A/N: Thanks for all the lovely reviews on the previous chapter :)

Just wanted to point out that I don't really know a whole lot about babies of this age (no kids, no siblings, no idea!) so I'm writing based on general knowledge, Googling, and checking with my own mum! lol

Now, time for a nice Sunday picnic with Zoe and the Kinsella boys ;)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 6

Lavon hardly knew what to think when he heard clattering in his kitchen in the middle of his lazy Sunday morning. He figured maybe it was Wade at first, having problems with the baby or something. It was a real surprise to find his other tenant stood by the counter... with a knife in her hand.

"Z? What exactly are you doing?" he asked, rubbing one eye that was barely open yet.

"Don't freak out, I'm not trying to cook anything," Zoe promised, hands briefly raised in surrender before she went right back to chopping. "I'm just putting some stuff together for a picnic, specifically, foods that we can try JT with," she said, smiling wide. "Yesterday, when Wade came to pick him up, I mentioned that JT had been putting his hands onto people's plates a lot lately. I mean, I know kids grab at anything and everything at that age - hair, jewellery, whatever - but he is six months now and reaching for food is a good sign that he's ready for the weaning process."

"Of course, it is." Lavon nodded like he had a clue, coming closer to see what exactly it was Zoe was preparing.

"So, I have some soft fruits and vegetables for pureeing, also avocado and little pieces of chicken and cheese so he can do the finger food thing, because that works better with some kids..."

"You got this all planned out," said Lavon, smiling too much as far as Zoe concerned. "So, this picnic, it's just you and the little man?"

"Yes. Well, no. Obviously, Wade will be there too."

"Obviously."

There was laughter in Lavon's voice and a smirk on his face that Zoe didn't care for. She gave him a severe look, pointing at him with the knife in her hand.

"Do not get any weird ideas about this," she said definitely. "Wade asked me to go on a picnic with him and JT because... well, as a thank you for helping out so much, I think, and also, probably, so he won't have to cope with the baby by himself," she considered, going back to work with the food.

"Sure, yeah, that'll be it," Lavon agreed, shaking his head as he poured himself a coffee and hid his smile in the cup.

It had been pretty clear that Wade had feelings for Zoe from the get go, but it had also been just as plain that Bluebell's newest doctor had the warm and fuzzies for good old George Tucker. Lavon thought maybe she could like Wade too, but with his rep as the one-night stand type and her being the serious, monogamous good girl, there were some barriers to progress, until JT came along, of course.

Wade hadn't changed as such. Lavon had known for a long time that his buddy was way more responsible and upstanding than he seemed, or at least he could be when he wanted to. With a baby in the picture, someone dependent on Wade being his best self all of the time, it did make a difference. It also threw Wade and Zoe into close quarters more than ever before, and for something that didn't cause them to fight and bicker, but to actually work together and be friendly.

"You know, I'm sure you could come along on this picnic too," said Zoe, suddenly snapping Lavon from his thoughts. "The more, the merrier, right?"

"Aww, no," he said quickly. "I couldn't... uh, 'cause I got all these things I gotta do, you know? Busy work. Mayoral duties."

"On a Sunday?" Zoe frowned.

"Hold onto your hats, the Kinsella boys have arrived!" Wade announced loudly as he came in through the back door.

JT was laughing like a crazy person, clearly finding the whole situation hilarious, and Zoe could well understand why.

"Oh my God, look at you!" she said, hands covering her mouth as she laughed too.

"That is cool, man," said Lavon, marvelling at the sight.

JT was dressed up almost exactly the same as his daddy, from the blue pants that were not quite jeans to the red-and-black plaid shirt, sunglasses, and a backwards baseball cap. It was the most adorable thing... for about five seconds. Then JT pulled off the glasses and threw them to the floor with a clatter.

"Seriously, man?" Wade asked him. "Do you not wanna look cool?"

"I got it." Lavon ducked down to the tile to retrieve the shades and check them over. "No harm done, but he prob'ly don't need 'em on in the kitchen."

"Did you not hear the part about lookin' cool?" said Wade, still in his aviators and refusing to give in and take them off apparently. "Wow, doc, you went all out on this baby-friendly food stuff," he said, noticing the state of the counter then.

"It's just some options." She shrugged like it was nothing. "We don't know what this guy likes yet, do we?" she said to JT who immediately reached for her, making noise until he was handed over.

Zoe put the knife out of the way, wiped her hands clean on a dishtowel and then took him into her arms for a hug. While she had JT occupied, Wade retrieved the picnic basket he'd pulled together just yesterday and added in the other items that were stashed in the fridge.

"Where you guys headed anyhow?" asked Lavon with genuine interest.

"I don't know." Wade shrugged. "I figured we'd just start walking, see where we end up. That okay with you, doc?"

"Sure," she replied absently, giving way more attention to JT than anything else.

Lavon shifted closer to Wade and spoke in a low voice she was unlikely to hear either way. "If you was planning on this being a date, I think you did it wrong. He's gettin' way more attention than you are."

"It is not a date," said Wade definitely. "It's just a picnic."

"Uh-huh. Lavon Hayes believes you, sure he does," said Lavon with a look before taking his coffee and heading to his office.

Wade watched him go, shaking his head. It really wasn't a date, not at all, not with his son right there, obviously. Still, when he looked over at Zoe and JT again, his heart clenched in his chest at the sight that met his eyes. They did make a pretty decent picture, his son and the woman he... well, that he liked, that he cared about. Wade wasn't entirely sure he knew how to describe Zoe anymore. She was his friend, that much they seemed to have established, but with everything else that was going on, he couldn't possibly figure out what else she might be.

"Wade?" she said suddenly, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Are you feeling okay? Because we don't have to go out-"

"What are you talkin' about, girl?" he said, shaking his head. "We're havin' us a picnic, ain't that right, JT?" he asked the baby who grinned and babbled happily in Zoe's arms.

"Okay then," she said, smiling wide. "Let's pack this stuff up and go."

"You are a wonder, Zoe Hart."

She hadn't been expecting those words or the look Wade was giving her when she glanced his way. Zoe hoped she could try to blame the sun for making her cheeks burn, but since they were very deliberately under the shade of a tree, for JT's sake if no-one else's, that might be tough to pull off.

"I just gave him food he liked," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "This little guy is the wonder kid, aren't you?" she said to JT, watching him happily munch on a piece of cheese from his own hand.

Of course, he hadn't liked absolutely everything she brought along and there was a lot of food on his shirt, and the blanket, and Zoe, and Wade too, but for a first attempt, it really had gone pretty well.

She hadn't thought much about kids for herself. Zoe figured there was no point contemplating motherhood when she was first and foremost a career girl, with no man in her life that she could ever consider sticking with. Still, it didn't suck playing at the mom role for a little while.

"I was discussing the whole motherhood thing with a patient yesterday," she said, watching JT happily eating. "I mean, I am in no way in that place in my life right now, but I had to admit, I could see the attraction. My mom has never exactly been encouraging about family life, but I guess now I know why. It's weird, I thought being here would help me feel more connected, I mean, Bluebell is all about families and roots. The only connection I really had here was gone before I arrived and... Wow, would you listen to me," she said then, shaking her head and laughing as she saw Wade's expression. "Could I be any more self-centred and depressing?"

"Probably, if you gave it a real good try," he teased her, "but you know what, doc? Family ain't all about how far back your roots go," he told her easily. "These days, all I got by way of blood is Crazy Earl, and now JT, I guess, but there's plenty of folks 'round here all pitching in to help when I got myself in a jam. That's family, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Zoe nodded, looking to JT when he squashed the remainder of his cheese stick into her knee. "And thank you for that," she said, laughing because she couldn't help it. "I know you haven't had the greatest start, kid, but you have plenty of family now. You have your daddy, and you have me... I mean, not like that, I just..." she floundered, glancing awkwardly at Wade.

He only smiled at her, that charming church social smile that always affected her more than she would ever tell him.

"He has you in his corner, doc, then he's a lucky kid."

Zoe smiled and looked very deliberately at JT instead. "So, done with the food, huh?" she said, grabbing the baby wipes to deal with his hands and face.

"He still gonna need the formula?" Wade checked, pulling himself off his back to sit up.

"Yes, definitely," Zoe confirmed, retrieving the bottle.

"Come on, buddy," said Wade, lifting his son into his lap and taking the bottle from Zoe so he could give the kid his feed.

Zoe busied herself with cleaning up and packing things back into the baby bag and picnic basket. She must've moved a little faster than she thought since she had worked herself out of a job long before JT was ever done with his bottle.

With nothing else to do and nowhere else to go, she settled back down onto the blanket next to Wade, looking out at the view. Zoe hadn't seen a whole lot of nature growing up in New York, the best she got was the occasional window box of geraniums. Here was green and gold, flowers, bees, and butterflies, with a beautiful stretch of water a ways away, rippling in the bright sunshine.

"Beautiful out here, ain't it?" said Wade, almost as if he read her mind.

"It really is," Zoe agreed easily, leaning back on her hands. "You know, when I first came here, I didn't think I would ever adjust. It was too quiet, too open, too full of stuff that bites and stings and crawls," she said, shuddering at the thought, "but sitting here like this, with the sun and the view. Why would anyone want to be anywhere else?"

"Can't think of a reason, doc," Wade agreed, setting JT's bottle aside now he was done with it. "'Sides, people can adjust to the darndest situations when they have to," he said, dodging out the way when his son made a grab at nose.

Wade mimed biting JT's fingers and the little boy laughed like it was the best joke.

"You are so good with him," said Zoe, laughing too. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I didn't exactly see that coming."

"Me either," Wade freely admitted, "but he's my kid. What was I gonna do? Abandon him like his momma already did?" he said, a bitter tone coming into his voice for a moment, and yet the smile remained as JT laughed and tried to get him to play some more.

"It's so weird how she just disappeared like that. The contact details on the medical records were a bust. Even her parents don't know where she went. They don't seem to even know she had a kid," said Zoe, tapping JT's shoulder to get his attention and joining in with the games.

He scrambled to get out of Wade's grasp, pretty much throwing himself clumsily at Zoe who happily lifted him into her lap.

"I mean, I don't have the greatest mom in the world, but I would tell her if I was having a baby," she said definitely, kissing the top of the little boy's head. "Did you tell Earl about JT?" she asked Wade then.

"I did not," he told her, though his eyes remained on his son yet. "He was so out of it. Like I said, this time of year, it's the worst for him."

JT yawned and leaned back against Zoe, flailing his arms in such a way she almost got hit in the face. Not that she minded, he never meant any harm.

"Can I ask why?" she said, glancing at Wade.

She wished she hadn't said it when his smile completely disappeared, like the clouds blocking out the sun. Unfortunately, there was no taking it back now.

"What started Earl drinkin' was... was when my momma died," he explained, gaze fixed out on the view until he was done. "It was right before Christmastime, back when I was ten years old."

"Oh, Wade," said Zoe, hugging JT a little tighter out of instinct. "I... I'm sorry."

"Don't worry your pretty little doctor head about it," Wade told her, the smile creeping back in as he looked at her then. "It's been a long time, I can talk about it without bawling like a two-year-old, but old Earl, he never really got over her," he said, shaking his head.

Zoe felt awful, like she had completely ruined such a nice day, but then she supposed it wasn't really her fault. Wade's mom passing away had happened so long ago, it was just tragic that Earl couldn't get over that. At the same time, she had to admit, it was kind of beautiful too, to experience love that deeply and completely. Zoe couldn't imagine it.

JT let out a sigh in the silence, his head lolling against Zoe's arm.

"Aww, sweetie," she said, shifting him to a more comfortable position. "I think somebody needs a nap."

She moved to put him safely into his seat so he could lay more comfortably and sleep. For a minute, Zoe just sat back and watched JT dream, realising then that Wade was doing exactly the same thing very close beside her.

"Thank you for today, Wade. It's been really nice."

"Yeah, for us too," he told her, smiling like he meant it again by now. "You know, Zoe, I was thinkin'..." his voice trailed away as he stared at her and then he shook his head. "Uh, we should probably get ourselves back to the plantation. Sun's prob'ly gonna get a little hot for my boy soon."

"Oh, yeah. Yes, we should go," Zoe agreed, standing up ready to leave.

Somehow, she had thought Wade was going to say something a little more profound than that, but she probably should've known better.

To Be Continued...