Authors Note: I own nothing. No ownership rights to Beverly Hills 90210.

Chapter Sixteen

He was completely insane, there was no way me or my wife could agree to this shit. It was making my blood boil listening to it, and if I didn't cut off his condescending tone I'd do something I would regret.

"Mr Walsh you really expect us to just stop our relationship and be friends; sorry friends who can only see each other outside of school when it's a whole group event?"

"Yes. We think this is a reasonable compromise. We no longer support a relationship between the two of you, it's just too unhealthy lying and sneaking around, Brenda leaving home. Then with your father out, well we won't have Brenda spending time with criminals. Dylan your father had a reputation for associating with some very shady people, they have a reputation as being dangerous. Cindy and I won't allow her to be around him and those risks. With our already significant concerns and now with your father home we just don't see how this relationship is sustainable. We however appreciate Brenda's point that you are all friends a very tight group, therefore a total ban either cuts Brenda off from the group or you, we think either option is problematic for all and will place your friends in a difficult position. Therefore, you can be friends at school and Brenda can go out and attend whole group activities but she will be driven by Brandon, or Kelly or Donna, and she is no longer to be alone with you."

He was crazy!

"Dad don't you think this is a little extreme? Maybe we could meet half-way Dylan and I could still date, but at most it's dinners over here twice a week and only one night a week are we able able to go out for a date, you could even approve the venue. We can promise I won't meet Jack until you and mum are more comfortable. Maybe we could have a dinner the six of us so you could meet him, it might calm down your concerns?"

"Brenda this is not a negotiation, as your parents and as you live under our roof we have to set boundaries. We are setting these boundaries not as a punishment but because Dylan and your relationship has become unhealthy it is too codependent- it's not right. You would know this, the both of you would if you had more experience in what normal stable relationships look like. It's because of this lack of experience that your mother and I would also like you to start dating other people."

He was fucking crazy!

I'm on my feet about to take my wife out of this house permanently. We can hire the best lawyers tie up this so by the time an annulment would be official it would be too late. Bren can read me better than anyone else she knows that this has made my blood boil she's on her feet placing her palm hard against my chest digging in my wedding ring so I can feel it. "Dylan take a breath okay let's see if we can discuss this further."

"Brenda there is no discussion your mother and I have decided."

As he was speaking she held my eyes but when he ripped away any shot at reasoning she closes hers and breathes deep, exhaling through her nose. Before she turns to face them both I can see her blood was now boiling along with mine though she was trying to keep her head, "so you're demanding I date other people, when I'm already in love. How on earth is that respectful of my feelings or the poor person I date?"

"Brenda dear we aren't asking you to have a relationship with them but just to see what else is out there. You never know it might give you a perspective that helps you understand where we are coming from." Cindy's reasoning patient tone was doing nothing to calm me or her daughter.

"Mum I don't want to date anyone else, I'm in love with Dylan. You of all people have always liked Dylan how are you supportive of this, how are you supportive of something that's going to hurt the both of us?"

"You're right I do like Dylan but that is why I'm supportive of this. I think it's unfair to stop you being friends altogether but I also think for both your sakes you need to take a step back. I was hoping the summer would give you both that time and space but you obviously have clung to each other more. From his lack of surprise at every story you and Donna told tonight over dinner it seems he was continuously in contact with you which was not the point of sending you to Paris."

"No the point was because you didn't want to deal with me anymore, and you would rather threaten Dylan to try and make him force me to go- doing your dirty work, you'd rather do that than sit down and talk it out. When did we become this family that manipulates and avoids problems?"

Jim barks out, "when you got mixed up with him. Chose him over your own family." His tone of frustration has me stepping even closer to my wife, with both of my hands finding purchase on her hips.

My closer presence calms her enough to reign in her anger, I'm thankful one of us is able to see through the fog of red as I can't. "Say we follow through on this plan of yours how are you going to make me date other people? I'll just refuse."

"You will be following through on this plan there is no uncertainty on that but you are right we can't force you to date other people but I hope you would try out of respect of your mothers and my wishes." At that her father stands and moves closer to her I grip her hips tighter instinctively trying to hold her to me knowing he is trying to take her from me, "honey we are worried that this is all you know and you don't see how unhealthy it is. You both are young you shouldn't be dealing with dependency issues, criminal parents-"

"In other words your daughter shouldn't be dragged into my life, have to deal with me." The reasons I'm not good enough, at least he is finally voicing them out loud.

"Dylan when you are older and have kids of your own you'll understand." Back with the patronising tone, "from the get go it's been a lot between you two, yes your issues are part of it but also Brenda's health scare, the pregnancy scare, Emily nearly setting herself on fire, the hold up… look you guy's have been thrown into a number of chaotic events we just think you are confusing those events, the trauma of them, and your own issues, incorporating them into your relationship making it something it's not. We want you to separate so you can gain perspective. For you to see and be apart of healthy relationships ones that are not based on people learning to survive trauma together. That's not love."

"Dad that's not what we are, we aren't like that. Yes we have gone through a lot but what makes us us is not those events, what makes us happy is that we enjoy talking to each other, being quiet studying together or reading. We like washing dishes together, we like sharing the everyday normal things. The trauma happens but it's the other things, the normal everyday things that gives us the ability to cope with it so well. You don't need to be worried that we are like that-"

"You're right I don't need to be worried as this is over between you two."

He was refusing to listen to any reasoning, he believed as always that he was right, that he knew us. No one knows us, our love was ours it was special. "And if we don't agree Jim what then?"

"Our good friends in Buffalo this summer offered Brenda a place there. It's not what we want but Brenda you know the family well, they are family and Val is there. You will have your best friend since childhood, you can have your senior year together like you planned as kids- going to prom-"

"You'll send me away for the year?" Her tone is devastated, she had written them every couple of days from Paris she tried to mend fences didn't even engage in the family fight over Jim's threat and they still would rather send her away.

Her father at least hears the hurt in her tone and tries to soothe it. "We don't want to but we will if we have to."

"Can I speak to Dylan alone please?"

"N-"

"Of course honey. Come on Jim let's finish off the dishes from this evening."

Once they were out of sight I pull her close, "okay get your stuff we are going back to our home tonight this is ridiculous."

"Dylan we can't." I move around to face her shocked at what I'm hearing. She runs her fingers down my cheek to calm my obvious surprise and concern that we aren't on the same page with this. "Honestly, if we did that I don't trust them to not call the cops, which could impact on Jack's parole. He can't be seen to be harbouring a minor or at least condoning it. We agreed to give you and your parents time, put your family our McKay family first, even if it caused problems here."

Her including herself in the McKay family brings the closest thing to a smile on my face since we sat down for this ludicrous chat. "So we go along with this stupid idea? I'm never divorcing you and that's the only way we can break up now, and you better believe I'm not having my wife date other people."

"Baby of course we aren't doing any of that but we knew we might have to lay low for a couple of months, it's just till my birthday and we can still see each other at school and even socialise together, it's more than we thought we might get."

"That's before you were my wife- it's not enough." I can hear the whine in my own voice and I don't care, those promises on the bridge those vows they are part of me now- she's apart of me now.

"No it's not enough but we can make this work. You are my best friend so publicly outside of school when we are here or in a group we focus on that, and then who is going to be regulating us during the day? Who is going to stop us holding hands or kissing there in the hallways?"

I'm quiet for a long moment, I hate this it's ridiculous but she's right we could hire the best lawyers to tie this up so there would be no annulment in time for it to mean anything but it could impact Jack's parole. It could impact whatever stretching shit my parents were scarring me with every morning. "The minute that clock turns twelve on your birthday you are out of here. The minute we don't have to live this charade we stop."

"Agreed."

"Dating-"

"I remember our vows baby I choose you each time, each commitment I chose you, chose us. I didn't promise you with obedience or to adhere to others rules and expectations. I swore Je le veux."

I kiss her lips and pull her closer, getting married in France was the best idea I have ever had. Every thing from the timing, the romance of the city, to the French traditions was her and me. As I pull back I rest my forehead on hers, "I know one day we agreed to have a ceremony here but I don't even think then should we say I do."

"You want to stick with Je Le veux?"

"Yes. I always want you to declare to me that you want it. I want it to be clear that while we may need each other, while we may be connected… you maybe my other half but it's still a choice. You and I have vowed Je le veux."

She translates the traditional French response to each vow in a wedding, "I want it" and then she kisses me slowly.

When we both feel our time alone is running out we separate. "Should we walk in there and make them think they have won but advise them that we will be revisiting this at your birthday? He'll know if we are both too compliant and agree without more anger that something is up."

"Not my birthday I don't want to make them actually follow through with Buffalo to buy more time of us being apart. If they realise they have no shot in a couple of months they may take that option instead. I'll push prom that if we still want to be together by prom which we will they allow."

I laugh, "yeah that will work. Ready Mrs McKay to be the talented actress enraged at them both?"

"Believe me no acting is involved to find that anger, but we decided to jump into the grownup route which means we consider every move to ensure we make it to our goal."

"Us wearing our rings," I pick out her chain that holds her platinum ring the matching one to mine, and her pear shaped diamond ring with it's platinum diamond band. It's a big ring but something about it reminded me of Bren, traditional in shape but the band making it contemporary. She pulls out my one as well. "Soon these go on and never come off again, soon we will be openly sharing forever together."

"Exactly that's the goal Husband but first we need to be patient."