A/N: Hello, folks! Yup, I'm back :) Thanks to all those who left reviews on the previous chapter and for all the nice well-wishes for my break. Now, I think we left Zoe & Wade preparing to head the Sweetie Pie Dance...

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 20

"Oh my God, Zoe, you look amazing!" Rose enthused, after helping her friend with her zipper. "Wade is going to go crazy when he sees you!"

"I don't know about crazy exactly," said Zoe modestly, though she had to admit she did look pretty good in the dress she had her mom send down to her from New York. "You don't think it's too much, right?"

"Absolutely not," said Rose definitely. "Bluebell could use a lesson in New York style and you are just the person to give it to them. I almost wish I was coming to the dance with you, but it's not really the kind of event you can go to without a date."

"And Frederick Dean has yet to realise that you are so much cooler than Magnolia Breeland." Zoe sighed. "If there was a pill I could give him to cure his love blindness, I promise I would," she said sympathetically.

Rose put on a brave smile. "He'll figure it out eventually. In the meantime, I have my comic books and my music. I'm gonna spend a nice, quiet evening here by myself, so you don't need to worry. Just have a good time, okay?"

"And I am here to make sure she does exactly that."

Zoe looked around to see her boyfriend framed in the doorway and heard Rose gasp, clearly a little impressed by the view herself, even if Wade was twice her age. In all fairness, he did look really, really good. Not that he didn't usually, but all dressed up for the dance, he was something else entirely.

"Well, look at you, doc," he said, before she could make any remarks about his own appearance. "Not so sure I can take you out in public lookin' like that. Might cause a stampede."

Though Zoe wasn't prone to blushing, she was pretty sure her face was genuinely red at the sound of his compliments, and from the way he came over, pulled her into his arms and kissed her like it was going out of style, all in front of Rose too. When they finally parted, Zoe glanced over to see her friend peeking out from between her fingers, having made a token effort to cover her eyes from the PDA.

"You gonna be okay here by yourself, Rosie?" Wade asked her then.

"Sure. I have everything I need and Lavon has strict instructions from Zoe to keep a real good eye on me," she said, rolling her eyes. "I couldn't get into trouble, even if I wanted to."

"And the not getting into trouble is definitely a good thing," said Zoe with a look.

"Don't you believe it, doc," Wade whispered in her ear, leading to her swatting at him and hoping Rose didn't hear. "You enjoy your quiet, alone time, kid, and if Zoe doesn't make it back here tonight, don't go worryin' too much, okay?"

"I will be back," Zoe corrected, looking back at Rose, even as Wade led her by the hand to the door. "Probably," she amended. "Maybe. If I'm not, I'll just be at the gatehouse if you need me, okay?"

"I will be fine," Rose repeated firmly. "Go, go! Have fun!" she urged her friend.

Zoe really didn't need telling twice. She had on a great dress, she was going to a party, and her date was the hottest, sweetest guy in the world. There was no bad in any of that.


Wade had been so unsure about bringing Zoe along to the Sweetie Pie Dance. He had attended the event before, once with Tansy, that he didn't remember quite as clearly as he probably should, and maybe two or three other times with girls he recalled even less well. He never had an actual girlfriend before, nobody that mattered the way Zoe did. Nobody that he would ever genuinely want to call his sweetie pie. This year was so different, mostly because Zoe was so different. He was only glad to realise she was as happy to be at the dance as he was himself.

"This is so much fun," she said, giggling there in his arms as they slowed danced amongst several dozen other couples, from crushing teens to long-term marrieds. "I can't remember the last time I went to a dance like this. I'm actually not sure I ever did."

"Come on, doc, you musta gone to Prom or Homecoming or some such in high school. Prob'ly won queen too."

"Are you kidding?" Zoe asked, eyes a little wider than usual as she stared up at him. "Yeah, that never happened," she confirmed, shaking her head and making her hair bounce all around. "Not that I was entirely anti-social, I just... I don't know, there was always so much studying to do, and despite what you might think, the boys were all kind of intimidated by me, so I didn't get asked out all that much."

She looked sad when she said it, which Wade supposed he could understand, though he had trouble figuring how any red-blooded male could be around Zoe for more than five minutes and not want to ask her out. Teenagers were a fickle bunch though and he knew well enough how dumb boys could be at that age.

"I guess if teenaged you was anything like you are now, I can see how you might have been a bit of a handful for some guys to take on," he said, smirking down at her. "'Course, some of us like a challenge."

That remark seemed to please her well enough, which was Wade's intention.

"Hmm, you think you would've wanted the challenge of teenaged me if we went to high school together?" she asked, lacing her fingers behind his neck.

"Probably," Wade admitted easily. "Can't imagine you were any less beautiful or smart or sassy back in the day. Seems to me whenever we woulda met, sparks woulda flown."

"Yeah, I think you're probably right," Zoe agreed, encouraging him close enough to kiss.

Their sweet moment was interrupted by a ruckus on the other side of the dancefloor, the two of them both looking over to see Lemon giving George a shove before storming out. He went right after her, yelling her name, with everybody looking on.

"Uh-oh," said Zoe under her breath. "That can't be good."

"I wouldn't say that, doc," Wade told her. "I mean, sure, it looks bad, but maybe if she took your advice and finally came clean..." he suggested in a whisper.

The look on Zoe's face was thoughtful a while before she answered just as softly. "It may not be her that came clean. George is having doubts too."

"You don't mean that Tucker... Nah, there's no way he played around on her."

"I'm not saying that he did, or is. I just know that..." she trailed off as another couple danced by them, close enough they might have heard whatever secrets passed between them.

"Hey, it's kinda warm in here," said Wade, loud enough for anyone at all to hear. "You wanna grab a breath of fresh air, doc?"

"Yes, let's do that." Zoe nodded, happy to be led by the hand.

Once outside, she told Wade all about a conversation she had with George at the practice today, about how he was having some serious doubts about wedding Lemon and all. Wade was less surprised than he might have been once.

"Makes sense, I guess," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Surprised the heck outta everyone when Golden Boy ditched Lemon to go off to New York. 'Course when he come back, I figured she would tell him he was too late, on account of Lavon."

"But she didn't," said Zoe, shaking her head sadly. "It might have been better for everybody if she had."

Wade sighed. "Yeah, well, that's people for you, doc. Never do what you expect 'em to."

"Tell me about it" she said, rolling her eyes. "If they did, I might not even exist."

"And that would be a damn shame," Wade said definitely, standing up from the bench they had been perched on and pulling her to her feet alongside him. "You wanna head back in there?" he suggested, tilting his head towards the dance that was still going on yet.

"Not really," she admitted, shaking her head, a gleam in her eye that was obvious even in the dim light outside. "Don't get me wrong, I've had a great time, and it was nice to get to experience the whole dance thing. Plus, having everybody know that Wade Kinsella wants me to be his Sweetie Pie?" she said, fluttering her eyelashes and faking a swoon. "It's been quite a night."

"Why don't you step right over here and I'll make it an even better one," said Wade, pulling on her hand so she all but fell into his arms and kissing her long and hard on the mouth.

"Hmm, definitely don't want to go back inside," she said breathlessly as they parted. "Take me home, cowboy?"

"Yes, ma'am," he agreed without hesitation.


It had been the most incredible night. Zoe Hart wasn't sure when she last had a night as good. She would be tempted to say that another didn't exist. If asked, as little as six months ago, what a perfect date would look like, she was sure she never would've said attending something called a Sweetie Pie dance would feature. Eating pie and dancing to Southern rock with a guy who drove her crazy wouldn't have sounded at all appealing, and yet, she really had the best time doing all those things.

Now, curled up in bed with Wade's arms around her, Zoe was sure she had never been more comfortable and content in her life. It was awful to think the spell had to break, but much like Cinderella, on seeing the clock declaring it was midnight, she felt the need to flee.

"I have to go," she said regretfully, though she made no real effort to move at all.

"You wanna go?" asked Wade from behind her, his arm tightening around her middle as he kissed her shoulder.

"No," she admitted with a sigh, leaning back into his embrace, "but I should. Rose is all by herself."

"And prob'ly just fine with that fact," her boyfriend assured her. "'Sides, she's most likely asleep at such an hour, like all good little girls should be. You told her yourself where you'd be if you didn't get back to her, so she won't worry any either."

He continued to rain kisses on her skin and Zoe just couldn't find it in herself to make any efforts to get away. She was so, so comfortable, warm, and happy.

"Okay, I'll stay," she said, turning her head to get a real kiss from Wade.

If she had any more energy, she might have suggested they go again, but frankly, she could use some sleep before anything else happened. That much she told him and Wade seemed perfectly fine with it.

"Gotta admit, I'm feelin' a might tired myself," he said, the two of them settling down under the covers once again.

"Besides, it might be nice to wake up like this tomorrow," said Zoe, yawning and half-asleep already as she snuggled up close in Wade's embrace. "Nice way to start a birthday."

To Be Continued...