So this chapter was incredibly hard to write. It was hard trying to imagine the pain Zoe is going through at this point and the strain it's going to put on her and Wade's relationship. I think I did alright though.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Zoe had ordered herself to bed rest after finding her crutches only hurt her underarms. Lemon had come out relatively unscathed compared to Zoe. She only had a dislocated shoulder and some cuts and scratches. She was now sitting in Zoe's bedroom in her apartment above Nacht, sewing what appeared to be her wedding dress, only in a mini version of it. Zoe rolled her eyes. Only Lemon would bring along her Save the Date cards to hand calligraphy each and every one of them. Only Lemon would go and sit in front of her flaunting that she was going to have a wedding, flaunting that stupid mini wedding dress that looked like a tiny christening dress. Finally she held it up. It was about the size for a baby.

"What do you think?" Lemon asked her.

"It's awful!" Zoe yelled at her, pulling her crutches up from off the floor and going off to the living room, away from the dress. Lemon looked down at the dress. She didn't understand what Zoe didn't like about it. It was just a doll's dress, after all.

Wade looked up at the judge nervously. "I have spoken to the child at great length. I have heard from both sides. That is why I am ruling that Johann Starr lives with his cousin, Wade Kinsella." He banged his gavel down. "Case dismissed."

Wade couldn't help the grin that overtook his face for the first time in days, for the first time since that day. He turned to George, seeing him smile like a fool too. They had won. Maybe Zoe would feel better once they got back to Bluebell. He needed to call Lavon, ask him to clear out the little office room in the gatehouse that he had and put a bed in. Johann would need a place to stay once they got to Bluebell.

When Wade walked in Zoe's apartment, he found her on the bed, crying into the pillow. Gently, he sat down on the bed, pulling his girlfriend into his arms. She clutched at his shirt, holding onto him. He could do nothing but hold her and stroke her hair.

Zoe found it especially hard to deal with her miscarriage. He did too, but it seemed to be constantly ripping at Zoe. He wanted to make her smile again. Pulling out from where she was laying on top of him, he went over to the closet, grabbing a fancy dress from it and giving it to Zoe. "Get dressed. I'm taking you out." Zoe looked stunned at his command, but nodded all the same.

He knew it was awkward for the tiny brunette to sit in the car with her leg in a cast. He also knew she was going stir crazy in that apartment. More than that, he knew Zoe. He knew she was blaming herself for her miscarriage because she was a doctor and she felt like she should have known better, like she had known she was pregnant. Wade knew Zoe didn't understand why he didn't blame her for losing the child they hadn't known about. From the look on Zoe's face, he also knew she was just waiting for him to leave her because he could see she was scared that he wouldn't want her anymore. That couldn't have been farther from the truth. He loved her with all his heart. There's no way she could have known.

The cab stopped in front of Zoe's parent's building. Wade slid out, helping Zoe up and gain her balance with her crutches. He paid the driver, then walked with her to the door, where the doorman smiled at Zoe and greeted her as "Miss Zoe," and she gave him a small nervous smile in return. Wade saw it as progress.

"So how come you're bringing me to my parents?" she asked Wade as they were in the elevator going up.

"You haven't seen them since before the accident," he said softly. Zoe nodded, looking down, as if ashamed.

"How come you aren't mad at me?" Wade stepped in front of her, mindful of her leg. He pulled her face up to look at him.

"You didn't know." He kissed her forehead, "You had no reason to think that you were pregnant," her eyelids, "It wasn't your fault that the guy behind you hit into you," her nose, "I was the reason you were coming that way in the first place," her check, "I'm just glad you're okay." His lips hovered above hers, just enough so they could feel the heat from each other's skin, not yet touching. Then, Zoe lifted one arm, ignoring her crutch drop, as she pulled Wade's face to hers. He smiled into the kiss as he felt her smile for the first time in over a week. Still careful of her leg, her lifted her into his arms, Zoe grabbing onto him for dear lift as he left the elevator, her crutches in it. Walking only a few feet, he tapped the door with his foot, the butler opening the door.

"Hi Albert," Zoe said sheepishly, "Can you grab my crutches from the elevator please?" The butler just smiled and bowed his head.

"Hi Mom, Hi Tatte," she said greeting her parents who were just inside the door as she clung to Wade's neck, before turning accusingly to him. "You set this all up, didn't you?"

It was her mother that answered, patting her daughter on the shoulder. "He was worried about you, we all were."

Zoe looked between her boyfriend and her parents. The three were about as opposite as they come. Her mom was never really around when she needed her. She threw parties and was spontaneous, but only when it benefitted her and her publicist image. Her father was careful, every movement planned, thought out. Wade was sort of a simple guy. He drank beer and lounged around playing his guitar and he worked as a bartender in a tiny town in Alabama that she still wasn't convinced was actually on the map. If you had told her this a few months ago, she would have laughed in your face and recommended you a good brain specialist. But somehow, as Wade held her in his strong, capable arms, she knew that it was always meant to end up this way. Her bubbe was always supposed to have an affair with the very man who was supposed to lead her to her death, her mother was always supposed to meet Harley, and she was always going to wind up in Bluebell at some point or another and meet Wade.

And as her not-so Prince Charming carried her over to the couch and laid her down as gently as possible onto it, she knew she could never be jealous of Cinderella or any of those other fairytale princes ever again. They'd never compare to the man before her.

Zoe was curled up in her bed, well, as curled up as she could be with the stupid cast on her leg. For the first time in a while, she was in Wade's arms, studying his face. He was asleep, but her mind hadn't quite gotten the message yet. Gingerly, she lifted her fingertips to his face, tracing his cheekbones, his nose, his eyes with gentle touches that seemed to be from a butterfly. Oh so carefully, taking heed not to wake him up, she whispered, "I think I might love you," she told his sleeping self. She pressed her lips to his, applying no more than a light bit of pressure before she pulled back, laying her head into the crook of his neck. "Actually," she said in that same quiet tone, "I know I love you." She smiled, closing her eyes as she snuggled in close to him. Her mind finally at rest, she drifted into a peaceful abyss of sleep.

Wade's eyelids fluttered as a cocky grin came to his face.

Next up: Valentine's day & the Sweetie Pie dance. I figured that since it was on the show, hey, why not. There will be no Judson in this however. You all know how I feel about Zoe & Judson having a relationship on the show and Wade acting like a complete idiot at the end of that episode (all while looking totally gorgeous). I can't believe I just said totally. My friend roped me into acting in this project they're doing (I hate being on camera! Hate it! Hate it! Hate it!) and I had to be all stereotypical blonde (which is weird because one: I'm not blonde, and two: most of the blonde's I know are really smart. I knew these blond twins and they were like super geniuses!) Now, it's sort of sticking which is tot- COMPLETELY driving me crazy!

I think I'm just going to stick to a classic here. So to the tune of "If you're happy and you know it".

If you're happy and you know it, review.
If you're happy and you know it, review.
If you're happy and you know it
And you really want to show it.
If your happy and you know it, review.

65 reviews to next chapter.