A/N: Okay, time to fix the rest of this mess the best way I know how. If you read it, I hope you like it ;)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see Part 1)

Part 2 of 2

It went even better than she thought it could. Zoe had entered the Bluebell Battle for a lot of reasons, to be a part of the town, to pay back Wade for all the times he helped her out, and maybe even to have a little fun. She did not expect to be this good at the challenges that came up or to have quite such a riot of a time running around town with Wade. It was almost too easy to forget that George and Lemon were even part of the day's activities, save for the fact they seemed to be winning all of the time.

Zoe so wanted to beat them, and not just because they were George and Lemon. She wanted to win for Wade. Somewhere amongst the wheelbarrow building and cornhusking and all the other crazy small-town things they had to do in this strange and oddly entertaining race, he had told Zoe about his plans for the money they could win, or at least his half. He was saving up to put a deposit down on a bar, to start his own place. Zoe wanted him to have that, so much so that if they did win she was totally going to let him have the whole prize. Of course, the actual winning might prove to be a little tougher than it should.

"I had a feeling we'd make a good team for this," she said as they worked on their latest challenge, Zoe whipping stitches through fabric as Wade rushed up with more hay to stuff the scarecrow. "It's like we're two bodies, moving as one."

The moment she said it, Zoe could've slapped herself.

"Wow, that came out so wrong"

"Sounded alright by me, doc," Wade told her, laughing as he continued on with the task at hand.

"No, but seriously," she said, focusing very hard on her sewing. "You've been a really good friend to me since I've been here, Wade. You've helped me out with so much, I've lost count of the favours you've done for me, and then when you said I was selfish and-"

"Zoe, I didn't mean all of that," he told her fast, looking up the same moment she did and meeting her eyes.

"Yes, you did," she reminded him. "And I get it. I haven't exactly cared about much since I've been here, just getting the number of patients I need and... and chasing after George Tucker. I've been stupid, Wade, really stupid, and I'm sorry, but I'm trying harder. I swear, I am trying."

"And you're doing great, doc," he assured her. "You know, when you wanted to be my partner for this thing, I kinda wondered why. Started to think maybe you knew..."

"Maybe I knew what?" she prompted when his voice went away.

A yell went up then as George and Lemon moved through to the next challenge.

"No way!" Zoe exclaimed, turning back to her sewing with gusto. "We have to beat them, Wade. You deserve that prize money for your bar."

She missed the winning smile she got for that remark as she concentrated on her stitching. Maybe she didn't know exactly what Wade felt for her, but Zoe had just made him the happiest man in Bluebell by being so supportive like that. Everything else could wait until later, after they won.


"We can do this, Wade, I know we can," Zoe continued in her postive attitude as they worked on the final challenge. "We get that fish and we're golden, champions of the Bluebell Battle, five thousand dollars. You're going to get that bar, it'll be great."

"You're really into this," he said, still in awe of that fact. "Never thought I'd live to see the day when you were so het up over a town event, doc."

"It's not about the event. At least, not all of it." Zoe shook her head. "I want to win this for you, Wade. I told you, I owe you, and you really deserve this win. What?" she checked when he continued to stare at her with the strangest smile on his face.

"You really got no idea, do you?"

"No idea about what?"

"Zoe... See, the thing is, I've been trying to tell you something for a while now. I tried to take you to the airport once to tell you there. I tried to tell you a few different times but-"

Rose chose that moment to run over and ask for advice about Frederick Dean. Wade might've been mad about it except those kids were too sickeningly adorable to possibly be mad at.

By the time Rose went scampering off to her date again, the moment had passed and Wade didn't worry about trying to bring it back. When this competition was over, there would be the afterparty and, win or lose, he would be there with Zoe. Maybe then he would be able to find the words to tell her what he really felt.

"Lemon, what are you doing?"

George Tucker yelled so loud he got everybody's attention and then all eyes were on Lemon herself as she climbed up onto the roof to retrieve the fish that would win her the whole competition.

"You have got to be kidding me," said Wade, staring up onto that roof. "That ain't in the rules."

Zoe looked from him to their half-built rod and back up to Lemon who was inching her way up towards that fish. This was it, they had lost. Wade wouldn't get his prize money and Zoe had let him down again, because she certainly couldn't bring herself to make that same climb. Wade could probably do it. He knew how to climb up onto roofs, he did it every month to bring Crazy Earl down, but he wasn't moving. He was too shocked by what was happening, just like everyone else.

"No frickin' way," said Zoe to herself, taking off running towards the building.

"Zoe?" Wade called behind her, unsure what she was doing until it was too late. "Aww, hell, no!" he exclaimed, giving chase when he realised she was already climbing up.

As Lemon reached the top of the first part of the roof, she stopped. Panic overtook her and George encouraged her to just give up and come down, but she was paralysed, unable to go further and unable to come back. Wade looked to the other side of the building and saw that Zoe was even paler than Lemon and clearly talking to herself to keep herself as calm as she could while she climbed, high heels and all, up onto that roof.

"Zoe, it ain't worth dying for!" he called up to her.

"Do not use the D word, cowboy!" she called back to him. "I got this."

He was about to tell her no, that she really didn't have to do this, until suddenly he realised she was right. She really did have it all under control as she stepped daintily along the edge of the precipice and reached out for that stupid magnetic fish.

"Just breathe," Zoe was telling herself. "You can do this. Wade believes in you and you owe him this. Come on."

One more step and reaching out her arm as far as it would go got Zoe her prize, the fish was in her hand and she allowed herself to let out a breath she hardly knew she had been holding in.

"Yes, doc! That's my girl!" Wade was hollering, making Zoe laugh as she edged her way back around to a place where she could safely climb down.

She couldn't bear to look as she descended, until finally she felt his hands at her waist, easing her safely back down to the ground.

"We did it!" she said breathlessly, holding the fish out to him. "We won!"

"Zoe Hart, you are amazing!" he told her happily, picking her clean up off the ground as he spun her around and around.

She laughed out of joy and relief and a hundred other things as he twirled her until she started to feel sick, and still Zoe didn't care enough to get Wade to stop. It felt good to be a winner, to be a real part of Bluebell, to have people cheering for her, but it felt twice as good to be there in Wade's arms as he finally set her down on her feet again.

"Thank you, Zoe," he told her, gazing down into her eyes. "I mean it, thank you."

"You're welcome, Wade," she replied. "And thank you, for everything you've done for me too. I don't think I've said that enough."

"Hell, you just climbed up on a roof for me and won me a share of five thousand dollars. I think that just about covers it," he told her giddily. "Nobody ever did anything like that for me before."

The temptation to kiss her, which so often came over him, happened again as they stood there just staring into each other's eyes. Wade was actually about to risk it when suddenly he and Zoe were surrounded by folks wanting to shake their hands and congratulate them. Seemed they'd been too distracted by George rescuing Lemon at first, but now the winners of the Bluebell Battle were getting all the congratulations they deserved, and after that performance, there was no doubt that they definitely did deserve it!


"And so, the winners of this year's Bluebell Battle, and receivers of the coveted Golden Bell and five-thousand-dollar prize, Wade Kinsella and Zoe Hart!" said Brick, handing over the prizes and then joining in the applause.

The Rammer Jammer was just full of people wanting to cheer and clap for the winners of the great race and Zoe could not be more embarrassed or more happy to be there amongst them. She saw George and Lemon holding onto each other and didn't even bat an eye, she was too busy enjoying this moment, and anticipating the one that followed.

"Here," she said to Wade as the crowd dispersed some. "I want you to have this."

"What's that now, doc?" he asked, clearly confused by the fact she seemed to be giving him the envelope with the prize cheque in it.

"I don't want a share of the money," she said definitely. "I want you to take all of it, for your deposit. You need it for your bar and you more than deserve it. Just... promise to name a drink after me or something, okay?" she said with a smile.

It was too much. She was too much. Wade couldn't stand it anymore. He knew now that Zoe cared about him, more than he ever thought she could, and she seemed to have well and truly gotten George Tucker out of her system. They had just won the race and she had handed him exactly what he needed to turn his life around. It couldn't get better than this, except for in one way. Before he overthought it or she had a chance to stop him, Wade took a hold of Zoe Hart and just kissed her, leaving her in no doubt at all on how he felt about her.

"And just in case you don't get it loud and clear from that," he said when they parted, "I love you, Zoe Hart."

There was an awful moment when he thought she was going to laugh at him or run from him or something. It was a real relief when she did none of those things.

"Wow. I didn't... Wade, I..."

With words seeming to fail her, she just reached for him again and pulled him into another kiss. He wasn't dumb enough to argue with that and kissed her back with everything he had until they had to part to breathe again.

"I love you too," she said softly as they pulled apart. "I don't know how that happened exactly, but I really do," she admitted, almost laughing, though there was nothing funny about it, she was just so amazed by how this day had turned out.

She wasn't sorry though. Zoe had absolutely zero regrets with the choices she had made in the last twenty-four hours, and when Wade kissed her one more time, to a soundtrack of whistles and cheers from the crowd surrounding them, she had never felt more certain that she truly understood what love was.

The End

IMPORTANT NOTE: For those that don't know, at this point, I've only seen 20 episodes of Hart of Dixie, and I'm trying to avoid spoilers for all that I haven't seen, so while I will be extremely grateful for any reviews I might get on this story, I would appreciate no comments that might spoil me for the rest of the series. Many thanks in advance :)