A/N: Anybody still interested in Zade one-shots that pop into my head when I rewatch random episodes? If you are, this is for you. If not... oops? :P This one stemmed from rewatching 1.22 The Big Day and 2.1 I Fall To Pieces. Make of it what you will :)
Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Leila Gerstein, and other folks who aren't me.

My Favourite Mistake

Looking out of the window, so many floors above the city, Zoe certainly had an amazing view of the place she used to call home. New York was where she was born, where she was raised, the place where she ought to feel as if she truly belonged, now more than ever. Unfortunately, that just wasn't true.

As she watched the people, the cars, the general activity of the city below her, the sky darkening and so many lights coming on, the rush continuing as normal, Zoe's mind drifted to another place, another time.

Six months ago, she made the decision to come back. She so clearly recalled the day. Walking down the streets of Bluebell for one of the last times, entering the Butterstick, finding George at the table in the corner. When she told him that she was choosing him, he looked elated. When she got to the 'but' that followed, his expression changed.

"You and I both know, nobody is going to be happy about us being together. We already caused so much trouble and pain. If I choose you, George, then we have to go. I can't see it working out any other way."

She wasn't sure then whether to trust in him agreeing to such a price, but he did. George Tucker seemed to give it all of thirty seconds thought before he started to nod his head and tell her, "Yes, Zoe. Wherever you're going, I'll go too."

They left within days, moving straight into an apartment her mom organised for them. Zoe was sorry to leave Lavon, but she was so sure it was the right thing to do. That it was her best shot at a happy ending. Now she was wondering if maybe she hadn't just rushed into a really big mistake.

Though she was effectively lost in thought, she was aware enough to know the door had opened and closed. She didn't even flinch when a new reflection joined hers in the glass, when George's arms wrapped around her waist from behind.

"What's wrong?" he asked, planting a kiss on her cheek.

Both his intuition and the sweet gesture made her smile, but just for a moment. Zoe already knew what they had wasn't enough. She wasn't so sure it ever had been really.

"Us," she said flatly, unsurprised when his arms slipped away and he stepped back from her, a frown evident on his face as she turned to face him. "Can you tell me I'm wrong?" she challenged him, meeting his eyes. "Come on, George. Today is exactly six months since we got together. That's an anniversary that should be worth marking in a relationship that is so important, but the truth is, neither one of us even noticed."

He shook his head. "You're busy, I'm busy. We have careers, Zoe, and there's nothing wrong with that."

"Maybe that's true, but it's been a while since I learned that work isn't everything," she told him, feeling now more than ever that she no longer understood her own ambitions from a year or two ago. "George, I didn't come back here for the job opportunities. I came here to be with you, and after maybe the first week, I'm pretty sure we've been on no more than two dates. We barely see each other and... and when I find my mind wandering at work, I have to be honest, I'm not thinking of you."

She felt awful saying it, but it was the truth. She expected George to be shocked and upset, so it came as quite the surprise when she made herself look at him again and found he was trying hard not to laugh. In spite of her own feelings, Zoe had to admit, that stung a little.

"It's not funny," she insisted crossly.

George shook his head, still smirking. "No, see, but it is," he insisted, "because everything you just said, it is sounding scary familiar to me."

Zoe took a moment to process that information and felt the arms she had crossed defensively over her chest come loose as she realised what it meant. Maybe George had a point, maybe it was funny. Painfully, horribly funny, but still. Either way, she found herself laughing along with him, one hand coming up to cover her mouth, because no matter how much they were sharing this strange moment of hilarity, it did feel a little wrong even then.

"We're idiots," she declared eventually, unsure herself whether she meant for finding the breakdown of the relationship they had wanted for so long so funny, or just for the fact they ever thought it could possibly work out between them.

"Maybe," George agreed, "but I think we just admitted, in a roundabout way, that we are not idiots in love."

Even though she knew it was true, hearing the words spoken drew Zoe up sharply and cut off her laughter in a second.

"I'm so sorry, George," she told him, seeing his own expression had turned more serious then too.

"Don't be, Zoe Hart," he replied with that good old charming toothpaste ad smile that had won her over in a second on the first day they met. "Look, I don't know about you, but I have no regrets. We were drawn to each other for a reason and we took our shot. The fact that apparently we are not each other's soul mate, you know, that's okay," he told her, shrugging his shoulders. "At least now we know for sure, right?"

There was a crack in his voice even as he said it and Zoe felt tears forming in her eyes, threatening to fall when she nodded her head in agreement. They reached out to hug each other, holding on so tight, knowing it was one of the last times they would be so close. The past few months had been good, in their way, but now, holding onto each other was nothing more than holding onto a fading dream. It was finally time to let go.

"So, what now?" asked Zoe as they parted, swiping under her eyes with her fingers.

"I don't know. Uh, I guess I should move out, get my own place," George considered, scratching the back of his head, eyes moving around the apartment they had shared these past six months.

"You know you don't have to."

"Zoe..."

"No, I mean, you could keep the apartment," she quickly explained, already so sure of her own next step. "I... I'm not staying."

She wondered if George would guess what came next. He was a smart man, he ought to know where her heart truly belonged, even if it wasn't with him.

"You wanna go back to Bluebell," he said then, a statement rather than a question, which didn't surprise her. "To Wade?" he checked, that part very definitely a question because he wasn't quite so certain.

Truth be told, neither was Zoe. "Maybe. I don't know." She sighed heavily. "I think Wade made it pretty clear that he was not interested in pursuing a real relationship with me, but I do miss Bluebell, and I do miss him. No matter how hard I try to push it away, in my heart, that's home."

Even Zoe wasn't sure how much she was talking about the place and how much about the person. Thankfully, George didn't ask so she didn't have to examine it any more closely for the time being.

"Well, then, I think you should go back, Zoe Hart," he said instead. "Follow your heart, to Bluebell, and maybe even to Wade. You know, he puts on a good front, but he's not so tough all the time. He has a heart, and for what it's worth, in spite of what he might've said back then, I do think you own a not-small part of it."

Zoe didn't reply to that. Sometimes, when she thought about it, she did believe Wade might just have been putting up walls when he pushed her away. Other times, she thought maybe he really had just wanted one night in her bed to be satisfied and that was all. She supposed she may never know, or maybe she just might if she really did return to Bluebell. It was very tempting, that was for sure.

One week later...

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me."

Wade looked up sharply at the sound of Lemon's remark, unsure what he expected to see. With her, it could be anything from all-out disaster to some guy eating with his elbows on the table. As it turned out, it was somewhere in between. Zoe Hart, absent from the town of Bluebell for more than six months now, ever since she and George Tucker flew back to New York together, just walked into the Rammer Jammer. Larger than life and twice as beautiful, as far as Wade could tell. He really had thought he was getting over her until suddenly there she was again.

"Hey, Wade, Lemon," she greeted them both with a smile and a nod of her head. "I heard you guys bought the place. That's... unexpected, but kind of amazing actually."

"We're so glad you approve, Dr Hart," said Lemon, acid in every word.

Wade frowned and smacked her lightly with the dishtowel he had over his shoulder. "You wanna be collecting up some empty glasses there, partner," he said pointedly.

Lemon looked from him to Zoe and back again, before rolling her eyes and walking away. The last thing Wade needed right now was his new best friend trying to do what she thought was best for him. He knew Lemon meant well, but she had never liked Zoe, not one bit. She sure as hell wouldn't make their first conversation in six months any easier.

"Wow. So, she still hates me."

"Hate's a strong word, doc," he told her, watching as she pulled herself up onto the nearest bar stool. "Folks in Bluebell aren't much for that kind of thing, as a rule."

"Really?" Zoe checked, glancing up to meet his eyes. "Not even when people make really, really big mistakes?"

Wade found her a smile. "Even then. Glass o' wine?" he offered.

"Yes, please," said Zoe, nodding her head. "So... how are things, Wade?"

"Things are fine," he told her easily, shrugging his shoulders. "Got half o' this place to look after, which is a blessin' and a curse all rolled into one, especially with Lemon ownin' the other half," he explained, rolling his eyes but smiling all the same, sure Zoe knew exactly what he meant - she did always seem to. "Other than that, everything's pretty much how it was when you left."

"Yeah, I guess it would be," she said, looking strangely sad. "It's funny, you think when you go away for a while that things will change. That people and maybe even feelings might change. I mean, mine did. I... I feel different now than I did when I was here before."

There was something in amongst the words she said, as well as a few that she didn't, that made just a little spark of hope flare up into a flame inside of Wade's chest. He tried to ignore it, but it didn't come easy.

"Different, how?" he found himself asking, because he just couldn't help himself, leaning his arms down on the bar close by to Zoe.

"Different to the last time I came to Bluebell," she explained, fingers playing absently with the stem of her wine glass. "I think I was looking for home in the wrong place then. Looking for a piece of New York, when I probably should've been embracing something new," she continued, glancing at him fast before her eyes went back to the glass and the bar top. "You know what they say, 'You don't know what you've got until it's gone.' I'm starting to think they should also say, 'You don't really know what you want until you get what you think you want and realise you're wrong.' Although, that might be a little long and confusing as far as proverbs and cliches go."

Wade had to admit she had a point on that, shaking his head as he realised he hadn't a clue how to translate all of that into anything that resembled English. Except maybe he could, but he was too afraid to dare to try, because that flame of hope in his chest was growing all the time. He ought to know by now that giving into that warm feeling, letting it take over, it just led to no good, especially where he and Zoe were concerned.

"I told you once before, doc," he said then, one finger tapping on her wrist to ensure he got her full attention. "Men don't do subtle. Whatever it is you're trying to say, I think you ought to spell it out clearly."

She understood, he knew that she did, as well as he knew she recalled the day he first said that to her. Maybe Wade himself was being too subtle right now, but he couldn't help it. He wasn't quite prepared to put himself out there and be wrong, not unless she was going to leap first.

"I made a mistake," she said at last, her voice the only thing softer than her eyes as she locked gazes with him. "I guess I was just hoping that maybe I wasn't the only one. That maybe those feelings you used to have-"

It was as far as she got before he leaned right over the bar and kissed her. Maybe that made him a fool, especially after everything that had gone before, but Wade couldn't help himself. Zoe was back and she had more-or-less just outright told him she made a mistake with George Tucker and asked him if he felt for her like he had before. That seemed like confession enough that she was wishing she picked him in the first place and that was good enough for Wade.

"Okay," she said shakily when he finally let her breathe a second. "So, this means...?"

"This means you ain't the only one who made a mistake, doc," he told her straight and plain, just like he asked her to be with him. "After that night we had together, when I realised that you had a choice between me and Tucker, I just... well, I guess I panicked a little bit. Seemed easier to pretend it was so simple for me to watch you walk away. Thought maybe I could even fool myself into believin' it. Turns out, I couldn't after all. I missed the hell out o' you these past six months, Zoe Hart."

A wide smile came over her face then and a burst of what he hoped was relieved laughter. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that. Wade, I'm so sorry. I never should've-"

"Forget about it," he told her fast, not needing or wanting an apology. "I screwed up just as much, keepin' the truth to myself and all. We both made mistakes, but that's okay. We got where we ought to be in the end, right?"

"I think so." Zoe nodded, fingers entwining with his on the bar top and holding on tight. "You and me, Wade Kinsella."

"You and me, Zoe Hart," he echoed back, leaning in closer once again, their lips meeting another kiss to seal the promise.

No mistakes, no regrets, not this time.

The End