(For disclaimer, etc. - see 1.)

2. Secret Santa Spy
Characters/Pairings: Joel, Zoe, implied future Joel/Annabeth
'Verse/Timeline: canon - Season 3
Date: December 2013

"And I know these small town events probably seem just crazy to you, and I get it, because they seemed crazy to me too, you know, the first time around. I guess what I'm saying is, you get used to it. This place grows on you, and please don't say, 'Like fungus,' like my mom did. Joel? Hello? Joel!"

When Zoe started ramming her pointer finger quite aggressively into his arm, he suddenly realised he should have been paying attention. Joel apologised, even as he rubbed the sore spot she had made near his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" she checked then, frowning at him. "You don't look pale or anything. Are you feeling hot, or sick, maybe?"

"I'm fine, Zoe, I promise," he assured her, picking up one of her hands and kissing it. "I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention to you. I guess it's just... all of this. The small town gathering, the whole festive event. It's actually nice."

Zoe smiled at that. "Yeah, I know. Like I said, it grows on you. You want another drink?"

"Sure." Joel nodded, watching her head on up to the bar.

She placed their order with Wade and the two of them bantered back and forth the way they always did. It still kind of blew Joel's mind that Zoe used to date a guy who looked like that, who was that cool, and now she was with him. He tried to wrap his head around the concept but, smart as most people thought he was, he never could.

At the sound of girlish giggling and animated chatter to his right, Joel turned around again, grinning as he saw Annabeth proudly showing off her recently received bracelet to another person who told her how perfect it was for her. AB was very pretty when she blushed like that. Actually, Joel knew he would have to be blind not to realise she was very pretty all of the time.

"Drinks," said Zoe, returning to the table and placing a bottle in front of him.

"Thanks," Joel answered absently. "Sorry, I was just..."

"Oh, yeah, AB is really, really happy about her Secret Santa gift." Zoe grinned on realising what he had been staring at. "I don't know who pulled her name but they did such a great job. Have you seen it? She has this beautiful charm bracelet with all these perfect charms for her - a cupcake, a flower, a teacup - it could not be more Annabeth," she explained. "They must've blown the ten-dollar budget too, but I think it's sweet. Clearly somebody likes her a lot and AB could use that right now."

"Oh, well," said Joel, choking a little on his next sip of beer. "I mean, it probably wasn't meant to be romantic or anything. At least, I don't think so."

Zoe stared at him a moment in apparent disbelief then rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, men! Even the intelligent, sensible ones don't see it!"

As Rose came over to steal Zoe's attention then, Joel let his gaze drift back to Annabeth. He only signed up for the Secret Santa because she asked him so nicely. After all, his family was Jewish and didn't really celebrate Christmas. It was such a fluke that he pulled her name, and he had just gotten her something simple and nice, like a friend would, because they were friends. After all, he was with Zoe. He had come to Bluebell in the first place to be with Zoe, so his feelings for Annabeth were totally innocent. It was just like Zoe and Wade, Joel told himself, before realising the fault in that logic. Maybe it was better that he just didn't think about it and steered well clear of the next Bluebell town event!