AN: It was suggested to me by a friend (and sometimes beta) that maybe B and Tony's reconciliation wasn't as nicey as I originally wrote it. I felt like it deserved a shot.

I do own the characters.

Chapter 23 Alternative Version

"I'm quiet, you know
You make a first impression
I've found I'm scared to know
I'm always on your mind

Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the stars refuse to shine
Out of the back you fall in time
You somehow find, you and I collide."

- Collide, Howie Day

On the ride home on the Guard bus that night, Bronwyn put her headphones and listened to the judges' tapes that Spence had slipped in her jacket. On every single one they mentioned Tony's slip. At the end of each tape they said basically the same thing, "Excellent playing, but we have to deduct for the misstep." Bronwyn tried desperately to reign in her anger. The long walk out to collect the third place trophy hadn't done anything to make her feel better and the celebrating Guard members certainly weren't helping her morale. Spence expecting her not to yell at Tony was also adding to the fire.

Meredith and Megan must've sensed something was going on with their friend because they didn't bother her the entire trip home.

The percussion room had long since cleared and for that, Bronwyn was glad. She didn't want anyone to be around for the beat down she was going to give Tony. She was going to make the third quarter from Friday's game look like a freakin' cake walk when she was done with him.

Don't get all power hungry there, Cap'n.

Maybe if I had done this in May, none of this would've happened in the first place.

He didn't mean to fall.

Really?

Across the room, perched on a stool, Tony's arms were crossed and he looked like he knew what was coming.

Bronwyn burst out, "I'm sorry Tony, but what the hell?"

"Bronwyn—"

"We work all season, our senior season, in case I have to remind you, and this is what I get?"

Apparently, Tony decided he would answer Bronwyn's questions by looking at the floor.

"I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you want to be Captain this year? Where would we have been if you had been Captain and pulled a stunt like that?"

More silence.

"Because, you know what, Tony? I'm not impressed. I'm not impressed with the way you've treated me or your Instructor and I'm having a really hard time believing that you 'accidentally' slipped tonight."

Tony was tense. In fact, when Bronwyn dared to actually look over at him she thought he was wrung as tight as a snare.

"Are you done?" he practically growled.

"Yes," Bronwyn spat back at him.

"Because I want you to put yourself in my shoes for about two seconds. First of all, how dare you even question whether or not my slip tonight was on purpose or not?"

"You haven't given me a lot of options to think otherwise this season, Clarke."

Standoff.

Tony threw up his hands, "You think it was easy for me this year?"

You think it was easy for me?

"I'm sure having someone made it a lot easier." Bronwyn couldn't believe she was being so abruptly honest, nor could she actually bring herself to say Kylie's name.

"That was your choice, not mine."

"Well, you made my choice for me when every single person in the band thought I was dating Spence!"

"You didn't do a lot to dissuade them!"

"What in the hell are you talking about?"

"Come on, Fleuger. You and Spence? All season the two of you were together everywhere I looked. And you know what? I think you liked the rumor. Who knows? Maybe you and Spence have been going at it this whole season and you're just having a good laugh at—"

SLAP!

Tony reeled from the direct open handed slap that Bronwyn had dealt him. Even though tears trickled down her cheeks, she hissed, "How dare you?"

His hand was on his own cheek and he stared straight ahead.

"I asked you two nights ago where you got off always getting weird about Spence, never mind where you got the idea that we were actually together."

"What do you call Prom night?" He surprised her by answering.

Bronwyn blinked, "I call it a former friend of mine standing me up, what do you call it?"

"I call it my Instructor and my former friend making a complete ass out of me."

"What in the hell are you talking about?"

"You were on the porch with him, Bronwyn, I saw the two of you together!"

Bronwyn heard the hurt tone in Tony's voice and was surprised. Her eyes narrowed and she replied, "If you had actually come up to talk to me that night, you would have realized that Spence was just making an informal drop by. You know? Like you used to do. Why did you immediately think that I was dating him?"

Tony's eyes darted around the room, "I don't know."

"Well, that makes two of us." Bronwyn got up and started pacing the room, "It's so funny, Clarke. Before Prom night, I was looking ahead to my senior year so much. We were going to be these awesome drummers and win everything. Every game, every practice was going to be so fun. I can't believe how naïve I was."

"No, you weren't."

"Really? Everything I thought was going to happen this season has turned out completely wrong and it all started with that night."

"What did you think was going to happen?" Tony asked.

Bronwyn blushed, "Who cares what I thought? I couldn't have been more wrong. I guess once a bastard, always a bastard, right?"

"Is that what you really think of me?"

The words tumbled out of her mouth before Bronwyn could stop them, "No, it isn't."

"What do you think?"

"I think – we've already established this. It doesn't matter what I think."

"I do, Bronwyn."

"Do you really want to know what I think?"

"Yes."

"I'll tell you what I think. I think that I'm the most messed up person at this school because even after everything that's happened, when I look at you there's only one thing I want to do."

Tony didn't have time to prepare himself, Bronwyn grabbed his face and pulled it to hers and assaulted him with a kiss that Tony not only immediately responded to – but did his part to intensify. Breaking the embrace, realizing what she had done, Bronwyn was completely and totally shocked with herself. The fact that Tony was not saying anything was not helping the situation.

Still, it's not like he just sat there…

The Drum Line Captain had no idea what the next move was, but it certainly wasn't hers, which was a good thing, because at the moment she seemed to have lost the power of speech.

Tony sat down, got up, sat back down again and let a long sigh out. Finally, he said, "You sure know how to confuse a guy, Bronwyn."

So, he's going to ignore what just happened? I guess I shouldn't be surprised…

"Yeah, I'm pretty good at confusing myself as well."

Tony picked at his snare case, "So…maybe there was some truth to your voicemail."

"What voicemail?" Bronwyn asked warily.

"Friday night, our first bye week, right before the first Saturday practice."

Even though Bronwyn's heart was already pounding, it definitely increased pumping at Tony's statement, "What did I say?"

"That you were over me."

"I said that. To you?"

"Yes."

"And you've just been carrying that information around for weeks?"

"What was I supposed to do with it?"

Heat flooded Bronwyn's cheeks, "I don't know, Tony, but embarrassing me with that information now is certainly not the reaction I wanted."

Tony closed the distance between them and put his hands on either of Bronwyn's shoulders and he asked softly, "Do you need me to actually say it?"

"Say what?" Bronwyn asked hopefully.

"Your voicemail changed everything. Just like that, ahem, kiss did. I…I haven't done a lot that I'm proud of this season, B, but since there's still time left, I'm hoping that you'll, that you'll maybe consider being my girlfriend?"

"You like me?"

To answer her question, Tony gave the Brookwood Drum Line Captain a crooked smile, gently traced her lips with his finger and leaned in to give her a series of kisses that left her breathless.

AN: Sheesh! It took them long enough, didn't it? So, I'm not sure if this scene is out of character for Bronwyn or not. While slightly different than the original posting, I feel this version shows a stronger side of our favorite Captain. Same ending, but a different way to get there.

Honestly, which do you like better and why?