Disclaimer: I don't own 90210 or any of the characters.


Chapter 11: The Bearded Man

"Will you ever stop crying? We have been standing here for 20 minutes." The man quietly spoke to the woman hugging his chest tighter. "Naomi?"

She pulled back and wiped the stray tear from her face "Your right, I'm sorry but it's been so long! I've really missed you, we all have." She started sobbing again "I don't want to know how or why or anything. Just tell me your ok?"

"Yes. I'm ok, could be better but lets not dwell on the past."

Naomi nodded and pushed him back once again "Oh my." She turned to look up the stairs "Annie will freak when she sees you." She was just about to shout Annie down when the man placed his hand over her mouth. Naomi turned to slap the man before he pulled her away from the door and slowly closed it. "What are you doing?"

"I don't want her to see me yet, can I stay at yours, freshen up and plan something really special?" He looked at her with pleading eyes.

Naomi rolled her eyes at him before speaking "Fine! Come on, hurry up before she comes downstairs." He was about to protest but she rushed him into her car, she kept cutting him off so he took the car keys and pulled his jacket "Oh yeah, we might want to go shopping before you shave!" She laughed and drove off.


He relaxed into the leather seats and watched the city go by, it had been years since he was here and he'd never thought he'd miss it like he did when he was away. The car came to a halt at some traffic lights where Naomi nudged the passenger to look over to the side walk, he immediately shot up in his seat and stared at the oddly familiar family.

"Who?" He asked after a few seconds, he knew them - he just couldn't place them anywhere, the people he knew didn't have a family like that.

"That is Dixon and Silver, they got married a few years ago." He nodded "And there is Sophia, do you remember her?" Again the man nodded "She's 6 now, crazy huh. And the tiny one is Rosa, she's 2 and was born out of a surrogacy." The man sighed and kept looking at the large brood "and finally, those are the triplets." Naomi said slowly and almost out of breath. She turned to him in the passenger seat and watched him look at every feature on the tiny humans.

He gulped "How old are they?" Naomi sat up in shock, he didn't know!

She cough "Urm, they are nearly 4. We, ... me and Annie were putting away their cribs this morning, but we didn't finish..." Her voice got droned out when the cars around started moving. The man slipped back down into his seat and looked at his hands, he couldn't take this anymore.

Once they arrived at Naomi's house, the man placed his small canvas bag on the floor and looked around "Bad memories huh?" Naomi said while walking up behind him. He nodded and reached down for his bag, but it wasn't there, instead it was already in the hands of Naomi "Is this all you have?"

He snatched it off her and looked down at his clothes "Well, if I'm wearing this and have this beard you should guess that I don't own much! Only 2 pairs of underwear that I had given to me and a few books and photos." Naomi knew not to say anything , she guessed this was a sensitive subject for him and she didn't want anything to go badly. "Can we go shopping after I've had a shower?" He asked as calmly as he could muster. She nodded, this was going to be a long day!


They had to take a break at the end of their strenuous trip, Naomi liked this, he liked that, they couldn't agree on anything at all, though they had spent over $7'000 collectively, he brought everything from suits, to socks and even a wetsuit and Naomi couldn't resist buying a new lilac dress in the collection at Gucci. "I'm glad we broke up! We can't agree on anything." She muffled over her coffee cup.

"Yeah, and to think you were heart broken and angry when we did!" They both laughed.

"Well, that was high school where I had to have the 'biggest catch in school'" They both looked at each other, glad that whatever happens, they can always return to their bickering relationship. "So how do you want to surprise Annie?" She asked looking over the rim of her cup.

"I thought about this on the journey to LA, I was thinking a quiet restaurant, wait no ... a restaurant with just the whole group there and no-one else not even the kids!" Naomi nodded "Annie at the head of the table and during the meal, I come up behind her and see how it goes from there."

"Hm. I've had an idea, how about it takes place at my house, that way only us and I can get waiters to serve ..." She was cut off.

"No! That way she will know something is going on. The restaurant and only us, not in the whole place just in like ... 1 room!"

Naomi thought deeply "Everyone would have to be in on it otherwise, they would all like to come up and not let you and Annie be alone. How about Monday, during the day before the meal you meet everyone at my house."

"How would you make sure that Annie doesn't turn up though?" Naomi smiled, there was so much he didn't know about the one person he knew so well!

"This Monday, Annie and the triplets are having their yearly photo shoot to hang on the wall. They have it in a town around an hour and a half away so they'll be well out the way. Both man and women smiled, everything was coming together nicely, now all they had to do was wait till Monday.


Monday

"Dixon, can we leave the kids with your mom? Naomi said no children for this thing she's doing." Silver said from the bathroom.

"I'll see but she's going with Annie to get the photos done, I guess she could take the girls with them." Silver nodded, all this secrecy around Naomi's house was strange and this 'get together' as Naomi called it was strange; Naomi never did anything like this during the day!

Outside Naomi's door Silver noticed an oddness, there were new plants. Blue ones and Naomi never had blue plants! The rang the doorbell and from behind came an obviously flustered homeowner "Oh hi, so glad you're here. Wait a sec everything will be made clear soon!" She ushered the two into the living area where she also stood awkwardly and looking at her phone constantly.

"Naomi, I saw blue flowers outside?" Silver asked and in turn Naomi's face became smoother.

"Lucas said he liked blue flowers before he left with Jordan to see granny dearest." She joked, Jordan had business in New York and decided to take Lucas to meet his Grandmother. Silver laughed, everyone knew how much Naomi hated her mother-in-law.

Once everyone arrived Naomi made everyone sit on the couches and chairs while she rang a number "Lets go." She said into the phone and then addressed everyone else "Ready to see someone you haven't seen in a very long, long, long time?" Everyone looked in anticipation at the steps, no-one knew who she was talking about but it was about to come clear any second now.

Everyone was gobsmacked and lost for words only Adrianna could bring herself to speak "OH MY GOD!" She said in wonder.


"Naomi why are we going out on Monday and why aren't kids invited?" Annie asked while placing her second earing in place.

"I don't know Annie I just felt like it, now hurry up everyone will be there now!" Both women hoped in the car and drove the short distance to a restaurant over looking the oceans with beautiful music filling the air.

Once inside the courtyard Annie looked around "No-ones here yet Naomi, we are early."

"Yes they are and we are late. We have a private room booked." Annie rolled her eyes as she was pulled through wooden doors into a evening lit room, with a open fireplace and everyone sat around the table drinking and talking. Naomi and Annie slipped into their seats, Naomi insisted Annie took the place at the top of the table because 'tonight was for her' whatever that meant, Annie didn't really care where she sat - she wasn't that enthusiastic about coming out to dinner tonight.

The meal went without a problem but before they could bring out the dessert Annie felt two warm hands be placed onto her shoulders, she closed her eyes and heard "You look absolutely beautiful tonight my princess". She thought she was dreaming but she opened her eyes and saw everyone smiling at her, she turned around and almost fell off her seat but two strong arms caught her, this was not a dream as she thought; he was here!

She got up and stared at him for a while, nothing had changed apart from he was slightly darker and had slightly more muscle. Her face slowly broke into a huge smile as she ran into the out stretched arms of her husband, Liam.