DISCLAIMER: I do now own Beverly Hills 90210 or any of the characters involved in this story.
A/N: I apologize to everyone for not getting the chapter posted sooner. But with Christmas coming up and between shopping and Christmas parties and seeing old friends, I really haven't had a whole lot of free time for writing.
Anyways, this is the chapter I know a lot of you have been waiting for. It's an all Brenda and Dylan chapter that kicks off right after Scott has left and encouraged Brenda to go on a walk with Dylan, a walk that she initially offered to him.
So will Brenda & Dylan get back together or not? The majority of those reviewing and those who answered my poll have all said they wanted Brenda & Dylan to get back together. But just recently there have been a few new people who said that Brenda should never take Dylan back after what he did to her. A few, surprisingly, have even voiced support for Brenda & Scott getting together.
Well, I guess I can't please everybody. Anyways, hope you enjoy.
Dylan slowly walks toward Brenda as she just stands there with her arms folded. She has that look in her eye that makes it hard to tell what she is thinking at that particular moment. Dylan could normally tell what she was thinking, but this time it was hard even for him to tell.
The sound of Dylan's dress shoes clanking on the cement sidewalk that leads up to the front door echoes off the walls of the house. He runs his hand through his hair which is slightly messed up at that point, unlike at the beginning of the night.
Brenda's got a slight chill, not from the temperature, but from the nervousness she was feeling. Just minutes ago, she was thinking she'd have a nice and relaxing walk on the beach with Scott, who she knew to be a total gentleman and would never put the moves on her or try to pressure her into sex or doing something she didn't want to do.
But with Dylan, it was different. Dylan was somebody who wasn't above putting himself first and looking out for his own wants and desires rather than Brenda's feelings. She knew this. The fact that he had run around with her best friend behind her back while she was in Paris the previous summer was proof of that.
Dylan on the other hand, was never a guy who was in the habit of getting nervous. Typically he wouldn't put a lot of thought into the way somebody else thought about him. He called it like he saw it, and if anybody didn't like it that was their problem. That was the attitude Dylan had with 98 percent of the people he encountered on a regular basis, but not with Brenda Walsh.
Dylan stops as he reaches the base of the front door steps. Both he and Brenda stand there looking at each other for a moment. Neither of them really knows what to say or how to get the conversation started. Finally Dylan breaks the awkward silence.
"So, Scott mentioned that you might have something you want to talk to me about." says Dylan in a suggestive tone.
"Oh did he now?" Brenda says jokingly. Dylan nods slightly with a smirk on his face as Brenda just grins, trying to think of something light hearted to say. "Well, you certainly found a nice tux on such short notice."
Dylan laughs as he finds Brenda's struggle to come up with a humorous statement to be cute. "Well thanks, Bren. But somehow I doubt think the real reason Scott is walking home right now at this very moment is because you wanted to give me a fashion critique." Dylan says prompting a chuckle from Brenda. She knows that he knows her far too well.
"Yeah, you're right. It's not." says Brenda. "I was just thinking that it's such a shame to end the night so early and on such a sour note, you know with Donna and all."
Dylan rubs the back of his neck with his right hand as he grits his teeth. "Yeah, you do have a point. I mean after all you don't have a curfew. And here you are calling it a night and it's barely after ten."
"So let's not call it a night just yet." Brenda suggests with a smile.
Dylan raises an eyebrow. "Just what exactly do you have in mind?" he asks.
"Well" Brenda replies as she pauses for a moment. "How does a walk on the beach sound?"
Dylan nods his head in approval. "Well, I started this day on a beach in Mexico. And right now, I'd say ending it on one in L.A. is sounding pretty good." Dylan says as Brenda smiles at him.
With those words Brenda walks off the front steps and back down towards Dylan's car. She decides not to go inside and tell her parents where she is going. Her parents told her she could stay out as late as she wanted to tonight, and it would be in everyone's interest not to do anything that would risk throwing a monkey wrench into that rare freedom she's enjoying.
Brenda walks behind Dylan, following him to his Porsche as they both get in. Dylan starts up the car and backs out of the Walsh driveway and takes off down the road.
The wind is blowing slightly as Brenda and Dylan step onto the beach. Dylan has undone his tuxedo tie and unbuttoned the top button on his shirt, making himself a bit more comfortable.
Brenda still has her prom dress on as well as the corsage that Scott got for her on her wrist. She has taken her shoes off to make it easier for her to walk on the beach.
The moon is out in full as its bright rays shine over the dark water, making it the perfect night. The temperature is ideal as it's not cold, but not really hot either. It's just perfect for a moonlight stroll on the beach. Both Brenda and Dylan look around taking in the sites and sounds of an empty beach at night as they walk. Neither of them knows where the night is going to lead them. But they both know they aren't ready for it to end just yet.
"You know, it's such a beautiful night." Brenda says as she walks with her arms folded, turning to the ocean to see the waves. "It's just a shame that we can't be here under better circumstances."
Walking at an arms length from Brenda, Dylan turns his head to face her. A look of calmness is in his eye. There is something about being at the beach with the waves crashing in the background that puts him at ease. "So what would you change about these circumstances?" he asks.
Brenda looks annoyed. "Dylan, how can you ask that? You know perfectly well what's wrong." Brenda says sternly.
"No, I don't. What I do know is that it's your prom night. And you're standing here looking beautiful in your prom dress with the moon light shining down and the waves cresting and you are not happy." Dylan replies
"How am I supposed to be happy when I don't know if Donna is going to graduate with us now?" asks Brenda.
"Come on, this is Donna Martin we're talking about, Felice Martin's daughter." Dylan replies in a reassuring tone. "I mean that woman is like best friends with everyone who is anyone on the school board. I really don't think Donna has anything to worry about."
Brenda sighs as the two of them begin walking down the beach again. "I don't know. I hope you're right." she says as the two of them resume their walk on the beach, passing by the Beverly Hills beach club. "I just feel so guilty." says Brenda.
"Bren, what do you have to feel guilty about?" asks Dylan.
"Dylan, I drank a glass of champagne tonight. I didn't get drunk and get caught." Brenda replies.
"So you should feel guilty because you knew when to stop and Donna didn't?" Dylan asks sarcastically.
"No, I should feel guilty because I didn't stop her from drinking." Brenda replies.
Dylan snickers. "Oh and what were you suppose to do, walk over and slap the glass of champagne out of her hand?" Dylan asks, trying to make a point. There is a brief moment of silence before he starts speaking again. "Look, I don't want to sound cold hearted. I care about Donna too. And if she needs anything from me, I'll be there for her. And I still say nothing's going to happen. But if it does, I'm not going to beat myself up over it. I mean everyone knew the no drinking at prom rule. I never encouraged her to drink. I never put any alcohol in her hand and told her to chug it, and neither did you."
Brenda looks confused. "So what are you saying? Just forget about her and go about our lives like nothing happened?" she asks, her tone indicating she's upset, but not overly angry.
"No, of course not." Dylan answers. "I'm saying be her friend and help her out if you can. But should the worst happen, don't beat yourself up over it. Because you did all you could. And there is absolutely nothing you could have done tonight that would have prevented Donna from getting caught. Am I right?" he asks, lowering his head and raising an eyebrow in a confident manner.
Brenda sighs. "Yeah, I guess so." she says.
"Now, would you mind if we talk about something else, because quite frankly this topic is kind of depressing." Dylan says, sparking a slight chuckle from Brenda.
"All right." Brenda replies with a grin as the two of them continue to walk on the beach.
Dylan and Brenda have come to the spot on the beach that is so familiar to him. They pass the large rock that separates the tourist section from the more secluded part of the beach. Being here always brings back so many memories for Dylan.
"Wow, hard to believe I'd wind up here after the end of a very long day." Dylan says to Brenda as he jumps down off the rock onto the beach.
"What do you mean?" Brenda asks.
"What do I mean?" Dylan repeats, sounding surprised that she doesn't know where they're at. "Bren, don't you know where we're at right now."
Brenda shakes her head. "We're on the beach, at night. Is there something more to it than that?"
"Oh my god." Dylan says as he snickers and shakes his head in disbelief. "I can't believe the whole time we were together, I never brought you out here."
"Why? What is so special about this spot on the beach?"
"Well Bren, there is a lot of history to this spot. See, this is where I took your brother the day I met him, and told him about the green room. You know it was funny, I initially did it as a joke. See him being from Minnesota, I thought he would totally crack when he first saw a big wave. But Brandon being Brandon, he kept getting back up on that board and trying again. I knew then and there that this Minnesota guy was somebody I wanted to keep as a friend, cause he was the kind of guy who would stick by you if you got in a jam. Not like those surfer goons I was hanging out with at that time. And I was right. Because that lead me down a whole different road and to much better things." Dylan explains.
"Like what?" Brenda asks curiously.
"Well, it lead me to your family, your friends. And most of all, it lead me to the best thing that ever happened to me. It lead me to you." says Dylan in a soft and soothing tone as he gazes at Brenda.
Brenda stares back at him. The passion is in her eyes and she is feeling it in her heart, but she doesn't act on her impulses just yet.
Feeling the need to break the ice at that moment, Dylan continues on. "I also brought Scott here when he was depressed about you not wanting to be his girlfriend. When he left though, he was a little wiser." says Dylan.
Brenda nods, comprehending everything that Dylan is telling her at that moment. "So I guess this part of the beach just has that kind of effect on people, huh? It's where big changes happen." she asks.
Dylan shakes his head. "Well, not always for the better. This is also the spot where I spent my first night with Kelly, here on this beach, a year ago on your last night in Paris."
Brenda looks away just as Dylan says that. Suddenly she is not feeling so happy anymore. The look on her face turns serious as she turns back to Dylan. "I really didn't need to know that, Dylan." says Brenda. Dylan frowns. "In any case, that's the past. And the past is the past. So there's no sense drudging up painful memories."
Dylan digs his toe into the sand as he takes a look out at the ocean and the waves crashing onto the shore in the darkness. He then turns his full attention back over to Brenda.
"Actually Bren, there is." Dylan replies. Brenda squints her eyes slightly and focuses her full attention on every word coming out of his mouth. "I wanted to tell you that. You need to know the bad as well as the good. Then maybe, just maybe, one day I will be able to repair that trust that I had with you." he says sincerely.
"Dylan, I just. I don't know if I'm ready for all of that right now. I mean, I'm about to go to college and start a new chapter of my life. I just feel…" Brenda says as she pauses. "Honestly I don't know how I feel." Brenda cries as she throws her arms up into the air.
Dylan looks at her, seeing the pure emotion on her face and he gets kind of choked up. He knows that fully regaining her trust might be totally impossible at this point. His soft tone and warm demeanour that had originally won her heart in the beginning was not going to do him any good anymore. He was just going to have to lay it all on the line.
"Well I do. I know you're scared. Scared about the unknown, about what you are going to face after we graduate. I mean hell, it might not seem like it, but I'm more scared than you or anybody." says Dylan.
"You? But you always seem to have that live life by the seat of your pants attitude, like nothing never bothers you." says Brenda.
"I have to give off that impression, Bren. It's what helps me get through. But the fact is that no matter where you go in life, you'll always have your family. I mean you'll always have Jim and Cindy and Brandon there to catch you if you fall. I have nobody to look out for me. I mean once I turn 21, all that money gets turned over to me and I won't have your dad looking out for my interests anymore. Who's going to be there to keep me from blowing it like I manage to blow everything good that comes along in my life?" Says Dylan, the intensity is clearly in his tone. Brenda just looks at him, trying to think of the right words to say to ease his mood.
"You'll be fine, Dylan. You really will." says Brenda. The wind starts to pick up and begins blowing her dress.
"How will I know for sure?" says Dylan. "Bren, you, your brother, and your parents are the only family I got. And over the course of this past year, I've managed to push you all away. I gave you up for Kelly because I was tired of the struggle of dealing with your dad. I wasn't willing to fight to keep you at that time. But the fact of the matter is, when I still needed you, you fought for me. And Kelly would never have done that. She's not a bad person. But she's not the right one for me, Bren."
Brenda looks at Dylan, wondering what he's getting at. "And you think I am?" she asks.
"I wanted to make sure that I had no doubt in my mind anymore before I admitted it. I love you, Brenda. And I can't change what I've done in the past. Now you've seemed willing to forgive me. The only thing I can ask is are you willing to give me one more chance?" he asks. "I'm not going to twist your arm. I'd just like an answer."
Dylan stands there for what seems like an eternity as he waits for Brenda's answer. Brenda's eyes have that blank look in them, making it very hard to read her emotions. The wind slowly blows her hair back behind her shoulders. Dylan and Brenda look at each other, into each other's eyes. They both feel like kissing each other. Dylan waits for Brenda to give him the sign.
"Let's start walking back to the car." says Brenda, not fully ready to give him an answer right then and there.
Dylan nods his head in disappointment as the two of them turn around and begin heading back up the beach.
Back in Dylan's Porsche, he drives down the road as Brenda sits silently in the passenger seat. It is nearing midnight and Brenda still isn't ready to go home. Very little has been said, but neither one is ready to go home yet.
Dylan has taken a scenic route and has gone up to the top of the hill where he use to take Brenda all the time back when they were dating. He drives down the road at a comfortable speed, just enjoying the still of the night.
Brenda sits in the passenger seat very quietly as she peers out over the lights of Los Angeles below her. She thinks to herself and begins to relive the past several months in her head. She feels bad that she didn't give Dylan an answer when he asked her to give him a second chance. The truth is that she's afraid to do either. She's afraid that if she does, she'll get hurt again. But if she doesn't, she'll look back and always wonder what might have been. Then she begins to think about Scott and realizes how he put her trust back into her, even after she told him the entire story. She wanted so badly for Scott to trust her again and she remembered what it was like not knowing if he ever would. Not she realizes Dylan is walking in those same shoes.
For Dylan, he's pretty much resounded to the fact that Brenda's silence when asked the question was not good news. She has had tons of time to think and ponder whether or not she wants him back in her life completely. In his mind, Brenda Walsh has always been a girl who knows what she wants and will go after it if she wants it bad enough. The fact that she hasn't said anything can only mean that the damage that was done to their relationship can't be repaired. Sure, they can be friends again, but nothing more.
Brenda spots a lookout spot just ahead. "Dylan, can you pull over up here?" says Brenda.
"Up here?" Dylan asks, wanting to reaffirm what she's asking.
"Yes."
Dylan takes his foot off the gas and slowly applies it to the break as he finds the most isolated spot of the lookout and drives there. There are a few other cars there, presumably other prom couples or teenagers who came up there to make out. But both Brenda and Dylan have far too much on their minds at that point to really care.
Dylan slowly brings his car to a halt, facing the glowing lights of downtown Los Angeles as he turns off the engine and turns to look at Brenda. He takes a deep breathe as he knows that whatever has been stewing on Brenda's mind is about to come out.
"All right, I'm listening." Dylan says to Brenda. "Spit it out, Bren. Say what you got to say."
"Dylan, I'm not going to go down the same road and talk about how bad it hurt me when you picked Kelly. I shouldn't have to." says Brenda
Dylan sighs, not liking how this is starting out. "Yeah, I know."
"I was very angry at you. And even after we started talking again, there was a part of me that still wasn't over it." explains Brenda.
"Brenda, can you just get to the point." Dylan says. Brenda holds up her hand.
"Dylan, please, just here me out, okay?" says Brenda. "You were the biggest thing in my life. We had something really special; a connection that I thought was so deep. And I didn't understand how you could possibly give all that up for Kelly. And when I saw how you two fought all the time, I questioned it more and more."
"Hey, I can't change what I've done in the past, all right." Dylan says as he picks up the volume of his voice, growing slightly more irritated as he now fully expects Brenda to tell him that she can never be with him again as that seems to be what she's leading up to. "Yeah, I've done a lot of stupid things in my life. And that may have been one of the stupidest. I am sorry, all right? I am sorry for all the hurt and all the pain I put you through. I just don't know what else I can do to prove it to you. So if you can't find it in your heart to put the past in the past and start over with a clean slate, then just quit jerking me around and tell me right now so we can both move on with our lives."
The intensity in Dylan's voice picks up with every word he says. Brenda can feel that it's all about to boil over. She has been very careful with every word she has said. She wanted to make her point.
"Dylan, I've been over it and over it in my head. And the way I see it there is only one thing left for us to do." Brenda says in a tone that totally convinces Dylan it's over.
Dylan takes a deep breathe and throws his hands up in the air, taking one more look at Brenda. "Alright Bren, if that's the way you want it, I guess that's fair." he says as he puts his right hand on the car key that's in the ignition. Before he can turn the key, he's taken by surprise when he feels Brenda's warm hand on top of his as she prevents him from turning the key and starting the car. Dylan turns to look at Brenda who has a sad look in her eye.
"I want you to kiss me, Dylan." says Brenda.
Dylan looks at Brenda with confusion. "What? You want one last kiss good-bye before we both walk off in different directions? Sorry Bren, but you should know by now I'm not one for sappy endings.
"No Dylan, you don't get it." says Brenda. "Despite everything you did to me, and how bad you hurt me, I still never stopped loving you. And I know I never will. I'm not ready to let you go."
Dylan takes a long hard look into Brenda's eyes, making sure she's not joking with him. "Bren, are you really sure about this?" Dylan asks.
Brenda looks at Dylan with a warm smile that says it all. "That second chance is yours if you still want it." she says softly. The corners of Dylan's mouth go up as his face truly lights up for the first time in a really long time. Brenda knew how to really be sombre when she was saying stuff she knew he wasn't going to take well. But likewise, nobody was warmer than she was when she was being sweet and compassionate.
"That's all I've ever wanted." Dylan says as he slowly leans in. Brenda leans in and tilts her head sideways. The two of them close their eyes almost simultaneously as they lean in slowly. Their lips touch as the two of them share a sweet and innocent kiss.
The kiss lasts about 3 seconds as Brenda breaks from it to look into Dylan's eyes. She wants to see that passion that she had forgotten about. She then leans in again and kisses him and grabs the back of his neck as she opens her mouth to move her tongue into his as he does the same.
The two of them sit there and continue to kiss for what seems like forever, but for both of them it isn't long enough. A few months ago neither of them thought they would ever kiss the other one again, at least not a loving kiss like this was. Dylan could feel it. Over the last year, he forgot how real everything was with Brenda and how all the struggle to keep their relationship going was worth it just for moments like this.
Finally the two of them break from this kiss and look at each other passionately. They both are overwhelmed with emotion at that point and can only say one thing.
"Dylan, I love you. I never stopped." says Brenda.
"Yeah." Dylan whispers back. "I love you too, Bren."
The two of them sit there as Brenda reaches out and grabs Dylan's hand and holds it. After a few moments of looking out and enjoying the night air, Dylan takes Brenda's hand up to his mouth as he sweetly kisses her hand. He looks at his watch and sees that it's almost midnight.
"So what do you want to do now?" Dylan asks. "I'll take you anywhere you want to go."
"I just want to stay right here." Brenda replies.
"All night?" Dylan asks.
"No. Not all night. Just for a little while. I want you to hold me, Dylan. Just hold me and don't say anything. I need to be reminded what it's like to be in your arms again." says Brenda softly.
Dylan complies and puts an arm around Brenda as she leans into him and puts her head on his shoulder gently and they stare out into the night. Neither of them says anything, but at this point their thoughts are almost one. They both know that there is no other place they'd rather be then right there at that moment. And they both want to make that moment last as long as possible.
And in their own individual thought, they both know one thing. They wouldn't have gotten back together if it wasn't for one person. It was Scott who helped Dylan realize once again how important Brenda was to him. And he also helped Brenda realize how important forgiveness was. Both of them owe it to Scott, and they are both grateful to him for what he did, especially that night when he let Brenda go and free her to pursue Dylan again.
It is just a little bit after two in the morning when Dylan's Porsche comes pulling up to the Walsh house. He has one hand on the steering wheel and the other hand is holding Brenda's tightly as he pulls up to the corner of Casa Walsh and comes to a complete stop.
Very little was said on the ride home. Neither felt that many words needed to be said. Sometimes the most beautiful moments in life are the moments when nothing is said. This is something that both Brenda and Dylan were well aware off. But as Brenda prepares to get out of the car, Dylan finally decides it's time to break the silence.
"Are you sure you don't want to come back to my place?" he asks.
Brenda smirks. "Yeah, I kind of don't think that's a good idea. We may be back together, but I'm not exactly ready to hop back into bed with you just yet. So you're just going to have to wait." She says firmly but in a happy manner.
Dylan nods and chuckles. "I wouldn't expect anything less from Brenda Walsh. Believe it or not, I actually would have been quite disappointed if you made it that easy." he says.
"Yeah, somehow I think you would have gotten over it pretty quickly." replies Brenda as she leans in and kisses Dylan warmly on the lips. She moans slightly, which is quite the turn on to him. As she pulls away, Dylan leans in more to try to get her to stay a bit longer. After a few more short kisses, Brenda finally pulls away.
"All right, we'll have more time for that later. Right now, I think I better get in there and find out from Brandon what happened when they dropped Donna off." Says Brenda who turns to the house and notices the light is on in Brandon's room meaning he has gotten home and is still home.
"So, are you going to tell your parents about our little reconciliation?" Dylan asks as Brenda gets out of the car.
"Not just yet." Brenda answers. "First I need to tell them I'm staying in L.A. to go to college. Then give it about a week, and then I'll clue them in. That way my father won't think the two things are related to each other."
Dylan raises an eyebrow. "Are they?" he asks curiously.
Brenda leans in over the top of the Porsche and kisses him once more. "No. But it does make things a lot more convenient, you have to admit."
Dylan just smiles at Brenda as he slowly pulls away. Brenda watches him for a moment as he drives off. She looks around to make sure nobody else saw that, especially to see if Brandon had been looking out the window. He hadn't.
She makes her way up the walkway and to the front door. Eventually everyone would find out that she was back with Dylan again. Brenda wasn't worried about that right now. She'd cross that bridge when it came. But as she makes her way back to her house, while she's happy in one respect, the reality of Donna and what happened to her tonight hadn't escaped her. Her thoughts were still with Donna and what would happen to her.
TO BE CONTINUED
A/N: So they got back together? I have to admit, this chapter wasn't as easy to write as I initially thought it was going to be. I'm not sure how in character I kept both Brenda & Dylan. Oh well. Hopefully some of you will give me some good feedback on it.
Originally, this had been where I intended to end this story. But I'm going to be writing three more chapters to take us to and through graduation so that we can tie up some loose ends. Not sure when I'll have the next chapter posted. This upcoming week promises to be very busy for me, as I'm sure it is for all of you too. So not sure how much writing I'll get done.
Oh and yes, please review.