Kelly and Dylan will not be in this chapter. There really is no need. I've debated whether or not to put them in, but I have decided to leave them out. I need to resolve the whole Brenda/Ben situation. They'll be the only characters in this chapter. O, thank you for all of your wonderful reviews. You guys have been great, thanks for taking the time to read my story.

Brenda had avoided Ben for the past few days. She couldn't speak to him since her phone call with Brandon. She would go for a morning jog while Ben was getting ready for work, and she would go to bed before Ben returned from work. On the days Ben had off, Brenda would come up with excuses to be away from him.

Ben noticed that Brenda was distancing herself from him. He noticed a change in her. This was not the same Brenda he had fallen in love with. He hadn't even spoken to her in almost 2 weeks. Ben was upset and worried about her. He found her making poor excuses leave whenever he tried to get her close to him. He decided enough was enough. He decided to leave work early one night. Early enough to know that Brenda would not be in bed yet.

Brenda sat in their apartment all alone. She was watching Dirty Dancing. It was a movie she always found comfort in. She had all of the lines memorized. Brenda was about halfway through the movie, when she heard Ben's keys trying to open the lock.

"Bren?"

Brenda shut off the movie. "Yeah?"

"I'm home."

"Really? Because I thought you were still at work." Ben couldn't tell if Brenda was being sarcastic, or if she was just being a bitch.

"I feel like I haven't seen or talked to you in ages."

"Maybe it's because you haven't." Brenda was acting like a complete and total bitch. "Why are you home?"

"I wanted to see you."

"You saw me. Go back to work."

"Why have you been avoiding me? What did I do? Bren, if I did something wrong, tell me. Please."

"You didn't do anything wrong."

"Something's bothering you. I don't know what it is. You have been nothing but cold and distant. Are you going to tell me what's up?"

"Nothing's up. I promise." Brenda was lying. She could tell that Ben knew she was lying. Everything Ben had said about her acting distant and cold was true.

"I don't believe you."

Brenda could see that she was hurting Ben. By staying with him, she wasn't only hurting herself.

"Ben." Brenda said seriously.

"What?" Brenda could hear the anger wanting to come out in Ben's voice.

"I – I..."

"You what?"

"I can't marry you." Brenda couldn't look at Ben as she told him this. She knew that she was breaking his heart.

"What?" Ben was in complete shock.

"I'm so sorry."

"What did I do?"

"Nothing. Trust me Ben, it's not you. You are great. But..."

"But what, Brenda. Why can't you marry me? Don't you love me?" Ben was getting mad. Brenda could sense he was about to lose his cool.

"Yes. I do love you. And I care about you." Brenda said with a quality of sincerity in her voice.

"God dammit, Brenda." Ben said furiously.

"Ben." Brenda knew she had hurt him. She felt bad.

"I thought that you were happy with me. Are you scared of commitment? Is that your problem?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"My ex-boyfriend is marrying my ex-best friend, okay? I can't watch that happen. I thought that I was over him. But I'm never going to be over him. He was my first love. Maybe he was my only love. Maybe that's why I can't have any successful relationships."

"He's moved on, Brenda. Why can't you?"

"No. I told Dylan to wait for me. He was supposed to wait for me. I told him that I would find my way back to him. I know that Dylan and I belong together. When he sees me, he'll know it too."

"Why did you lead me on?" Brenda had never seen Ben so angry in all the time she'd known him.

"I never meant too. You were the closest thing to love I've ever experienced besides Dylan. You always reminded me of Dylan. But after talking to Brandon I realized, you aren't Dylan. I am so sorry Ben. I don't want to settle for anything other than Dylan. If I married you, I would've never been able to give you my whole heart. I care about you. I really do." Brenda was both screaming and crying at the same time.

"And what if you had never talked to Brandon? What if you never learned about Dylan getting married?" Ben was shouting. He was confused, hurt, and angry.

"I don't know. Maybe the call to Brandon was a sign. Maybe it was something to keep me from marrying you Ben. You don't deserve me. I can't give you what you need. I can't give you all of me. You need to find someone who will give you everything. Someone who doesn't have a Dylan McKay. If we would have gotten married, I only would've hurt you even more than I am now." Brenda was speaking with honesty. She meant every word she said, and Ben sensed that.

"So what are you going to do?" Ben had calmed down. He had been sincere in asking her.

"I don't know. I guess I'm going to go back to Beverly Hills. It's where my heart belongs."

"I guess so."

"Look, Ben, I am so sorry."

"No. It's okay, Bren. You were right, about me needing someone who'll give me all of them. I know that I'm never going to get that from you. I want you to be happy. If I'm not going to make you happy, then I'm never going to be happy.

Brenda hugged Ben. She was relieved to hear him say those words to her. She kissed him on the cheek. "So, you're not mad?"

"I could never be mad at someone for following their heart. I'm hurt, but I'm far from mad."

"You're going to meet someone, Ben. Someone who deserves you. You're a true catch. Any girl would be lucky to have you."

"Thanks, Bren."

"I'm sorry I wasn't the girl for you."

"Me too. But I understand."

"I should pack."

"Yeah. I guess so."

Brenda kissed him on the cheek once more. She proceeded to their bedroom to pack up her belongings.

A few hours later, Brenda came out with full suitcases. Ben had been watching television.

"Ben?"

"Are you leaving now?"

"Yeah. I called the travel agency while I was packing. My flight leaves in 6 hours."

"Where are you going to stay?"

"I'm going to stay at the Bel Age Hotel until I find my own place?"

"Do you want to get a cup of coffee or something first?"

"No. I think I'm just going to go to the airport."

"Oh. Okay. So I guess this is really goodbye, huh?"

"Yeah. I guess it is."

"Goodbye, Brenda."

"Goodbye, Ben."

They hugged for about a minute. Brenda pulled away and looked him in the eyes. "You'll be even better without me." She grabbed her suitcases and headed for the door.

"Hey Bren?" Brenda turned around so that she was facing Ben.

"Yeah?"

"Good luck. I mean it."

"Thanks, Ben." She smiled at him, opened the door, and walked out.