A/N: Thanks for the reviews, really isn't the world's greatest mom, is she? Ah well, it'll all be okay in the end, though Zoe has got just a little too much on her mind right now, and there may be more surpising news to come!

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 20

She probably should have called the hospital and told them she wasn't coming in today for personal reasons, but Zoe couldn't bear the thought of spending so much time alone with all the information she had just been given going around and around in her brain. Sure, she could've called Wade and talked things out with him, that was something that definitely did need to happen sooner rather than later, but not today, she just couldn't handle that conversation on top of everything else.

Thankfully, when the patients needed her attention, Zoe found she could give it pretty easily. Not concentrating would only lead to bad things and severe consequences, so she gave her all to her work. Of course, when it came time to take a break, her mind began to wander again. She was so lost in thought, she didn't even notice the machine had stopped making noise and the coffee was ready to pour. She also didn't notice she had company until someone spoke to her.

"How you doin' this morning, Dr Hart?" asked Jonah with a look of concern.

"I'm here." Zoe shrugged, the best she could do in the circumstances, before pouring herself a big mug of black coffee. "I'm guessing you saw what happened last night at the party?"

"Pretty sure just about everybody did," he said, nodding his head and taking his turn with the coffee pot. "You know, Wade always did have a way with the ladies. He couldn't exactly be mistaken for a one-woman kind of guy."

"Yeah, well, that's not the problem right now," Zoe assured him as they both sat down at the table. "Trust me, my mom has a way worse reputation than Wade when it comes to... extracurricular activities," she said diplomatically. "We talked about it, she already admitted it was all her fault."

"Huh. Then Wade is a lucky man, I guess." Jonah smiled into his mug.

Zoe really didn't know what the joke was and didn't feel like asking. She knew what her mother was like when she was drinking. She also knew she trusted Wade, rightly or wrongly. That was another thing to unpack and untangle later. Right now, her mind was stuck on what her mother had told her this morning. The real truth about her father.

"Here's what kind of a person my mom is," she said, barely even looking at Jonah as she told her tale. "Thirty years ago, she went on a Greek cruise, where she met a guy - a Southern gentleman, no less - and nine months later, there was me."

At that point, she actually looked at Jonah, not exactly surprised to see a shocked expression on his face. After all, he thought he already met her father, the famous Dr Ethan Hart, and he was most definitely a New Yorker, through and through.

"Wow," he said eventually. "That's... wow."

"Tell me about it." Zoe sighed, taking a long drink from the coffee mug she held between her hands. "So, instead of being the daughter of Dr Ethan Hart, world renowned cardio-thoracic surgeon, it turns out, I'm actually the product of an affair between my ridiculous mother and a small-town GP named Harley Wilkes."

The crashing sound of china shattering on tile made Zoe look up fast, in time to see Jonah scrambling to clean up the mess he just made. Sure, she expected him to be surprised by the news that her dad wasn't actually her father, that had been more than a mild shock for her too, but she wasn't exactly sure what had him so stunned now that he was throwing coffee all over the floor.

"Sorry about that," he said, searching around for cleaning supplies.

Zoe took pity on him, getting up to show him where they kept the cloths and the dustpan and brush too. She assisted in the clean up without a word, happy to stay in silence, until Jonah suddenly spoke up himself.

"You did just say your natural father was Harley Wilkes, right?

As Zoe looked up at him, a light dawned in her head. "Noooo!" she exclaimed. "Please tell me you don't know him too? My boyfriend and my biological father? That would be the most insane coincidence!"

"And yet," said Jonah with a look. "As a matter of fact, I actually did know a doctor named Harley Wilkes. I'm assuming we're talking about the same man."

"Hold on a second, did?" Zoe said worriedly. "You did know him?"

Jonah sighed, abandoning his attempt to clean up the floor as he reached for Zoe's hand and held it gently in his own. "Zoe, I don't know how to tell you this..."

Wade just didn't know what he was supposed to do about Zoe. It would've been bad enough if all that had happened was her momma laying lips on him, and at least Zoe seemed to understand that he was not a willing participant in that unfortunate moment. It was all this stuff about her daddy that had Wade wondering which way to turn. Until he knew for sure that they were talking about the same Harley Wilkes, he really didn't want to say anything at all to Zoe, and it seemed to be taking George Tucker an awful long time to come up with any answers.

Checking his phone as it beeped, Wade was frustrated to find that he only had a text message from his cell phone service provider. Nothing from George, nothing from Zoe, nobody important was trying to make contact. He wanted to call Zoe, he really did, but short of apologising all over again about what happened with Candice, he had no idea what to say and didn't feel right saying nothing either.

It would've been better if he had some work to do, if the band were needed at the studio or had a gig tonight that they could rehearse for. Instead, Wade was left alone in his own apartment, pacing the floor like a caged animal, not knowing what to do for the best.

He thought he might feel better with a drink inside of him, but it was barely late afternoon yet. Besides, if he could stay away from developing the kind of habits that had dragged his own father down for too many years, and did Zoe's mom no good either it seemed, then so much the better.

Just when Wade thought he was going to lose his mind entirely, there was a buzz on the intercom. There were not many folks that came visiting his apartment. Even Zoe had only been to his place once, since somehow, they always seemed to end up at her place.

"Hello?" he said as he picked up the receiver.

"It's Zoe."

Wade's heart wanted to leap at the sound of her voice and yet break all at the same moment, because she just sounded so sad.

"Come on up," he told her, hitting the release button.

Five minutes later, she was knocking on the door and Wade was there to open it and let her right in. Of course, Zoe wasn't exactly rushing to hug him or kiss him or anything. Wade couldn't blame her for that, but at first, she didn't even seem as if she was prepared to come across the threshold.

"Zoe?" he checked, trying to meet her eyes that seemed so downcast.

"My father is dead," she said out of nowhere. "My real father," she explained, finally looking up at him with red-rimmed eyes. "The one I didn't even know about until this morning. How crazy is that?"

Wade was pretty sure she wasn't looking for an answer to that question, but when fresh tears suddenly spilt over her lashes, he knew she could probably use a little comfort. Pulling Zoe into his arms, he held her tight and just let her cry, relieved that she didn't seem to want to push him away or run back out the door. She had every right to be pissed at him still, he supposed, and maybe she would be again before long, but for now, he would just hold her until she felt better.

"I'm sorry."

He was surprised to hear her apologise when she finally moved out of his arms, swiping at her cheeks with both hands.

"Why are you sorry?" Wade checked, closing the door behind her since she seemed to be staying a while. "I'm the one that has stuff to apologise for."

"Do you?" Zoe asked him, before shaking her head. "I really don't think that you do," she admitted, wandering through to the living room and dropping down to sit in the middle of the couch. "You didn't really do anything wrong. My mom pounced, you just happened to be there. No offence, but as far as she's concerned, you could've been any good-looking male that's half her age."

"Well, just so long as I'm still good-looking." Wade smirked, unsure if this was really a good time for a joke, but trying it anyway.

It was such a relief when Zoe actually laughed, albeit briefly. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed then, momentarily covering her face with her hands. "What is happening to my life?"

As if someone outside of the apartment was trying to answer that question for her, Wade's cell phone suddenly started to ring and he rushed to answer it. Lo and behold, George Tucker's name showed on the screen and Wade quickly accepted the call.

"Tucker, you got news for me?" he said, deliberately without detail as he glanced to Zoe.

"I have," George said solemnly, "and I think maybe you were right about Harley being Zoe's father. I had no idea until today, but it seems it was right here in the last will and testament. Harley always intended for Zoe to inherit his half of the practice here in Bluebell."

Wade did not know what he was supposed to say to that, so he just said nothing at all. He didn't even realise quite how hard he was staring at Zoe until she made a face that proved he was both confusing and worrying her.

"You hear me, Wade?" said George in his ear.

"Uh, yeah, I hear you, Tucker," he assured him, shaking his head as he made a point of looking anywhere but at Zoe for a while. "I, uh, I appreciate you lookin' into all o' that and... well, Zoe is here right now, so I guess I got news to tell her, don't I?"

"I'd offer to help you out with that," his friend said sincerely, "but I'm guessin' you don't wanna wait until I could get a flight."

Glancing up at Zoe once again, Wade found her still looking concerned and he let out a sigh. "Yeah, we really don't have the time for that. Looks like it's all on me then."

"Try and break it gently to her," George advised. "It's gonna be a hell of a shock."

"For everyone concerned," Wade pointed out, "but yeah, I'll do my best. Thanks again, Tucker."

They ended their call and Wade took a deep breath as he put the cell phone down on the table and walked back over to the couch where Zoe was waiting on him. She had to know they were talking about her, that something maybe not-so-good was about to be said.

"Zoe, baby," said Wade, crouching down in front of her and reaching to take both her hands into both of his own. "I have somethin' I gotta tell you right now, and I don't know how you're gonna take it, but I have to tell you anyway. That father you were talkin' about when you came in, the one you found out about this mornin' who already passed on..."

"You knew him," Zoe said then, nodding her head. "I ended up spilling the whole story to Jonah and he told me. Harley was from Bluebell, where you guys are from. Crazy coincidence, huh?"

Wade was a little amazed to realise she knew that much, but of course, that still wasn't everything.

"You don't know the half of it, doc," he told her. "See, like I told you before, my buddy George, he's a lawyer, and when I got to talking to him about the whole Harley Wilkes maybe bein' your daddy thing, he took a little look at the old man's will," he explained, really unsure as to how Zoe was going to take this news, but knowing that no matter what he was going to have to share it anyway. "See, the thing of it is, old Harley, seems he knew about you, and when he passed on, well, he put you in that will of his. Zoe, Harley left you his half of the doctoring practice down in Bluebell."

If her eyes went any wider, Wade was sure Zoe would do herself some serious damage, but he wasn't surprised that his news came as a shock. She was bound to have a lot of questions, and chances were good that Wade couldn't answer any of them. The biggest one in his own mind was, of course, what in the heck happened next?

To Be Continued...