Chapter 9

Dylan opened the door for Brenda as they entered, both with smiles plastered on their faces. Dylan and Brenda made a deal in the car ride over that Dylan wouldn't get down on himself until the next day and that was only allowed if nothing panned out from the FBI.

With some hesitation, Dylan agreed. He couldn't guarantee anything, but he could do his best to stay positive. Brenda was surprised that she got that out of him, but wasn't about to push.

They entered The Pit and saw that it wasn't too crowded. Glancing in the back, Dylan saw that there was an empty booth and pointed over toward it. They sat opposite each other, but still didn't let go of the other's hand.

Nat came over, pleasantly pleased to see Dylan and Brenda getting along so well. If he didn't know any better, he would have sworn-

"Hey, are you guys back together?" Nat asked before he even asked Dylan how he was.

Dylan and Brenda both shared an embarrassed laugh. They looked at each other and then at Nat. Nat didn't even need to hear the words out of their mouth. He had recognized it. They had been holding each other's hand since they walked in, and sitting down, they still hadn't let go of each other. He was ecstatic! He had always hoped that Dylan and Brenda would work things out. Not that he didn't like Kelly, but he had held a special place for Brenda and Dylan in his heart.

"When did this happen?" he questioned further.

Dylan answered, "Uh, the other day?"

"Yeah, Nat, I'm not gonna be around this summer," Brenda broke the news.

A disappointed look came across Nat's face.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Roy Randolph got me into the summer drama program at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London," Brenda explained with a twinkle in her eyes. She couldn't hide the excitement in her voice. She was absolutely thrilled about going, but with this new development with Dylan, she couldn't help but feel bad. She was really going to miss him.

"Well congratulations!" Nat exclaimed! That was wonderful news! After her performance in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, he was surprised that she hadn't gotten any offers to study somewhere. Apparently, she had.

"Thanks Nat," Brenda replied with a grin on her face.

"Whatever you guys want- it's on the house," Nat offered before he had to leave. Joey, the cook, was calling him back for some help on something. "I'll talk to you guys later,"

"Later," Dylan replied.

"Mega Burger?" Brenda asked almost rhetorically.

Dylan could go for a Mega Burger.

"Hey Nat!" Dylan called to the back.

Nat looked up at Dylan and heard Dylan say, "Two Mega Burgers!"

Nat nodded his head, he should have guessed.

Right next to Dylan was the juke box. Taking a glance inside it to see what songs were available, he found the perfect one. He put his money in the slot and pushed G7. The music started and Dylan stood up as Brenda was taking sips from her water.

Dylan offered his hand to her and asked, "Dance with me?"

Brenda looked up at him like he was crazy. She saw the serious look in his eyes and took his hand with grace and confidence. She recognized the song almost immediately. As Mariah Carey's "Hero" came over the speakers, Dylan held Brenda in his arms and both started to sway back and forth.

The beautiful lyrics struck a cord with both Dylan and Brenda. With the song and the feelings that were coursing through Dylan, he leaned down and whispered into Brenda's ear, "I know we're supposed to take this slow,"

"I love you too Dylan," Brenda finished for him.

As they held each other, the rest of The Peach Pit and all the on-lookers disappeared. The only thing in the world that they could see was each other. Leaning in, they gently kissed each other. It wasn't like earlier. There wasn't a hunger or a lustful feel to it. It was soft, gentle and loving.

As the last line of the song was sung, Dylan told Brenda, "You're my hero Bren,"

She honestly felt like crying. It was like he had just told her that he loved her for the first time all over again. She actually might have let a few treacherous tears fall down her cheeks, but she wasn't positive.

"Let me tell you, you are making this SO hard, Dylan," Brenda said as they sat back down. This time, they sat down next to each other instead of across from each other.

"What am I making so hard Bren?" he questioned concerned.

"You're making it really hard for me to leave. When you say things like that, and with the way I've been feeling- Dylan, I don't know if I can go away for three months without seeing you,"

Immediately he apologized, "Bren, I swear, I haven't been trying to make it harder for you. I'm just being honest, and you HAVE to go to London this summer. We both might not like it, but if you don't go, you will be missing out on an amazing experience."

"What about-"

"Bren, I will be here when you get back. I'm not going anywhere, I promise. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity Bren, you need to grab it and go with it." He persuaded her as he brushed her bangs back out of her eyes. He loved her eyes. He could never tell exactly what color they were, since they changed from hazel to green to grey on a regular basis.

"I am going to miss you SO much," she confided in him.

"I am going to miss you too, but think about what you were saying earlier. The longer we wait, the better it will be when we finally can be together again,"

She hated it when someone used her own reasoning against her. She knew he was right too. Looking up at him, she gave him a chaste kiss. As Brenda was pulling away, Nat came over to give them their dinner.

Brenda and Dylan continued their conversation, but moved onto a different topic. He asked Brenda how everyone else in the gang was and a thought occurred to Brenda. She had a plan. She knew exactly where they should go after Dylan. Hopefully it would put some things into perspective.

"After dinner, I have the perfect place for us to go," Brenda said mysteriously.

She certainly gained Dylan's curiosity, especially when she didn't tell him where it was that they were going. She wasn't budging and finally Dylan gave up.

After dinner and they walked to Dylan's Porsche, Dylan smiled triumphantly. She had to tell him where they were going, seeing as how he was driving.

"Give it up Bren! You have to tell me where we're going so I know how to get there," he grinned like a little child who had just figured out how to put the puzzle pieces together.

Brenda had one more trick up her sleeve though.

"You're taking me home," she said.

"Home?" he asked confused. How as her house the perfect place for them to go? Maybe they were going to tell her father about them tonight? He was kind of dreading that actually.

"Yep," she nodded her head.

All Dylan could think was "Oh god, this is going to be interesting,"

TBC…