A/N: Happy to see the DNA results were well-received, though I'll be honest, I did toy with the idea of Wade not being JT's daddy and just raising him anyway. In the end, I think that might've been too complicated. Thanks for all the lovely reviews, as always :) Now we have to deal with George's father, but don't worry, despite that drama, this chapter is mostly Zade ;)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 20

The party had cleared out within minutes, Wade had made sure of that. There was no way he could continue celebrating some dumb award he was getting when so many people he cared about were hurting so much. George Tucker's daddy was in a bad way, so they said, and Lemon seemed to have gone to pieces on his behalf, though Wade suspected it was mostly guilt that was getting to her.

On top of that, there was Zoe to think of. Wade knew how much she wanted to separate herself from Ethan Hart after how he hurt her. She had papers from the court house that she was planning on filling out to get her name changed, most probably to Wilkes. Still, when the chips were down, Zoe could always be relied upon to do whatever she could for those she cared about, he learned that pretty fast.

Truth to tell, there was a part of Wade that was just a little bit uncomfortable with Zoe doing the biggest possible favour for Golden Boy George. It was petty and stupid, but knowing like he did how Zoe had felt for George just a few short months ago, it made him wonder. If he were completely honest, it was fear more than anything that was bothering him. George was newly single and vulnerable, looking for a shoulder to cry on, no doubt. If he picked Zoe, that didn't necessarily mean she would choose him right back. Wade wanted to have more faith in her than that, but it didn't come easy to a guy like him.

When the last of the guests were out of Lavon's house, Wade took himself over to the carriage house to check on Zoe. Lemon had returned to the gatehouse after passing on the news about George's father, promising to stay put with Lavon and JT until things were settled on what to do next. First thing first, Zoe had to get a hold of Ethan Hart and see if he would agree to come on down to Alabama to fix up old Harold Tucker.

As Wade passed her window, he saw Zoe sitting on the edge of her bed, still talking on the phone. He came to the door and found it open, letting himself in, just in time to hear her finish up her call.

"Okay, we'll see you then. Bye."

"I'm guessin' he said yes?" Wade checked, hovering by the bedroom door.

"He did." Zoe nodded. "Miracle of miracles," she said then, rolling her eyes and tossing the phone behind her on the bed, like she couldn't bear to look at it anymore. "Ugh, that was just..." she trailed off, her hands over her face a moment. "I hated having to go to him for a favour like that, after everything," she grumbled, pushing her fingers back through her hair.

"You did a good thing for George," said Wade, walking over to where she was sat and sinking to his knees in front of her. "He'll be real grateful to ya."

"I know," Zoe agreed, smiling slightly as Wade took her hands into his own. "I wish that made me feel better. I mean, it does, obviously. George's father is way more likely to get better with a great surgeon like Dr Ethan Hart working on him," she said with a huge sigh. "I just... I could've lived without having to deal with this on top of everything else today, you know?"

Wade was pretty sure he would never have known what those last few words were if he hadn't been so close to her in a silent room. Zoe lost her voice and the last ounce of control she had over her emotions then. Tears streamed down her face as she started sobbing and Wade quickly moved to sit beside her, pulling her into his arms as she cried.

Sure, the news about JT was the best it could be, and Ethan Hart agreeing to help out George's father was great too, but that didn't mean the last few days hadn't been way too emotional, all told.

"Come on, baby. It's gonna be just fine," Wade promised Zoe, kissing her hair as she continued to cry, her face buried in his shoulder.

"I know," she said eventually, trying to get herself under control as she pulled away a little. "I know I'm being so stupid."

"Hey, you are not stupid," he said definitely, his hand at her cheek making her look at him. "Smartest woman I know, you got that?"

"Thank you," she said, finding him a watery smile. "I was so relieved when I got the news from Sam about the DNA results."

"Me too." Wade nodded. "So, that whole blood group thing, how's that shake out? I mean, the chances were supposed to be so tiny..."

"They were, they are," Zoe confirmed, sniffling yet, even as she got her science on and explained it all. "Two O type parents will get an O type child almost every single time, but technically, any people with any blood groups can have a child of any blood group, due to mutation. It's rare, but it happens, obviously. JT is just special, as if we didn't already know that."

Zoe smiled a watery smile and Wade returned the look.

"Mutation, huh?" he checked. "You tellin' me our boy's gonna be in the X-Men when he grows up? 'Cause that'd be cool."

It was a pleasure to hear Zoe laugh at his lame joke, if nothing else.

"Doubtful," she told him, leaning further into his embrace. "It's definitely nothing to worry about. In fact, tonight was supposed to be such a good night, with JT's results and your award and everything. It was like things were finally going right, you know? Even for Lavon. When I came by the gatehouse on my way up to the party, I saw him and Lemon through the window."

"They were havin' that serious talk they've been needing for a while," Wade agreed.

"Not when I saw them," Zoe explained. "Lips were being used, but not for talking."

"Well, what do you know? Guess they figured things out faster than even we thought they could."

"I'm not sure if it changes things now that Lemon is so upset about George," Zoe considered.

Wade shook his head. "I got a theory she's mostly just shook up with shock and maybe even feelin' a little guilty. I mean, moving on so fast to another man, guy she had an affair with no less, while George Tucker is worryin' on his daddy maybe... Well, with him bein' in the hospital and all," he said instead.

Zoe sighed and leaned into his embrace for a while longer.

"I so don't wanna deal with all of this, but I guess we don't really have a choice. I need to tell George what's happening and I should really be there at the hospital when my dad... when Ethan shows up for the operation."

"That strictly necessary?" asked Wade then. "The you being at the hospital part?"

Zoe considered for a moment before answering. "Well, the doctors there could probably tell him more than I could. They have to have a heart specialist in Mobile, right? I guess I really don't have to be there if I don't want to, except... well, George probably needs support."

"Lemon seemed pretty set on going along. I reckon Lavon is more'n ready to take her. He hadn't had a whole lot to drink when I saw him last and all this bad news certainly sobers a body up. 'Course, if you wanna go to the hospital, we can."

"I really don't," she said definitely, shaking her head. "I can call George with the news and stay here, unless he really needs us, but I'm guessing the hospital waiting room will be crowded enough with all the Tuckers and potentially the Breelands too," she decided. "As for Ethan Hart, if he wants to see me, he can come find me. I'm certainly not chasing after him anymore," she said definitely, her hand landing on top of Wade's own and intertwining their fingers.

"Sounds like a plan to me, doc," he agreed, kissing the top of her head. "Now, it's not that I exactly wanna leave you right now, but I gotta get back to my boy, let Lemon and Lavon know what's goin' on..."

"Sure, you go." Zoe nodded, pulling out his arms. "I'm so sorry about your party."

"Don't even worry about it," said Wade as he got up to leave, leaning down to plant a kiss on her forehead. "You make your call to George Tucker and then get yourself some sleep, okay?"

"Doctor's orders?" she joked.

"Wade Kinsella's orders," he corrected with a smirk. "Way more important."

A gurgle of laughter escaped Zoe's lips but it was enough. She looked just a little happier than when he found her and Wade called that a win. Raising his hand in a wave goodbye, he finally left the carriage house, heading over to let Lemon and Lavon know the score so they could go to the hospital if they wanted.

Not long after, they were on their way, Lavon's arm around Lemon's shoulders as he led her to the car. Wade watched them from the window and then turned back into the room, checking on JT who slept soundly in his crib.

"Lot of excitement today, kid," he said, leaning over the edge to watch his boy a while. "Coulda gone a lot worse though. Least we know for sure now that you are exactly who we thought you were, son," he told JT with a smile that wouldn't quit.

Kissing his fingertips, he gently stroked that kiss onto the baby's hair. JT barely stirred at all, just slept on soundly, unaware of all the drama going on with everybody else. Far as Wade could tell, that was for the best.

It wasn't exactly late yet, but Wade had no reason to try to keep himself awake. He tidied up some, then started stripping off his clothes, ready to hit the hay. He was down to just his jeans and half way to unbuckling the belt when he saw something move beyond the door. He frowned, refastening his pants and going over to see what was happening. Pulling open the door, he found Zoe hovering on the porch, looking unsure whether she was coming or going.

"Hi," she said softly when she saw him staring at her. "I, uh... I was going to knock and then I remembered that JT would probably be asleep, so I didn't."

"What's goin' on?" Wade asked, more than a little confused by the way she was acting, and also the way she was dressed, truth be told.

"I got ready for bed," she explained, gesturing to her skimpy top and shorts combo that she wore underneath a flimsy robe, "planned to get some sleep, like you said, but... This is so stupid," she admitted, pushing her hair back off her face in a nervous gesture. "I kind of just didn't want to be alone. Would it be too weird if I stayed here tonight?" she asked, looking pained.

Wade felt a sigh of relief leave his lungs. He really thought something was seriously wrong for a minute there.

"Get in here, girl," he said, opening the door up wider and ushering her inside.

Zoe smiled widely as she crept by him into the gatehouse. "You know I meant the couch, right?" she said then, smile replaced by that same nervous look from before. "I wasn't... I mean, I just..."

Wade leaned down, his hand at her cheek as he softly kissed her lips. "Before you start freaking out," he said softly then, "you can take the bed and I'll take the couch," he told her easily. "Come on, doc, wouldn't be the first time for that particular arrangement now, would it?"

He smirked when he said it and she smiled in response, hoping she wasn't also blushing. She remembered the night he spoke of all too well, when she was half-convinced she was being stalked by the ghost of Leon Mercy. Wade really had been there from her right from the start. Sure, he took every opportunity to see if he couldn't get her into bed and Zoe was sure if she had agreed, it would've happened too, but he was never a bad guy, never super pushy or anything. She trusted him from almost the first day, strange as that sounded, and now, with them being so much closer...

"You know, nobody has to sleep on the couch," she told him, her voice low for more reasons than just JT sleeping on the other side of the room. "Um, I mean, it's a pretty big bed, plenty of room for two people who are just sleeping, right?"

Wade stared at her for what felt like a long time before he said anything.

"You serious?"

Zoe nodded her head. "I know what we have is kind of undefined and now really isn't the time to have that talk, but the fact is, I trust you, Wade," she told him easily. "You trust me, right?" she checked, holding out her hand.

He wrapped his fingers around hers and held on tight. "With my life," he told her, smiling some.

She smiled right back as they walked over to his bed, hand in hand until they had to let go. Zoe slipped out of her robe and under the covers, turning her back to Wade while he took off his jeans and then joined her in bed. She did trust him, absolutely and completely, but that didn't mean it didn't feel a little weird sharing a bed with him like this.

"So, goodnight, I guess," he said behind her.

Zoe bit her lip and then made a decision, turning over to face Wade.

"You know you don't have to be all the way over there," she told him, noting the vast space between them. "I mean, unless you want to be..."

Wade shook his head against the pillow and then shifted closer. Zoe did the same, hesitating just a little before reaching an arm across his chest. Wade's arm went around her shoulders, pulling her into him until they were cuddled up close.

"This is okay, right?" she said, not daring to look at him.

"Works for me," he told her, kissing her hair. "Goodnight, Zoe."

"Goodnight, Wade," she replied in a similarly soft tone, a smile playing at her lips as she let sleep claim her.

To Be Continued...