A/N: No spoilers for Chasing Zoey; just my own idea. Takes place during that episode timeframe, however.

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She let out a long, quiet sigh; it wasn't sad or wistful, but… peaceful. For the first time in months, 17-year-old Zoey Brooks felt peace.

"Part of me thought I was never going to see you again," she confided in a whisper to her companion.

"C'mon… nothing could keep me away from you. Not even boarding school in England." Chase Matthews flashed his boyish grin at the girl by his side and squeezed her hand, which was laced with his.

It was a ridiculous sort of situation, and Zoey wasn't sure why they were having this conversation in the setting they were currently in. The two were lying beside each other on the soft grass behind a huge rock, staring up at the dark, clear sky. She could hear distant music and voices, the hum of the junior/senior prom carrying all the way across the campus to where Zoey and Chase were hiding. Otherwise, the entire area by the science building was empty, save for students passing by who were too young to attend the prom, and the two teens hiding out from the world behind a rock.

Hiding had not been Zoey and Chase's original intention. It had just… ended up that way.

Zoey was still in a state of shock. Was she really laying beside Chase Matthews, her best guy friend? The boy she had silently and painfully been missing ever since he had left? She wasn't sure her closest friends knew how much she had truly missed Chase; after their one webcam conversation, her back at PCA, him now in England, she hadn't had the heart – or strength – to even really talk about him. It had been so much easier to fall back into her blissful life, with her great friends and her cute new boyfriend who loved her so much, who thought the world of her, who would do anything she asked. James had been the perfect excuse to use against herself when her heart was begging her head to call Chase and hear his voice.

But then prom had sprung upon Pacific Coast Academy, as strongly as the worst hurricane, and suddenly everywhere Zoey turned girls were gushing about dresses and boys were bragging about dates and couples were making plans. It was all anyone could talk about.

And then, just two days ago, it had struck Zoey like a lightning bolt: she did not want to go to her prom.

Then, taking it a step further yesterday, Zoey had realized another crucial thing: she was not sure she wanted to be with James anymore.

She didn't want to lead him on, so after talking it through with her roommates Lola and Quinn, Zoey had found James and explained that she needed some space. He was hurt and bewildered, and a little angry at Zoey's poor explanation. What had begun as a quiet plea on Zoey's side became a heated fight about her "issues" that she needed to deal with. When she had asked what "issues" he meant, he brought up the huge elephant – so to speak - that had been the silent third wheel for their entire relationship: Chase.

By the time their "conversation" was over, Zoey and James were on a break, for how long neither knew. He was going to the prom sans date, and she was going to sit alone in her dark dorm room.

That had been the plan, at least.

Zoey turned her head so she could look at Chase's profile. His hair wasn't as bushy as she remembered, and he had a 5 o'clock shadow creeping up his jaw. His eyes were closed and he had a content smile on his face. He was so different from even just a few months ago. But, as he turned his own head and opened his hazel eyes and stared at her with that goofy grin he reserved only for her, she realized that he was still her Chase.

She'd been overcome with so many feelings when she had seen him sitting by the fountain, waiting for her with the happiest look on his face: surprise, an unexplainable bout of sadness, an extreme amount of happiness, and… love. A lot of love.

His school in London had finished earlier than PCA, so instead of flying straight home, he'd hopped a flight that would, after a few connections, bring him to California. It was a total surprise; he'd told no one, not even Michael. In fact, Michael didn't even know yet that Chase was here. No one did, except for Zoey.

She'd been so overjoyed that she'd jumped on him, and he'd twirled her around and they'd laughed and she'd cried a little. After getting the small issues out of the way, such as why she wasn't at the prom ("I just couldn't go… it didn't feel right without you…") and why he had come ("I knew that if I didn't come see you I would regret it for the rest of my life…") they'd decided to avoid the main part of campus and go hide together somewhere.

Thus, they ended up behind the big rock by the science building.

They were still staring at each other. Zoey could practically feel the love Chase felt for her radiating off of him, could see it in his eyes, in the way he arched his brow and in the way he smirked. She wondered if he could see how much she loved him right now, not just in a friend way, but in an outrageously obnoxious, shout-it-from-the-rooftops way (not that she would ever do that, but… still.).

Funny that it took one day for Zoey to realize she may be in love with Chase, over five months to try to forget she may be in love with Chase, and then ten minutes for her to be even more in love with him than before.

"So you and James are over."

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry," Chase said, so sincerely Zoey was touched.

She looked back up at the stars. "I had to do it. I guess it's been in the back of my mind for a while now… but the whole prom thing just made me realize that James wasn't the guy for me. I couldn't keep lying to him."

Chase didn't say anything, just stared at her. His hand felt so warm in hers; it was a little sweaty, as well, but Zoey couldn't fault him; her palms were sweaty too.

"Did you date while you were in England?" Zoey asked, not bitter-sounding in the slightest. They were being totally honest with each other, more honest than they'd ever been before; besides, she'd had a boyfriend for months while Chase was gone.

Chase shrugged and said, "A little. I'd go out with a girl once or twice, but then…"

"What?"

"I'd compare them to you, and they just wouldn't measure up."

"Oh Chase," Zoey sighed. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For… I don't even really know. I'm sorry that I went to London, and that you followed me there, and that I came back and met James-"

"Zo… it doesn't matter anymore. I'm here. You're here. I'm coming back to PCA next semester. We can…"

Be together, Zoey thought, and her stomach did a somersault.

"We should start over," she decided. Chase turned his head over to look at her again, and Zoey rolled onto her side and tucked an arm under her head.

"Start over?"

"Like with a clean slate, I think that's the phrase. We just… we just go forward from here."

"I like that idea," Chase agreed with a grin, running his hand up and down her arm. She loved this; she loved lying here beside him having an open conversation, discussing their relationship. She loved how his hand flitting across her arm was giving her goose bumps.

She stuck out her hand and said, very formally, "Hi, my name is Zoey Brooks."

He took the proffered hand and shook it. "I'm Chase Matthews." After a beat, he raised an eyebrow. "This isn't as interesting without the whole bike-crashing-into-a-pole thing."

Zoey laughed. She quieted down, however, as voices approached. She and Chase stared at each other, making faces, until the voices and footsteps had disappeared.

Feeling bold, she let her free hand rest on his chest, and moved closer to him. He slung his arm around her so that they were holding each other in an embrace. The arm her head was resting on was beginning to get sore, but she didn't want to complain at this moment.

"I missed you so much, Zo," Chase said into her hair.

"You have no idea," Zoey replied. "There were so many times I wanted to call you…"

"Same here. But we'd agreed to go our separate ways for a while…"

"Yeah, that was stupid of me to say."

"I'm sorry for calling that one time, though, in the middle of the night."

"Are you kidding? I was so happy to hear your voice." She lifted her head so she could look at him. "Hey, wait a second. I thought we were starting over."

Chase nodded. "Oh! Right, sorry."

They lay there like that, on the grass, holding each other in silence, for quite a while.

"I wish I could stay longer," Chase finally said.

"When do you have to leave?"

"In a few days. Maybe tomorrow. My parents weren't exactly pleased I was flying out to California instead of going home."

"Oh geez, I hadn't even thought of that."

"It's worth it," Chase told her, grinning at her.

"Is it selfish of me to not want to share you while you're here?" Zoey asked.

"A little," Chase said. "But I don't mind."

They were quiet. Then Zoey said, "I'm really glad you're here, Chase."

"Me too."

"I should've told you… that day on the webcam…"

"Told me what?"

"That I didn't need time to figure it out. That I knew. But I was afraid, and you were gone…"

"Figure out what?"

Zoey lifted herself up on her elbow and stared at the boy beside her. "That I love you. I'm in love with you."

Chase's face was expressionless for a moment. Then, suddenly, he was beaming. "I've been in love with you since I saw you your first day here."

"So I've heard." At his confused look, Zoey reminded him: "The webcam. The intervention Logan and Michael had for you…"

"Oh right… geez…"

"It's okay. At the rate you were going, I wouldn't have found out for another ten years or something," Zoey joked.

Chase got up on his own elbow, so he and Zoey were in the same stance facing each other. "Zoey Brooks, you know I'm in love with you."

"I bet you say that to all the girls…" Zoey said slowly, her voice light, as she and Chase moved toward each other. She was watching his lips.

"Yeah, I call all of them Zoey Brooks too," he said, but neither of them really knew what he was saying because their lips were inches from each other.

"Hey Chase," she whispered.

He was spellbound. "Yeah?" he questioned, voice just as soft.

"We've waited, what, four years for this?"

"Something like that."

"Then stop staring and kiss me already." His eyes widened, and she smirked.

He did not need any more invitation.

Three hours later, Quinn and Lola ran into their dorm room to change into the pajamas they were going to wear to the after-prom-party the school hosted each year. They both waved at their other roommate, Zoey, who was rummaging through her own bureau.

"You missed a good time, Zo!" Lola exclaimed, as Quinn helped her unzip her dress.

"Yeah… what did you do while we were out?" Quinn asked as Lola then assisted her with her own dress.

Zoey's head was in one of her drawers as she searched for another shirt. "Nothing much…"

"Were you outside?" Quinn asked, pulling on some cute pajama pants.

Zoey's head shot up and she stared at her roommates, who were looking at her innocently.

"Why do you ask?"

"You have grass stains all over your back," Lola said simply, shrugging and then throwing clothes around to find a nice top.

Zoey blushed scarlet and hid her head again. Her thoughts wandered back to the interesting few hours she and Chase had just spent outside behind the rock. She'd come inside to get them a snack; he was waiting for her by the fountain so they could resume their earlier activities.

"I slipped," she lied easily. "See you guys at the party!" she called as she rushed out, a huge grin spreading across her face.

They'd find out soon enough.

XXX