Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or One Tree Hill, but I wished though- especially nowadays.

Summary: After the sex-tape, Chase left Brooke all alone, both feeling miserable. Will the two be able to pass this obstacle or will Brooke's past shade her future? A Brase One Shot- sequel to Hoobastank's The Reason.

Change

I'm not a perfect person.

There are many things I wish I didn't do

But I continue learning.

I never meant to do those things to you.

For all those years, her former best friend had been the emo-type. She was the tormented artist, brooding and glooming over every single unfortunate occasion or abrading event happening, listening to Jimmy Eat World and relatives, sketching black, depressing, Dylan-ish pics.

While her former best friend, Peyton Sawyer was suffering chaotically and nonchalantly from the little drama going on in her life, she, Brooke Davis, lived for the moment, tried to ignore the little games that faith played on her and found the joy hidden behind Peyton's gigantic emo-misery bushes.

But now, the little, naughty child called faith was playing a hard-nasty game on them.

Both on her and Peyton.

Not that she cared about Peyton or they were close friends, or friends at all. But when it came to Peyton, it eventually affected Brooke. And now, due to her chance, their lives had exchanged personalities.

Peyton had found true happiness, her exams were successes, she wasn't surely failing algebra as Brooke once had been threatened and finally, she and her life time lover Lucas Scott have gotten together. There was no time to brood for Lucas, and torment for Peyton.

At first, Brooke's life hadn't gone that bad either. Yes, there was a back-stabbing such-horny-that-won't-hesitate-to-screw-his-student-type Nick and algebra fear, yet at those times she had managed to gain a new, better-than-Peyton best friend, Rachel Gattina and the clean-teen Chase Adams.

Everything with Chase, how they met, how their relationship evaluated, how he looked physically and how his eyes penetrated in her soul, in her broken heart, remaining from the Lucas-Scott-era had been different, unusual, magically and positively awkward. Brooke had always been aware that she would always love and belong to Lucas, even if he had been overly-interested in Peyton, even when they were going out; but still, Chase was someone else. He had cured her, provided a cosy, secluded place in his heart to run away from all the drama she had been dealing for 2 years. He gave her the happiness she needed. He had saved her, changed her for the better.

And she, again, screwed up, but this time it was more serious than the Chris Keller issue.

This was important, vital, and urgently significant.

When she finally decided to stick for that happiness and the little sparkles of love, an unforgettable, regretful mistake from the past decided to get revealed. Chase, for sure, couldn't handle or live with it, just like Brooke did it for all those years.

Yet, nowadays, this was on her mind more often.

Maybe because she regretted being that kind of a girl, maybe because she felt really sorry for Haley, and maybe even because of Peyton.

But mostly because of Chase, and how she hurt him.

It was time for her to brood, after all her mistakes and how she managed to lose the only guy that loved only her and didn't try to get in her panties even for a minute.

And so I have to say before I go,

That I just want you to know
I've found a reason for me,

To change who I used to be
a reason to start over new,

And the reason is you

He had never done anything like this. Yes, he hadn't even gotten involved in a sexual involvement, but this, this was too much. After that video, he had wondered and thought about tons of things. Was an action like that a procedure among the normal high-school teens, had he always been an over-prude, or had this Nathan guy had a depicted addiction and obsession over Brooke that maybe he had put her face into her partner's body. And all the answers were no.

Chase had tried to be there for Brooke, he had tried to see the inner side of her, the little girl that had been betrayed not once for twice, that has loved someone so deep but found misery instead, and searched for the ultimate happiness so that she could smile and be joyful again. And he had tried to capture her soul, just like she needed.

But this was too much.

He couldn't hold her hand and announce the whole town that he was her girlfriend after that incident. After that filthy, disgusting sex-tape she had done with her former best friend's boyfriend.

Not that he didn't care about her, he still did, and sometimes he was amazed at this fact. But, this, this was too much to handle. And he knew that the same process applied for her, too.

He had spied on her a few times, and learned how her life was going from Shelley. Things were not well for her either. Chase, to tell the truth, had imagined how it would be like when they broke up, for a girl that does sex-tapes, he was a child and he had thought that Brooke had probably moved on with the next-hot-basketball jock, but obviously she didn't. Her eyes were swollen from crying, and she had definitely lost the Brooke-Davis-sparkle she once had, and Chase once fallen for. Shelley had informed him that, she lost his amazement in lessons, and started skipping classes more frequently, finding herself at home, under bed, crying.

And Shelley had said one another thing.

"She isn't the girl she used to be. You can't judge her about something that has been done years ago. She doesn't deserve that."

Chase didn't want a swollen-eyed Brooke, he didn't want her to skip classes and cry all the time, he wanted to comfort her and tell her that he was going to be near forever. He couldn't bear to see his Brooke like that.

But, this tape, all these events, these were too much.

Shelly was unable to see this, due to that reason, she was talking inadequately.

Or wasn't she?

I'm sorry that I hurt you,

Its something I must live with everyday
and all the pain I put you through,

I wish that I could take it all away

She stood beside the wooden door of Adams' family, trying to decide what to do. She could leave the letter she had written, she could try to talk to Chase in person, or maybe, and this seemed to be the perfect thing, she could just sneak out and ran home to Rachel.

Brooke wondered the last time she had stood behind a door. It was Lucas's, the door which was painted to black after the whole Chris Keller incident, and the door where Lucas had forgiven her and told her that he loved her. The door when she broke up with him. And maybe the door, that Peyton got used to opening. Things had definitely changed, for Brooke, it was just Lucas for a long time, and she never thought that she would stand like that behind someone else's door, but it was Chase, her saver.

Looking at the envelope in her head, she decided to leave the letter so that Chase can read it. She couldn't look him in the eye, and tell all those things, and there was no certain proof that he was going to want to see her again, and she definitely wanted to make an explanation to him, so letter was the perfect thing.

Just like she did to Lucas.

She rang the bell and made sure that Chase opened the door, rather than his brother Stephen, and hid behind the bushes. Then, by crying out loud, she went home, to Rachel.

And be the one, who catches all your tears,

That's why I need you to hear

He felt like as if he had seen Brooke running in the street. He could have sworn that he had seen those sparkling brown hair, waving with the wind. He must definitely have seen a therapist. When he opened the door, however, he immediately recognized her handwriting on a piece of envelope written Chase on it.

Hesitating to open it or not, Chase decided to read what's inside, because after all, it was Brooke, the girl that reminded him a heartbreak's nobility, a person's innocence, a girl's beauty, and the joy of love.

He opened the letter and started to read.

I've found a reason for me, to change who I used to be
a reason to start over new, and the reason is you

Dear Chase,

I know you don't want to talk to me, see my face and I wonder whether you opened that envelope and decided to read this, because I have some serious doubts about that. I know that you loathe me right now, but still I thought that there are many things left unsaid, so I wrote this, hoping that your blue eyes will bulge into that piece of paper, just like they bulged into my heart when I first saw you.

Years ago, not many, just 2, I wasn't the Brooke Davis I am right now. Every high school has its promiscuous, fun-loving, cheerleading slut, and I was Tree Hill's. I did very bad things that I regret, I slept with my former best friend's ex-bf, and this whole thing happened, and people looked at me as if I was just a skank and nothing more. Maybe because of their prejudices, or maybe because I was too afraid to show my inside to people who will eventually end up hurting me, I decided to stick with that reputation.

Then Lucas came. I don't know how and why, but somehow he got involved in my life. He and Peyton and at those times, Nathan had a continuous drama going out in their lives, and I wasn't excluded. Then I found myself going out with Lucas, and what's more, I found myself opening up for him. He was the first one, first opposite-sex, to see the real me, the little Brooke that just wanted some love, not sex, not a hot body, (yet I wouldn't mind some,) but just caring. And you know what happened next.

It's just that, I've changed Chase. Think about being a Clean Teen, all those non-virgins, deciding to be a new-born-virgin, do you judge their pasts? Do you exclude them because of their dark experiences, or do you care and try to understand them? Think of me as one.

I don't expect you to come over to me and give me a kiss after all of that, because no matter what this is not something that everyone can handle, I, myself am having a hard time dealing with that awful mistake I did years ago when I wasn't mature enough, and I cannot expect you to stand for me and be near. I don't deserve this.

But, all I want is your hatred gone away. You may not be seeing me anymore, we may not talk and face each other, but when you think about me, please don't look back in anger. Just feel sorry for a little girl that made huge mistakes in her life and suffering for the consequences. Maybe feel stupid for getting involved with me, but don't hate me. Please, not when I love you so much.

This, all in all, showed me only one positive thing. Change is good, and I'm going to change for the better, and I'm going to do this for you. You showed me a proper life, a great love, and a perfect relationship. I'm going to go out for them Chase and I am going to change for the better, for you. Thanks.

I wish you all the happiness that faith can bring, a wonderful life to achieve your dreams, and a really smart and perfect girl to stand by you (a probable Clean Teen, a born-virgin, but still who knows how to behave). Take care.

Brooke.

I'm not a perfect person, I never meant to do those things to you
and so I have to say before I go that I just want you to know

After getting confronted by Rachel, Brooke had again found herself lying in bed, thinking about being a nun after everything happened. Chase was not going to read the letter, and even if he did, he was going to throw it to the garbage, and Lucas, well he was far away. When all of the others in her life just tried to screw her, what was the point in hoping for a better future anyway, this was her destiny.

She suddenly heard voices coming from outside, not even bothering to look out of the window. It was probably one of Rachel's one night stands, so why bother?

"Brooke"

Chase. This was him. His voice. Right in the middle of her living room. Well not her living room, Rachel's, but he was there.

She immediately got out of the bed and ran downstairs. Her hair was in a mess, she was in her pyjamas and her make up was terrible but it didn't matter right now. Brooke stopped across Chase, trying to make out whether he was pissed or relieved.

"I'm sorry…" she tried to mumble, blinking back tears. "I…"

"This is a change." Chase said, looking at Brooke's eyes. God, he missed those hazels.

"What?" Brooke said, what was he trying to tell? That their love had changed? This was why he came here?

"You wrote that I was the one who changed you. But you changed me too."

Brooke stood in silence.

"Because even after everything, I just want to be with you. I want to stand by you, I want to protect you, and I want to be there. This is a change, right? Especially for me."

"But this is too much." Brooke said with her raspy voice. "I can't expect someth…"

Yet, she was silenced with a deepening kiss from Chase, and she didn't fight back for something that she missed for all those days. After a passionate yet loving kiss Brooke cut.

"Chase…" she tried to say. "What was that?"

"Change…" Chase smiled and hugged her, as if he was never going to let her go.

I've found a reason for me, to change who I used to be
a reason to start over new, and the reason is you
I've found a reason to show a side of me you didn't know
a reason for all that I do, and the reason is you