Authors Note: I own nothing. No ownership rights to Beverly Hills 90210.
Chapter Fifteen
My parents had come to collect me from the airport and I could tell even after four weeks since the reveal of my Dad's threat things weren't okay, or maybe they weren't okay because me the visual reminder of that threat was back. As we pull up into the driveway I can see from the cars that Brandon and Steve were there. Donna had told me as we left the airport that she would be over shortly, she wanted to see everyone and didn't want to have her reunion with David whilst in clear view of her parents.
I make it one step into the house before Brandon captures me for a long hug, "I missed my partner in crime."
"And I missed my better half- though less criminal activity this year okay Sis?"
I smile over his shoulder, "I make no promises. Introduce me to your girl?"
As we separate I'm swung around by Steve in greeting, hugged hello my Andrea, and then finally once my feet are back on the ground and I'm not moving around I get a chance to properly talk to Brandon's summer girlfriend. She seems nice but it's not love on my brother's side. Dylan said they spent a lot of time together because of the tension here, hopefully that hasn't led him to confuse his head and heart. You can't will something to feel a certain way no matter how hard you try; it was a lesson I learnt last summer.
Kelly is quiet when she arrives and I can see the summer had been lonely for her. Dylan's observations had been right, that us being away had left a void of people for her to confide in, and with the new baby and family she was still trying to find her place within all that change. I was thankful that he had tried to be a better friend to her in my absence, she and I had struggled around the wedding and while we seemed okay when I left I worried that was because she was glossing over everything else focusing on her happiness with Jake. She at least seemed close to David which was good and when I asked about Erin her face still lit up.
When everyone had arrived it's obvious that one person had not made my parents guest list. I hadn't raised it with them in the car but I also wasn't going to shy away from it. As I stood to leave the room Brandon caught my eye and I shock my head to his unasked question. He didn't needed to get involved in this.
Entering the kitchen I find my Dad and Mum putting together the drinks and nibbles before the bbq. "Thank you both for organising this evening, it's great to see everyone, well nearly everyone. I see Dylan hasn't been invited-" my Dad goes to immediately interrupt but I put my hand up gently to stop. "I get that you have difficulties with our relationship, and I get that I escalated things before I left to the point that they were difficult for all. I think the consequences of a range of all our decisions is still being felt by everyone, but he is important to me. I love him. I'd like for us to figure out how this could work so we can all be comfortable going forward. Paris was supposed to give us a break from the drama and I don't want to start it up again but I'd like to know where I stand with everyone so I ask if you both could please discuss it and let me know where you stand." I pause for both of them to acknowledge my request with a nod.
"Also the eight of us are friends, close friends. We are going into our senior year and well this ban doesn't effect just me and my relationship with him but also effects Brandon's with his best friend, and our whole group dynamic. I'd ask that you please think about the bigger picture when you consider this, we have made this gang and their families apart of our lives in Beverly Hills. Today, he is being kept away from me but we are also excluding him from his friends, even if you have a problem with us together that doesn't seem right." At that I pick up the tray of drinks and bring it to the living room.
A few minutes later I disappear upstairs with Kelly she wants to see the clothes I bought in Paris and I want to give her the earrings I bought for her from this silver jewellery designer in the Montmartre. Finally having a few minutes in my room I jump quickly in the shower to wash the flight off me, Kelly talks to me from my window seat through the slightly open bathroom door.
"Dylan I'm guessing wasn't invited?"
"No they didn't extend the invitation."
"Is it still just Baja and you leaving home?" I quickly turn off the shower and grab my towel. No one knows about the threat or the Trust closing. It was family business between the McKay's and the Walsh's and as much as she was my best friend the McKay's kept their family secrets close.
"I'm sure Jack being back with Dylan is probably making them also worried but honestly we haven't discussed their concerns so I'm not sure where their heads are at."
As I pull my jeans up over my bodysuit I hear her try and gain more information on his current situation. I appreciate that she left it as a statement rather than a direct question in case I wasn't comfortable answering, "I haven't seem him around since his Dad got back. We were seeing each other every few day's at the club catching up over ice tea or doubling in a volleyball game. He even helped babysit one night."
As I put my chain back around my neck hiding it under my top I grab my hairbrush and open the door fully to look at my friend. "I heard about the babysitting and his less than secret conversation with Erin. Though I think that should not be discussed here, I can't imagine everyone would see it as I do." I give her a smile and turn back to the mirror to finish getting ready to go downstairs.
"He tells you everything?"
I ignore the surprise tone in her voice, Dylan and I are different it's something we didn't always know. When we first started we thought maybe love felt like this for everyone and we were just overwhelmed by it, but after talking to Iris and Jack it was clear that it's different for us. I can't get offended because she doesn't know that feeling, though I hope one day she'll experience it. "We talk." After adding a coat of lipstick I move out of the bathroom and sit by her. "He actually told me he was worried about you this summer that you were lonely without us. I'm sorry it didn't work out with Jake."
"You tried to tell me-"
"That doesn't matter and in fairness I'm glad you didn't listen. Many have tried to warn me off Dylan but I didn't listen. You gave it a shot and you never know it could have been something long lasting something big. I'm sorry you got hurt but you were brave to try and follow your heart, and even if it was only for a short time it can still mean a lot."
"My heart always seems to get me in trouble I'm constantly attracted to the worst guy's. Besides Steve and Kyle all the rest have hurt me… well you know all the stories. I'm starting to think I'm the problem I choose guy's that are bad for me." I reach out and rest my hand on hers.
"You aren't the problem you just haven't met the right one yet, or you can believe Dylan's theory and he's not ready."
She smiles, "he told you that? He say's he sees me as a sister."
"I'm not sure how true the sister thing is or if he was just subconsciously scared to ruin something he wasn't ready for... Look Brandon has never been in love-"
"Don't let his new girlfriend hear you say that."
"Believe me I won't, after Emily I'm not getting involved in his love life. Regardless though if it's Brandon or someone else it will happen for you." I stand up, "we should get back down there I'm sure the bbq will be ready soon."
As we walk down the stairs the doorbell rings, my parents go to answer it and I'm shocked when I see Dylan walk in. He greets my parents with a smile and a handshake to my dad and thanks them for the invite. My father gruffly says, "we will sit down after to talk- the four of us."
Having stopped on the stairs stunned at the interaction I'm thrilled when his eyes land on me, "I remember you."
"Dylan."
I'm down the stairs quickly and lifted into his arms. Once my lips leave his smiling ones he immediately buries his nose in my hair to inhale me and whispers in my ear, "my wife."
Twenty- seven hours in a hotel room after the near one am ceremony and in that time he must have called me that over a hundred times, it still hasn't lost it's newness or sunk in. I smile into his shoulder and move my hand over his chest finding the half a heart shape pendant and the ring that now resides next to it; on mine are my two. It's crazy and impulsive but I'm glad we jumped big and went for all the ring's, I know it was Dylan's preference as well- both pocket's. As I trace through his shirt the symbol of his commitment to me with my finger I say for his ears only, "my husband." His hold becomes tighter, he likes the name as much as I do.
We separate so we don't push our luck with my father but his hand is immediately in mine. He looks over at the stairs again, "hey Kelly. How's family life treating you?"
"Good. Erin is getting so big and I'm starting to understand the challenges of having a teenage brother."
As the three of us make it to the step of the sunken lounge room I give a teasing look at Kelly, "they eat a lot don't they?"
"Sister dear let's not bring up eating habits or I'll discuss how your eating of p&j in a bowl has spoiled it for the rest of the family." He stands and moves over to the three of us, "Jones good to see you."
As they do their clicking handshake my husband defends my honour… well kind off, "B good to see you, but there is nothing wrong with how she eats p&j…" I beam smuggling at my brother. "But the way she occasionally puts popcorn in her ice cream now that's disgusting."
"Hey I taught her that at our sleepover in Sophomore year-"
The girls aren't the ones that cut Donna off instead it's the four guy's who jokingly declare, "it wasn't a sleepover but a woman's conference."
The guy's are laughing at their wit leading to Donna and Kelly cracking and giggling under their smartass retort. I simply look and subtly shake my head at the four of them. Dylan see's and laughingly pulls me into his arms so my back is resting on his chest.
"Come on it's nearly two year's later Sis I think it's time to admit that your female bonding conference was a sleepover?"
"Brandon I'll admit it after we unpack your weird male bonding day, you know the one you had while the rest of us were chasing down Colour Me Bad… how is Mum's cousin?"
Three of the guys instantly stop laughing and Dylan leans down and groans in my ear, "woman I'm going to get in trouble for telling you that."
"Wait what about Mrs Walsh's cousin she was so nice?"
At that exact moment my mum crosses the foyer to tell us that the bbq is nearly ready and then reaches down to collect what remains of the veggie platter and dip she laid out on the coffee table. Thank goodness she only register part of Andrea's remark, "what about my cousins? Did Richard or Arnold call?"
Andrea using her quick reporter mind jumps in, "you only have male cousin's Mrs Walsh?"
"Yes my Mum had the girls of the family and her brother had the boys. My father unfortunately lost his sibling when he was young in an car accident so there is no cousins down that line."
Brandon instantly jumps up and puts his arm around Mum guiding her out before Andrea or she can discuss her family further. "No Mum no one rang we were just going over our family tree's now that the Silver's and Taylor's are sharing their branches."
"Oh that's nice. Anyway come outside in a few minutes as the table is all set out there for dinner."
When she has left the room Brandon turns back around to face the gang, Steve is whispering to Andrea behind the couch looking both amused and like he has got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Donna, David and Kelly are all looking confused and Brooke appears to not understand what the hell we are all talking about. Brandon's begins to rock back and forth with his hands in his pockets wearing the innocent look that he perfected when we were four but it cuts off when Andrea cries out, "she was a what?"
By the time they are all leaving the room to join my parents outside everyone is aware of their male bonding day and we have all agreed that teasing the sleepover in future would immediately result in them answering many questions that they obviously had never thought about. Why men would want to get titillated like that in the company of their friends being the primary question on every girls mind- I mean when she left then what?You watch sports? Go the bathroom? Sit around uncomfortable?
Our confusion left all three quiet and David smug that he wasn't included in this male bonding so that he could avoid this line of questioning. Andrea didn't engage in the questions instead she was running through her conversations with the exotic dancer every now and then asking if that was true or made up.
Dylan and I hang back to steal a minute with each other, he immediately wraps me in his arms. "Your birthday can not come soon enough. I miss sleeping next to you."
"There wasn't much of that."
"Believe me I know. I fell asleep on the tarmac of France and woke on the tarmac of LA. I was worn out."
"It was our first honeymoon."
"And ridiculously too short at that." He kisses the tip of my nose, "two and a half months-"
"I know." I can feel that he is about to remind me of the deal we made that is both required but also depressing, "no one can know and no rocking the boat too much. Keeping them from finding out and applying for an annulment is the goal."
"That and being able to see my wife as much as possible."
"Did they mention what their decision was when they asked you over?"
"No but from his tone and word choice I don't think it's going to be back to pre Baja normal."
"Well we can work around anything right? It's just till the end of October."
"We can but I'd like for Mrs McKay to meet her father-in-law, and see her new house maybe help furnish it. We get the keys three day's before school starts- thank god as it's getting tight at home."
I wasn't entertaining the discussion about the tight situation. Dylan had arrived home from Paris to Iris teaching Jack yoga to help with his back. From Dylan's ongoing complaints it was as if their new morning routine on the porch was a forced viewing of them in bed together- he was daily traumatised especially as his mum helped loosen his dad's muscles. Rather than open that pandora's therapy box I chose to focus on his subtle request. I lift my brow, "maybe help?" I can't wait to hear what his version of help is.
"Fine to furnish it. Mum will take care of her and Jack's bedrooms and the open sitting area that sits between their downstairs bedrooms but the rest of the place needs things and the futon won't cut it."
"Baby the futon has never cut it. Though I appreciate your desire to have a potential bed in every room."
"I'm sure you do Nym."
I laugh, "careful husband that new nickname if heard will raise questions. I'm at the beach club tomorrow with the girls but I'll go shopping the next day, hopefully with you-" he groans in annoyance. "I'll make it fun for you- promise." My suggestive look immediately cuts off his complaints of being forced to shop. "But if my parents rules won't allow that I'll shop alone putting things on hold and then you can go in and pay for them afterwards."
"Or my wife can just get added to our accounts so I don't need to venture anywhere near the retail stores?"
"Iris may see the addition of a new signatory, and which name would we use my maiden or married one? I think it would be too difficult now and we don't want them to be forced to lie for us."
He groans, "we should have stayed in France much better laws there."
"I agree. Come on Mr McKay before someone sends in a search party to find us."
"Married less than a week and already bossing me around Mrs McKay."
As I pull on his hand to get him to start moving out of the room I look over my shoulder, "husband you seemed to like when I bossed you around in our hotel room."
He quickly pulls me back and kisses my neck, "yes I did. I love your possessive side."
"I'm only possessive of you."
"Ditto."