A/N: Thanks to all those who left reviews throughout – much appreciated :) Now, here's a happy ending!

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Epilogue

Six months later...

"You having fun there, doc?" asked Wade, unable to keep the smirk from his lips.

Zoe did look pretty funny, her arms and head deep in the laundry hamper and her butt in the air. She was mere inches away from falling head-first no doubt. He might have given her hand, except it was funnier to wait and see what happened.

"I'm fine!" she called from inside the depths of the laundry. "Really, I'm just... Got it!"

There was triumph in her voice as she finally righted herself, though the momentum threw her back a little too hard. That was the moment Wade chose to step up and reach out his arms, catching her effortlessly against his chest.

"Wow, head rush," she declared, blinking hard, then turning around to grace him with a smile on her lips. "Good save, Kinsella."

"I do what I can," he said, smirking yet. "So, you were hamper diving for what exactly?"

"Mascara," she told him, waving the tube in his face. "I dropped it and of course it couldn't just roll onto the floor. Oh, no, it had to slip right into the hamper and go straight to the bottom."

"Right, and you couldn't just have used a different tube of black goop? I know you have a hundred." Zoe narrowed her eyes at him. "Okay, sure, I'm a moron. All mascara is not created equally," he declared, hands held up in mock surrender. "I apologise."

Zoe rolled her eyes. "It's fine. Guys don't get make up. I don't expect you to understand," she assured him, before seeming to look him over properly at last. "Wow, look at you. You clean up good, Wade Kinsella," she told him, running her hands over the jacket of the grey suit he wore.

"Well, you're not so bad yourself, Dr Zoe Wilkes," he told her, his own hands at her shoulders. "Although, you may want to do something with this..." he trailed off, trying to put a few errant pieces of her hair back where they ought to be.

Zoe spun back around to face the mirror and cursed. "Damn it! Really would've been better if I dropped the make-up before I fixed my hair."

Wade backed off and let her fix what needed fixing, sitting himself down on the end of the bed to watch and wait. A glance at his watch told him they weren't exactly pushed for time yet. The wedding ceremony wasn't due to start for almost an hour.

"Oh, I have to run over to the practice real fast before the ceremony," said Zoe then, even as she pulled and brushed at her hair, trying to get it back into style. "I'm expecting Shula Whitaker's test results, plus if I don't double check that prescription for Cody, it's going to drive me crazy all day."

"No problem, doc," Wade assured her, unable to keep the smile from his lips, something Zoe soon spotted in the mirror and called him on.

"What?"

"Nothing," he told her, shaking his head. "It's just you and how you're such a doctor, I guess. Yes, I know I didn't phrase that right, but I can't help thinking back to when we first met, how things have changed, and not just your job either."

"I guess it really has been kind of a whirlwind this past year," Zoe considered, finally finishing her hair and going on to apply that mascara she had been so determined about. "I assume everything is under control at the Rammer Jammer? You know Lemon will skin us both alive if her reception isn't just exactly as she wants it."

"I promise you, Zoe, it is going to be perfect."

"Yes, but will it be Lemon Breeland level perfect?" she checked, finishing up with her make-up and turning on the stool to look at him.

"It will be perfect enough even to please Lemon and her crazy as all get out ways," Wade promised her, unsurprised when she laughed at him for saying so.

"Wow, that Southern accent is... still not great." Zoe chuckled, rising to walk over to him. "With all that Alabama blood running around in you, and you having lived here for a good while now, how can you still not get it?"

"Hey, I got you," said Wade, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close between his legs. "That is all I need."

He reached up to kiss her and Zoe leaned in to meet him half way, momentum pulling her over on top of him and leaving Wade flat on his back on the bed. Not that he minded the position he found himself in at all, until Zoe started trying to get away.

"As fun as this is," she said, squirming on top of him, "we have that wedding to get to and we cannot be late. Best friend of the groom, right here," she said, righting herself and pointing a finger over her own head.

"Yes, I know," Wade agreed with a sigh as he sat himself back up. "Uh, should I even mention?..." he said, making vague gestures towards Zoe's head.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" she declared, turning back to the mirror for round three of hair fixing.

Thankfully, it wasn't so bad, and ten minutes later, they were ready to leave. Rushing out the front door, Wade took a hold of Zoe's hand and they walked down the steps together, only for her to stop at the bottom and reconsider.

"I don't have my cell," she declared, hand slipping away as she rushed back. "I have to have it, Wade. Brick is father of the bride, so I'm on call for emergencies. I'll be right back!"

She went crashing back into the house and Wade leaned on the wall, waiting for her. His eyes moved over the outside of the house and he smiled. It was a real nice place, the old Wilkes house, and even though technically it was Zoe's alone, Wade already felt like it was his home too. It may be a million miles away from his uptown apartment in New York City, but he really never missed that place. Not when he had Zoe and family and community here in Bluebell.

"Wade?"

He shook his head, confused to find Zoe back at his side. He had clearly been so lost in thought that he didn't even realise she was there.

"Sorry, I was just... It's nothing."

"Are you sure?" Zoe checked, looking concerned, reaching a hand up to check his forehead for a fever or something. "You could be coming down with something..."

"Zoe, I am fine," he assured her, taking her hand into his own and kissing the back of it. "I promise you, sweetheart, there is nothing the matter with me. In fact, that's what had me so lost in thought. There's nothing wrong, not at all. Everything is just the way it's supposed to be."

"Yeah, I like to think so," she agreed easily, smiling widely. "Okay, so to the practice real quick and then to the wedding."

"Yes, ma'am," Wade agreed, watching Zoe's expression closely.

"Better than before," she said of his accent, before pulling him by the hand in the general direction of her office.

They were barely five minutes in there, then back out onto the street, headed into town square proper for the ceremony. It was close to sunset, just as Lemon had intended, the whole event about to be plunged into darkness, but for the light of the moon and stars, and a few strategically placed lanterns.

"Zoe!" Annabeth called, barrelling over to them, seemingly just a little out of breath. "Minor emergency. My poor Joel seems to be allergic to the flowers. Not sure how, he's never had this particular problem before. Maybe it's just this one variety..."

"I'll see if I can help him out," Zoe promised. "Don't worry, AB. You have bigger things to deal with right now" she pointed out, as Brick came into view with Lemon on his arm.

"Oh, fudge sticks up a fudge tree!" she declared, rushing to join Magnolia, Crickett, and the rest of the bridesmaids.

Zoe covered her mouth with her hand, trying not to laugh. Wade didn't even try all that hard himself.

"This really is a crazy town," he said, not for the first time, as he and Zoe navigated their way to the row where Joel was sitting and slid in beside him.

"You must be the same kind of crazy yourself," she told him as they took their seats. "You chose to be here after all."

"Believe me, baby, there is nowhere else I'd rather be," he promised her.

Zoe smiled then turned to Joel and checked in whispered tones if he was doing okay, next minute rifling in her purse for something to ease his symptoms, no doubt. Wade let his eyes wander over the crowd, spotting his parents further back, both offering him a wave when they saw him too. He raised his hand to wave back, but only briefly, since the bride was suddenly on her way down the aisle. Still, his focus was on his momma a moment longer, on the brand-new wedding band shining on her left hand that matched perfectly with the one old Earl wore.

"Two weddings in one month is almost a little too much," said Zoe softly, clearly having followed his gaze now she was done helping Joel. "But I couldn't be happier for all of them."

"Yeah, everybody seems pretty happy," said Wade, noticing George and Tansy close by each other amongst the wedding guests too.

Of course, for all the happy couples, not least Lemon and Lavon, who were finally getting married today after what had apparently been quite the series of ups and downs, Wade couldn't imagine anybody being happier than he was. So far from the life he had left behind, he now had two parents instead of just one, just one bar in place of a string of them, good friends and neighbours, plus the most amazing woman in the whole of the world loving him and wanting to be with him forever.

As Zoe's fingers entwined with his own, Wade could not keep the contented smile from his lips. Not yet a year since she first picked him up off the side of the road and here he was, happier than he ever could have dreamed to be. Wade Kinsella had never felt more at home in his entire life.

The End