she told him honestly. "I wasn't expecting it, but I'm glad."

That certainly made him smile. "Well, I am more'n glad that you're glad, Zoe Hart," he told her happily. "I only hope nothin' about tonight disappoints you at all."

"Oh, I'm sure it won't," she told him with a smile of her own, meaning every single word.

Wade didn't mind admitting, if only to himself, that he had been real nervous about tonight. He didn't regret asking Zoe Hart out on a date, not one bit. He also couldn't be sorry that he let Lavon help him out with the arrangements, because his buddy really had come through for him in all kinds of ways. The problem was, he just felt so entirely out of his depth.

Given his lack of memories, Wade had zero experience when it came to what he was told by others (mostly in passing, since they weren't supposed to share too much) he had quite a way with the ladies before his accident. A lot of dates, a lot of conquests, to put it as politely as possible, and somewhere in there, he and Zoe had to have been close. He didn't think for a second that she would be untruthful with him about something like that. The problem was, with no memories of any of that, Wade really did not know how to behave. He only wished he did.

"Hey," said Zoe, her hand suddenly covering his on the table. "Wade, you need to breathe," she told him worriedly. "Are you really that nervous?"

"No," he told her, like some kind of reflex that he didn't fully understand, not least because it was an absolute lie. "Yeah, okay, I am nervous," he admitted then, "but I feel real stupid about it. Come on, who gets nervous on a dinner date? Pretty sure most guys don't."

"I think more guys do than would be willing to admit it," Zoe told him definitely. "And for what it's worth, I'm willing to admit that I'm a little nervous too. You and me, it... it feels like a big deal."

There was something in the way she said it, it seemed significant, though Wade couldn't possibly know how or why. Whatever had happened between the two of them before, obviously, it didn't work out. Whether he screwed up or she did, he couldn't know. Maybe it wasn't even that, maybe they just decided that, being such good friends and all, they didn't want to risk ruining that by dating and having it go sideways.

It was frustrating, not knowing. Wade thought he would probably feel better about it if he wasn't the only one. If there was a way to reset the whole situation for the both of them, no past to worry on, that might work, but Zoe knowing all the facts and him not knowing any at all, it bothered him. He wished it didn't, but it did.

"Zoe, I..." he began to say, only to be interrupted by the waiter arriving to hand them their menus and take their drink order.

With a beer and a martini duly requested, Zoe put her attention on the menu. Wade knew he should probably do the same, but his attention was wandering more than a bit. He just didn't feel comfortable and he couldn't quite figure out why.

It was plain as day to him that he didn't often dress up and come to fancy restaurants like this one, so it could just be as simple as his instincts kicking in and telling him this was not his kind of place. That said, he had to wonder if Zoe was a part of the problem too.

He hated himself for even thinking it. She had been such a great friend, ever since he got out of the hospital. Sure, she was a little awkward around him sometimes, but so were other folks who knew him well. Wade understood that. It was tough on them just like it was tough on him, albeit it in a different way. Like many others, Zoe sure had done her best by him.

Of course, it also didn't hurt that she was beautiful, sexy, smart, funny, and amazing. Wade couldn't help but feel like she could do a whole lot better than him if she wanted to. The only thing that really helped was realising that, clearly, she did not want anyone else.

Hadn't she said on the drive over here that she was glad Wade asked her out? She had to feel something serious for him, because he was fast realising that whatever it was he was feeling for her ran pretty deep too.

"Wade?"

He startled at the sound of his name and realised Zoe was giving him that worried look again. He also noticed the waiter was back and wanting to know their order.

Shaking himself out of a daze, Wade quickly looked down at the menu, but not much of it made sense. The dishes listed all seemed to have long, fancy, and in some places foreign names. Add to that the fact he still didn't know half of what he liked to eat and it made his choosing dinner awkward at best.

"Um, should I...?" said Zoe then, getting his attention back as she made a gesture with her hand towards the waiter. "I mean, I do know what you like, so...?"

"Uh, sure, yeah. I trust you," Wade told her, forcing a smile, feeling like an idiot as his date told the waiter what he wanted to eat. "That wasn't embarrassin' at all."

Zoe shook her head. "It really shouldn't be," she assured him, meeting his eyes. "Wade, it's not your fault that your memories are missing, and besides, even without the after effects of a head injury to worry about, why shouldn't a woman order for a man? Men order for women all the time. It's usually really annoying, but they do it," she said, rolling her eyes at the thought.

She was so great, it was all Wade could think, as he stared at her. He hadn't realised he said it out loud until she thanked him and turned a pretty shade of pink.

"Is it your mission tonight to make me blush as many times as possible?" she checked, glancing away, but smiling all the same.

"Not really," Wade assured her. "I'm sorry, Zoe, it's just... well, I think you're amazing. That's okay, right?"

If it were possible, her smile got even brighter when she heard that.

"It's okay," she promised, her hand finding his on the table once more. "You know, this place is not exactly what I was expecting. You are full of surprises lately."

"That a good thing?" he checked, unsure what to think when he saw something pass over Zoe's face.

"Mm-hmm," she said as she stuffed the olive from her martini into her mouth.

It made Wade wonder how completely truthful that answer was. Women loved surprises, he was certain of it. There were always random pieces of information like that floating around in his head that sprang up from time to time. Quotes and phrases and wisdom or whatever. He had no idea where they come from, but apparently it was normal. He remembered a lot of things that didn't matter, he only wished the stuff that did matter came as easy.

"So, Rose called me the other day," said Zoe then. "You remember her, right? Teenager, glasses, talks a mile-a-minute?"

Wade thought for a moment, then nodded his head. "Sure. She was at the hospital when I woke up, and she came by to visit a couple o' days after I got home too. Nice kid."

"She's the best." Zoe nodded. "Anyway, she'll be back from her family vacation very soon and she said she was really looking forward to seeing you. She asked how you were doing."

"What did you tell her?" Wade checked.

"The truth." Zoe shrugged. "That you still don't have your memories but that you've been having fun making a lot of new ones. I also told her about our date. She squealed so loud she almost burst my ear-drum!" she complained, her free hand going absently to the ear she spoke of.

Wade wasn't sure what to make of that. Teen girls squealed when they were happy about something, which meant Rose was real excited to think he and Zoe were going out. That was probably a positive thing, if other folks reckoned they would make a good couple. Of course, the only people's opinions that really mattered all that much were the people who made up the pair in question.

"Are you really so glad I asked you out tonight, Zoe?" he checked.

She seemed surprised by the question, but answered it without pause.

"Yes, I really am," she promised. "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't. I'm not the type for pity dates. Trust me, Wade Kinsella, we're both getting everything we want here."

Something shuddered through Wade like an electric shock then. Something about the look on Zoe's face, the words she said, maybe both, he wasn't sure, but it meant something. He knew for sure it meant something, but he just didn't know what.

If she noticed his strange reaction, she didn't say as much. The waiter was there, serving their food then, and that had probably distracted Zoe enough, made her leave go of Wade's hand before the strange sensation ever ran through him.

It made him wonder how much of this date had happened before. Had they come to this restaurant? Had they ordered this food? Maybe that wasn't it at all, maybe it was just literally as simple as some words Zoe said or how she said them.

"Don't worry," she was saying then, as Wade refocused his eyes on first her and then the plate in front of him. "I promise, you do like it."

"Right." Wade nodded, making a point of digging into his food.

He did like it, she was right on that, and when they could actually find stuff to talk about over dinner, conversation was pretty good.

Wade started to relax as the night went on, which was a blessing after how much his nerves were jangling in the beginning. He tried not to worry about what may or may not have happened before. After all, it didn't seem to be bothering Zoe, and she was the one out of the two of them who did know. Wade figured he'd do better with this whole situation, this whole potential relationship, if he just relaxed into it. It seemed to work pretty well for him.

For a while, back at the restaurant, Zoe had been a little worried about Wade. So long after his initial head injury, it was unlikely he would suffer any further complications, but he had been so pale and shaky when they sat down to dinner, she had genuinely started to wonder. Sure, he said he was nervous about their date, which was a little weird for Wade Kinsella, but not the version of him that had no memories of his previous dating ways, she supposed. Besides, after a while, he did seem to relax at last and they really did have a great time.

After dinner, he told her the good times weren't over yet, escorting her down the street to a movie theatre that was showing Annie Hall. She was surprised at first, blurting out that Wade hated Woody Allen movies.

"Yeah, Lavon let that one slip already," he admitted, "but he also said his movies were some of your favourites, so..."

Zoe couldn't help herself, she reached up and planted a kiss on Wade's cheek, immediately expecting him to take advantage of the moment and kiss her for real. It never happened, of course. Old Wade would've kissed her. It didn't seem to occur to New Wade at all and Zoe tried not to mind.

The movie was great, which she already knew it would be, and then, they returned to the car and to Lavon, who hadn't suffered at all in their absence. Apparently, he was quite happy listening to the radio, eating some special home-made food that AB had packed for him, and having a great time.

"This was such an amazing night, just so special," said Zoe as they headed back to Bluebell. "Thank you, Wade."

"You're more'n welcome, Zoe," he told her, smiling widely at her.

It was dark and the sky was full of stars when they finally got back to the plantation. Zoe thanked Lavon for playing his part and he told her not to mention it. Wade thanked him too, the guys sharing a high-five through the open window, before Lavon said goodnight and drove away, leaving Zoe and Wade alone between his house and hers.

"Well, I'd offer to walk you to your door, but since it's right there across from mine..." Wade trailed off.

"I think I can find my own way, thanks," Zoe told him with a grin. "Unless..."

"Unless?" he echoed when she didn't go on.

She felt foolish that she wasn't making herself clear, that he just didn't seem to understand what she was offering. Wade usually would. In fact, he would barely wait for an offer and more just ask the question himself. Zoe missed that side of him, more than a little bit, but she figured it probably wouldn't take much to bring it out of him.

Throwing her arms up around his neck, Zoe went up on toes as she pulled Wade down to her and crashed her lips against his own. She kissed him like she had been wanting to all night long, and for days and weeks before, truth be told. The only problem was, somewhere in the middle of it all, she was horrified to realise, he really wasn't kissing her back. In fact, he seemed more than a little determined to get away from her.

Releasing her arms from around his neck and stepping back, Zoe watched Wade reel back too, looking genuinely stunned. He was breathing heavily as he ran his hand over his head and stared wide-eyed at her.

"Wade, I'm sorry," she said, feeling horribly guilty. "I shouldn't have just... I'm sorry," she repeated awkwardly.

"Don't worry about it," he told her. "Uh, goodnight, Zoe," he told her then, practically running for the gatehouse before she could hardly blink.

Zoe closed her eyes and heaved out a sigh. "Goodnight, Wade," she called pointlessly, after hearing the gatehouse house door clang shut behind him. "What a crappy end to a great night."

To Be Continued...