Babe was the next murder victim, which ended up clearing Zoe of any suspicion. But Zoe felt lost without her best friend. Upon visiting her grave one night, Zoe was attacked by the real killer. She was brutally beaten and left for dead. Luckily Bianca found her the next morning and got her to the hospital in time. During her recovery, Zoe and Bianca grew closer as friends.

With Bianca's support, Zoe went to see a doctor about starting hormone therapy. She also attended a transgender support group. Life was starting to turn around for her. She had never been happier...until she found out her best friend was still alive! Josh had staged Babe's death in order to hide her from the killer.

Babe could see that both Zoe and Bianca had something much more than friendship between them, but neither one would admit it. It wasn't long before they gave into their feelings and shared a tender kiss.

Wanting to try another creative outlet, Zoe went to work at Fusion. She was enjoying her new job when her mother made a surprise visit. Mrs. Luper tried to convince her son, Freddie, that he was wrong to dress like a woman. Unable to get through to her mother, Zoe ran off. After being confronted by a bigot at a bar, Zoe went home and tried to decide which life would be better...Zoe's or Freddie's?

Zoe put on men's clothing and tried to go back to being Freddie in order to make her mother happy, but she couldn't go through with the charade. She explained everything to her mother, that she'd even contemplated suicide because she didn't feel normal. Mrs. Luper understood and embraced her daughter.

Bianca soon realized she was falling in love with Zoe and wanted to share her feelings on a romantic date. Zoe was thrilled, but concerned that starting a relationship would be a mistake because of the turmoil of transitioning. They agreed to take things slowly.

Zoe and Bianca made plans to return to their old lives in Europe. Zoe would be working on a new album in London and Bianca would be running Cambias, Inc. in Paris. They vowed to see each other as much as possible. As an appropriate send off, Zoe was invited to appear on Erica Kane's talk show, New Beginnings, where she performed her new song The Me Inside. "I've got my heels on the ground and the strength to be honest. I'm never gonna hide the me inside."