Author's Note: I am so grateful for all the people who have reviewed, followed, or favorited. I hope you enjoy this chapter

To Those Who Reviewed:

Audrey,

Thank you. I like to be different. I am glad you love it.

I'll go into that quite a bit this chapter, at least with Lemon. There will be more on Zoe Wilkes' past in later chapters, though there is a little here as well.

As for Zoe and Wade, a lot of that will be 'you don't know what you've got until it's gone.'

Zoe's not exactly heartless. I think she's more oblivious. Like, she would care if she noticed, but she doesn't notice, so she doesn't care. Unless you mean Zoe Wilkes, in which case, a lot of it is just that they come from very different social circles. As much as Wade annoys Zoe Hart, she needs him, because most of Bluebell hates her. Zoe Wilkes on the other hand has friends and a boyfriend; so she never had any reason to be friends with Wade.

Thank you for reviewing. I hope you continue to enjoy the story and that you continue to review.

Guest From Apr 9th,

I go into some of that this chapter, especially in regards to Lemon. There is a reason she never joined the Belles which I think I make pretty clear this chapter, but if not, I'll address it in the author's not. Clarifications can be useful.

I think with Lemon and Wade, they had grown apart, but they used to be friends. Plus, he and George were still friends. Zoe and Wade were never friends, so there is nothing residual. That may be what you are sensing.

Thank you for reviewing. I hope you continue to enjoy the story and that you continue to review.

Luke,

Thank you. That is very sweet.

I love writing for Lemon. She's such and interesting, multilayered character. And, of course, writing for Wade and Zoe is great as well. As for George, I wasn't crazy about him and Annabeth, and I could not stand Lynly, but I liked him and Tansy, him and Zoe, and him and Lemon. However, I know not everybody loves George, and I guess that's fair. I like his relationship with Wade, but I always found his relationship with Lavon a little weird. Maybe that's just me though.

Yeah. That's definitely a big part of the story. That question will be answered this chapter. Thank you. I am glad you are glad.

It will be interesting to see how much Zoe misses the interactions she has with Wade, is she still friends with Lavon with the way you've gone with her being the head Belle I don't think they can (so glad you did this).

Well, here it is. Another chapter.

Thank you for reviewing. I hope you continue to enjoy the story and that you continue to review.

Annika,

Thank you. I am glad you like it. I have a lot going on, but I'll try.

I'm glad you think so. Maybe I should change one of the tags to humor. Something to think about.

I think you'll understand that more after this chapter, but if you are still confused, let me know.

More information will unravel as the story does. I kind of feel like a reveal a little too much this chapter, but it can be hard to keep things in sometimes. I've never been mistaken for a patient person.

You will see that this chapter actually. How did you know I was going to do that?

Thank you for reviewing. I hope you continue to enjoy the story and that you continue to review.

P.S. I like your name. It makes me think of Edgemont.

Guest/A,

I am glad you already really like it.

I'm glad it was clear.

Thank you.

Thank you for reviewing. I hope you continue to enjoy the story and that you continue to review.

Nicole,

I am glad you liked it. Thank you. I wish we got to see more Zoe/Lemon friendship in the show.

That will be addressed in this chapter. The truth is, a lot of the main characters have abandonment issues (Lemon, Zoe, and Wade). It's possible George does too; they never went much into his back-story. I'm still trying to figure out why his parents moved away from Bluebell, and why they seem to hate it so much, yet chose to raise him there. Anyway, I love Wade and Lemon's friendship. Rest assured, you will see it in this story.

You never know what you've got until it's gone. Wade was a good friend to Zoe when she had none, and while she found him annoying, she also found him amusing. He made her laugh at a time in her life where she didn't really know how and she really needed it. Plus, when you're life is falling apart; sometimes it's nice to have someone you can fight with just to let out your frustrations. And I agree, Zoe was very oblivious in season one, especially when it came to Wade.

Wade's back-story actually isn't as different as you might think. Lemon's definitely is though. No, they were never close, but you should get you answer to that when you read the chapter.

I won't be addressing the alcohol thing yet but it is important. Your theories are interesting, but at this point I shouldn't confirm or deny anything. I like that you're thinking about it though.

Thank you. I am glad you think so.

Thank you for reviewing. I hope you continue to enjoy the story and that you continue to review.

Chapter One from Apr 8th,

Do you mean different than Zoe Hart, of different than how I made her. She could be. There are a lot of different interpretations of Zoe if she grew up in Bluebell. This is just one. You should understand why she is the way she is more as the story develops. I am glad you think I did well with George. And, again, if you want her and Wade as friends, there are stories like that. This just isn't one of them. I hope that does not make you stop reading though. They all grew up together, but they weren't all friends. George and Wade were friends because they wanted to be, not because they were the same age. I'm sure there were plenty of people in their class that they weren't friends with. I am glad you are liking the story otherwise though. There will be more as the story progresses. Yeah, I liked writing that part.

Thank you for reviewing. I hope you continue to enjoy the story and that you continue to review.

Chapter Two

Wade could describe the past few days with one word: weird. Sure, for the most part things were normal, but something had been off. He knew what it was too. The whole thing centered around his brief yet bizarre conversations with Zoe Wilkes. It was like all of a sudden, out of the blue, she wanted to be his friend or something. Sure, they had known each other basically their whole lives, gone to the same school and all, but they had never run in the same circles. Even back in elementary, Zoe had been one of the Junior Belles of Bluebell and Wade never had much patience for snooty girls like that. She hadn't had any real patience for him either. She was a Wilkes, and he was a Kinsella. The two just didn't mix. The same could have been said for Lemon Breeland of course, but she had left the whole Belle thing behind when her mother left her. Lemon had her annoying traits, but she wasn't a robot. Zoe Wilkes was though. She was the head of the robots, boring and proper, and nothing like someone Wade wanted to spend time with. The feeling had always seemed mutual.

Now she kept coming and sitting at the bar by herself, trying to strike up a conversation with him. Even more bizarre, it was almost interesting. It seemed Zoe Wilkes had the potential to be amusing, witty even. Wade never would have guessed that.

The conversations never lasted long. She was soon whisked away by her fiancé George, or one of her fellow Belles. She always seemed surprised by it, like she hadn't always been royalty in this town. When one of the Belles started talking to her, she kept shooting Wade looks like she wanted him to save her. Strangely, a small part of him wanted to.

It made no sense of course, which was probably why he couldn't seem to drop it. He knew he needed to though. He had more important things to deal with, like keeping an eye on his father.

"Hey Earl." He said as he made his way through the broken down cabin in the woods that his father called home. It was still a few more days until his mother's birthday, which meant a few more nights spent here. It was a pain, but Wade couldn't risk leaving his father alone.

"What's one your mind son?" Earl asked, as though he was the one taking care of Wade. Wade just shrugged, "Come on. Must be somethin'?"

Wade sighed. Why the hell not, he thought. It wasn't as though Earl would remember this conversation anyhow. "Earl, you remember Zoe Wilkes?"

Wade expected Earl to say no. Instead, a fond smile formed on the old man's face, "Sure, course I do." Earl said, causing Wade to sit up in surprise.

"Seriously?"

Earl nodded, "Sure. Little girl who didn't believe in Santa Clause. She sure had spunk, that one."

"What'd'ya mean?" Wade thought he had heard all Earl's stories from back when he was sober. Apparently, he was wrong.

"You 'member when I used to dress up as Santa, don't'cha?" Wade snorted. Of course he remembered, "When you were about eight, this little brunette girl walks up to me and asks why I pretend to be Santa. I tell her I ain't pretendin', an' she says course I am. I can't really be Santa, cause there ain't no such thing. So I say, well, if I ain't Santa, just who do you think I am? And she goes, you're Mr. Kinsella. You work at the hardware store and got two sons. One's in my class. I'm floored of course, but I try to keep the act up. I try to convince her not to share her theory with the other kids. I use the word theory so as I don't admit to nothin'. She says she'll keep quiet, so long as I admit it to her. When I start to refuse, she turns and starts to call over some other kids from her class. So, I fess-up. I mean, what else could I do?" earl laughs a big old belly laugh at the memory, "Then she asks her first question again. Why do I pretend to be Santa? Why do I lie to the kids? I tell her it's 'cause sometimes people need somethin' to believe in."

Wade sat there shocked, taking in the memory. Then, another one popped into his mind. When he was ten, just after his mother died, his dad was all dressed up as Santa. Wade didn't know his dad was Santa at the point, but he could tell something was wrong with good ol' Saint Nick. The man in red was stumbling around, knocking over the Christmas tree, yelling at everyone like a madman. It was one of the scariest things Wade had ever seen, right up there with seeing his mom fade as she got sicker. He looked around for his older brother Jesse, but Jesse was nowhere to be found. Neither was his dad. He was scared. They were all scared. All except for one girl; one brave brunette in a puffy green Christmas dress.

She approached Santa Clause, climbing up on his lap like it was no big deal. He yelled, but she didn't back down. She leaned up and whispered something in his ear. His eyes softened, and for a minute, he wasn't quite as scary anymore. Then, she climbed off his lap, shooting him a sad smile. The Sherriff came over, saying he had to talk to Santa Clause, and that the man in red would return shortly. Of course, the Santa that returned was clearly a different Santa. That was the night Wade realized that his dad was in the red suit, and that there was no Santa Clause. It was such a big revelation, he totally forgot about the brunette in the green dress. He remembered now though.

"Hey dad?" he asked. His voice sounded odd, shaky, and he tried to steady it, "The last year you played Santa … what did Zoe Wilkes say to you?"

Earl looked down, ashamed, "She said that she was sorry about my wife, but right now, I needed to be Santa, because I needed to give my sons something to believe in."

Three days. Three goddamn days and she was still stuck in this bizarro world. Being stuck in Alabama was bad enough, but at least there she knew who she was. Sure, the guy of her dreams thinks he's in love with her, and every girl in this town seems to want to be her best friend, but they all also think that she's a clone of Lemon Breeland. As for her actual friends, she's barely seen them. Wade treats her like a stranger, and she hasn't seen Lavon at all. It doesn't seem possible. Even it they are not friends, a reality Zoe does not want to fathom at the moment, the guy is still mayor. One would think she would see him around, but so far, zero sightings. Then again, she is spending most of her time at eating establishments these days. Apparently, the Belles cannot discuss anything without massive amounts of pastries. It's a miracle that they're not a million pounds really.

"Miss Wilkes."

Zoe looked up at the greeting. Lavon! She wanted to jump up and down of course, but this is alternate universe Lavon, and she knew it might not be wise. Best to feel him out first.

"Good morning Lavon." She greeted pleasantly.

He just nodded, and starts walking past her, "Wait!" She all but yelled. He turned, surprised. Be cool Zoe, be cool. "Um, how are you?"

Lavon sighed, "What do you want?"

Ouch. "Nothing. I was just…"

"Miss Wilkes, you know this town's history and the Belles' mean a lot to me, and as mayor, I try to make them a high priority, but-"

"I don't want to talk about the Belles. Believe me, I've been talking about nothing but Belle business for three days. Those girls barely give me two minutes to myself." Except when I'm with George, but that's a whole other minefield to operate.

Now, Lavon looked her up and down. He seemed concerned, and frankly, she couldn't blame him. "Are you all right Miss Wilkes?"

"Why can't people just call me Zoe?" Okay, so the Belles called her Zoe, but Wade didn't. What's worse, he didn't call her Doc. It strange the things you miss. Of course, with all the time she'd been spending with the Belles, there is a good chance Zoe Wilkes isn't a doctor. She did graduate from college though; she saw the picture. It's a small victory. If she isn't a doctor, her whole world would crumple. That's probably why she's been putting off going to The Practice. She's not ready to know just yet. Plus, what if Harley is still alive? She wouldn't know how to even begin to deal with that. The idea is so terrifying she feels herself start to hyperventilate a little. Lavon stares at her as she struggles to get herself under control.

"Sorry, Zoe. Um, are you okay?"

Before she can answer, she hears the voice of Lemon Breeland. "Good morning Mr. Mayor. Miss Wilkes." Zoe rolled her eyes; man, that's annoying. Then, she gets a closer look at Lemon. She has to do a double take. It's definitely Lemon, blonde, tall, and pale, but she just look so … different. For one thing, her hair is longer, and done in a style found in this century. Her clothes are equally modern. There still nothing Zoe would want to wear, hardly designer, but they do look comfortable and far less oppressive than the Stepford outfits filling up Zoe's closet. That's the last straw. Today, she is going to go shopping in Mobile, Daphne, or how ever far she has to go to find something decent to wear.

"Lemon." Lavon greets. There's something familiar about the greeting. And the way the two of them are smiling at each other, all shy and … it's just too weird. "It's a fine day, isn't it?" He asks.

Lemon nods, "I was hopin' to run into you actually."

"Really?" Lavon asks, like an eager four-year-old.

"Yes. I was wondering if …" she trails off, shooting Zoe a look, "Do you mind? This is kind of private."

"I was talking to him first." She knows she sounds petulant, but she's been trying to track down Lavon for days now.

"Well, I'm sure you two can pick up your conversation later. Lord knows you always find a way to get what you want."

"Excuse me-"

"Ladies." Lavon interrupts. He's clearly still the peacekeeper here. At least some things don't change. "Why don't we calm down? Now Miss … I mean, Zoe, it was nice bumpin' into you, but I actually have a meetin' to get to. Lemon, if you're headin' that way, I'd love for you to walk with me."

Zoe balks, watching Lemon head off with Lavon. She wants to be mad at Lavon for blowing her off, and for Lemon of all people. It would be fair though. Apparently, he's not her friend here either. Though, apparently, her and Lemon still don't get along, which is something. And Lemon and Lavon seem to really, really get along. Bizarre, bizarre world. Though, come to think of it, she really doesn't know how Lemon and Lavon feel about each other in the other Bluebell. Still, she's pretty sure that whatever she was picking up on just now between them is just in this alternate universe. If there were something else, Lavon would have told her.

George sighed. It's been a long few days. George is not the type of guy who needs to have sex every night. He's not Wade Kinsella or Jonah Breeland. Still, when your engaged, you come to expect something. Zoe was pulling away from him. He could feel it. It wasn't just the sex. He could live with that. But she just seemed so … distant. It wasn't that she wasn't interested. He could see it when he looked in her eyes, could feel it when he kissed her. The feeling was there, the desire. Still, for whatever reason, she kept pulling away. She seemed almost scared, but he couldn't figure out of what. He knew she had some trust issues because of her family, but he thought they had leapt over that hurdle ages ago. They had been together for fifteen years. Did this have to do with his time in New York?

"Shit!" George looked up. He had been so lost in his thoughts, he hadn't been paying attention, and he had nearly run a woman down. She had dropped her coffee, staining her skirt. "I'm so sorry." He said.

The woman shook her head, "It's fine." She said as she inspected the damage, "It's not like it was hot or anythin'." He offered her a handkerchief and she accepted it gratefully, doing her best to dry herself off, "I think that's it for this skirt." She said, looking up. It took a moment for George to place her. Her name was Tansy … something. She and Wade Kinsella had dated a while back. Word was they got drunk and nearly got hitched on a shrimp boat after just a few weeks. Luckily, Lemon Breeland tracked Wade down and dragged him home before he could do something stupid. Then Lemon and Tansy had a big blowout. Tansy accused Lemon of being in love with Wade, and Lemon accused Tansy of trying to trick a man who clearly didn't love her into marrying her by getting him drunk like in some dumb romantic comedy. Tansy was gone by the next morning.

"So, what's her name?" Tansy asked.

"What?"

"There are only two reasons a guy walks around to distracted to notice someone right in front of him. Either he's a self-centered bastard who just doesn't care about anyone, of there's a girl on his mind. And I've dated enough self-centered bastards to recognize one when he nearly plows me down."

George smiled, "Zoe. My fiancé."

"Congratulations."

"Thanks. Yeah, she's amazin'. And I love her."

"But -"

"What makes you think-?"

"I'm intuitive. Or you're easy to read. Take your pick."

"Um … listen, I am sorry about your skirt, but the thing is, I'm not sure I'm comfortable … that it -"

"Look, I know you don't know me. But I get the feelin' that you need someone to listen, and sometimes a stranger makes the best listener. Plus, I am studyin' to be a hairdresser, so listenin' to someone complain about their problems would be good practice." George stood there, considering, "Come on, you can spill your guts, and ease your conscience by replacin' my skirt."

George smiled, but shook his head. He took out his wallet and handed her a twenty-dollar bill. She looked at him, confused, "For your skirt."

"No, I -"

"Look, Miss, I appreciate the offer, but … I don't know how my fiancé would feel about it, me spillin' our issues to a stranger, let alone playin' dress-up with a pretty blonde," George blushed, realizing how that sounded, "Sorry, um, I just meant … this is a small town. People talk."

Tansy nodded, understandingly, "Well, I hope things work out for you. If you change your mind, let me know." She shot him a smile, "We all need someone to listen once in a while."

"What were you and Zoe Wilkes talkin' about?" Lemon asked curiously.

Lavon shrugged, "I don't know. I thought it would be about the Belles, but she said it wasn't. Seemed pretty upset though." Lemon nodded, "So, you wanted to talk to me?"

Lemon smiled at him, "Yes. I was wonderin' if you might want to go to dinner with me this Friday?"

"Ain't I supposed to ask?" Lavon teased, "I am the guy, after all."

"Lavon Hayes, I am a modern, independent woman. I am not going to wait around for some man to ask me out. You and I have been dancin' around each other for nearly a month now since that kiss at the Start of Fall Festival. I have no intention of waitin' around any longer." Then, with a blush, she added, "Especially after last night."

"It was a great night." Lavon said, his smile growing. He leaned forward, touching his lips to Lemons. She kissed him back briefly, and then pulled away.

"That makes three kisses now, and you were still too chicken to ask me out yourself. I had to take matters into my own hands."

"First of all, third one only just happened. And second of all, I was just on my way to ask you out. Not my fault you beat me to it."

Lemon smiles, "Is that a yes?"

"Yes, Lemon Breeland. I would be honored to go to dinner with you Friday night."

Wade had hoped venting to Earl about Zoe last night would clear his head, but he just felt more confused. It appeared there was more to Zoe Wilkes than met the eye. As he wiped down the counter, he found himself glancing at the door, wondering when/if she would stop by. Not that he knew what he would say if she did. Thanks for what you said to my dad on Christmas when we were ten? It just sounded weird. He was trying to focus on scrubbing the counter when he heard some guy let out a wolf-whistle. That sound usually meant the perfect distraction had walked into The Rammer Jammer.

Wade looked up, smirking his trademark smirk, and was floored by what he saw. It was Zoe Wilkes, but it also wasn't. Zoe Wilkes was an uptight, button-up kind of girl. The girl who had just walked in was wearing the shortest shorts he had ever seen. How had he never noticed her legs? Probably because she always kept them covered up with layered skirts. They were on display now though, and they were … his mouth watered. It took all his self-control to look up and examine the rest of her. Her top was more conservative than her shorts. It was a simple, short-sleeved top. Hardly stripper material. Still, nothing he would have expected Zoe Wilkes to walk into The Rammer Jammer wearing.

She made her way over to the bar, and Wade tried not to stare. She sat down in front of him, and his curiosity overrode his common sense. "Nice outfit." He heard himself say. It came out more sarcastic than flirtatious. Thank god was all he could think.

"I decided it was time to update my wardrobe. Those stupid outfits were driving me crazy."

Well, your new one is driving me a little crazy, he thought. He bit his tongue. "Aren't those outfits what girls like you are supposed to wear?"

If looks could kill, "Girls like me?"

"Yeah, I mean, you know, Belles."

Zoe rolled her eyes, "Well, what if I don't want to be a Belle."

He gaped at her, "I wouldn't say that too loud if I were you. Could be a mob scene."

She rolled her eyes, "I just-"

"Zoe!" She turned to see Cricket and Annabeth behind her.

"There can't possibly be another Belle meeting." Zoe said. Wade could hear the beginnings of a groan in her voice. Interestinger and interestinger.

"No, of course not." Cricket said.

"We were just wonderin' what you were doin' at the bar dressed like … well, like that?" Annabeth asked, her voice dropping to a whisper.

Zoe shrugged, "It's hot today. My Stepford Wife prison uniform was just too constricting."

Wade suppressed a chuckle. This wasn't the Zoe Wilkes he remembered, but he just might like her.

"Zoe, I don't mean to offend you, it's just, walkin' around dressed so … well, people will talk."

Zoe sighed, hopping off the barstool. "Look, Annabeth, I appreciate the concern, but I'm sick of sweating my butt off, and I'm even sicker of looking like I've never picked up a fashion magazine. It's 2011, not the 1800s. Reenactments are one thing, but as for day to day, I'll dress how I choose." Annabeth and Cricket stared at her, shocked. Sighing, Zoe added, "I'm sorry. I don't want to insult anybody. I just can't …" She trailed off, unable to finish.

Annabeth's face softened. She shooed Cricket, who happily skedaddled, and then turned back to her friend, "Zoe, are you doin' okay? You've seemed … off lately. I'm worried about you."

Zoe sighed again, "I'm fine. Really. I just … have some stuff to figure out."

"Did somethin' happen with George?"

Zoe shook her head. Then, her cell phone went off. She put her finger up, signaling Annabeth to wait, and picked up. Annabeth went to join Cricket, being the polite friend and giving Zoe privacy. It seemed both girls had long ago forgotten Wade's presence. He hadn't forgotten there's though, and he couldn't help but eavesdrop on Zoe's side of the conversation. "Hi George. Yeah. The Rammer Jammer. Yeah, I know. Yeah, fine. No, Annabeth's here. Um … I kind of promised I'd help out with something. Raincheck? Yeah, uh, you too. Bye."

"So, you are havin' problems with Golden Boy?"

Zoe started at his voice, nearly dropping her phone, "What? No, I …" Wade shot her a knowing look, hoping she'd cave. It seemed to work. "Wade, can I ask you something?" He nodded, "Have you ever been in a situation where everything stopped making sense, and you don't even know who you are anymore?"

His mind immediately went to his mom; her death, and everything that had happened after, "Yep." He responded, his voice as serious as his eyes. She needed him to be serious right now; that was plain. She looked so lost. All he wanted to do was take care of her.

"I just … I just wish I could talk to somebody about what's really going on."

"Well …" He was going to regret this, he just knew it, "You can always talk to me." She looked at him, stunned, "I mean, that's what bartender's are for, right?" He added, trying to play it off. He looked down, trying to dodge her gaze, but he could feel it on him. Finally, he couldn't look away any longer. He met her eyes. They were big, brown, deep, and full of gratitude. He couldn't look away.

"Zoe!" He heard Annabeth call again. That broke the spell. She looked over at her friends, and headed over to join them. She seemed a little reluctant, but that was probably just his imagination. What else could it be?

By the time George got home, Zoe was sound asleep. She had cancelled on him yet again. It was getting rather frustrating. He didn't know what was going on with her lately. He'd figure it out though. Tomorrow, he was going to make sure they talked if it was the last thing he did. He switched off the light, and kissed Zoe on the cheek before getting into bed next to her. Her lips twitched into a smile when he kissed her. That had to be a good sign.

Zoe had been careful to wake up before George since this whole thing happened. She was used to getting up early. Sure, not this early, but early. She'd been pulling it off. This morning, he wasn't in bed though. She started to push back the covers when she heard him come in. She tried to get back under the covers and pretend she had not woken up, but he was carrying a tray loaded with French toast, eggs, pancakes, bacon … she could smell it all. It smelt so good. And there was coffee. Her stomach growled. Traitor. She thought, sitting up. Okay, so a grumbling stomach wouldn't necessarily mean she was awake, but she had to be mad at somebody, even if it was just her stomach. George Tucker, the most amazing, gorgeous, perfect guy she had ever met was making her breakfast-in-bed. It was a scene from a modern day fairytale. Except George was with Zoe Wilkes, and she was Zoe Hart. She wanted him to do this for Zoe Hart, but he wouldn't even know who that was. She had done her best to avoid him, because she wasn't sure how strong she could be. He was George Freaking Tucker for goodness sake.

"Mornin'." He said, pecking her lips. Oh, his lips. His lips were on her lips. This was so unfair.

"Morning." She responded, "This looks great, but I have to meet the Belles-"

"No you don't." George said, smiling.

"What do you mean?"

"We're both playin' hookey today. I called Annabeth, told her that I've barely seen my fiancé, asked her to cover for you today. And I'm takin' the day off as well."

Crap. "Wow. George that's … wow. You didn't have to do that."

"I think I did." He said, "I've missed you."

Not sure what to say, or what to do, Zoe just shoved a piece of French toast in her mouth. Great. Now she knows George is a great cook. Would this nightmare ever end?

"Somebody's in a good mood." Wade said as he poured Lavon's coffee.

"It just so happens that I got myself a date with Lemon Friday night."

Wade slapped him on the back, "Well, it's about time. I was startin' to think you'd never work up the nerve."

Lavon rolled his eyes, "Actually, she asked me out." Wade's eyebrows went up slightly, "And don't start. I don't even care. I'm goin' out with Lemon. The rest don't matter."

Wade nodded. He was happy for Lavon. As Lemon and Lavon were both his friends, he'd heard both versions of the story.

Lemon had found out something about her mother last Christmas, and Lavon had been there to comfort her. He had watched her throw a necklace her mother gave her into a lake, and he had dove in after it, getting it back for her. Lemon had been so touched when he gave it to her; she had wanted to kiss him right then and there. However, they were in the middle of Fancies, Lemon's restaurant, and the place had been packed, so she had refrained.

Over the next few months, they had gotten somewhat friendlier. Then, at the Start of Fall Festival, a few animals got loose from the petting zoo. Lavon had gone to look for them, and Lemon had offered to help. Once they were alone, Lemon plucked up her courage and kissed Lavon. She had tried to pull away, embarrassed, but Lavon wouldn't let her. They hadn't talked about it afterwards.

Wade knew they had also kissed a couple nights ago, though he didn't know the story behind that one, as it was so recent. He has sure he would hear it though. As it was, all he knew was that he had stopped by the main house and had seen them in a lip lock. Lemon had turned red when she saw Wade, and promptly shown herself out. Wade had apologized to Lavon, of course, but Lavon was still flying high from the kiss and didn't seem to care. Much.

Now it seemed they had themselves a date. Wade was happy for them, even though he knew he'd have to hear about it from both of them.

"Just don't hurt her Mayor. Lemon's like my sister, and if she gets hurt, so do you."

Lavon nodded. They both knew he could probably take Wade, being a former linebacker and all. They also both knew that Lavon had no intention of hurting Lemon. He had to say it though. Lemon was like his sister, and had been since they were sixteen-years-old. When Lemon's mother had left to pursue an acting career, her first thought was to grow up to fast. She tried to be a mother to her sister, and her father. It was a lot, and she tried to seek comfort in George Tucker. George was smitten with Zoe Wilkes though, and Lemon was heartbroken. Wade recognized her pain; he could relate to it. By that point he'd been abandoned by his mother, his father, and his brother. He got what she was going through better than anyone. He found her moping all by herself outside a school dance, not wanting to go in and see George with Zoe. Wade, of course, wasn't the dance type. He planned to get drunk on some whiskey he lifted from home. He offered her some, and before long, they were both puking their guts out. It was a bonding experience. Lemon had vented to him about her life and her mom, and he had vented about his dad. Not wanting her dad to know she got drunk, Lemon had crashed at Wade's house, making up a story for her dad about sleeping over at a girlfriend's house.

After that, her and Wade had been inseparable. The dynamic duo, the twin tricksters. They pulled pranks and stole booze and were all around menaces in Bluebell. They always had each other's backs, like when Wade got injured playing football and Lemon had to fill in for him at The Rammer Jammer. He had only gotten the job a couple weeks before as a bus boy, and he would have been fired, but she filled in. It took her some time to get the hang of it, but she did. In fact, by the time Wade was better, Wally, his boss, hadn't wanted to let her go. He wanted to hire her and fire Wade. Wade had been furious, and Lemon had threatened to quit, so Wally had split their hours in half and kept them both on. Now, Wade was a bartender, and Lemon owned Fancies. She was better at saving than he was. Still, they were both doing all right. And Wade was excited for his two best friends to become a couple. Still, he had to warn Lavon. It was only right.

"Ya know, I heard the craziest rumor yesterday." Lavon said, "Apparently, Zoe Wilkes was in here in a pair of shorts that went up to her ears. It's funny what people in this town will think up." He finished, laughing.

Wade laughed too, his mind going to Zoe and her incredibly long, shapely legs. He coughed, trying to clear his head of the image.

"So, what're you plannin' for the big date?" He asked in an attempt to change the subject.

Lavon shrugged, "She wanted to plan it."

Wade nodded. That sounded like Lemon. If it were anyone else, Wade would suggest Lavon grow a pair, but lord help the man who tries to order Lemon Breeland around.

"Well, good luck."

"Thanks. I gotta go." Lavon said, placing some money on the counter, "See ya later man."

"Yeah. See ya."

Author's Note: So, who guessed it was Tansy? I just love her. This seemed like as good a time as any to bring her in.

Poor George. Will he figure out what's going on with Zoe?

What would you do in her shoes anyway? It'd be pretty scary to tell anybody because they might have you committed like in season four of Felicity.

Anyway, for those who were wondering, if it was not clear, Lemon is different because she could not lean on George, and so she leant on Wade. As Wade and George are very different people, this sent her down a different path.

I considered having Lemon and Lavon already be a couple, but we never really got to see the courting stage of their relationship in the show, and I thought it would be kind of fun. I considered making their first kiss the same as in the show, but waiting between a kiss at Christmas until September to ask somebody out … I just didn't buy it. Maybe Lavon, but not Lemon. She goes after what she wants. God love her.

Any thoughts on the whole thing with Earl and Christmas?

I hope you like this chapter. Let me know what you think.