A/N: Where'd everybody go? Zoe & Wade finally have sex and y'all seem to have missed it! lol Well, here's the morning after the night before anyway...

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 23

"So, I'm thinking maybe I should plan more of our date nights," said Zoe, grinning overly much as she sat on the end of the bed after fastening her shoes. "Last night was pretty successful, right?" she called towards the bathroom.

"Can't exactly argue with you there, doc," Wade agreed as he strolled back through to the bedroom, pulling his shirt back on. "Now, not that I'm complainin' at all, but I shoulda left to go pick up my boy at least ten minutes ago," he said, checking his watch.

"You really should've started getting ready sooner," Zoe advised, hardly able to keep a straight face at all.

"Oh, really?" Wade chuckled, pulling her up by her wrists and wrapping his arms around her. "'Cause I think I got started with plenty of time to spare, at least, I woulda been fine if a certain doctor hadn't started somethin' of her own when I was tryin' to take a shower."

"I didn't hear you complaining at the time." Zoe giggled, right before he kissed her.

"That is because, despite what you may have heard, I am no fool, doc," said Wade softly, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Yeah, last night, and this morning too, it was all pretty special."

"For me too," Zoe agreed meeting his eyes, "but we really should get going before we're even later," she said regretfully. "AB is probably wondering where we are."

Wade nodded then kissed her one more time before heading for the door. He turned back at the last moment and stared at Zoe with a frown.

"Hold on a second, we?" he checked. "You're comin' along?"

"Oh, well, not if you don't want me to." Zoe shook her head. "Sorry, I just assumed... and you know how they say you should never assume," she said, nervous laughter trickling out amongst the redundant words.

Wade crossed the room back to her side and reached for her hand.

"Zoe, I would love for you to come with me," he assured her. "To AB's house right now, and pretty much to anyplace else, anytime you want."

Zoe swallowed hard, feeling stupid that she was actually tearing up when he said that. She knew whatever was between them was pretty serious these days, at least on her side, but still they had never really talked about it. It was always more hinted at than stated as fact, until now.

"Look," said Wade, as serious as she had ever seen him, "I know we have been dancin' around this whole girlfriend-boyfriend thing for a while now without ever makin' anything official. It's not that I don't... Aw, hell, Zoe, this ain't me. At least, it never was until... well, until you."

"Wade, it's okay," she promised him. "It's not like I know what I'm doing either. I've had precisely one long-term relationship and that really wasn't as serious as it should've been. He was just a study buddy that I slept with and then we just kind of acted like a couple, but it wasn't real. It didn't feel like this," she said, gesturing between them.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Wade nodded, hand going to her cheek as he leaned down to kiss her once again, lingering there with his forehead against hers. "So, since I'm pretty sure you don't let things like last night happen with just anybody, I know you got a certain idea about what we're doin' here. A serious idea, right?"

"Pretty serious." Zoe nodded in agreement.

"Alright then. So, I guess that makes this official, you and me, bein'... official."

Zoe giggled. "Could you try saying it again without the shake in your voice?"

"I could try," Wade agreed, biting his lip, "I just don't know if it's gonna work. Didn't think anything could scare me to death like findin' out I was a daddy, 'cept for when I thought maybe I wasn't for a while. Fact is, Zoe, I had to grow up fast when JT came along, I had no choice on it, but things were already changin' before that. Ever since you come breezin' into town, I've been trying to be somethin' better."

"You don't need to be better, Wade," Zoe insisted, keeping him close and meeting his gaze. "Sure, you maybe needed an extra shot of maturity," she admitted, "but you've always been a good guy and I've always... Well, as infuriating as you were that first night, I thought even then there was something here. Didn't you?"

She wasn't sure what he was thinking as he looked at her then, but whatever it was, it brought the smile back to his lips, and that was all Zoe wanted.

"Yeah," he said eventually. "I guess I did."

When he kissed her again, Zoe gave into it. They both forgot they were supposed to be anywhere else as Wade lifted Zoe back up onto the bed and their clothes started to come off again.

AB would just have to understand.

"Oh, I understand how it is," AB assured Zoe and Wade, waving away all the excuses they tried to give for their tardiness in collecting JT. "Believe me, I see exactly," she said, grinning as she observed Zoe's hand held tight in Wade's own. "The little one is just fine, been no bother at all. Well, come on in and see for yourself."

She led them into the house and through to the kitchen where JT was sat in the high chair, making a happy mess with his breakfast. The second they came in, Jake stood up from the table and made to leave.

"I gotta go. Long drive ahead o' me."

"I'll see you in a few days, sweetheart," said Annabeth, reaching out to grab him for a goodbye kiss, but he evaded and was gone.

Zoe and Wade looked at each other and seemed to decide together not to say anything about the Nass' marriage right now.

"There's my boy," said Wade instead, heading towards JT and liberating him from the confines of the highchair. "Hey, you miss us, kid?"

JT hugged his neck and wiped all the food from around his mouth into Wade's cheek.

"Now that is adorable," said AB, even as she offered Wade the dishtowel from over her shoulder so he could clean himself up.

"The Kinsella boys are always adorable," said Zoe definitely, getting in on the JT hugs now he was no longer covered in food. "Hey there, JT. Have you been a good boy for Aunt AB?"

"Good as gold and better," she promised, smiling widely at the child now in Zoe's arms. "I swear when I have a baby, I want him to be just as cute and sweet as this one."

"Afraid you're gonna have to make your own, Annabeth, because this one is ours."

Zoe startled a bit at the way Wade just casually said 'ours' like that, but she tried not to let it show on her face. Things were so good right now, and actually, it was kind of thrilling to know Wade wanted to just include her in the family like that. From one guy's girlfriend to the little guy's pseudo-momma inside of an hour, it was quite a leap, but a nice one, if she were honest.

"You okay there, doc?" asked Wade, presumably having caught something in her expression that he couldn't fathom out.

"More than okay," she assured him. "Really, I am."

Two Weeks Later...

"Good morning, happy people!" Zoe grinned as she walked through town square, waving at passers-by and greeting neighbours happily.

"Somebody's awful chipper for a Monday morning," said Raylene, one of the ladies on the nearby bench.

"She's been like that for a while now," said her friend, Eugenia. "I'm starting to think she's taking some of those pills she hands out at the practice."

"That ain't it at all." Delma rolled her eyes. "From what I heard," she continued, lowering her voice as she leaned over to speak to the other ladies, "she and Wade Kinsella have been like a pair of rabbits these past two weeks together!"

"Well, give the woman her due," said Eugenia, staring after Zoe, "if that ain't a reason to be chipper, I don't know what is!"

Zoe had no idea she was the subject of so much gossip, but honestly, even if she did know, she probably wouldn't care. The world was a beautiful, wonderful place to her. She had the most amazing boyfriend, who himself had the cutest son in the world, she had so many friends in town, and she finally had almost half the patients of the practice registered to her, Dr Zoe Wilkes. Zoe was grinning as she passed the sign that bore her new name and headed on into work.

"Morning, Brick. Morning, Addy!" she said, waving at each of them. "Everything good? I feel good!" she declared, walking right through into her exam room.

"Lord preserve us if she is going to keep up with this sunshine attitude." Addy rolled her eyes. "I like it well enough the rest of the time, but Monday mornings?"

"Hush now, Addy, she's just happy," said Brick, checking over the patient notes in his hand. "And to tell you the truth, I have to say she has plenty of reasons to be. I never saw her making a difference in this town," he said of Zoe, who could hear him plain as day from the next room, though she suspected he didn't realise. "I thought she would come in, mess up, take herself back to her big city life where she belongs, but now she's taken Harley's last name and she's made a real decent upstanding man outta Wade Kinsella. I think I can finally see Zoe Wilkes making a life here in Bluebell."

There was a clattering as Zoe misjudged putting her purse down on the desk and the contents spilled all over the floor. It was Addy who came in to see that she was okay and help her pick everything back up.

"Where'd that big ol' smile go to?" she asked with concerned. "You ain't gonna go cryin' over spilled lipstick and cough drops, are ya?" she said, handing back those very items for Zoe to return to her purse.

"Of course not." Zoe shook her head. "I'm fine, I just... I had kind of a shock is all. Brick being nice about me and everything," she said, gesturing vaguely towards the door. "That was weird, right?"

"Dr Breeland does know how to give credit where credit's due," Addy assured her, "and honestly, I have to agree with him. You really are making a difference here and fittin' in better than anyone mighta thought you could. Long may it continue, huh?"

Addy winked at Zoe, handing her the last fallen item from her purse and returning to her duties at reception. Zoe stood stock-still, staring after her, her brain in complete overdrive as she replayed all that she had heard in the last few minutes.

It wasn't that Zoe wasn't flattered or unhappy to know that Brick and Addy thought she was doing well at her job and fitting in amongst the Bluebellians. It was what she had been trying for since she first arrived last year. What had Zoe in such a spin was the idea that this was her life now, forever.

"Forever is a long time," she said to herself, sinking down to sit on the edge of the desk.

How it hadn't occurred to her before, Zoe hadn't an idea. She supposed she was just so caught up in the alternating happiness and drama that had become her life since she moved to Alabama. Everything with Wade and JT, it just seemed to take over, and Zoe was loving being part of an odd family unit with the two of them, plus Earl and Lavon too. It just worked and she was happy with the whole situation, but forever? To stay for all time in Bluebell and never go back to New York? To always be a GP in a small town and never continue her career as a surgeon?

Zoe felt her breath coming in shorter and shorter bursts and forced herself to calm down before she had some kind of panic attack. Just when she had her breathing back under control, her cell phone chirped in her bag and she reached to grab it. It was Wade, and Zoe painted on a smile before she accepted the call.

"Hey," she greeted him, with a false cheerfulness that she hoped he wouldn't pick up on from just the one word.

"You okay there, doc?" he asked immediately.

Damn him for knowing her so well already!

"I'm fine. I'm just at work. You know, busy, busy," she said fast. "What's up?"

"Not much," Wade admitted. "I was just talking to Earl. He has this notion he wants to do the whole family meal thing this Sunday. You know, him, me, JT... and you, if you wanted to come. You think that'd be okay?"

Zoe opened her mouth to answer then closed it fast, her free hand coming up to rub her forehead. She couldn't say no, she didn't even want to really, but was it fair to get herself even more deeply embedded in Wade's family when she was suddenly questioning how long she might be around?

"Uh, yeah, sure," she said fast before she made things any worse. "I'd love to come. Um, I didn't know your dad could cook."

"Oh, he can, when he's sober," Wade explained. "'Course, he'll be kinda out of practice after so long, but he swears he knows what he's doin', and I've kinda got used to cutting him some slack lately. He seems to be doin' real well with the whole clean-living thing."

"He really does." Zoe smiled to herself. "So, family meal at Earl's place on Sunday. Something to look forward to. Sorry, Wade, but I should really be getting to my patients now."

"Go save them lives, doc," he said in her ear, with a smile she could just hear. "I'll see you later, baby."

"See you later," she echoed back, before they both hung up.

Zoe hugged her cell to her chest and frowned hard. She meant what she said, she really should be getting to her patients now, but it was going to be hard to concentrate.

"I'm a professional," she told herself firmly, putting the phone back into her bag and moving to put on her white coat. "Concentrate on the matter at hand. Patient care, neighbourly discussions, everything else can wait."

"Uh, Dr Wilkes?" said Addy, tapping on the open door to get her attention. "You about done givin' yourself a little pep talk there, 'cause I got Colby out here, swears if you don't do somethin' about this rash in the next five minutes, he's gonna cut his arm clean off just to get rid of it," she said with a smirk.

"The overdramatics in this town, huh?" Zoe rolled her eyes and smiled back. "Send him in, please?"

The moment Addy walked away from the door, Zoe's smile faded. Maybe she was just being overdramatic herself, making problems where none really existed. She could stay in Bluebell if she wanted to, or find a way to have the best of both worlds somehow, maybe. Other people did it, she was sure.

"Not now," she reminded herself a second before Colby came in, waving his rash-covered arm around and complaining about other symptoms too.

Just another day at the practice!

To Be Continued...