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17: Taking Chances

Two days had passed since the cabin vacation. Lucas had desperately tried to talk to Brooke, but she rejected all his calls. He felt like a chump and a fool for being so careless and stupid. He wasn't mad at Peyton, but part of him thinks that if Peyton didn't come to his house the night she broke up with her boyfriend, then none of this would have happened. Lucas hadn't been able to sleep as well; every time he closes his eyes, the image of Brooke - in pain and crying - flashes on his mind and then his guilt would overcome him. He desperately wanted to take back all the things that happened in the past few days. He felt so guilty and miserable.

And then a couple of hours earlier, he saw a video of Dean and Brooke out on a date being aired on TV. Entertainment channels had been showing videos of the 'couple' since yesterday because their wedding was within two weeks' time. Some shows even replayed a video coverage of the Annual Winchester Charity Ball, where Dean proposed to Brooke. The fact that Brooke's wedding date was getting closer made Lucas feel even more miserable. Another thing that made him feel bad was the video of Brooke and Dean's date earlier; even if the cameraman was obviously far from Brooke and Dean and even if the video was a little shaky, Lucas could see that Brooke looked like nothing happened to her. Either she was good at putting on a face, or she had already forgotten about him; Lucas hoped it wasn't the latter.

A knock on his door pulled Lucas back to reality. He stood up and opened the door; it was Nathan. Nathan gave Lucas a pat on his shoulder and went inside Lucas' room.

"You didn't answer Haley's calls," Nathan said as he sat on the edge of his half-brother's bed.

Lucas sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Tell her I'm sorry."

"She's worried about you. That's why I'm here." Nathan looked intently at Lucas. This was his first time to talk to his brother about what happened. "You've been sulking here for days. It's not healthy."

Lucas sighed once again; Nathan sounded like a reprimanding parent. It was a good thing that Karen wasn't home. If she were, she would've lectured Lucas about what he did to Brooke. Part of the reason why he didn't take any of Haley's calls was because he knew that she would just lecture him as well, and he didn't want any of that now.

Nathan sighed at the sight of his brother. Lucas looked like a mess. "Talked to Brooke yet?"

"She rejected all my calls. She's busy with Dean."

"Dude, she's hurt," Nathan defended. He didn't like the way Lucas said that Brooke was busy with Dean. He made it sound like she wasn't hurt by what happened a couple of days ago.

Lucas shook his head. "Have you seen the news?"

"Yeah," Nathan replied. "But you and I both know that she's just putting on a happy face. Don't blame Brooke for not answering any of your calls."

"So now you're here to lecture me as well," Lucas retorted.

Nathan scoffed and looked at Lucas intently. "I'm here as your brother."

"Sorry, Nate." Lucas rubbed his temples and sat beside his brother. "I just can't stomach the fact that Brooke's mad at me."

Nathan patted his brother's shoulder. "No offense, but it's your fault."

"I know. I just want to make it up to her, but she won't let me."

"Give her some time," Nathan said. "She's hurt." He could still remember how Brooke was the day they left Colorado; she was so torn even though she tried to look nonchalant. "Don't pressure her by calling every now and then. When it's time, she'll call you."

Lucas nodded as he considered what his brother told him. Nathan was right, but Lucas felt like he was losing Brooke. He saw the way Dean looked at Brooke, and Lucas somehow felt like he was going to loose Brooke to Dean.

-----

Sam was busy reading a law-themed book when Brooke and Dean entered the house; they had just arrived from the wedding designer. Brooke waved towards Sam before she went upstairs while Dean slumped himself on the sofa beside his brother.

"How did it go?" Sam asked as he put his book on the coffee table.

Dean shrugged. "Good, I guess. There was some stuff about the dress that Brooke wanted to fix. She's one detailed person when it comes to clothes."

Sam chuckled and shook his head; Dean was right - Brooke was quite the fashionista. "Dean, what's going on between the two of you?" Sam had been meaning to ask Dean that question for quite some time now.

Dean looked at Sam with a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"

"It's...I've been noticing a lot of stuff lately." Sam tried to sound as casual as he could, but the thought of hearing Dean's answer to his assumptions just made him feel way eager.

"Stuff like...?"

Sam looked at his brother intently. "You look at her when she's not looking and you've been strangely nice lately."

Dean looked away and tried not to grin. He should've known better; Sam would always know what he was feeling even if Dean doesn't say a word about it. Dean guessed that Sam must've already made an assumption, and Sam was now trying to get some answers to prove his thoughts. "Like you've said before - I've changed."

"Yeah, you've changed - but only when you're around Brooke." Sam looked at his brother and instantly knew that Dean was stalling. "What's the real deal between the two of you?"

"We're...engaged," Dean replied with a laugh. "Brooke's a nice girl. I'm just being nice."

Sam raised his eyebrows and let out a lopsided grin. "Yeah, right," he said with a mocking tone; Dean was definitely stalling and in a way, it confirmed Sam's suspicion that Dean has feelings for Brooke. "But you're right about one thing - Brooke's a nice girl. She's the best girl you've been with since..." Sam didn't finish his sentence for fear that Dean might get moody if he mentioned Alice. But, to Sam's surprise, Dean just shrugged and slumped into the sofa without showing any signs of a mood swing. Sam cleared his throat and looked down. "Anyway, um, I'm really happy that Brooke's able to help you."

Dean nodded and grinned at his brother. "How about you? What's going on with you and Jess?"

"We're good," Sam replied in an almost shy way.

"That's it - you're good?" Dean asked with a mocking tone. "You don't date or do stuff that couples do?"

Sam laughed nervously. "We're not a couple."

Dean let out his famous grin and looked at Sam. "Why do I get the feeling that you don't want to talk about Jessica? Don't tell me you haven't made a move yet."

"I don't need to...make a move," Sam defended himself from his brother. For some reason, Dean was having a great time making fun of his brother's skills with women. But Sam didn't really need to do something; he already has a connection with Jessica. He was just too shy to ask her to go steady - they were both still in college so maybe she doesn't have time for a relationship.

"Dude, you're such a dork," Dean said with a laugh. "Anyway, dad wants me and Brooke to go out tomorrow. Wanna come with us?" Dean offered. "You could bring Jessica along. Brooke likes her."

A smile spread across Sam's face.

-----

Brooke looked at herself in the mirror once again and then smiled. Three days had passed since the weekend vacation and after two days of sulking and pretending to be happy, she simply felt content right now. The past couple of days were pretty hard for her - she had to look happy with Dean because of the cameras. She wasn't against the idea of going out with Dean - they had been doing it for quite some time now - but pretending to be happy when she was grieving in reality was somehow hard. But the sadness she felt was lessened by Dean's company. The dates they went through didn't feel like it was all pretend; Dean was really trying to make her feel better.

Dean's efforts to make her feel better worked. When they went out yesterday, he brought her to the movies and watched a chick flick with her even though he hated chick flicks. They went shopping afterwards and then went to the wedding designer. Dean patiently waited as she discussed some things with the designer and didn't complain. Dean's simple gestures and the fact that he didn't force her to tell him about her thoughts made Brooke feel much better.

"Brooke?" Sam's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. He walked up to her and smiled. "I need your help."

Brooke stood up and looked at her tall friend.

Sam bit his lip and smiled in a silly way. "I'm gonna ask Jess to be my girlfriend tonight."

"Really?" Brooke clapped her hands excitedly. "What do you need?"

"I've already planned something for her - a little something during desert. I just need a bit of help. You know, with the stuff I have to say." Sam sat on the edge of Brooke's bed. "Dean's been making fun of me since he caught me talking to the restaurant manager."

Brooke chuckled and patted Sam's shoulder. "Just ignore your brother. You don't need my help with what you want to say to Jessica. Just tell her how you feel. Everything's going to be okay."

Sam sighed in relief and smiled at Brooke; she had been such a great friend. He then noticed the slight hint of sadness in the brunette's eyes. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine...I guess," Brooke murmured. "I just want to forget, you know. Dean's been a great help. I'm surprised at how he changed. A few months ago, he's too stubborn and grumpy. He's still a bit stubborn now, but he's better."

To be honest, Sam didn't expect that the arrangement with Brooke would change Dean; Sam thought that his brother would never be able to change again because of Dean's way of life. Also, Sam didn't expect that Dean would fall for Brooke.

Dean then entered the room and had to pause when he saw Brooke. She looked beautiful in the red halter blouse she was wearing; the color made her skin glow. Her matching red lipstick just made her look hotter. It was only then when he realized that he was staring at Brooke - and Brooke was looking at him. Dean cleared his throat. "You, uh, ready?"

Sam smirked at his brother and then nodded. The three of them then left the house and went to Jessica's condo before heading to the restaurant. Fortunately, the restaurant wasn't very crowded and there were no signs of paparazzi; they could enjoy the night without getting irritated at cameras and people buzzing outside the restaurant, waiting for them to come out. Brooke and Jessica talked about Brooke's wedding while Dean and Sam talked about family matters. When Sam gave Brooke the signal, Brooke took Dean to the balcony of the restaurant to leave Sam and Jessica alone.

Jessica smiled and Sam almost melted; he loved that sweet smile of Jessica. "Brooke's the sweetest thing," Jessica mused. "I'm glad we had this dinner."

"Me too." Sam looked Jessica in a doting way and he could see in her eyes that she was reciprocating the feelings he felt. "I have to tell you something, Jess."

Jessica reached for Sam's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You don't have to tell me anything, Sam. I know how you feel about me. I've known for quite some time now."

"Oh," Sam mumbled and couldn't hide his smile.

"And," Jessica added as she looked deep into Sam's eyes, "I feel just the same about you." With that, she leaned closer to Sam and kissed him.

When Jessica pulled away, Sam was taken aback; he didn't expect her to do that. "Does that mean...?"

Jessica smiled and patted Sam's hand. "Yes, we're going steady."

-----

Dean couldn't help but glance at Brooke every now and then. She looked so beautiful - she always was - but there was something about her tonight that made her look prettier. The red lipstick she was wearing wasn't of any help either; it made Dean want to kiss her.

"Sam and Jess are perfect, don't you think?" Brooke said with sigh in a hopeless romantic kind of way. The way Sam and Jessica looked at each other made her remember her treasured moments with Lucas. Now those memories made her wonder if she could ever have someone who'd look at her like she's the most important thing on earth.

The far-away look in Brooke's eyes made Dean think of how Brooke will react if he tells her that he has feelings for her. Brooke was the only girl who had made him feel that way, aside from Alice. When Alice died, Dean almost swore that he would never fall in love again because he feared of undergoing the same pain he felt when Alice passed away. When he noticed that Brooke was looking at him, waiting for an answer, he cleared his throat and shrugged. "Yeah, they're...perfect."

Brooke couldn't ignore the somewhat serious look on Dean's face. "What's the matter?"

Dean looked down and hunched his shoulders. "Nothing..." he then looked up again and looked deep into Brooke's eyes. "How are you?"

Brooke knew what Dean was talking about. He had kept silent about that issue since the vacation incident; he never said a word about Lucas or Peyton or anything else that happened back there. So when he asked her how she was holding up, Brooke felt the need to answer his question. She looked away and bit her lip. "I'll be fine. Just give me some time."

"And...?" Dean knew that Brooke was just holding back her feelings; she had been doing it for three days now.

"And," Brooke sighed, "I want to forget everything."

Dean chuckled softly and shook his head. "The best thing you could do is move on, not forget. Lucas has been a huge part of your life; you don't have to forget that." Though Dean didn't want to say that, he felt the urge to. He knew it was the right thing for Brooke.

Brooke knew that Dean was right; she shouldn't forget Lucas. She wouldn't even be able to do that. He had been a huge part of her life. But she couldn't just ignore the fact that he cheated on her, though they weren't together technically.

"Do you think Sam's already kissed Jess by now?"

Dean's question made Brooke laugh; it was so out of the blue. She knew Dean changed the topic to avoid her from getting too emotional.

"Or maybe Jess was the one to make a move," Dean added with a grin.

Brooke giggled and then took a deep breath when she realized how much her relationship with Dean had changed. Before, all they did was argue but now...they were like friends. "You've changed a lot," Brooke said in a soft tone. "At first I thought you'd never change."

Dean let out a lopsided smile. "But you never gave up on me."

"You had a lot of potential," Brooke answered without removing her gaze from Dean.

At that moment, Dean thought of telling Brooke how he felt about her. Forget about her recent falling out with Lucas - Dean was going to take a chance. He didn't care whether Brooke would get mad at him or not; he just wanted to be honest to her. "I know this is not the best time, but...I like you. A lot. I changed because of you."

"Dean..." Brooke trailed off. At that moment, Brooke felt something deep inside of her, though she couldn't tell what it was. She looked at Dean and saw sincerity in his eyes. Brooke then remembered what Dean told her a few days ago - somebody leaves but there would always be someone who would make you feel like you were never left - he meant those words; he was trying to tell her back then that he was going to be the guy who'd make her feel like she was never left.

Dean let out a nervous smile and looked deep into her eyes. "I've stopped caring for so long; I was like a drone, a good-for-nothing. But then you came and helped me get better. A few months ago, I hated you and everyone else. Now I don't know what's going on, but one thing's for sure – I have feelings for you. I know I'm probably not the safest bet…but I want to be with you and show you what I'm capable of and -" Dean suddenly stopped when Brooke let out a wide dimpled smile. He looked at her with confusion. "Why are you smiling? I'm getting sentimental here and you're smiling?"

Brooke shrugged. "You've never talked to me like this before." It was Brooke's first time to hear Dean like that; he even used the word 'sentimental'. Brooke couldn't help but smile as she listened to him. He looked a bit nervous and careful with the words he says but it was all heartfelt. Dean was sincere and that fact alone was sweet enough for Brooke. And the way he looked deep into her eyes was also one of the reasons why she was smiling.

"I probably look stupid right now," Dean muttered and looked away.

"No," Brooke chuckled. "You actually look cute."

Dean looked at Brooke. "You've gotta be kidding me. Can't you say handsome or charming or...handsome instead of cute?"

Brooke laughed. For the first time in three days of sulking, she felt genuinely happy. Having Dean around was comforting and honestly, Brooke never thought that she'd have a conversation like this with Dean. "I'd have to give you credit though, for trying to make me feel better these past few days," Brooke said.

"Did it work?" Dean asked and tried not to smile; Brooke looked so adorable with her dimples.

Brooke shrugged and then smiled at Dean. "Pretty much."

Dean chuckled and looked down. He was surprised that Brooke didn't scream at him or something; he sort of expected that she'd get mad because she just had some troubles with Lucas. He was glad that Brooke didn't see him as an opportunist of some sort.

"I can't promise you anything," Brooke said.

"I'm pretty sure you'd fall for me in a matter of time," Dean replied in a joking tone.

Brooke smacked his arm playfully and laughed. "You're too confident and smug and stubborn. I don't know why, but I somehow like that about you."

Brooke's statement brought a smile to Dean's lips. With that, the two of them came back to the restaurant and spent the rest of the evening with Sam and Jessica.

Yay! Dean already told Brooke his feelings for her. The next chapters would be Brean-centric, of course. And their wedding is coming soon. Again, tell me what you think. :)