A/N: Hey, anyone remember this story? I hope so! It sort of got shoved on the back burner for as long as I needed to get Summers in Bluebelll finished up, but now that's done, I'm back and this story can have the attention it deserves. Thank you for your reviews and your patience :)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 13

"You're very quiet tonight, which is weird," said Zoe, shifting away from Wade on the couch so she could properly see his face. "For a while, I thought you were actually asleep."

"Think maybe somewhere in there I actually was," he told her, rubbing at his eyes. "Either that or your movie there made not a lick o' sense," he said, gesturing towards the TV where the credits were rolling.

"Yeah, I guess a rom-com wasn't the best choice, but you vetoed movies with subtitles, and one of your action thrillers would've been boring for me, plus it would've woken JT," she said softly, highly aware of the baby sleeping soundly in his crib just a few feet away.

Wade looked like he was set to join his son in peaceful slumber at any moment.

"I'm sorry," said Zoe, causing his eyes to open very fast and a frown to crease his brow. "I should've let you sleep instead of suggesting a date night. When you finally get some time to yourself, you need to rest."

"I'm feelin' all kinds of restful right here, thank you, doc," he told her, pulling her closer and settling down amongst the cushions, as if falling asleep with Zoe in his arms would be just fine.

"I'm not denying this is all very comfortable," she said with a happy sigh, her head resting on his chest, "but I'm not sure sleeping on the couch is a good plan."

Wade opened one eye and peered down at her. "I got another place in mind."

"And it's time for me to go," said Zoe, standing up fast, slipping out of Wade's grip before he had a chance to protest at all.

She didn't want to come off prudish or anything. It seemed as if it ought to be impossible for her, after their date on the night of the Sweetie Pie Dance. Something pretty significant could easily have happened then, if not for Rose and JT having an emergency at the carriage house. It almost made Zoe glad they were interrupted, and yet, at the same time, she had been left a little disappointed too.

"You know, doc, I was just foolin' around," Wade assured her as he followed her to the door. "I didn't mean to-"

"I know," she assured him, leaning up to kiss his lips. "Come on, you know it's not as if I'm not tempted, but tonight's not the night. Not with JT here and, don't take this the wrong way, but I highly doubt you'd be bringing your A Game, Mr Sleepyhead," she teased him gently.

"Yeah, maybe you got a point," Wade admitted, fighting hard to keep his eyes open even now. "'Course, even my B Game is pretty good," he said, smirking terribly.

Zoe laughed too loudly and quickly covered her mouth when she realised what she had done. Thankfully, JT didn't seem to stir at all.

"I should go," she said softly. "Get some sleep, Wade Kinsella," she told him then. "That's doctor's orders."

"Yes, ma'am," he agreed, taking her face in his hands and kissing her deeply. "Sweet dreams, doc."

"Oh yeah," she said breathlessly, finally turning to go.

As Zoe tripped down the porch steps and headed home around the pond, she wrapped her arms around herself, feeling a bite in the breeze. At night, even Alabama got chillier than during the daylight hours, but Zoe was sure it had never felt like this. She tilted her head towards the sky and saw a lot more clouds than she expected to. Maybe rain was coming, but she almost thought they looked more like storm clouds, perhaps even snowstorm clouds?

"No," she muttered to herself. "That would be crazy."

"This is officially a crazy day!"

Lavon looked up from his breakfast and very nearly managed a smile when he saw the expression on Zoe's face.

"'Mornin, Z," he greeted her. "Guessed you'd be a little thrown by the weather outside."

"A little thrown?" Zoe blinked, coming closer to the counter. "Lavon, it's snowing. In Alabama!" she over-emphasised. "By the looks of things, it's been coming down for a while. How is this possible?"

"I'm willing to admit, a snow day in Bluebell is a rare thing." Lavon nodded. "Good thing too, given how bad things can get. Not that I really believe they can get much worse right now," he said with a sigh, dumping his spoon down into the cereal bowl with a clang.

"Aww, poor Lavon," Zoe sympathised, moving to put her arms around him in a strange side hug and giving him a squeeze. "I'm so sorry about Didi."

It was an awful mess of a situation, but Zoe kind of hoped that Lavon didn't want to talk to her about it anymore. If he really had to, then she would listen. He was her best friend after all and she owed him a lot, but truthfully, Zoe was having terrible trouble wrapping her head around the whole concept of Lavon and Lemon having been together. Fortunately, Didi had agreed not to tell anyone what she knew about the affair she had inadvertently discovered, but she also couldn't be with Lavon anymore now she knew. She had left town pretty swiftly, leaving a very sad Lavon Hayes in her wake.

"Gets worse yet," he grumbled. "My parents were supposed to come visit but the snow stopped their flight. So, you won't be meeting good old Ernie and Carolyn after all."

"Oh, that sucks." Zoe sighed. "But they'll come visiting again some other time, right? There will be other days, Lavon, good days, I promise. I'm sorry today isn't one of them for you."

"Won't be a good day for anyone," he told her then, getting up to dump his bowl and spoon into the sink. "There has never been a snow day in Bluebell that has not resulted in disaster, destruction, and downright bad things all around."

"Come on, it cannot be that bad," said Zoe with a smile that only wavered when she realised how serious Lavon was looking about this. "Seriously?"

"Bad things," he repeated with a look. "You'd do better to just go home, climb back into your bed, and sleep until all the snow has melted away. 'S what I'd do, if I didn't have my mayoral duties and such."

With a great heaving sigh, Lavon shuffled off to his office, leaving Zoe alone to wonder what she was going to do about breakfast. Clearly her friend hadn't been in the mood to make eggs or even brew coffee. Thankfully, the pastries box was present on the counter, so all was not lost.

"Okay, I got this," she muttered to herself, grabbing a tray and gathering together everything she needed to take breakfast over to the Kinsella boys.

Ten minutes later, she was picking her way around the pond, glad she put on her boots rather than any kind of heels as she headed over to see Wade and JT. The porch steps were slippery as anything and it was tough to see exactly where she was going with the heavy tray between her hands. Finally, outside Wade's door, she realised she didn't have a hand to knock with. Turning around, she tried to put the tray on the table there, only to drop it down with a clang when Wade suddenly spoke.

"Mornin', doc," he greeted her loudly. "Oops?" he added when she turned to glare at him.

"Good morning, Wade," she said, fighting a smile at his 'aww shucks, did I do that?' expression. "I guess Lavon did warn me that nothing goes according to the plan on a snow day in Bluebell."

"Yeah, there does seem to be more'n a fair share of bad luck goin' around town when the snow comes down," he agreed, stepping around Zoe to grab the tray for her and following her into the gatehouse. "'Course, I figure Lavon got his share before the weather changed, what with Didi leaving like she did. He ever tell you how that happened? 'Cause last I saw, those two were close as cat's breath."

"Oh, um, well, she just decided they didn't belong together, I guess," said Zoe awkwardly, fingers twisting together in front of her. "You know, sometimes you just wake up one day and realise it's not going to work out."

Wade stared at her, head tilting slightly as he tried to figure out why she seemed so damn awkward all of a sudden. There was a nervous feeling somewhere deep in his stomach, a hint of panic that she was about to say she had the same feeling that Didi seem to have gotten, that this whole thing with the two of them wasn't working for her either. Of course, he was also wondering on all that Lemon told him last week about her and George Tucker and Lavon, that whole triangle that most folks had no idea ever existed at all.

"Hey, little man," said Zoe then, grinning as she approached JT's crib and lifted him out with ease. "You know what's happening outside? Do you?" she asked, carrying him over to the window to see. "That's snow. Real live snow. You're not going to see much of that down here in Alabama, so you better make the most of it. Now, in New York, where I'm from, we get a lot of snow, every winter, and as much as it's a pain in the butt sometimes, it is so beautiful. I just love it."

"Yeah, well, 'Bama snow is a whole different concept, doc," said Wade from behind her, trying to dry out the pastries that had got doused with coffee when Zoe dropped the breakfast tray and checking the tub of yoghurt she brought for JT was still good. "What Lavon told you is true enough, bad things happen around here when your good buddy the snow shows up."

"That is just superstitious nonsense," said Zoe smartly. "I am a woman of science and I know that snowy weather cannot make bad things happen... unless it's people slipping over on the ice, or cars skidding in bad conditions. Those things it can cause, but nothing else."

"Whatever you say, doc." Wade smiled, knowing there was no use arguing. "Rule number one, JT," he said, reaching to take his boy from Zoe. "Never argue with a beautiful woman. It is just not worth the effort."

Zoe felt her cheeks turn pink at the unexpected compliment. It was one thing to know that Wade thought she was attractive, to imply she was hot or sexy or whatever, but 'beautiful' was pretty special.

Before she had a chance to get her bearings from that, her cell started to ring in her pocket. Wade took JT off her hands and had the kid changed out of his PJs and into the high chair before Zoe got got done with her call.

"There goes breakfast," she said with a sigh. "Apparently, Brick has taken a knock to the head somehow, so they need me at the practice, right now."

"Well, thank you for the delivery, doc," said Wade. "We all appreciate it," he told her, speaking on behalf of JT and himself.

"You boys enjoy," she told them, leaning in to kiss JT goodbye.

"Can I get one o' those?" asked Wade with a smirk.

Zoe didn't hesitate in giving him a very different kind of kiss. "I'll see you later?"

"Sounds good to me, doc," he agreed, smiling as he watched her leave.

So much for bad things happening, the day had started pretty well as far as Wade could tell.

Zoe had been so reluctant to believe in the Bluebell theory that snow equals disaster, and yet, as the day wore on, she had to admit, it did seem to prove itself to be true. From Brick getting hit in the head and suffering dizzy spells all day, to what felt like a hundred other patients filing through the practice with such a myriad of illnesses and injuries, Zoe hardly knew which way to turn.

When she finally got a chance, she ran out to the Butter Stick to grab a sandwich and maybe a pastry, but Zoe soon realised her work was not done. Though there were very few people in town, most staying inside to avoid the snow, one familar face had ventured out.

"George?"

"Oh, hey, Zoe," he said with a smile that didn't look too genuine as she came over to his table. "You doin' okay?"

"Me? I'm fine," she insisted, waving away his concern. "I'm more worried about you," she admitted, dropping down into the chair opposite. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm just... I honestly don't know what I'm feelin' right now," George admitted, shaking his head. "But, come on, you don't wanna hear my problems."

He got up from the table, chair scraping against the floor as he moved towards the door.

"George, wait!" Zoe called after him, giving chase.

They had both barely made it out onto the sidewalk when a familiar Chevy came screaming into the square, going way too fast for the icy conditions, and coming to a sudden halt outside of the practice.

"Oh God!" Zoe gasped, paying no mind to the slippery pavements herself as she pounded down the street, abandoning her lunch and losing the hat off her head in her hurry.

Wade was already out of the car when she reached the practice, reaching to grab JT from the back seat. The sight of blood on the boy made Zoe feel sick, despite her usual professionalism.

"Wade, what happened?"

"I don't know exactly but, Zoe, you gotta help him, please!"

To Be Continued...