Author's Note: Happy New Year! So, I just checked when I last updated, and it's pretty much been a year. Oops. I am truly sorry; I never meant for it to go that long. I have had quite a bit going on in my personal life; this has been the year from hell. But, writing fanfiction helps. I hope you like this chapter, and that you can forgive me for the wait.

Some things in this chapter may be happening at the same time of day, or even a little earlier than some others. If you get confused, please let me know so I can clarify.

Longer Author's Note at the end.

To Those Who Reviewed:

Danielle from Australia

Hello.

I've done that too, though I wouldn't say season three was terrible. It had it's moments, but I know a lot of people had a lot of issues with it.

Thank you. That is very nice of you, and I am glad you like it.

Well, I can't really take credit for the characters, excepting Taylor of course, but I am glad you like the storylines. Here is what happens next. I am sorry about the wait. For what it's worth, I have been on the other end of it, so I know how it feels to be waiting for an update.

You are welcome. Thank you for taking the time to read it.

P.S. Thank you for identifying yourself.

Chapter Twenty

"What do you think changed his mind?" Lemon asked. Zoe just shrugged. She suspected it had something to do with what had happened with his dad, but she couldn't tell Lemon that. It worried her a little. What if Jesse just felt like he owed her one, and this was his way of paying off the debt? What if he was just trying to thank her, show gratitude, but he didn't really like her? She decided to push such negative thoughts from her mind and focus on the positive. She had another date with Jesse. "This is so excitin'. What exactly did he say when he asked you out?"

"It's not like I wrote it down or anything. He just, you know, asked if I wanted to go out Friday and I said yes. No big deal."

"You're full of it. Maybe you're tryin' to act cool an' write it off, but you are excited. I can tell. You're practically jumping out of your skin."

Zoe giggled, "We should start getting ready. We have to leave for the game soon."

Sure enough, twenty minutes later, Harley and Dr. Breeland came knocking on their hotel door, asking if they were ready. Pretty soon, they were off.

Wade was nervous. He wasn't sure why. He had gone on two dates with Taylor now. Well, okay, maybe one counted more like a half a date, but still. He had gone out with her. She had kissed his cheek, and danced with him. She had gone with him to the Sweetie Pie Dance for goodness sake. He should be past the point where she made him nervous. She still did though. He rang the doorbell and waited.

Taylor came to the door and smiled at him through the screen. Her hair was up in pigtails, and she was wearing an apron. There was a touch of flour on her right cheek. She looked very … domestic. He heard her undo the lock. "Hey Wade." She said in that friendly way of hers, "What brings you by?"

Wade shrugged, "Just thought I'd stop by. See if you were busy." Taylor glanced behind her, "It's cool if you are." Wade backtracked, "I just thought, maybe if you weren't … but it's cool if you are."

Taylor shook her head. She stepped out onto the porch, closing the door behind her, "What did you have in mind?"

Wade shrugged, "I don't know. Thought maybe we could go down to the lake, go for a swim." It was lame, he knew, but it was the first thing he could think of. Besides, Wade liked swimming.

Taylor tilted her head, considering, "I can't be gone more than an hour." She said. Wade nodded, "Just let me get changed."

"Why? I mean, pigtails and an apron, totally swimming appropriate."

Taylor chuckled, "I'll be right back."

"It's such a beautiful campus." Zoe mused as they headed for the stadium.

Harley nodded, "That it is." He shot her a smile, and for some reason, she smiled back. This was nice, walking with a group of people she liked through beautiful scenery to watch a kick-ass football game. Brick and Lemon were walking a little ways behind, deep in conversation about something or other. "I want you to know how much I appreciate this."

"Appreciate what?"

"You spending this time with me. Ever since you moved in, it feels like we haven't gotten a chance to really get to know one another."

"We have dinner together most nights." Zoe said. She was starting to feel awkward.

"That's true, but it's nice to get out and spend some quality time together." Zoe shot him an awkward smile, "Any preferences when we go to eat after the game? I don't really know what sort of food you like."

"I don't know. I'm not really picky."

"Well, if you could have anything in the world, what would it be?"

"Probably pizza, but I doubt they have that here."

"They probably have a pizza place."

"Yeah, but not like in New York. Manhattan is the only place to get real pizza; everything else is just imitation."

"I would think the only place to get real pizza would be Italy."

Zoe shook her head, "That's Italian food, Italian pizza, it doesn't count. It's like football and American football. We call them the same things, but they're just not."

"Have you ever had Italian pizza?"

Zoe shrugged, "Sure. A couple years ago we went to Italy over the summer. It was a thing for dad's work, but mom decided he should take us along and turn it into a vacation. Of course, then she got caught up in some work thing, so it was mostly just the hotel staff left to entertain me, but …" Zoe trailed off and looked down. She hadn't even realized she was talking about them at first. It was just an anecdote that came out. And then suddenly, they were real. She was thinking about them. She couldn't think about them. Couldn't. Not now. Especially with Brick and Lemon just a few steps behind them. She couldn't break down, couldn't deal with it.

She tried to think of something else, anything else. The game, meeting Lavon Hayes, her date with Jesse. She thought about Mr. Kinsella, and how she had helped him, maybe even saved his life, without revealing his and Wade's secret. It was a pretty big secret too; a lot to keep under his hat, but Wade always came off so cool and casual, like everything was fine. She had seen him at school. Somehow, he got it together so nobody would suspect he had anything going on in his brain other than girls, football, and that beat-up truck of his. If he could do it, she certainly could. She could keep it together like everything was fine. "How about Chinese? I like Asian cuisine, or America's version of it at any rate."

"You've been to Asia too?"

Zoe nodded, but this time, she was smart enough not to elaborate, "I'm sure there's a Chinese place somewhere around here. It would be fun. Plus, I haven't seen anything resembling Chinese food in Bluebell."

Harley nodded, "We're not the most diverse, but we're pretty content with what we have."

Zoe nodded, "I think those are our seats." It had certainly been one of their longer, more detailed conversations, and Zoe had shared more than she usually did, but she had survived. She could make it; it would just take a little more effort, a little more willpower. Zoe Hart was nothing if not stubborn. She could handle this.

They all took their seats and the game started. It was different than watching a game with her father, but it was fun. Brick, Lemon, and Harley got really into it, and eventually, Zoe did too. She even did the wave, which was certainly a new experience. The game was pretty much tied by halftime, which only added to the drama and suspense.

"I'm going on a hotdog run. Who wants what?" They all told Brick their orders, and watched him squeeze his way out of the bleachers.

"Are you havin' fun?" Harley asked. Zoe nodded, causing him to smile.

It was a close game, but The Crimson Tide prevailed thanks a final move by Lavon Hayes. Zoe, Lemon, Harley, and Brick all screamed until their throats were sore. Lavon stopped by to say hello. Harley told him what a good job he'd done, and Lemon convinced him to introduce them to some of the other members on the team. She got an autograph for George. Zoe decided to get one for Jesse. It was a little early for that kind of gift, but if things worked out with them, there would be birthdays and holidays to think about, and Zoe liked to plan ahead. Plus, when would she get this opportunity again? She decided to get one for Wade too. Lemon thought that was a little weird, but decided to let it go.

George paced back and forth. Harry hadn't told him much, but it was enough for him to worry. What worried him most, really, was what Harry wasn't saying. If it wasn't a big deal, Harry would spill what he knew. They weren't the closest brothers in the world, but they were brothers, and Harry knew what Lemon meant to George.

When Harry left, George had begged him, one final plea. He had said that, if Harry couldn't tell him anything, at least get their dad to come over to talk to George himself. He needed to know. He deserved to know.

Twenty minutes ago, Harold Tucker had called, telling George he was coming over to wait for the Breelands to return. George didn't know if Harry had talked to their father. He didn't care really. He just wanted answers.

When the doorbell rang, George ran to get it. Well, sort of ran. He couldn't leave Magnolia alone, and it was hard to run with a baby in your arms.

"Dad." He said, opening the door.

"Son." Harold Tucker greeted. "It was lucky it was me. You opened the door without even lookin'. Your greetin' would have been awkward if it was someone deliverin' a package of somethin'." He chuckled awkwardly.

"Come in dad." George said, stepping back.

"So, this is Magnolia Breeland, is it? You're mom said she was a very pink baby."

George smiled. His dad was being nice. Mrs. Tucker had called Magnolia flushed and colicky. It was probably good she only had boys; George had the impression his mother would not have taken well to raising girls. Or maybe she just wasn't a baby person. As George was the younger of two, he had no way of knowing how his mother had handled him and Harry when they were infants.

He appreciated his dad's kindness, and attempt at small talk. But while he knew his dad was trying to be nice, he was also trying to stall. George wasn't going to let him.

"Dad, what's goin' on? Why do you need to talk to Dr. Breeland?"

"It's confidential son."

"I'm your son."

Mr. Tucker sighed, "You had better sit down."

After the game, the Zoe, Harley, and The Breelands went for Chinese. It was a decent place. Lemon was completely mystified by the food. She had never been out of Bluebell, so the closest she had come to Chinese food was a bag of rice.

"So, Lemonade, what do you think?"

Lemon contemplated as she chewed, "Too salty." She said finally.

Zoe laughed, "It's supposed to be salty."

"Well, that doesn't mean I have to like it now does it?"

Zoe shook her head, "I guess not. Still, I think it's pretty good. Who knew the south could cook something so eastern? Although, China is closer to the equator than Alabama."

"I've never been much for geography. I know my way around Bluebell. That's all I need to know really." Lemon said, stabbing her fork into her food and then remembering she didn't like it.

Zoe looked at Lemon, slightly stunned, "But you must want to get out of Bluebell at some point?"

"Why would I want that?"

"Why? Why? There's a whole other world out there. Different cultures, different climates, different food." She pointed to her plate, "Don't you want to see it?"

"I like Bluebell. It's a great place to live. The best place. When you already found the best place in the world, why waste your time looking at others. It's like with George. He's the only boy I've ever seriously dated, but I'm certainly not going to break up with him just so I can … sample other flavors. I have what I want. Why go looking for more?"

That was one way to look at it, but it wasn't how Zoe saw things. She liked Lemon, but she would never understand why someone would want to spend their whole life in one place. One of the things she liked about New York was the variety, the mix of cultures and cuisines. It was like a metaphor for the world. Bluebell wasn't horrible. The people were nice enough, and she was adjusting to the weather. But the place had only two restaurants and nearly everything was fried. The public school only offered courses in Spanish, no French or Italian or German or Latin or Greek. Everybody went to church, the same church, meaning everybody was the same religion. Zoe hadn't seen a kippah or a ḥijāb since she arrived. There were some African Americans around town, but only a couple Asians and Zoe had yet to see a Latino. She was pretty sure words like Chanukah and Latke would be foreign to the Bluebellians. She would put money on it if she were the gambling sort. She doubted there had ever been an Opera in Bluebell, and she would be very surprised to discover any historical ruins or national landmarks in among the cows and the hay. Bluebell was a chapter in her life, but Zoe wanted more. She would not waste her years away in the same town when there was so much to see and do.

"You really don't want to know what's out there?" Zoe asked again, trying to wrap her head around Lemon's logic. "I mean, it's not like Bluebell won't still be here waiting for you. What's the harm in seeing what there is to see? There's so much more to life than summer in February."

"Excuse me." Dr. Breeland said. He looked uncomfortable, maybe a little pale. He started heading for the men's room, and Lemon followed after him, but not before shooting a Zoe a death-glare.

"What did I say?"

Harley shook his head, "It's not your fault, Zoe. Lemon's mother, Brick's wife Alice, she thought Bluebell was to small for her too. She left a few months back to become an actress."

"So, Lemon's parent's are divorced?"

Harley shook his head, "She never gave him any papers. One day he just came home to find her gone, nothing but a note for him and the girls. It nearly destroyed him."

"I … I didn't know." Zoe stuttered.

Harley put a comforting hand on hers, "I know. It's just hard for him."

"That poor man. And Lemon, she must hate me."

"I'm sure she doesn't hate you."

"Have you met Lemon? Because I may not have known her long, but she is clearly the sort of girl to hold a grudge."

"I think she'll understand. There's no way you could've known. It happened before you got here, and the Breelands don't like to talk about it."

Lemon returned to the table, "Daddy'll just be a minute."

"Lemon, I'm so-"

"Now is not the time Zoe. We will talk later."

"I'm surprised you didn't want to sit home watchin' the game."

Wade shrugged, "Cables out." Taylor nodded, and it occurred to Wade she might have found that insulting, "Plus, I wanted to hang with you." He added quickly. It was the truth, at any rate. Taylor smiled, but remained silent, "So, what about you? Didn't wanna watch?"

"My dad doesn't get off work for another hour. We recorded it. When he gets home, we'll have dinner, and then he and I will watch it after my mother goes to bed."

Wade nodded, "She's not a football fan? You're mama, I mean."

"She just doesn't … like things she can't predict the outcome of." She was quiet again.

"Everything okay?"

"What'd'ya mean?" She asked, shooting him a bright smile. It wasn't like one of the ones Lemon gave her dad all the time; it seemed genuine. Still, something felt off.

"If somethin's wrong … if you don't wanna go swimmin' with me or-"

"Tired of me already?" She joked.

Wade shook his head vehemently, "No. You just seem … upset."

Taylor smiled, "I learned a long time ago that being upset about things you can't change is a waste of time. Everyone has things in their life to be upset about, and I can't change mine. There's no use dwelling on it. I'd rather enjoy the things I can control." Wade nodded. That certainly made sense, "And I enjoy swimmin'. And I enjoy your company."

Wade smiled, "I, uh, enjoy yours too."

Zoe kept trying to get Lemon alone to talk to her, but Lemon kept avoiding her. Next thing she knew, they were heading home in separate cars.

"I can't believe I screwed up so badly." Zoe said as she watched Tuscaloosa fade outside the car window.

"Zoe, the important thing to remember is that nobody's life is perfect. From the outside, sometimes it looks that way, but everybody has their issues."

Zoe thought about what Wade had said to her when they first met. "We all got problems princess." Wasn't that the truth? She was an orphan, who had been taken in by the long-lost father she had been lied to about. Wade's mother had died, leaving his father an alcoholic, and Wade was stuck picking up the pieces. Lemon's mother had abandoned her, her father, and her baby sister. George's life seemed fine, other than maybe his father's apparently high expectations, but who knew what else was behind closed doors. Everybody was screwed up.

"So much for small towns being a refuge." She muttered.

"They are." Harley replied. She looked over at him skeptically, "I'm serious. Everyone's life is screwed up. That's just how life works. Things go wrong, and people have trouble figurin' out how to go on with their life, how to pick up the pieces. The good thing about towns like Bluebell, assumin' there are other towns like Bluebell, is that you have a whole town to help you pick up those pieces."

"Yeah. A whole town full of people to judge you, pity, you look at you like some sort of charity case, gossip about you behind your back. I know you think living somewhere where everybody knows everybody's business is some sort of blessing, but to me, it just seems like living your life on page six."

Harley shook his head, "Zoe, just because people know about the skeletons in your closet doesn't mean they'll judge you for them. Sometimes, people just want to help." Zoe shook her head. She appreciated what Harley was trying to do, but she wasn't buying it, "Look at it like this. Now that you know about what happened with Alice, do you look at Dr. Breeland and Lemon differently?"

Zoe thought for a minute, "It colors some things it guess." Her mind went to that night at Lemon's; "Nobody likes me Zoe. They all leave me. I fuck up, and then they just leave."

"But it doesn't make you judge her, look at her like a charity case?"

Zoe sighed. Maybe Harley was right, but she didn't want him to be right right now. She didn't want him to tell her to come clean, or that the people of Bluebell just wanted to help her and be her family. Maybe it was the truth, but she wasn't ready for that yet.

After the game, Jesse and his friends hung around for a couple hours, goofing off. It was fun. For some reason, being at home felt weird lately. Wade always seemed jumpy, like he was hiding something. It wasn't about Zoe; it had started months ago. And Earl never seemed to be around. Plus, the place was a mess, and way too small. Jesse couldn't wait to get out of Bluebell and start a life of his own. He just had a few more months to go, then graduation, and freedom.

"Hey, Jess, heard you're datin' a freshman." Danny said, tossing a beer Jesse's way.

Jesse caught the beer and took a swig, "Yeah. So?"

"So, is it true?" Aaron asked, curiously.

"Could be." Jesse said, shrugging.

"Come on, give us somethin'."

Jesse thought for a minute. He had originally asked Zoe out to bug Wade. Well, mostly. He also thought she was cool, but mostly it was to bug Wade, get his brother to fess-up to liking the girl. Now, Wade seemed to be more interested in Taylor, which was cool. Taylor seemed nice enough.

But where did that leave Jesse? When he asked Zoe out the second time, it hadn't been about Wade at all. It had been about what she had done for his dad. She was cool to hang with, a little shy, but funny, and fun, and competitive as hell. He liked spending time with her when she let herself go. And what she had done that night, finding a doctor to talk him through how to help his dad … she was definitely something special. He wasn't sure exactly how he felt about her, but he was open to finding out, and with Wade having moved on to Taylor, he could pursue Zoe with no guilt.

The only thing that worried him was that Zoe seemed pretty self-conscious. She was new in town, not used to how Bluebell worked, and she might not be ready to have her personal life out there for all to see. They had only been out once, and if he made it sound like more than it was, and word got back to her, he might scare her off. He didn't want to do that.

"Stay tuned." He said, taking another drink.

Taylor was a good swimmer. Wade could hardly keep up. She was playful too, slashing Wade, and letting him chase her. They raced around the pond a bit. He even dunked her once, and while she splashed him for it, she didn't seem mad. It was obvious to Wade that she was having fun. So was he. They didn't talk, or flirt much. It was just swimming and forgetting themselves for a while. Based on what she'd said, Wade wondered if maybe Taylor needed that even more than he did. If she did, she didn't let on though. She was so positive. And it wasn't fake. Wade knew a lot about faking like you were happy and everything was all right, and he could tell that that wasn't what Taylor was doing. She had admitted that she had her own set of problems, as did everyone, but she didn't seemed weighed down by them the way he always felt he was. He envied her that, but being around it gave him hope. Maybe he could have that too, someday. Maybe she could teach him whatever it was she had learned, this secret to accepting your problems without letting them consume you.

"That was fun," She said as she toweled off.

"Yeah. It really was."

"You okay?" she asked, "You seem kind of pensive."

Wade shrugged, "Guess I'm just a pensive kind'a guy." He wasn't. He knew he wasn't, but it was easier than telling her where his mind had been.

"Okay." She said before grabbing her clothes.

"That's it? No interrogation? No forcin' it out of me? No quip about if I even know what the word pensive means?"

"Why would I do any of that?" She asked. Zoe would have, he thought. He shook it off, half-wondering why his mind had gone there, half-knowing the answer, "If you want to share, I'm sure you will. It's your choice." She said kindly, "And as for the quip, I wouldn't make fun of you. That's just not me."

"No, it's not makin' fun, it's just …" he trailed off. Why was he doing this? Taylor didn't think he was stupid, or tease him about not having as sophisticated a vocabulary as she did. That was a good thing. Why did he miss it?

"Wade, did I do somethin' wrong?" she asked.

He should his head. They were having fun? Why did he have to ruin it? "I'm sorry. I guess I'm just used to a different sort of company."

"Oh."

"But this is … better. Trust. I like that you're nice, and that you don't push me to open up, or belittle me or anythin'. It's good, really. Just, different. I'll get used to it."

Taylor nodded, "You don't have to. I mean, if you prefer to hang out with someone else, I won't blame you for it. And we can still be-"

"No, no, I … I want to get used to it." And he did. Taylor was awesome. He liked being around her. She was fun, and nice, and beautiful, and for whatever reason, she actually seemed to like him, "I want to get used to it because I like you."

She smiled, blushing, "I like you too, Wade."

He looked down at her. Her hair was wet, and it stuck to the sides of her face. It didn't make her any less attractive. She had put some sort of towel dress on over her bathing suit, a one-piece. Taylor seemed modest, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it might mean she had never been kissed. He kind of liked that idea. He liked that she had been smart enough to wait for it to be special, like he wished he had.

She smiled up at him, water dripping down her face, highlighting her lips. He leaned forward, and she didn't stop him. He gently pressed his lips to hers, and he felt her smile.

It was quick, just a peck really. Still, it was nice. And it was better that it hadn't gotten intense. It made Taylor different from all the other girls. He wanted her to be different.

She was still smiling at him when he pulled away. He didn't know what to say, so he waited for her to speak. When she didn't, he searched his mind. Then he remembered what she had said about not staying out to long, "I guess I should probably start walkin' you back."

She nodded, "Yeah. I was gonna say I had to go, but I didn't want you to think it was 'cause of …" She trailed off.

Wade smiled, "No, I get it. You said you couldn't stay out past and hour, and we're cuttin' it kind close as it is."

She nodded, "I, uh, I might be faster if I go on my own. But, I'll see you in school?" She looked up at him hopefully. He nodded. What else could he do? "Good." She said. He watched her sprint off, smiling to himself.

On his way home, Jesse stopped at the library. He had to return Sense and Sensibility, and he figured he might get another Jane Austen book. They weren't bad.

"Givin' up?" He looked up to see Annabeth, smiling at him.

"Finished, actually." He responded, smirking.

"Impressive."

"Yeah, I was just lookin' for another. Any recommendations."

Annabeth shrugged, "Well, Pride and Prejudice is her most famous. Actually, most people start with that one."

Jesse nodded, "Okay."

"I can help you find it, if you like."

"You don't have to do that."

"Well it's kind of my job." He looked at her curiously, "I work here." She clarified, "After school, anyway."

Jesse nodded, "Nice gig for a bookworm." He said, following her through the library.

"Thanks for pigeonholin' me." She said, chuckling.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that. You're clearly an enigma."

"Thanks, I think." She stopped, "It's in this isle."

He nodded, "Thanks."

"It's my job."

"I'll see ya 'round."

Lemon wasn't mad at Zoe, not really. Mostly, she was just worried about her father. This trip was supposed to be about getting his mind off the woman who left him behind, but it didn't seem to have worked. She was rather anxious to get home, kiss George, check on Magnolia, and leave this weekend behind her.

The second her father pulled up in front of the Breeland estate, Lemon unbuckled and sprinted out of the car. Her father called her back to help with the luggage, which she did like the dutiful daughter she always seemed to be when her father was watching. Then, the two of them headed to the front door.

"Harold." Brick said, surprised. He knew George would be there, but he was not expecting Mr. Tucker.

"Brick. I trust you had a good trip."

Brick nodded, "Football and good company. What could be better?" He was trying to be casual, but Lemon could here the apprehension in his voice. What was going on? It was nearly nine. What was Mr. Tucker doing at her house so late?

"George!" she called, spotting him. He smiled at her, but his smile seemed off.

"Son, why don't you and Lemon go and get an ice-cream, catch up some." Lemon could tell that George's father was trying to get rid of her. She looked to her father, and he nodded encouragingly. George took her hand, squeezing it in comfort, and leading her out the door.

"So, how was your trip?" He asked once they were outside.

"George, what is goin' on? Why is your daddy at my house?"

George shifted uncomfortably, "Lemon, I don't think it should-"

"George Tucker, you better tell me what is goin' on right now."

George sighed, "I don't know much. My dad wouldn't tell me but … I think your dad may be in some legal trouble."

"What?"

"Best I could figure, it's some sort of malpractice suit. I don't know the details, but-"

"That's ridiculous! Daddy's a GP, not some big-shot big city surgeon. Who ever heard of a family doctor getting sued for malpractice?"

George shrugged helplessly, "Like I said, my dad wouldn't tell me much. It took a lot just to get that, and some of that came from eavesdroppin'."

"But, I just, I just don't understand. How could this …?"

George pulled Lemon close to him and wrapped her in a hug, "It'll be okay." He said, dropping a kiss on her forehead. "It'll be okay."

Pretty much the second they got back to Bluebell, Harley had gotten a call, and had to run out. He hadn't told Zoe what it was about, but it seemed important. She figured he would tell her about it when he got back. In the meantime, Zoe decided to wander around town a little. It had been three weeks, and she still didn't know the town very well. It still all seemed weird to her, but then, weird wasn't always bad. It would never be home, but …

She found herself heading towards the high school. It had been a completely unconscious act to take that path. Maybe it was because it was one of the only places she was really familiar with. Maybe it was just because she was kind of a nerd. Quickly, she took a turn, and soon she found herself approaching the gazebo. There was someone there, sitting, watching people go by. Zoe squinted; it was Annabeth, the girl Wade had chosen for the double date. Well, at least it was someone she knew. She waved, but Annabeth didn't seem to see her.

"Hey." She said, approaching her.

Annabeth looked up and smiled, "Hi Zoe. Wanna sit?"

Zoe nodded and took a seat next to Annabeth, "What are you doing out here so late?"

Annabeth shrugged, "I just got outta work, and my curfew's not for an hour or so. Sometimes it's nice to just sit out here."

Zoe cleared her throat awkwardly, "Look, um, I should apologize about, you know, that double date."

Annabeth shook her head, "Don't worry about it. I had fun."

Zoe gaped at her, "Seriously?"

Annabeth nodded, "I mean, it was weird, and a little awkward at first, but it was fun. The movie was good, I enjoyed dancin', and the company wasn't bad either. Taylor's sweet, and Wade isn't so bad, and Jesse is a riot. You're lucky on that front."

Zoe chuckled, blushing, "Well, I don't know about that. I mean, we've only been out once."

"Well, are you goin' out again?" Zoe nodded, her blush deepening, "Seems pretty lucky to me."

"You're not upset about Wade?"

Annabeth shook her head, "Wade's a good guy … some of the time, but I'm not really into him."

"So why'd you agree to go?"

Annabeth looked down sadly, "He made a good argument."

Zoe was about to ask what she meant when a boy ran up to them, "Hey Annabeth." He said, "I had a good time the other night." Annabeth blushed.

"Um, Jake, this is Zoe, Zoe, Jake Nass."

They shook hands, "Good to meet you." Jake said politely.

"You too."

"Hey, you're not the same Zoe who just went to see the Crimson Tide game?" Zoe nodded, "You're so lucky. I wish I could have gone. 'Stead, I was stuck watchin' it on the tube. Which is better than nothin', but, ya know, not the same."

Zoe nodded, "Yeah. It was pretty cool."

"You're datin' Jesse Kinsella, right?"

"Um, I …" Zoe didn't know what to say to that. She didn't want to label anything without talking to Jesse first.

"Yeah, she is." Annabeth answered for her.

"Well, we should all go to a game together sometime." He shot Annabeth a smile, "I should get goin'. I'll see you girls around."

He headed off, whistling some country song as he went. "Jake an' I went to the Sweetie Pie Dance together." Annabeth explained, "I guess that makes us a couple."

"Do you not want to be?"

Annabeth shrugged, "I don't know. I mean, it's not like I didn't know what I was gettin' into. You can't just agree to go to the Sweetie Pie Dance with a guy, and then blow him off. It's not like it's just any other date. And Jake is sweet, and smart, and he's certainly nice to look at."

"But …?" Zoe prompted.

"But, well, I've never had a boyfriend before. I guess I'm not sure I'm ready to take myself off the market just yet."

Zoe nodded, "Well, we're only in high school. I don't think it means you have to marry him."

It was pretty late by the time Wade got home. After Taylor had left, he had gone back in the lake and swum around for a bit, reliving the afternoon, remembering the feel of Taylor's lips. He was happy. It was weird; Wade hadn't really felt happy in a long time. He enjoyed hanging with his friends, playing football, having sex, but it was always somewhat bitter sweet. He always felt like he was putting on a show somehow. Whenever he was with someone, he was trying to prove something. Whenever he was by himself he was lonely, left with nothing but his own memories for companies, and most of them were memories he would just as soon forget. And obviously work and stuff with his dad didn't make him happy. It made him worried, and stressed, and all-around miserable.

Then there was when he was with Zoe. She was in a different category then his other friends because she knew his secrets. He didn't have to pretend so much with her, which was nice. Still, she was a headache, and had her own way of stressing him out. She was argumentative. That girl always had to be right, and always had to get to the bottom of things because she hated not knowing things. She could never let anything go. And she was insulting. She was so sure she was better than him, smarter, more traveled, etc. She was probably right, but that didn't mean she had to rub it in all the time. And she was so spoiled; she always just assumed he would help her without even asking. Again, she was probably right, but it would be nice if she asked once in a while, preferably with a please and thank you tagged on.

Taylor was different though. Sure, she didn't know all his secrets, or any of them really, but he didn't feel like she was judging him. He wasn't ready to open up, and she was cool with that. And if, someday, he decided he wanted to open up, maybe she would get it. He didn't know, but he had time to figure it out. The important thing for now was, being around her made him happy. Real happy, not fake happy. He was good with that.

"Yo, Jess, ya home?" he called out. No answer. Well, Jesse was at a friend's watching the game. The game was long over, but Jesse probably got caught up hanging out with his friends and lost track of time. He wasn't always the most responsible. Then again, he didn't have to be.

Wade went to check on his dad. The man was passed out, as was to be expected. He was in his own bed though, which was something. Wade checked the surrounding area for empty bottles to throw out so Earl wouldn't hurt his feet on the glass tomorrow morning. Maybe someday he wouldn't have to do this anymore. It was probably dumb to hope, but there had to be a chance, right?

"I can't believe this!" Zoe looked up at Lemon's screech. She noticed Annabeth shrink back slightly. George was jogging up behind Lemon, trying to catch up with her. "What on earth are you doin' with her?" She shot Annabeth a venomous look.

"What do you mean?" Zoe knew she was missing something here. Something pretty big, probably. "Is this about earlier, because I -"

"No, this is not about that." Lemon spat, "This is about this." She gestured toward Zoe and Annabeth sitting together, "You're off hangin' with this future belle," she scrunched up her nose as she said that, "Meanwhile, daddy and Dr. Wilkes might be gettin' sued."

"Wait, what?" Zoe stood, surprised.

George cleared his throat, "There are some, uh, legal issues my dad is helpin' him with … as best he can."

"Don't sugarcoat it for her. My father and his partner, the man puttin' you up and teachin' you about doctorin' are in some serious legal trouble, and instead of carin', or tryin' to help somehow, you're here, hangin' out with the enemy."

"Lemon, don't you think that's a little-"

"No George, I don't think that's a little anythin'. It's the truth. Girls like Annabeth ruined my dads personal life, and now his professional life is goin' down the tubes as well." She turned back to Zoe, "And you couldn't care less."

"Hold on a second." Zoe said, standing, "I didn't know about any of this. If Harley's in trouble, of course I care. He's my … I mean, he's looking after me. And you're my friend, so I care about you too, and your family. I certainly don't want everything to fall apart for you. I'm sorry about what I said earlier; I didn't know. But don't accuse me of not caring, or of wishing harm on anybody. I would never do that. And I don't know what you're deal is with Annabeth, but I've been given no reason to hate her, so I'm certainly not going to treat her like a pariah on your say-so."

Zoe waited for Lemon to say something, but she didn't. She just glared at her, and stomped off. "Should I go after her?" Zoe asked, turning to George.

He shook her head, shooting her an apologetic look, "I don't think so. Best to give her some time to cool down."

Zoe nodded, "I don't want to her to hate me. I just …"

George nodded, "I know. It's a complicated situation, and I'm sorry you got caught in the middle of it. I'll try and talk her down."

"Are Harley and Dr. Breeland in real trouble?"

George looked down, "I'm not sure. Maybe. But there's nothin' you can really do about it right now. It's not your job to fix it. Let my dad do what he can; he's good at what he does." Zoe nodded, "I should get goin'. Lemon's gonna be wonderin' what's takin' me so long."

"Thanks George."

He nodded and headed off.

"Thanks. For stickin' up for me." Zoe turned. She had almost forgotten Annabeth was there.

"No big deal."

"But it is. Especially with Lemon. She's not the easiest person to stand up to."

"What's the deal with you two, anyway?"

"Well, we used to be best friends. Like how George and Wade are, ya know? Closer probably. She was like the sister I never had; I'm an only child. Anyway, when Lemon's mom left she, well, she changed. She got angry at anythin' that had anythin' to do with what her mom stood for. And I guess I was a part of that." Annabeth shrugged, "She decided our friendship was over, and that she didn't want anythin' to do with me anymore. So, here we are."

Zoe stared at her, shocked. How could someone just throw away a friendship like that, "Annabeth, I'm … I'm so sorry." It sounded lame, even to her own ears, but she didn't know what else to say.

"That's okay. It's not your fault." She was trying to make it sound like less than it was, but Zoe could hear how sad she was. Annabeth really missed Lemon, and she was really hurting. Without thinking, Zoe grabbed Annabeth and pulled her into a hug. She felt a couple tears land on her shoulder, but she ignored them.

"Thanks." Annabeth said, wiping the tears from her face, "I should get goin' curfew and all."

Zoe nodded, "If you ever need to talk …"

"Thank Zoe."

Jesse wasn't sure where the time had gone. He had taken Pride and Prejudice to the Rammer Jammer, ordered some fries, and gotten caught up reading. It was weird. He had never been the reading type, but for some reason, he couldn't put these books down. Maybe they were just that good. Or maybe it had something to do with the girl who recommended them, though Jesse wasn't sure what. Before he knew it, it was almost eleven. He did have school tomorrow, so he had started home.

He passed Zoe and Annabeth in the gazebo, and he almost waved, but they seemed pretty deep in conversation, and he figured they wouldn't see him. When he got home, he found Wade taking out the garbage.

"Well, look at you, all responsible." He joked.

"Yeah, well, one of us has to be." Wade muttered.

Jesse started, "What's got you so bitter?"

Wade shrugged, "Nothin' sorry." He threw the bag in the dumpster, and started back towards the house, "So, how was the game?"

Jesse shrugged, "Pretty cool."

"You been at Aarons this whole time."

Jesse just shrugged. He didn't need Wade to know that he lost track of time because he was busy reading. He'd never hear the end of that. "So, were you able to catch the game somewhere?" Wade shook his head, "Sorry man. Must'a been a lousy day."

Wade shrugged, "Wasn't so bad. I, uh, went for a swim." A strange smile found it's way onto Wade's lips.

"Oh. Sounds fun."

"Yeah. It was."

"Lemon, you need to calm down." George said, trying to keep his voice soothing, "You can't lash out at everybody just because you're upset."

"But she was-"

"I know what she was. But you and I both know this isn't about Zoe. This isn't even about Annabeth. This is about your family." Lemon looked down, "There is nothing more important to you than your family, which is why you don't always think clearly when it comes to them. And Lemon, they're important to me too. You're important to me." He pulled her into a hug, and she let him, if a little reluctantly, "You need your friends right now. And Zoe is going to need you too. This is a tough situation. The only way to get through it, is to stick together." He looked down at her, "You know I'm right."

Lemon nodded, "Just once, I'd like to be right."

George laughed, "Let's see if we can't arrange that sometime."

When Zoe got home, Harley was waiting for her, "I thought you would still be at the Breelands."

"It was late. We all need to rest, and regroup."

Zoe nodded, "I ran into Lemon. She's pretty upset." Harley nodded, sympathetically, "Are you guys really getting sued."

Harley sighed. He took a seat on the couch, and motioned for Zoe to join him. She did, "A few months ago, Brick delivered a baby. He deemed the baby healthy. A week ago, the baby died." Zoe gasped, "Apparently, she had central sleep apnea. That means-"

"That the brain isn't sending the usual signals to the lungs, and the baby stops breathing during sleep." Harley nodded, "But that's not Dr. Breelands fault, and it's certainly not yours. What kind of case could they have?"

"Well, they say that Brick should have warned them; that he didn't prepare them for this possibility, so they didn't know to try and prevent it."

"That's ridiculous."

"Often times, when people are grieving, it helps them to be angry, find someone to blame."

Zoe nodded. She got that. Grief, anger, blame, she had experience with all three. Still, it didn't seem right. "So, what's going to happen?"

"I don't know. But I don't want you to worry. Whatever happens, I promise, you'll be taken care of. You'll always have a home here, Zoe."

Zoe nodded. The idea that this might affect what happened to her hadn't even crossed her mind. She was just worried about Lemon, Dr. Breeland, and Harley. He looked so troubled. She could only imagine how worried he was. This must be terrifying for him. She slid closer to him, and gave his hand a comforting pat. He smiled down at her, "Thank you." He said. It was nice of him to say; Zoe knew her attempt at comfort was pathetic, but it had never been her strong suit, and the fact that this was Harley didn't help matters.

"I should head to bed. I have school in the morning, so …" She trailed off, waiting for him to reply. He just nodded, and Zoe stood. She turned halfway to the stairs, "Are you … going to be okay?"

He smiled at her in that kind way of his, "I'll be fine Zoe. Have a good nights sleep."

"Yeah. You too."

Author's Note: Hopefully, this chapter makes up a little for how long it's been. I hope you all enjoyed it.

So, first things first, credit where credit it due. I know nothing about sleep apnea or sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). That information comes from kidshealth dot org, babycenter dot com, and the dictionary application on my computer. I do not know much about medicine, or malpractice. I'll, of course, do some research before writing the next chapter, but if anyone happens to have any information that could be helpful in this case, please private message me.

As for the football game, I mentioned before that there was a game that the Crimson Tide played that day, and a website where I could get the score. That is true, however, as I realized when I scanned the website more carefully (and this shows you how dense I am when it comes to sports) The Crimson Tide is also the name The University of Alabama's baseball team. Some how, I don't think those scores would transfer over so easily. Without the website to guide me, I really had no way to you guys through the game, so I was kind of vague. I don't think it's too important to the plot to recount the play-by-play, but I do apologize to those of you who may have been looking forward to it. I hope you can forgive me.

I'm anxious to read what you think, so please review. I hope you liked the chapter.