Hey guys, the last chapter might not have made up for the delay in updates, but I do believe that this one will make up for it. You guys should know that the plan with this story was for Zoe and Wade to be on the outs; however, that will not be the case moving forward with this story.

There is a line from the song Old Doc Brown by Johnny Cash, and a bit of word play with Girls Want to have fun by Cyndi Lauper. I do not own the rights for either song.

Enjoy!

Wade's POV

"Hey sweetie," Jackie asked, sticking her head into her youngest son's room. Wade groaned hearing is mom call him sweetie. He is 11 and has outgrown all the little baby pet names his parents insist on calling him.

"What's up Mom?" He asked, looking up from his sketchbook to look at his mom.

"I was wondering the same," she said, walking into his room to take a seat on his bed. Having a quick look around, she found herself pleasantly surprised seeing the room clean, everything put away where it belonged and his bed made, without once getting on his case to do so.

"What do you mean?" He asked cocking an eyebrow at his mother. He hasn't done anything to warrant himself a grounding; he hasn't been in trouble at school as of lately.

"You've been withdrawn and that spark that made you my little boy is gone, and I am curious to know what's going on in that head of yours and in your life," she said, giving him a look. She didn't like her youngest being a ghost of his former self. He is by far way to young to be having any sort of crisis. He should be out with his friends enjoying his childhood.

"I don't know what to tell you," he frowned, shrugging.

"Does this have to do with your Aunt?" She asked, barely catching the sigh from her boy. "I thought you worked through that with your dad?" She asked him.

"Can one still call her an aunt since they got divorced?" He questioned. His mom gave him a look letting him know that she wasn't going to let him bypass her line of questions. "I get that she met dad in secret because she was scared we would hate her and wanted nothing to do with her, but again I don't get it because we are family, and that isn't going to change just because of a divorce," he told his mom, picking his pencil up to play with it.

"It's hard to know for sure, especially when you marry into a family, Wade. It's not all black and white," she shared. Wade nodded, letting them lapse into silence.

"And I made a fool of everything," he sighed, seeing his mom was going to remain quiet and stay in his room. "I messed up, but I wouldn't change it," he stated firmly.

"And why is that?" His mom questioned. Wade shrugged, his focus on the pencil he's twirling through his fingers. "I have an idea on why that is, want to hear it?" She asked, a smirk flitting across her face.

"Do I really get a say?" Wade asked with a chuckle, looking at his mom, the pencil laying limp in his hand.

"Wade, you know you get a say, whether I take it under advisement is another story altogether," Jackie laughed, getting an eye roll from her son. "It all boils down to Zoe," she simply stated, standing up. "I don't know what has you on the outs with her, but she had become a friend to you and as your mother, I can see that it bothers you that she isn't in your life the way she had been," she further explained, walking over to her son.

"Mothers know everything, huh?" Wade teased.

"Don't you forget it," Jackie laughed. "Find a way to fix things with Zoe, and I promise you won't regret doing so," Jackie stated, bending down to kiss his head.

"I don't know," he sighed. "She thinks I hate her; I don't think I can do anything to make her see otherwise," he confessed to his mom.

"And do you hate her?" She asked. Wade shook his head. He knew how much his mom didn't like the word hate, not that he didn't dislike Zoe, because he liked her.

"It's kind of impossible to dislike Zoe," he stated. They may have started off on the wrong foot, but taking things from her perspective; she had a bit of right to be that way, and he didn't help it out any. But that is just who he is; he couldn't and wouldn't change that.

"I think you should start by saying sorry," she gave him a pointed look and left him to his thoughts.

Not that he needed to think about anything. He knew what he was going to do and tossing the pencil on his desk, he raced downstairs. "Going to talk to Zoe," he told his mom, as he ran out the door, making his way to find her. He came up short seeing her walking down the sidewalk with some dude he had never seen before. He frowned, turning to head home since Zoe was busy.

"Won't your little girlfriend give you the time of day?" Jesse laughed, exiting the house to see his brother with a scowl on his face.

"Shut up, Jesse," Wade seethed, ready to fight his brother, if it came to that. "At least I can get a girlfriend if I wanted one, what's your excuse?" Wade bit out, a smirk coming out to play.

"How can I pick one, there's so many to choose from," Jesse smirked, leaning against the railing of the porch. "But seriously dude, what's with the long face?"

"Nothing," Wade sighed, slumping down in one of the chairs.

"Lies," Jesse laughed, crossing his left ankle over his right. "Would nothing go by the name of Zoe?" He asked, already knowing the answer to his question. "Dude apologize for being such a dick; she doesn't hate you," Jesse told him.

"You sound like mom," Wade said. "I tried genius; she's talking to some dude, I think it might be her used to be step father," he shrugged, not sure if that is the right term to call him or not.

"Then why the heck are you sitting here pouting?" Jesse asked him, uncrossing his legs to stand at his full height. Wade gave his brother a confused look. What was he supposed to do? Be the creepy kid from Bluebell that watched and waited from a bush to be at her side once she finished talking to the guy? Yeah, he would pass on that.

"I'm not gonna wait on her like a creep, dude," Wade spit out, pushing himself from the chair.

"Thank goodness for that," Jesse laughed. "I was talking about where she would go after talking to her ex-step father," Jesse said, rolling his eyes.

"I might," he considered, skipping down the steps. Heading to the one place she was likely to show up, as that spot was one they had in common, one he has been avoiding because he didn't know what to say to Zoe.

He took a shortcut, coming across George and Meatball. It was weird to see those two together as they weren't exactly friends. They stopped talking once they spotted Wade coming their way. "Do I even want to know?" He asked looking between his two friends.

"We were looking for you," Meatball nodded. "And hey we found you," he beamed, pulling Wade into a hug.

"Uh yeah, I don't believe that for a second," Wade laughed. "I have been home and neither one of you came by my house," he pointed out.

"Fine," George sighed. "We're tryin' to see if we can be friends so you don't have to ditch one of us to hang with the other," he explained, shrugging.

"Weird, but whatever," Wade chuckled. "The fact you two are arguing in the middle of the woods explains everything," he said his laughter subsiding. "Enjoy, that," he chuckled once more, moving to walk around them.

"You in a hurry to get somewhere?" George asked, quickly catching up to him, Meatball behind him.

"Nope," he said popping the 'p'.

"Don't seem like it," Meatball smirked. "What's the big secret you can't say?" He egged his friend on.

"It's nothing, honestly," Wade told them, getting annoyed. He didn't need his friends to pry into what he was going to do. Honestly, his nerves were getting the best of him at the prospect of maybe getting a chance to talk to Zoe. Teasing from his friends he didn't need, and it wasn't wanted. "Do you guys hear that?" He questioned, hearing laughter.

"People having fun?" George asked, amused with the way his friend is acting over a couple of people having fun.

"It's not just that," Wade frowned, having a bad feeling about the situation.

"Dude, you're crazy," Meatball laughed.

"That may be so," Wade mumbled under his breath, coming to the bridge to see Tommy, Ben and Greg cornering and tormenting a very frightened Zoe, through the trees. He wasted very little time making his way to the edge of the woods.

"I don't need Wade to save me from the likes of you," he heard Zoe stubbornly say glaring at Thomas. Just hearing his name made his blood run cold, they had no reason to be talking about him to Zoe, and he knew first hand that she didn't need anyone, let alone him to save her from anyone.

"Is that so?" Questioned Thomas. Wade growled under his breath seeing Zoe taking steps backwards when Tommy got close to her. "It sure doesn't seem like it," he smirked. Wade having heard and seen enough, made his presence known. There was no way that he could take anymore of it and there was no way he was going to walk away with Zoe looking scared out of her mind.

"Why don't you pick on someone tougher than you?" Wade asked, stepping out of the woods, George and Meatball behind him. Wade walked right up to Thomas, getting into the older kids face. He'd fight Thomas; it wouldn't be the first time he did it either. He thought he was so much better than the rest of them just because his dad was the mayor.

"What'da say?" George asked, standing next to Wade, coming toe to toe with Ben. Wade felt relief knowing that at least George had his back, and he didn't doubt Meatball's loyalty either; they've been in a few fights together.

"They're too much of a chicken to do anything," Meatball laughed, squaring up to Gregory. Wade chuckled, cracking his knuckles as he waited on Thomas and his goons to make the first move.

"Next time, Kinsella," Thomas smirked; Wade scoffed. "I would hate for anyone to witness the beat down I hand to you," Thomas laughed, walking off, his two cronies following behind him. Wade rolled his eyes, watching them walk off. When he turned back to Zoe, the relief that flashed through her brown orbs was gone, and instead she looked nervous and shy.

"Thanks for that, but I should get home," she told Wade, giving George and Meatball smiles as she started to walk off the bridge.

"Hey Zoe, can we talk?" Wade asked, his eyes pleading with her. She nodded her head, walking back to Wade. George and Meatball making excuses to leave them be.

Now that he had her attention, he didn't know what to say. Knowing what needed to be said and saying the words were two very different things, and he couldn't do it. This is what he wanted, he was beyond relieved to have Zoe stay, thinking that she would leave and not give him a chance to explain his behavior towards her. If that had been the case, he would have walked with her since they do live a few houses apart and quickly say what needed to be said. He wasn't sure which one was better.

"Are you going to say anything, or will we be sitting here in silence?" Zoe asked with a small huff.

"We wouldn't get anywhere if words weren't exchanged," Wade sighed, raking a hand through his hair. Maybe he should have listened to his mom last week when she told him he needed one.

"Then speak," Zoe urged him, glancing at him from the corner of her eye, catching how nervous he happened to be all of sudden.

"Zoe," he said taking a break, his mouth drying out on him. "You hungry?" He asked, everything he had worked the courage up to tell her getting lost in the jumbled mess of his mind.

"Will you say whatever you gotta say to me then?" She asked, fully looking at him. Wade nodded. Zoe felt bad for him, seeing how he was freaking out sitting next to her. "Loaded fries from the Jammer and some sweet tea sounds really good right now," she told him. "But you're buying," she smirked at him, getting up to dust the dirt off her pants.

"Deal," Wade laughed, getting up and brushing the dirt off himself. "Hey, mind telling me who you were talking to earlier?" He asked as they walked. "Not that you have to," he quickly made sure she knew that choice was hers to make about telling him.

"That would be Ethan," she shared. As much as she was still mad at Wade for ignoring her and only coming to her when he saw fit, it would be nice to talk to someone about the things running around her head about Ethan. "He's the one I was led to believe was my father, and once he found the truth out ran out on us, and now he's back wanting to make amends and wants me to stay in his life and I don't know what to do," she sighed, wrapping her arms around herself as they walked.

"That's tough," Wade commented. He wouldn't know what to do if he were in a situation like that. "Do you think he means it?" He asked her instead.

"For now, I think he does. Until he realizes again that I am not his daughter. I want to trust him because I do love him, but I'm uncertain of his true intentions here," she sighed.

"What you think that if he makes good with you that he thinks he can win your mom back?" Wade asked, it wasn't that far of a stretch to think like that. Zoe said nothing, giving him a small nod.

"I know it's wrong of me," she sighed. "But I can't help it," she softly told him.

"Hey now, it's not wrong of you. He hasn't exactly given you any other reason to believe he's doing this solely for you," Wade calmed her down. "I'm sure once you talk this over with your parents, you'll know what to do," he told her.

"Except I don't want to hurt my dad," she shared.

"I've known Harley for years, and he'll be more hurt that you didn't come to him about this," Wade stated.

"Yeah, maybe," Zoe sighed, walking into the Jammer, when Wade opened the door and allowed her to walk in first.

Wade looked around the place and found a booth far enough away from everyone else to have as much privacy as one could get with townsfolk eyeing you up. They sat in silence waiting for their order to be taken; a large basket of loaded fries and two sweet teas.

"I'm sorry," Wade blurted out as they waited on their fries, their tea having been placed in front of them minutes ago. Zoe rose an eyebrow at him, wanting him to elaborate. "For making you think that I didn't like you. I, do, like you that is," he quickly told her.

"That's good to know," she smiled. "But why have you been pushing me away for?" She asked him, almost afraid to hear the answer to her question.

"Because I was ashamed of myself for thinking that my dad could ever possibly cheat on my mom, and I didn't want to be ridiculed or want your pity," he honestly told her. "And I was wrong in pushing you away, because we were friends. And I went and screwed it up," he sighed.

"Wade," Zoe started to say, only for the basket of fries to be dropped off in the middle of the table. Both giving the waitress a smile and a polite thank you. "You didn't screw anything up," she softly said, stabbing a fry with her fork. "I like being friends with you, and that whole mess was well a mess, and I forgive you," Zoe told him, lightly blowing on her fry to cool it down so she could eat it.

"You do?" Wade asked hopeful. There were still things that he needed to say. He hasn't for a second thought Zoe would forgive him so easily.

"As long as you don't do it again," she said, taking a bite of her fry.

"I won't," he smiled, using his fork to get a fry. Getting Zoe's forgiveness, was a breath of fresh air, and he could finally breathe for the first time in such a long time. "When did you get your cast off?" Wade asked, realizing for the first time since coming to her rescue that she is cast free.

"Last week," she told him, swallowing the fry, she had taken a bite of. "Dad was being all paranoid and left it on longer than necessary, so we went when he was on house call last week, and Brick was more than happy to get one over on dad," she laughed.

"Sometimes when it comes to those two, they make it hard to believe they're Doctors," Wade laughed, witnessing more than one prank war between the two town doctors.

"Doctor's just wanna have fun," Zoe sang in a teasing tone.

"Lame," Wade laughed, shaking his head at Zoe. "He was just an old country doctor in a little country town," he sang under his breath.

"Johnny Cash, huh?" Zoe asked, amusement rolling around in her brown eyes. Wade nodded, his focus on the half eaten basket of fries. "Didn't know you could sing," she commented.

"You never asked," he smirked. "I've been trying to convince my mom to let me learn the guitar, but she says I need to learn the piano first," he grumbled.

"Something wrong with that arrangement?" She asked him, eating a fry.

"Everything, considering I don't care about playing the piano," he snapped, giving her a shy smile of sorry. "The piano doesn't interest me the way a guitar does," he shrugged.

"Maybe she'll cave," Zoe commented. An idea forming in her mind. One she needed to talk to Jackie about.

"Wishful thinking," Wade grumbled. "You busy Saturday?" Wade asked her. "I've missed hanging out. I'm sure we can spy on someone," he laughed. He missed hanging out with her; they didn't have to spy on anyone to hang out, but it was what brought them together as friends.

"For a few hours in the morning, I'm free. I already told Lavon I would meet up for football in the park for the camp, mid-morning," she told him. "And I am free after that, so we can do something. And who in the heck would we spy on?" She asked.

"All of them," Wade smirked. Zoe laughed, shaking her head. "Maybe Jesse, I need some blackmail to get back at him," Wade laughed.

"I am really starting to be thankful that I don't have siblings," Zoe commented, laughing. "What are you hoping to catch your brother doing?"

"Anything because he acts like the perfect child, and he has to break the rules," Wade huffed.

"I'm sure we'll catch him doing something," Zoe said, not as sure about that at all.

"You can't make me believe it if you don't believe," Wade pointed out, tossing a fry at her. Zoe glared, grabbing a fry and throwing it at Wade, getting nacho cheese on his shirt. Wade flicked some tea at Zoe.

"Not on my watch," Wally said, hovering over the table. "I will not allow for you two to start a food fight in my establishment, out," he demanded, pointing to the door.

"Sorry, Wally," they quickly apologized and made a beeline to the door. Once safely outside they broke out into a fit of laughter.