I'm happy to see everyone is liking this one so far. Here's the second chapter, I had most of it done so it's up sooner than expected. I wanted to add in some Zoe/Harley and a little Zoe/Brick but that will be in the next chapter.

Also I promise that there will not be any cheating of any kind, not even a tiny kiss shared between Zoe and Wade.

Enjoy!

Her first stop after her run-in with Wade on the street, which she was thankful that no one else was there to witness the little showdown between ex-lover, was the Butter Stick to get a cup of Agnes' sweet tea. The sugary drink more than sweet enough for her to actually like, but it tasted like home.

"Surprise, surprise."

She slowly turned around seeing two of her former best friends from high school. Even though she knew she would run across them at some point with the town being so tiny, she wasn't prepared for it.

"Hey," she greeted as coolly as she could muster, an apology on her tongue. However, Lemon wasn't giving her a chance to say sorry about any of it.

"Even though I had sent out the invitations and asked around for your address because it was the right thing to do, I didn't think you would be here, and I was quite okay with going another 10 years of not seeing you Zoe Wilkes," Lemon hissed, letting her opinion known, stalking to the door.

"It's nice to see you again, Zoe, maybe we can talk later?" Annabeth asked softly.

"I'd like that," Zoe smiled at her old friend. She came to make amends, and she had to start somewhere, and AB was the lesser of the evil she would be dealt this weekend.

"AB let's go!" Lemon huffed impatiently waiting.

"Sorry," AB quickly apologized, hurrying after Lemon.

Her day really couldn't get worse; she sighed walking back into the heat Alabama had to offer her. She was starting to wish that Joel had come with her despite her protests of him staying behind, it would've been nice for everyone to focus on someone that wasn't her, but she couldn't subject Joel to that.

She smiled lightly seeing one of the few people she was on good terms with walking her way.

"Looky here," he whistled. "I feel honored that you've graced us with your presence after all this time Doctor Wilkes," he smirked. She rolled her eyes at his antics.

"I hate you, Jesse," she muttered, letting him sweep her up into a hug. He chuckled at that planting a friendly kiss to her temple.

It wasn't until after she left Bluebell that she had built a friendship with Jesse as he was studying at a college near her, it was only after he finished school he went back home where she moved to the city. But their friendship had stayed intact over the years. She never asked about his little brother, and he never mentioned Wade, it had been an unspoken rule between them.

"How's town treating you so far?" He questioned, leaving an arm slung over her shoulder as they walked.

"Not good, Wade, Lemon and Annabeth," she replied shaking her head. "Oh yeah now you," she joked, nudging him with her elbow.

"You wound me, Zoe," he mocked hurt. "Two outta three surprised you're still in one piece."

"Tell me about it. Though I think I did agree to meet your future sister-in-law."

"I'll be there to witness that showdown," he chuckled. She rolled her eyes at him.

"I'm not here to make a scene, Jesse. I need to fix things with my friends here and go back to my life in New York," she told him. Though she was happy that Jesse would be there.

"We'll see about that," he told her cryptically.

"Think you have me all figured out huh?"

"I know you enough," he vaguely told her.

"Are my eyes deceiving me." She smiled lightly at who had just interrupted her conversation with Jesse.

"George, I assure you that your eyesight is as good as ever," she stated, being pulled into a hug yet again.

Even though she had left George behind, she had been able to make amends during his stint in the city. Out of the four people, she was the closet too, George was the easiest one to make amends with. He understood the itch to leave Bluebell and experience the city of New York. Not that there was anything wrong with those that didn't need to leave.

"In that case, it is good to see you again, though I can't expect you'll get a warm welcoming from a few others." He was trying to keep his humor hidden but some of it if not most of it slipped through the cracks.

"In that case, you'd be correct, good thing you became a lawyer," she joked lamely.

"One thing is for sure, I can say I haven't missed your lame jokes," he teased, lightly nudging her.

"Now I really feel loved," she pouted, though she was having a hard time wiping the smile from her face. It had been so long since she had just been herself, her friends, the ones she left behind were the only ones that knew the real her, and she wasn't ashamed to be a goof around them because they wouldn't judge her, not like the friends she had in New York.

"As you should," Jesse replied in a matter of fact voice, pulling her into his side once more. "Let's get a bite to eat and catch up, shall we?"

She was hungry, but she didn't want to run into Wade again. She knew enough that he worked at the one place, there was for them to eat at while they caught up on life. "Let's go," she agreed; she wasn't going to let her ex dictate her life while she was in town. Avoiding him wouldn't do any good. "You coming George?" Zoe questioned.

"Rain check? Lunch tomorrow sound good? I've got to meet Lemon and help get things finished for tomorrow night."

"I'll be there," she smiled, heading off with Jesse.

They laughed on the short walk, talking about a few little things. Between laughs, she was able to smile at a few townspeople, Jesse telling her ridiculous stories about each person. Her laughter died on her lips, seeing the blonde that was flirting with Wade. She rolled her eyes, following Jesse to a booth.

"Is that her?" Zoe questioned, her eyes darting from the woman to Wade. She could see that on the outside, he was happy, but one tiny glimpse at his green eyes told her otherwise.

"Yep, that's Tansy Truitt," Jesse snickered when Zoe snapped her head in his direction.

"As in the Truitt brothers?" She questioned, holding her laughter in. Jesse nodded.

"He doesn't love her, not really. It was a drunken night on a boat. The guy who was going to marry them passed out in like the first lines of the vows, so once they sobered up, they decided to wait," he quietly explained.

"When is their wedding?" She asked just as quietly, looking down.

"In two weeks," Jesse sighed. "I know it was wrong to get you here and drop this bombshell on you, but I know you wouldn't have come otherwise. And if anyone can talk sense into him, it's you, Zo," he assured her.

She shook her head. "That's where you're wrong, Jesse, I have nothing to say. I can't tell him anything because I don't know what his relationship is like so whatever I tell him he'll dismiss it." She glanced back up to see they were laughing about something. "Is it so bad that he's found happiness after everything?"

"No, it's not, but it won't end pretty. He spent so long making plans of winning you back, but he got down on himself because he didn't think you'd take him back, that," Jesse stated pointing over his shoulder to his brother, "didn't happen until he heard Harley on the phone with you talking about Joel. He was in a bad place after that he's still there," Jesse explained.

"I'm going to make amends with those I've hurt; that's what I need to do. I can't make any of them forgive me for my actions, and I can't promise that things will go how you guys want them to go. I think after this weekend you need to let whatever happens between myself and him stay that way," she told him.

"As long as you talk to him and clear the air, I'll let it go," he promised.

"Zoe Wilkes," Tom blushed, walking up to them. Zoe smiled at the younger man, whom she used to babysit.

"Look at you, Tom," she laughed, getting up to hug him. "I bet you have the ladies chasing after you," she teased.

"Uh, no, not really," he told her awkwardly, scratching his head.

"What? Why not?" Zoe interrogated. She raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, looking in the direction Tom was staring dreamily in.

"Who is she?"

"Wanda," Tom sighed lovingly.

"Go talk to her, Tom," Jesse suggested, holding his laughter back. Tom nodded walking off.

Zoe shook her head. She went to say something when food and drinks were being placed in front of them.

"Don't look so surprised, doc. Jesse gets the same thing every Friday, and unless that city of yours changed you that much, the chicken was always your favorite, with extra fries," he commented.

"Thanks," she told him baffled that after all the years, he remembered what her favorite dish was from the Rammer Jammer.

"Wade," she called after him.

"Yeah?" He asked, coming back.

"Think we can talk before I leave? I know it's late but I want to make amends, talk things through."

"I'm free Sunday morning, that work for you?" He questioned, scratching his neck.

She didn't even need to think about that before she was agreeing to meet him early Sunday morning.

From there things moved along nicely for Zoe and Jesse as they were able to actually catch up on the happenings in life. It was a pleasant afternoon to have. She was actually happy that she didn't have to meet Wade's fiancée, that screamed awkward to her. She may have agreed earlier in the day, but after getting the chance to really process it, she would try to find her way around meeting the woman he had moved on with.

She parted ways with Jesse and headed to the practice. She had spent so long being gone, that being home felt as if she was visiting the place for the first time. Nothing had changed in her absence but it felt and looked different than what she remembered.

"Hello, Dash," she greeted the man with a warm smile as she passed him on the sidewalk.

"Miss Wilkes, hello," he greeted returning her smile. "Do you have a moment, Zoe?" He asked, stopping her.

"Only for you, Dash," she replied with a smile, moving to the side. She had a good inkling on what he was going to ask, and she was ready to answer his questions.

"We're happy that your home, do plan on visiting more or maybe even moving back?" Those weren't quite the questions she was prepared for.

"If this weekend ends on a good note, I'll be back more than I have been, but I don't think moving back is in the cards for me at this moment," she told him honestly.

"Rightfully so," he commented. "New York is everything you've dreamt about, right?"

She laughed, nodding her head. "And so much more," she gushed.

"Now about this Joel character, he is treating you the way you deserve to be treated. We don't need to send the whole town after him do we?"

"He's a perfect gentleman; I can assure you of that," she stated. There was no way she was going to let any rumors spread around town that Joel wasn't good enough, even if they already thought that about him.