Howdy readers. I'm not sure about the title, but it seemed to fit the gist of it. The characters are going to seem a little OOC to fit the plot, but I think it's pretty on track for how it would if ever brought up in the series.

This is sadly not a Bree/Chase ROMANCE, but it's very it's sightly hinted if you squint. And this is only a one-shot and will forever remain that way. All in Bree's point of view.

I watched from the counter, swirling my finger over the can of Coke lazily. Everyone else sat in the living room, too entranced in the movie to notice my absence. I focused on the wet rings the can left, the counter blurring out of focus—a sign I've stared too long.

I considered the stairs briefly, for a moment, debating whether I could sneak back down to the lab and just drown in boredom there and not up here.

"For someone with speed, you're slow with snacks." Adam snickered at his stupid joke, the others chuckling along lie it was the funniest thing they had ever heard.

I sighed, not even bothering to respond anymore; I never even volunteered for snack duty anyway. He wanted something, then he can get off his butt and get it himself. Instead, I ignored their laughter—not an easy task, it playing on a loop in my head over and over again—to continue playing with my Coke can, the sharp and metallic snap as it opened piercing my tiny silence.

Sipping it quietly, I twisted in my seat, facing where the rest sat on the couch. It was supposed to be my night to pick the movie, but of course no one listened to my opinion.

Like always.

Heaving a sigh, I listened partly to the movie, it consisting of some ridiculous plot that followed monstrous animals with fangs. What surprised me was that they were actually paying attention to it. Tasha usually didn't like most the things the boys were into, siding with me most of the time. Now even she's turned against me and joined their side. And Chase—the same Chase who preferred Sci-Fi over anything—was just as excited about the movie as Adam; that's a first.

And just fantastic.

Mumbling some stupid excuse, I walked toward the door, going to the front yard and climbing th big oak tree. Carefully taking it branch by branch, climbing smoothly until I reached the thickest branch closest to the top and settled. Staring into the leaves and limbs. I considered if they even heard me leave, but decided not to think about it—not worth wasting my time dwelling on.

This was my thinking spot. The long limbs and thick shades of leaves leaving me by myself, away from the world.

I rubbed my lips together, picking at the dark bark absentmindedly—watching the picked pieces fall to the ground without a sound and sinking into the soft blades of grass. The pieces blended well with the tree's long, stretching shadow. Just like me.

It's hard to tell myself that they honestly still care (if they even cared at all). Too many signs—actions and remark convinced me otherwise. Maybe staying up here would everything at once, killing two birds with on stone.

"Bree? What are you doing up there?"

I didn't even look down to clarify the voice's owner. Didn't look down to see a head of slightly spiky hair, and concerned face staring up at me. But he didn't mean it; Chase was one of those people to be concerned about everyone. Even if it was out of pity.

It took me a while to answer, not really wanting to. "Why does it matter?"

"Because I'm worried about you." Effortlessly, Chase pulled himself up until he was diagonal from me, his eyes burning holes into the side of my head as he wanted for me to face me. When I don't budge, he added quietly, "I'm worried a lot."

I huffed, finding hard to believe. "Yeah, right," I scoffed, staring straight ahead. "And why is it I'm not believing that?"

Chase gave me a look. "You've spaced out a lot, Bree—keeping to yourself all the time." He rolled his eyes. "And I'm concerned about my only sister, so sue me."

"You don't get it," I argued, swinging one of my legs off the branch. "No one does and never will."

Chase swung closer, his hand touching my shoulder. "Then help me. Help me understand what everybody else doesn't."

I closed my eyes, leaning against the trunk, debating whether to keep talking or to just shut up until he got it and left me alone. An owl hooted in the distance, sounding more lonely than he should. "I'm not good enough."

"What are you talking about?" Chase was on the branch right next to me now, watching me carefully like I'm bomb just a few precious ticks away from exploding.

Maybe I was.

"It's obvious I'm not important." My voice raised an octave higher than it needed to. "All I have is, nothing special like you and Adam. And don't even bother protesting when you know I'm right."

Chase stared, his jaw dropped as he gripped my arm tightly. "How can you say that?" He hissed, "Davenport made you just as important as Adam and I are."

"Quit denying it," I snapped, twisting my arm out of his grip and wrenching it back my side in swift, angry movements. "eVeryone knows it's true. If it wasn't, then how come he didn't give me as much abilities? All I have is speed and that's all I'll ever have You and Adam? Have grenades and smarts and laser vision and a bunch of stupid apps for daddy's precious little boys. It's obvious he likes you two way more than he'll ever like me."

That's what I've convinced myself for a while. I chalked everything up to favoritism, all the signs pointing to what's been obvious to everyone but me for so long. But I could see how it all started; the fact that Davenport chose his boys over me didn't come as much of a shock when I started seeing everything much more clearly that I had been.

"All that training," I mumbled bitterly, "Just pity for someone who clearly didn't need it—no one going to let me do any huge mission anyway."

Chase sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose in a way that led me to think he was nearly through with me. It wouldn't surprise me if he left right at that moment, convinced I'm not worth it. Just like the others.

But he didn't the exact opposite—swinging onto my branch and forcing me to back up until my back hit the rough bark of the tree trunk. "I need you to quit saying that about ourself," Chase hissed, his finger digging into my shoulders as his hands pinned them to the trunk hard. "Stop poisoning yourself with all that crap. You're just as important Adam and I. Maybe even more so. Got it?"

I nodded, my lips quivering as he released a sharp breath that fanned over my face. Both of legs straddled the thick branch as Chase scooted closer. Impossibly close.

"Repeat it," Chase demanded, squeezing my shoulders tighter, determined to set my thoughts straight—like waking a person from a disturbingly real nightmare their brain had labeled real. "Repeat it to me until you get it."

So I did. I repeated the words, my eyes firmly shut as they tumbled from my mouth. They stumbled and tripped over each other until they're no longer straight sentences but more of a choppy wave of mashed letters smushed into words.

"Good," Chase declared finally, placing a kiss to my forehead that lasted a little longer than needed. "Whenever you feel like that again, come to me. No one else but me. Okay, Bree? You have to promise me."

"Promise," I muttered distantly, my mouth still stuck n the strange wave of words used too many times by me that they had imprinted into my brain, completely stuck there.

I recalled that night as I rubbed my necklace between my fingers. Chase had done everything to make me feel equal, even going far enough to hint some things about it to Davenport. Not that he picked up the hints quickly enough to do anything about it.

My chin tucked into my arms, they hugging my knees to my chest as I waited in Chase's room on his desk chair.

"Hey," he greeted right of cue, closing his door and tossing his backpack to the side. "Still having those stupid thoughts?"

I nodded, sighing. "It's not like they're going to disappear on their own, you know."

"Exactly why I'm here to help," Chase grinned, kissing my forehead again. He kept doing that, for reasons beyond me. "Now let's get started."

Nodding again, I sat up straight in the chair, turning so it faced Chase who was sitting on his bed, smiling at me with a look I couldn't figure out. But regardless, I smiled like the everything was going to be alright, despite the thoughts hanging around or not.

And maybe everything was going to be alright after all. Different pieces of my puzzle still needed work, but all the right ones were ready and in place.

That's all that mattered to me.

I feel like the ending was a bit rushed, but oh well. This wasn't meant to be super long. It was just a short one-shot that had been in my head when finishing up 'Speechless'.

Review and tell what you think. :)