AN: Jram: Omg thank you! I'm so happy you love it!

Guest: Nothing makes me happier than when you can picture the characters saying the dialogue :)) Thank you!

Tob2008: Dylan will redeem himself. Kelly will go through some tough times, but it will get better for her, I promise.

Guest: I know, I feel for Kelly in that moment when Dylan and Brenda are dancing too! Don't worry, the following 2 chapters will show Brenda's perspective - as you said, she's not oblivious, too smart for that. There's a reason she's quiet, but things are about to go down. But what a great idea to include Val in it. Will definitely add that. Thank you! Also, I love that your comment was "So what now?" Because that's the song for this chapter, as well as the title :DD

(This chapter has some mature themes and language).

What Now? Part I

I've been ignoring this big lump in my throat

I shouldn't be crying, tears were for the weaker days

I'm stronger now, or so I say

But something's missing

And I just wanna scream

What now? I just can't figure it out

What now? I guess I'll just wait it out

What now? Somebody tell me. What now?

Dylan headed to the bar to get Brenda another drink. After ordering, his eyes set on the bottle of scotch on the shelf.

"Anything else?" The bartender asked. "Dylan?" He called again as Dylan seemed distracted.

Dylan finally returned to reality. "Uh... just water. Thanks, Noah."

He grabbed the water bottle and headed back over to the gang. He watched as Brenda chatted away, laughing with Donna. She hadn't been out like this in a while - the only people they ever saw outside of work were Brandon and Valerie. As desperate as he was to get home and dispose of Kelly's underwear, he wanted Brenda to enjoy herself. Brenda also rarely drank - in London, she made sure not to tempt Dylan. She was finally having fun for herself.

As he sat there, quietly sipping his water while everyone enjoyed the party, Valerie observed him. Eventually she locked eyes with him. He let out an exasperated sigh before turning away.

"Fun night!" Cameron exclaimed as he and Pamela dug into their fries.

"Yeah. It's good to see my dad happy." Pamela nodded

"You did well." Cameron added, "With the exes being there and all."

"I thought so." She chuckled "You know, it's a lot easier when they're not even talking to you." She joked before letting out a sigh. "How did we all get here?" She said, half-jokingly

"They say everything happens for a reason." Cameron shrugged

"Yeah... Well, maybe it's time to turn the page. It's time I stop worrying about silly things like how I don't have a date to my dad's wedding, and focus more on changing my track record. Joey, James, Tommy... It's not going too well." She laughed again. Cameron found her self-deprecating humor charming.

"Well, maybe I can help you out. I'll be your date to your dad's wedding." He smiled

"I'd like that." She smiled back, "Who needs a date when you can get a brother." She grinned. Cameron and her enjoyed how quickly they bonded. It was easier for them than it was for Cameron and James, as James was going through a lot this year. But Cameron felt welcomed with open arms by Pamela. He could see why it was so easy for the boys to fall in love with her bubbly, effortless charm. Cam and Pam were similar in temperament - perhaps they both got it from their mother.

Mark parked outside Kelly's home and walked her up to her door.

"Listen." She turned to face him. "Thank you for the ride home. I'm sorry for cutting the night short, but I really just want to be alone."

"How about a nightcap?" He suggested, "It might turn things around."

"I don't know." She hesitated. Reluctant to invite him in - she was in no mood for company.

"Come on, I don't want to leave you in that mood." He assured. She let out a heavy sigh and nodded.

"Alright. One drink." She pursed her lips and opened her door.

He walked right in and closed the door behind them.

"You know..." He paced around the hallway while Kelly kicked off her shoes. "I've been thinking... We've been seeing each other for quite a while."

"Yeah..." Kelly cracked her neck, barely listening to him.

"And it's been going pretty well. I know you were newly divorced and had some intimacy issues but... I was patient. I was understanding."

"And I'm grateful for that." She sighed

"Do you know why?" He finally stopped pacing and turned to face her. "It's because I wanted to show you I respect your boundaries. But here's the thing. Relationships are a two-way thing... And I'm not really getting much from your end."

"Mark," Kelly huffed, "If this is about sex, it's really not the time-"

"-see that." He pointed out, shaking his head. "It's my turn to talk, Kelly. It's my turn to open up... All this time, you've been saying you're not ready. Turns out, you're just not ready with me." He now stood in front of her.

She was silent, looking at him curiously. She was now fully paying attention.

"I saw you coming out of the storage room with Dylan." He affirmed.

She stared at him, stunned. "Mark..." She pleaded with a heavy breath "I am so, so sorry." She shook her head, sympathetically. He then held his hand up.

"You think I'm the kind of guy you can cheat on and get away with it?" He began walking towards her.

If she felt nervous, she hid it well. "...It was a mistake. A huge one."

"Right... " He nodded, closing the gap between them. "So how do you plan to make it up to me?"

"Excuse me?" She was taken aback by his boldness.

"You heard me." He warned. Kelly remained stunned. After a beat, she swallowed a gulp as his arms reached out to grab her.

"Come on, Kelly." He held her tightly, pulling her body towards his, "Make love to me, will ya? I could really use it right about now."

"Mark." She tried to wriggle out from his grasp. "Please."

He tightened his grip on her hips, to the point where she felt his fingers digging into her. And she realized something... This was no ordinary argument, this was something violent.

Mature

"Let go of me." She warned quietly

"Come on," His voice was harsher, as he began to press her up against the wall. "Open your legs for me."

Once she was trapped, his hand lowered to her thigh, grabbing it tightly to push her legs open.

"Ow." she cried as he bruised her leg, doing her best to wriggle away. "Get off me!" She cried again.

He became even more forceful, and she started to panic as he held her arms down. He managed to push his leg in between hers, even though she did her best to block him. His hand then slid under her dress. She realized then that she had forgotten her underwear. Once his finger made contact with her groin. She screamed out. "No! Don't touch me!"

He forced a finger inside her, and she was terrified, terrified that she'd have to endure this. She then shook her head, and mustered all the strength she could to set her arm free, and push him away.

"Get off me!" She slapped him across the face.

She was breathing heavily, panic-stricken as she looked up at him - He had so much anger. He then raised his hand and hit her back. The ring on his finger scraped her cheekbone.

"Slut." He hissed before walking out and slamming the door shut behind him. Kelly sunk to the ground in tears as she cupped the side of her face, feeling violated.

"I'll take you." James now stood before Cameron and Pamela at the Peach Pit.

"Uh... I'll give you two a moment." Cameron shot her a smile. James patted him on the back before he went over to the counter.

"Hi..." Pamela breathed out.

"Hi." James took Cameron's seat.

"What are you doing here?" She asked

"Offering to take you to the wedding?" He joked. "...I thought we should talk."

"Okay..."

"I uh I've been blaming you for all of it." James assessed

"No." Pamela shook her head, apologetically. "What happened was my fault. You being nice about it is unnecessary."

"Yes you did cheat on me... with my cousin no less but... let's not kid ourselves. I know we had problems before I left for Minnesota. I knew things weren't perfect, and I was pulling away." James paused. "I didn't call... I didn't write... all because I was trying to figure my stuff out. What did I expect?"

Pamela was about to interject but he continued on.

"In fact... It was only when I didn't want anyone else this summer that I realized I wanted to make things work with you." He exhaled. "So.. I'm just saying... It's time I let go of the anger."

Pamela shot him a warm smile.

He was about to tell her they should try to be friends. Knowing how Thomas felt about her made him think it was time to make peace. But now in this moment, with her sweetly smiling back at him, he wondered if maybe he wasn't quite over her.

Dylan and Brenda were quiet on the car ride home. She was three drinks in, which caused her mind to wander... back to the last time she saw Rick outside the Peach Pit.

"Why are you following me? I told you leave me alone?" Brenda said through gritted teeth as Rick parked his car in front of the Peach Pit.

"I can't do that." Rick sighed.

"I told Dylan about the kiss. I'm not lying to my husband." She jabbed.

"Did you even get a rise out of him?" Rick rested one arm on the steering wheel. She resented the smug look on his face.

"Rick." She warned, "Go away." She turned away from him.

"Get in the car please." He said softly, "Just for a second." She took a look around, and eventually obliged.

Once he started driving, she looked at the ground. "I can't stay long."

"Bren, there's something here." He began, but Brenda shook her head in response.

"Just leave it alone." She said sharply.

"You know there's something here. That's why you're in the car with me." He reiterated

"Fine. Park the car." She hissed. He exhaled before turning around the corner. He then parked the car, and she unbuckled her seatbelt. She opened the door but before she could get out, he pulled her back.

"Don't go. I hate the thought of you going home to Dylan. I'll get jealous." Rick reasoned. Brenda closed her eyes and sighed.

"...It's normal to have impulses. We're human. Everyone in this town has a connection to someone, feels jealousy…" She paused for a beat. "That doesn't mean we have to act on them." She said firmly.

"I love you." He stated

"Don't." Brenda cried, holding her hand up to him. "Don't say that to me!"

His hand reached up to cup her face, and leaned over to her. His lips brushed against hers and for a moment she was about to give in.

"No!" She pulled away. "Rick. I mean it!"

She got out of the car and slammed the door shut.

Thomas pulled up in front of the Peach Pit. He took a deep breath as he turned off the car and pulled the key out of the ignition. His inhalations were a little shaky, he was prepping himself to apologize to Pamela and tell her how he really feels. But just as he opened the car door, he noticed her inside with James.

They were laughing away. He stood there holding onto the open door. He observed them, and he noticed James' demeanor. He watched how his eyes were gazing back at her. He realized that he knew that look. That look proved that James wasn't over her.

Thomas exhaled, looking at the ground. He then got back into the car and drove off.

Dylan and Brenda arrived home. As soon as he closed the door behind him, Brenda leaned forward and kissed him. He was taken aback as she wrapped her arms around him - he didn't know whether it was the drinking or not, but her inhibitions were lowered, and she was in the mood.

She continued to deepen the kiss, and lead him to the bedroom.

"Mmm." She moaned in between kisses.

"Mmm babe, babe." Dylan tried to pry his lips off of hers. "One sec,"

"What is it?" She asked, concerned.

"Nothing, I just gotta go to the bathroom real quick." He said softly, "Go to bed, I'll meet you there."

"Shit." He rested his head on the back of the bathroom door. He wasn't expecting this. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't possibly find it in him to make love to one a couple hours after he made love to the other one, let alone, find the energy to do so. He was worn out from the storage room encounter.

He tried to calm his nerves. He convinced himself he could do this. He had to.

Trying not to panic, he quickly tore off his clothes and threw them in the hamper - completely forgetting about Kelly's underwear in his pocket.

He then jumped in the shower, and washed his dick clean of Kelly. He got out the shower and checked to find red marks remained where Kelly scratched her nails down his back before. He brushed his finger across one to see if he could feel any scabs under his skin. If he could feel it, Brenda definitely would.

It had been weeks since he and Brenda were intimate, and he didn't know how he was going to pull this off.

Thomas arrived home and slumped himself on the couch. All the lights were off so he assumed his parents were already in bed.

Just then, the light went on, and Brandon stood in the doorway.

"How was your night?" He asked his son.

"Uh good." Thomas let out a grunt as he kicked off his shoes.

Brandon slowly made his way to join him on the couch. "Listen I uh... I saw you talking to James."

"Yeah." Thomas said dismissively

"I overheard you two." Brandon turned to face his son. Thomas sat there, not looking up. "So you love her, huh?"

Thomas exhaled and picked up his shoes off the floor. "Doesn't matter." He groaned before getting up and going to bed.

Dylan headed into the bedroom. Brenda was already in bed in her nightie. She looked across at Dylan's naked body as he crawled into bed with her. "Ooh." She purred, attempting to bring the spark back.

He crawled on top of her and kissed her. She deepened the kiss and the pace. Suddenly, her arms reached out and caressed his shoulders. He could tell they were about to embrace his back. He quickly grabbed her arms and held them over her head.

How poetic, he thought as the image of him pinning Kelly's arms up over her head in the storage room popped into his head. Or sick.

He then began their familiar dance. He knew where to go and what to do to distract Brenda. While their encounters never quite matched the intensity that encompassed his and Kelly's encounters, he knew the go-to moves to keep Brenda satisfied.

He made his way down in between her legs, knowing that Brenda's hands wouldn't follow him. This also bought him time for his appendage to wake up. As he took care of her down there, he couldn't help but struggle with his behaviour. On one hand, he thought about how whenever his head was in between Kelly's legs, he'd be aching to taste every drop of her. Now, his focus is more on keeping one eye on Brenda and making sure she doesn't grow suspicious or notice the scratches on his back.

Brenda, who remained with her eyes closed, started to feel light as Dylan pleasured her. Her mind began to wander once more - only this time, she reimagined her last encounter with Rick.

"I love you." Rick stated

"Don't." Brenda cried, holding her hand up to him. "Don't say that to me!"

His hand reached up to cup her face, and leaned over to her. His lips brushed against hers and, in her day dream, she reached her hands up, and with her fingers running through his hair, she returned the kiss.

Mature

"Yes." Brenda moaned, her fingers running through Dylan's hair. She then began to tug on his hair, pulling him back up.

With a heavy breath, he crawled back up. He then flipped her on her stomach, so she wouldn't be able to touch his back. Then, with his appendage ready and able, he slowly entered her.

However, his knees were weak from carrying Kelly during their embrace earlier, so he slumped himself over Brenda and continued to penetrate her. Resting his forehead on the back of her head, he could feel a loose hair strand brush past his nose.

He then couldn't help but picture Kelly's luscious locks, remembering their light as a feather to the touch texture. He imagined nuzzling his nose in Kelly's hair and suddenly, it felt as though she was right in front of him. The words she had uttered in the midst of passion, started echoing in his head,

"I love you so much." Kelly desperately moaned out.

He then imagined her soft blonde strands all over his face as he buried his head in her hair, and lost it. Unable to control himself, he ejaculated.

He then rolled off of Brenda, and collapsed on the side of the bed, as they both caught their breath. He squeezed her hand before turning on his side.

What the fuck am I doing? He thought, disgusted with himself, What now?

There's no one to call 'cause I'm just playing games with them all

The more I swear I'm happy, the more that I'm feeling alone

Because I spend every hour just going through the motions

I can't even get the emotions to come out

Dry as a bone, but I just wanna shout

So what now?

Rihanna - What now