A/N: Hello, folks. Happy New Year to you all! Not sure if you missed me or this story at all, but if you did, you might be pleased to know we're both back ;)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 29

Candice didn't hang around too long, for which Zoe was eternally grateful. It was true that she did make some effort to be nice to Wade and Lavon, at least, but it was also evident that very little about Bluebell impressed her. Three days after she arrived, Zoe was helping Candice put her luggage into the back of a cab and they were saying their goodbyes for now.

"I know you think I don't approve of anything you're doing here," said Candice with a look, "but it's not true, Zoe. All I really want is for you to be happy. I'm just not so sure that this place can do that for you, not long-term."

"Well, I'm sorry, Mom, but I happen to think you're wrong," Zoe insisted. "I love my job here, which I'll admit I didn't expect, but I do. Being a GP is so rewarding. Plus, I've made so many friends, there's such a great community here, and then there's Wade. He makes me very happy, Mom. I love him."

Candice still didn't look entirely convinced, glancing over her shoulder to ensure that nobody, not the cab driver or any other potentially approaching person could hear when she spoke next.

"You love Wade and yet you're keeping secrets from him," she reminded her daughter. "This whole private investigation business into the mother of his child?"

"I know, I know." Zoe waved away her words with her hand. "It's not great, but until the guy actually finds something worth sharing, I really don't see the point. He'll probably just say that Carrie-Sue was selfish and abandoned her kid for an acting career in Europe. It happens, unfortunately. Not everybody is cut out to be a parent."

There was some venom in her words, even though she hadn't especially meant to allow it to creep in. Zoe knew she should be done punishing her mother for past mistakes, but it didn't come easy in the circumstances. It was hard to be judged by someone who was far from the ideal parent or person herself.

"For what it's worth, Zoe, I do understand you changing your name and... and although I probably didn't know Harley as well as I should have given what happened, I am sure he would be very proud to have you for a daughter. I know I am," she said, smiling genuinely as she took Zoe into her arms and hugged her tight.

They parted on good terms at least, Candice climbing into the cab and waving as she was driven away to the airport. Still, Zoe couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped her lips the moment the car disappeared from sight. She immediately hurried over to the gate house and rapped on the door, smiling widely when her two favourite people appeared.

"Hey, look who it is, bubba," said Wade, bouncing JT on his hip. "Aunt Zoe finally escaped from the Candice Monster," he joked.

"Mean!" she said, swatting at him, but laughing nonetheless. "Ugh, it has been a long three days!" Zoe declared then, grabbing JT and getting herself a big hug. "I needed that," she said definitely, holding him tight. "I have not seen enough of you and your Daddy in the last few days, you know that, JT?"

"We know it," said Wade with a look. "Long days, really long nights," he said, pulling Zoe closer and planting a kiss on her cheek.

"Trust me, I get it," she said, her expression proving that she really did.

JT soon made his presence felt again, kicking and wriggling until Zoe put him back down amongst his toys.

"Please tell me he didn't finally walk without me being here to see it," she said, looking to Wade for confirmation.

"Not one step," he promised, shaking his head. "Came close a couple of times, didn't you, kid?" he said to JT who babbled happily in response. "No more words either. I reckon he was waitin' on you to be here before he did anything too special."

"Good boy," Zoe told JT, sitting down lotus style on the floor nearby so she could watch over him. "And what about you? Been doing anything fun while I was out of the loop babysitting my mom?"

"Not much." Wade shrugged, hands shoved in his pockets. "Worked my shifts, looked after my boy here, spent three lonely nights pining for my woman," he told her, coming to sit beside her on the floor.

"Of course, you did." Zoe rolled her eyes.

"Hey, I'm bein' serious" he told her definitely. "Well, maybe I had one other thing on my mind..."

When he trailed off, his eyes going to the ground, Zoe started to worry just a little. Not that she suspected Wade of doing anything he shouldn't. She would never believe him capable of cheating or anything, but something was definitely wrong.

"Wade?" she prompted, her hand on his arm to get his attention back. "What is it?"

He seemed to contemplate something for a moment then suddenly got up and went over to the couch. The next minute he was back, lowering himself to the floor beside her again, a notebook clutched in his hand.

"I wanna show you somethin', but you have to promise not to laugh, okay?"

"Unless that's a joke book in your hand, you have a deal," Zoe promised.

Wade smiled a little at her humour but still looked weirdly nervous as he handed over the book he had been holding onto so tight. He moved away then, making a big deal about JT and whatever he was doing with his plastic bricks and rings and such.

Zoe watched them playing for a moment, smiling at the sight, then let her eyes drift down to the book in her hands. On the cover, in Wade's less-than-tidy handwriting, it said 'Plans' but wasn't any more specific than that. Opening up to the first page, Zoe started to read, eyes widening with surprise when she realised what exactly it was she was looking at.

As she turned each page, Zoe grew more and more amazed. Wade didn't do so well in school, he had told her that, but she knew he was far from stupid. Still, she hadn't quite expected him to know where to begin in putting together real concrete plans, including some financial stuff, for a project like this. He had this habit of surprising her, something Zoe didn't mind at all. In fact, she kind of loved it, almost as much as she loved him.

"Wade, this is... It's amazing," she said, looking over at him. "Your own bar? I didn't even know you wanted that."

"Neither did I, exactly," Wade admitted, looking strangely shy as he glanced back at her from his place laid out on the floor by JT and his pile of toys. "Thing of it is, if I'm gonna raise my boy here, it's gonna take more cash than I make just tending bar. Besides, you showed me how great it can be to have a career, or at least a real ambition and all. Sure, you're not doing your supersonic space surgeon thing anymore, but you worked real hard to get all your doctorin' skills. I couldn't ever do something as fancy as that, but I know bars. I know drinks and I know people, I guess. I figure the best I can do for JT and even for myself is try to build something that's really mine, that's really ours," he said, reaching out to smooth his son's hair.

"Wade, that is just... it's incredible," said Zoe, laughing at herself when she was forced to wipe a tear from her cheek.

"Didn't mean to make you cry, doc," Wade told her honestly. "Like I said, I was mostly hopin' you didn't just go ahead and laugh."

"I would never do that," she promised him. "Wade, come on, nobody could ever doubt how much you want to do what's best for JT. You have more than proven what a great father and a great man you are. The town gave you the frickin' MOTY award for goodness sake!" she reminded him with a genuine smile. "And I personally could not love you more. I think this is a great idea," she said gesturing with the notebook in her hand. "If there's anything I can do to help get this thing off the ground, tell me, I'll do it."

"Funny you should say that, doc," said Wade then, taking back his notebook of plans and staring at it even as he continued, "I, uh... Well, you seen the signs goin' up in town about the Bluebell Battle?"

"Sure." Zoe nodded. "Lavon told me a little about it. Some race with all these tasks and trials. Another of Bluebell's quirky events, I guess."

"It is that," Wade agreed, "but it's also a good way to make $5,000 real fast," he explained, finally looking up at her again. "I was thinkin', with the right partner, I could probably win that thing. So, what do you say, doc?"

"Me?" she asked, shaking her head. "I don't... Well, Wade, I would love to help you out, but I'm not sure I'm the right person for that."

"Baby, you're exactly the person," he promised her. "I got a certain set of skills and so do you. Between us, we'd cover just about every angle."

Zoe gave his words due consideration and then saw the pleading look in his eyes. She knew that even if they failed, they could at least give it their best shot, and she had meant what she said about helping Wade in whatever way she could to make his plans for the bar come to fruition.

"Okay," she said then, nodding her head. "Yes, Wade, I'll be your partner in the Bluebell Battle."

He looked so ridiculously thrilled when she said it, then suddenly he leapt up to grab at her, lifting Zoe clean off her feet and spinning her around and around. She was laughing even as she yelled for him to put her down. He didn't seem willing at first until she physically smacked him and made sure she sounded more serious.

"Wade, please. Look!" she said urgently.

He finally set her back on her feet and Zoe pointed towards JT precariously balanced on his own feet, with only one tentative hand holding onto the back of the couch.

"Oh my God!" Zoe gasped as JT's fingers slid away and he carefully put one foot in front of the other.

"Hey, come on, buddy," Wade urged him, crouching down to JT's level.

The little boy grinned so big and took two more toddling steps before he pitched forward. Wade caught him easily, taking him into his arms for the biggest hug.

"You are the smartest kid, you know that, JT?" he told him.

"When you said he was waiting for me to be here to see him do that, I thought you were kidding," said Zoe, crouching down beside Wade, her hand at JT's head.

"That's not somethin' I'd kid about, doc," Wade told her easily. "You wouldn't go showin' off that way without Aunt Zoe here to see it, huh, bubba?" he said, smiling at JT.

The little boy reached out one arm to grab at Zoe, trying to hug her and Wade both. It was almost too sweet to bear. Zoe was only grateful that she was there today, that she hadn't wasted a moment coming straight over here at her earliest opportunity, or she might've missed out on all this.

A knock on the door, brought Zoe and Wade out of their little joyful family bubble and it was her that got up to answer it, while Wade continued to tell a giggling JT just how amazing he was.

"Hi," said Zoe to the blonde on the porch that she didn't recognise at first, then it clicked. "Oh, Tansy, right?"

"Right." Tansy nodded her head. "Is Wade around?"

"Sure, come on in." Zoe ushered her inside then turned to follow.

Since Tansy had stopped walking after all of two paces, Zoe ran right into her back. She moved to go around Tansy then and couldn't help but laugh at the landed fish expression she was wearing.

"Yes, that is Wade holding a baby," Zoe confirmed.

"Well, hey, Tans," said Wade himself, finally realising they had company and who that company was. "This is a surprise."

"You ain't kiddin'," she said, shaking her head. "Where did you...? I mean, you two aren't...?" she said gesturing between Wade and Zoe.

"Actually, we are," Zoe told her, "but we weren't. I mean, JT is Wade's son from way before I was here. It's kind of a long story," she realised then as she looked to Wade to help her out.

"You find a place to park yourself, Tans. I just gotta change my boy here and then we'll give you the rundown on everything you missed these past few months."

"Yeah, I think I'd appreciate that." Tansy nodded, finding herself a seat on the couch.

Zoe moved over to where Wade was getting JT laid down on the changing table and spoke in a low voice.

"You want me to go, leave you two to talk? I mean, she's your ex-wife and..."

"Emphasis on the ex, doc," said Wade definitely. "Zoe, you have some place you need to be, that's all fine with me, but don't run out on account o' Tansy. She wants to hear the whole tale about JT and how my life has changed these past few months. You're a big part o' that."

The way he said it made her smile so much her face ached, but Zoe couldn't mind at all.

"Then I guess I'll stay."

To Be Continued...