A/N: This is my first fic for Hart of Dixie, so all I can hope is that it doesn't completely suck! lol I only discovered the show recently so I'm still getting a feel for the characters, but I really love Zoe/Wade and I just got a yen to write them, so here goes nothing! :)

Disclaimer: All recognisable characters and any recognisable dialogue from Hart of Dixie belongs to Leila Gerstein and other people that aren't me.

Part 1 of 2

"Zoe Scotch. Zoe Scott. Oh, whatever." Zoe waved away another round of ridiculous name ideas and pushed her glass forward for Wade to pour her a shot. "Why is it so hard to pick a last name? There's plenty of them," she muttered.

"You okay?" asked Wade, narrowing his eyes at her.

"I am great," she said too definitely, and they both knew it. "As are you, I'm guessing. What's with the song?"

"I said I would write a tribute to the Golden Boy. I wrote a tribute to the Golden Boy," said Wade, drinking down his shot and immediately pouring another. "The upstanding citizen from the upstanding family who's made all the right... upstanding decisions his whole life. I just hope it tops your speech," he added with a smirk he couldn't help.

Zoe said nothing as they both drank and then she sighed.

"I hate small towns."

"Yeah, most people would've given up on him when they found out he had a fiancée."

There was a chance Wade sounded bitter when he said it and there was a reason for that, he just wasn't so sure Zoe would be interested in hearing it, even if he had a mind to tell her. One more shot and he might just develop a mind to.

"Not me," she admitted, matching him drink for drink. "Mmhmm, the more unavailable they are, the better I like them. There's probably a book on it. Daddy Issues for Dummies. Hey, thanks, Dad. No, Dr. Hart, for another life lesson," she said to no-one who was actually there. "You know, my mom gave me his number. Maybe I should call him and thank him for the gift that keeps on giving. Thank you," she said, nodding at Wade for the next drink and swallowing it whole.

She was hurting. He thought he was hurting too. Actually, he knew he was, but it was worse to see her in pain. Wade never really understood the whole being in love thing, but he'd lay every cent he had on this being it, for all the good that'd do him.

"Come on, Doc," he said, watching her lean back in the chair, the alcohol all hitting home at once. "It's not that he's emotionally unavailable that makes you love George Tucker. It's the fact that he's George Tucker."

Now that definitely came out bitter, and with a side of venom to boot. Wade would blame the booze but he doubted that was it. He could feel and sound just the same sober these days. This was what George Tucker and Zoe Whatever-Her-Last-Name-
Was-Gonna-Be had reduced him too. Man, he hated that.

"I don't love George Tucker," said Zoe, rolling her eyes. "I mean, not really. I just... I don't know," she complained, reaching for the bottle to pour another drink. "Why are things so complicated?"

"Don't have to be," Wade told her, shaking his head. "Maybe you're making it all tougher than it needs to be."

"Like I meant to have feelings for good old Golden Boy George Tucker," she said, burstin into a fit of giggles when she realised how stupid that sounded. "Now you have me calling him that."

"Ought to be his official name these days." Wade laughed along with her, mostly just glad to see her happier than before.

"If you're so good at names, help me find one for me," she insisted, pushing her pointer finger into the table top for emphasis. "I need a last name, mister. Help me with that. Ooh, I like Iron Man. Maybe Zoe Downey Jr," she tried, laughing like a crazy person at her own joke.

"You are drunk, girly girl," Wade told her, laughing just the same.

"Maybe, but I'm not the only one," she reminded him, watching him tip the bottle and find barely enough scotch for one shot trickle out. "Huh," she said sadly, since the last of the booze was in his glass.

"Chivalry ain't dead, Doc," he told her, offering her the final measure.

She reached to take the glass from him, their fingers brushing as he handed it over. Zoe wasn't sure why she hesitated in drinking it. After all, it was only Wade. It wasn't as if she was going to catch cooties from his glass or anything. Maybe it was just the way he was looking at her that made her nervous. He had a habit of doing that sometimes.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and downed the last shot.

"Atta girl," said Wade, grinning when she looked at him again.

Zoe slammed the glass onto the table and fell back in her chair, comfortably drunk and perfectly giggly because of it. She did not mind the feeling one little bit. Didn't mind the company either.

"Zoe Glass," she said, looking at the coffee table and its contents. "Zoe Wood. Zoe Rug," she continued, eyes wandering around the room, giggling increasing as she made her ridiculous suggestions. "Zoe Plant. Zoe Guitar. Zoe Kinsella."

Her hand clamped over her mouth the moment she said those words, especially when she saw the shocked look come over Wade's face. The laughter bubbled up in her throat one more time and burst out unbidden.

"I don't know why I said that," she admitted, words a little obscured by her hand yet. "Wow, that would be weird. People might think I was your sister."

"Or my wife."

That time it was Zoe's turn to look shocked, though Wade looked equally as startled by his own words somehow. He clearly hadn't meant to say it or at least didn't intend it the way it came out. Zoe felt her cheeks burning and only hoped she could blame the booze for that. She doubted it was the truth but it made a handy excuse if she needed it.

"Is it me or is it getting hotter in here?" she asked, staggering to her feet and making for the door.

Zoe stood in the open doorway, breathing as deeply as she could, knowing she should probably just leave, and yet she didn't dare, unsure if her legs would carry her after all the scotch, and everything else besides. She didn't know that Wade had followed her until he spoke, making her physically jump.

"Zoe?"

She turned around so fast, her legs nearly went from under her. If not for Wade's hands catching a firm hold of her, she definitely would have landed on her ass.

"I'm sorry," she said, not even entirely sure what she was apologising for.

Honestly, she wasn't sure about much of anything when she looked up and met Wade's eyes. He really was a good-looking guy and as sweet as anything when he wanted to be. She could really talk to him when she needed someone to just listen, knowing he wouldn't mind, sure that he wouldn't judge. He made her laugh too, even when he was driving her crazy. She actually kind of liked when he drove her crazy.

All of these thoughts swimming around in Zoe's brain made her dizzy, but they also made her wonder why she was ever having those feelings for George Tucker. Wade had just as many good qualities as George, maybe more, and he was right here. Couldn't be more 'right here' if he tried right now.

"You know," he said softly, one hand rising to gently push her hair back from her face, "I got nothing against Lemon as such, but George Tucker is a damn fool to look at the choices he has and make the one he's making."

Zoe wasn't sure what she was supposed to say to that. There were a lot of things she could say and yet none of the words would form into sentences and make it out of her mouth. Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was just the way Wade was looking at her... again. Just when she thought maybe she knew how to respond, he turned away.

"Well, I gotta go," he muttered, moving to grab his guitar. "I gotta go serenade Golden Boy, okay? So, please, excuse me."

"Right, sure," said Zoe, clearing her throat and trying to snap herself out of a daze. "Uh, you have fun with that."

Wade shot her a smile as he squeezed by her to get to the door. He was half way out when Zoe called to him.

"Oh, hey!" she said, not entirely sure what she meant to say when Wade turned back to look at her, until suddenly the funniest thought popped into her head. "I just thought of a great rhyme for Tucker."

She met Wade's eyes and they both bust up laughing. Two minds, one thought, and it was pretty funny.

"I might just use that yet!" Wade told her, pointing a finger right at Zoe and continuing to laugh loudly as he finally left.

At least the joke had broken the tension and Zoe was glad about that. The last thing she wanted was an atmosphere between her and Wade... again. She just couldn't handle that on top of everything else, including the hangover she was bound to have by morning!

To Be Continued...