(Asked their favorite couple in the series:) "I'll answer first, I'll jump in here and some would say this, uh, would be a hard answer, but for me, uh - Dylan and Brenda. And I wanted to say that 'cause I wanted to bring this up that … here's the deal, none of us are up here today without Shannen." (speaks sweetly about Shan, Jennie cuts in at one point.) "The deal is, though, the reality is she's a very big part of the success of that program. And I, I - when I say it, I - I mean it, we wouldn't be here without her. Before our characters got together [KD,] that - that was - that was the romance, you know, on the show." (speaks sweetly of Shan again.) - Luke (RIP!)
"Can we talk about Dylan and Kelly now?" - Tori
"Well, and then there comes dessert." - Luke
- RewindCon, November 2016
(So is Luke saying Bren was the whole meal and Kelly was just the "sweet," but extremely unhealthy dessert? I'd call that sweet justice.)
xx
A waning sun shadowed the architectural ruins of Phthia, highlighting the mood of its most tragic resident. Mournful cries filled the room, tapering off before they reached the point of overreaction.
"'Only beware lest they fall upon us twain in some lonely spot upon the road and force me from thee.'"
The words drifted through a captivated audience, a substantial number of whom sat on the edges of their seats in sheer anticipation of the lamenting widow's next step.
"...when they see thy age, my weakness, and this child's tender years; take heed to this, that we be not a second time made captive, after escaping now.'"
"'Forbear such words, prompted by a woman's cowardice,'" he began, fading from her concentration until he concluded, "'For e'en an old man, be he brave, is worth a host of raw youths; for what avails a fine figure if a man is coward?'"
They exited and remained in the wings, until the chorus' final chant.
Brenda walked onto the stage for curtain call, bowing to tremendous applause. Extensive cheers permeated the air, prompting her to take a second bow and bob in a slight curtsy for extra effect.
She gleefully jumped into the arms of her fellow thespian as they congratulated each other on a job well done.
Once in her dressing room, Brenda prepared to remove her costume. Startled into swiftly readjusting her ensemble when a knock sounded at the door, she called for the intruder to come in.
"Brenda," said Theo, popping in his head, "some people are asking if you would be willing to sign a few autographs."
"Autographs?" she asked, eyes squinched in skepticism, "I didn't expect to be asked for autographs over here."
"You're a West End star and didn't think that would translate to global fame?"
"Global fame?" she queried, stunned.
"At least with the audience out there."
He left her to ponder the idea of being a global superstar. It seemed an exaggeration, for her fame surely lacked outside of the theatre world.
Brenda changed into her street clothes and went to greet her fans.
She embellished her signature onto a program, eyes trained on the loops of her name.
"Yeah! Brenda! Way to go!"
"Bren, you were amazing!"
"So glad we were able to come, Brenda. You were prodigious."
"Andrea, can't you just say she was cool?"
"That wouldn't be adequate diction, Steve."
"Whatever you say, Professor Zuckerman."
Brenda glanced up with a wide grin, seeing her friends traipse towards her.
"So, are you my adoring fans?" she asked teasingly.
"After that performance?" Steve said. "Forget adoring fan; I'm your number one fan."
"Get in line, pal," said Brandon, gathering his sister to kiss the side of her head.
"So you lads did make it," she replied, her smile broadening.
"Of course we made it," said Steve, holding out a bouquet arranged with several flowers native to California. "And I think I've figured out a way for at least one of us to always be at your performance."
She expressed her gratitude to the group and held the aromatic arrangement up to her nose, inhaling deeply.
Sweet California poppies.
"That's lovely, Steve, but inessential; I mean, you all have kids and -"
"Nonsense," Andrea waved off, "Erin is a perfectly capable baby-sitter we already enlist regularly and do you honestly believe we aren't going to grab every possible moment with you?"
"Silver," corrected Kelly Taylor with a slight smile.
Brenda looked at the group, who all wore determined expressions. She brought their bouquet closer in hopes of disguising her swelling emotion.
"Now," Steve continued, "we need one representative for each of your productions and someone needs to stay on hand to keep an eye on Brandon."
"Hang on, Steve, I'm sure I -"
"Yeah right, B," Dylan snorted, "we just got you back. Really think we'll let you be on your own?"
Brenda and Brandon exchanged silent communication.
"Minnesota Twins telepathy alert!" said David Silver, waving to get their attention.
The former videographer-turned-recording artist appeared considerably older than in their last interaction, primarily because he'd still been quite young at the time.
His wife Donna shook her head.
Brenda moved forward to embrace the Silvers, with her brother, Steve and Andrea hurrying forth to join the three.
In her peripheral vision, she observed Kelly regarding the group with a forlorn expression and Dylan's steady focus on the stage.
"Get in here, guys!" Brandon called.
They glanced at each other, stalled a moment and then came swooping in, the last pieces to Beverly Hills' off-kilter human Tetris.
"Eight. There's eight of us," Steve said, "eight people who have been and will always be family, okay? No matter how far apart we live," his gaze flickered to Brenda, "or how badly we screw up," he winked at Dylan, "or how many kids we have," he let out a yelp of pain after receiving slight whacks from the Silver spouses, "this, right here, it's our home and there isn't a damn person in the universe who can take that from us, ever again."
"Never again," agreed the alumni of West Beverly High.
"I'm just glad you didn't give that speech before I had to go on," Brenda said, separating as she used the edge of her hand to wipe underneath her eye.
Brandon laughed and hugged her to his side, with Donna gently clutching her other arm.
"God, Bren," she said, "I can't believe you're actually here."
"I can't believe it myself," Brenda said.
"I third that," said Brandon.
"Yeah? Well, I fourth it," added Steve, swinging an arm around his friend's shoulder.
"I fifth, sixth and seventh it," said Dylan, "and therefore, I win."
"Well, I eighth it," chimed David.
They all looked at him.
"What?" he said, "Steve did say there's eight of us."
Brenda giggled and granted the younger man a second embrace.
"So anyway, Bren," said Steve, "it's admittedly gonna be trickier the farther you get up the coast, but NorCal isn't for another what, six weeks?"
She nodded, sandwiched between two Silvers reluctant to let her go.
"Right, so you have a performance every Saturday afternoon and some Friday evenings, with Sundays for sure off. That means we can have someone in Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo and someone with a jet in San Fran and Santa Rosa."
"A jet? That seems a bit over-the-top," Brenda said, concerned about the environmental impact of her San Francisco performance if one or more of her friends insisted on flying out.
"It's a six hour drive up to San Fran," Steve pointed out, "and that's -"
"Without traffic," replied the group in unison.
"Hey, buddy, pretty sure SF locals hate having their city called San Fran," Brandon noted, drumming his fingers along Steve's shoulder.
"Whatever, Brandon, they're NorCal," he brushed off. "Problem is, none of us have a jet," he continued in a frown.
"Iris' partner has a jet," Dylan said, "I'll ask if we can use it."
"Yeah and I can have Jesse check with his friends," added Andrea.
Brenda gaped at the idea of the altruistic woman requesting of her ex-husband to use his connections simply for a performance.
"Don't worry; Jesse and I get along great," Andrea quickly stated, noticing her friend's expression.
"My sister's engaged to some billionaire with a fleet of private jets," said Donna in pensive thought, still clinging to Brenda, "maybe we can persuade them."
"Donna, your sister hates you," she remarked.
"Yeah, but she loves David."
Her husband nodded.
"I'll check with Gina," he said.
"Really, lads, this just seems excessive. There's no need for you to fly north every time I perform," Brenda said, "though I do appreciate the thought, swear."
"Brenda, Brenda, Brenny Bren," Steve replied, placing a hand on the shoulder free of Donna's head, "every time? No, that would be wasteful. I'm thinking more like driving up to Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo, then one, two, three of us fly up for a week or so and fly back."
"But, you all have kids," she tried again.
"Right, so it would have to be someone with a younger kid or sans kids, flexible hours, can work away from the office, maybe doesn't have an office, has the cash for a week's stay in San Fran."
They all turned towards Dylan.
"Oh yeah, that'll go over well," he sniggered, examining the only pair of eyes focused in the opposite direction.
Attempting to hide cheeks stained by more than just makeup, Brenda glanced at a quiet Kelly.
"I can easily take my work with me," noted Donna, who appeared to be mentally playing out a future scenario. "David has no problem watching the kids. Don't you, David?"
"Donna, I've told you before," he replied with a smile, "you can't baby-sit your own kids. It's just called being a parent."
"And I'm pretty free for a while," added Brandon, cuddling Kelly on one side whilst holding Andrea's hand on the other.
"I can stay a bit when the paper covers SF," the latter said.
"Then me and Mads can come up on the weekends," concluded Steve.
"Well," stammered an astonished Brenda, "I mean, uh...thanks."
He bent slightly, leaning his head down to place a kiss on top of hers.
"We love you, Bren."
"And whatever kept you away this long," David added, ruffling her hair, "we want to make sure you know you can always come home, even if it's just for the holidays."
"And even if Brandon isn't around," Donna said.
"Oh, Brando won't be going anywhere," replied Dylan firmly, "not if we can help it."
Overcome with emotion to the point that tears would inevitably build, she was relieved to spot Theo in the crowd.
Waving him over, she turned her gaze to the group.
"Theo, this is everyone. Everyone, this is Theo Fletcher," Brenda gestured proudly, "he's acquainted with my dear friend Shane who persuaded me to join the troupe when they lost their lead at the last minute."
"Wachinski," growled Dylan, almost inaudibly.
"Then we have you to thank for bringing our Bren back," said Steve, gratefully shaking Theo's hand.
"No bother," he replied, "Jammy to get Brenda. She's great craic."
Steve gawked, confused.
"I'll explain later," she told him.
"Brenda," said Theo, motioning for their team to begin tearing down the set, "mind helping Isla with the costumes?"
"Of course not," she replied, swiftly rejecting offers of aid from her friends.
Carrying a pile of costumes to the rented van, Brenda took a moment to compose herself. Even after almost twenty years, the kids from Beverly Hills still managed to mystify her.
Allowing a brief moment alone, she observed the sky fade into an artist's palette and, for the first time, discovered a shred of gratitude for her return to California.
"Kelly?" asked Brenda as she hurried back up the steps, "what are you doing out here?"
"Just thinking," Kelly said, rubbing her elbows.
"About what?"
"Triangles."
"What?" Brenda questioned, visage marred by confusion.
"Or more like squares."
"Not you, too," she groaned.
"What?"
"Brandon. He mentioned something similar."
"Oh," Kelly said.
Eyes that matched the blue of the dress she wore glittered in reply.
"Listen, about Dylan -" she started.
"We don't need to talk about Dylan," Brenda insisted.
"No, Bren, we do need to."
"No, we really don't. Look, forget about it, okay? You found a way to have them both. Brandon is still madly in love with you and you have Dylan's son."
"Brenda, did your brother tell you about when we miscarried?" Kelly said quietly.
"Yeah, he mentioned it a few times."
"They told me I was unlikely to ever bear children," Kelly reminded her with a sad half-smile.
"Yeah, but the doctors were wrong. You have Sammy."
"No, Brenda, they weren't."
"They weren't what?"
"Wrong."
"Kel, what are you saying?"
"Look, just talk to Dylan, okay?"
"I can't promise that, Kelly."
"Bren, if you fly back to London without hearing him out, you're going to regret it," she sighed, "kind of like I do."
"You regret not listening to Dylan?" asked Brenda, confounded.
"I regret a lot of things," she replied, "but none of them come close to how much I wish I hadn't stolen your boyfriend in high school."
"Kelly, are you high?" inquired a startled Brenda, searching for signs of drug use.
"Brenda, of course not."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm not high. I've been clean for forever. This is just years of therapy talking."
"You've been in therapy? I thought you said you'd never go back after Jackie dragged you."
"You think I'd be able to function after everything I've been through without therapy?" Kelly asked skeptically.
"I mean, I don't know the details, but what Brandon did tell me - yeah, therapy was probably a good idea. But, babe, I think you've overpaid your therapist. You didn't steal him. As I recall, he came willingly."
"Bren, please just let me talk without bringing in the twenty-first century feminism, okay?" Kelly begged, planting herself on a concrete step lining the building.
"It isn't just the twenty-first century; women have been trying to tell us for decades that -"
"Brenda, one day I hope to be married to your brother and unless you're about to morph into Andrea and start spouting the history of feminism, this needs to be said before Brandon and I make it anywhere near an aisle."
She ceased the planned monologue, sliding down beside her former friend.
"I had a choice," Kelly began, "yeah, Dylan did too, he absolutely did and I can see now that he made the wrong one, but you were my best friend and my sister, even before Donna. Let's not sit here and pretend I didn't demolish the girl code or that I didn't ask him out when you first started dating. I tried to stop it, I did, but Bren, if I really wanted to stop it, then we never would have started. I asked him at that hotel, you know? I asked him if he only wanted me because you weren't there and he couldn't even give me a straight answer."
Concentrating on Kelly's confession, Brenda's imagination drifted towards the evening she declined an invitation to Jack McKay's party at the Bel Age Hotel and what may have transpired instead if she'd gone.
"I should've ended it then, but I didn't. Brandon said I was like his sister, Kyle was gay, Steve wanted me but I didn't want him, Jake vanished, you and Donna were in Paris, and then there was the beach club, a volleyball tournament and Dylan, equally lonely Dylan."
Brenda debated the appropriateness of excusing herself in search of a water bottle for the rapidly crumbling spring princess.
"Bren," she continued, "I know I haven't been the greatest at showing it, but I really do love you. You and your family helped me through so much, especially in high school, everything with my mom, getting David for a brother which I really hated and it's so silly now because I can't picture life without him or Mel. Look how I repaid you."
"Kel, we don't have to go into it more than you already did. People keep trying to talk to me about teenage mistakes - I don't know, maybe too much sun negatively affects the mind or maybe having Brandon back is screwing with everyone. I think it's better if we all just move on."
"I don't want to move on from you, Brenda," she replied softly. "Except for Donna and Andrea, I've never been too great at making friends with other women. Not like you. I'd known Donna for ages, but you were the first real friend I ever had and I didn't realize at the time how important that is. When all the stuff happened with Colin and then - and then Allison, God, I can't tell you how much I wanted to call you. I don't expect us to be the same as we were, but we're grown women and we've both experienced a lot. We love the same people. It's stupid to keep ignoring each other. Can we at least try to be friends?"
Brenda chewed her lower lip, turning the question repeatedly through her mind. In a plethora of vivid dreams about returning to California, she never envisioned such a moment. They were indeed older and understood shared trauma, Kelly most of all. She acknowledged a refreshed dynamic between the two would certainly allow for simpler interactions within the group and significantly less discomfort for their mutual friends.
"You know what, Kelly?" she began.
The other woman winced, arms tensed in the manner of a high-ranked general discussing a strategic attack for an ongoing war.
"I'd actually," Brenda hesitated, "really like that."
Kelly tossed an arm around her back, gratitude shining through watery eyes.
"You might want to consider doubling your therapist's pay," Brenda said, eliciting a laugh from the blonde.
"Thank you, Bren," she replied as they tilted their respective heads until Brenda's lay on Kelly's shoulder.
"I hope I won't regret this, Kel."
"You won't. I swear."
Kelly stood and squeezed Brenda's hand.
"Now, if you'll excuse me," she said, removing a hairbrush from her purse and smoothing out the flyaways, "I believe Brandon is waiting."
Brenda smiled, turning her head to watch Kelly flounce off and skip past a shadowy figure leaning against the building.
"Hey," said the shadow, stepping closer.
"Hi."
"You were incredible in there."
"Thanks."
"I heard you talking to Kelly," Dylan confessed, his unsteady hand moving to grasp the metal rail above her head.
"How much did you hear?" inquired Brenda as she jumped to her feet.
"Just the end," he said quickly, "glad you two worked it out."
"Yeah," she replied, moving to reenter the theatre.
"Brenda," said Dylan, bolting between his ex and the doorway, "can we - can we work it out?"
"Work out what, Dylan?" she asked.
"This tension between us," he replied, motioning first to himself and then to the headstrong woman halted in her strides.
"What tension?"
"Brenda," he scowled, "don't do that."
"Do what?" she replied, innocence weaving through her countenance.
"You know what."
She fiddled with her bracelet.
"Kel said we need to talk."
"She's right, Bren," he replied, peering into her wary gaze, "we do need to talk. I've tried to tell you."
"What, about your son? My life is going wonderfully without learning the sordid details of his conception, thanks."
"Brenda. Just hear me out, please? I will literally stand here and beg you, if that's what it takes."
She glowered, locking her arms tightly against her chest.
"Fine, but be quick."
Dylan allowed a relieved half-smile and walked towards her.
She stepped away, nearly slamming her backside into a pole.
He paused in place, lips folding into a frown, and slid a quavering hand through brunet locks flattened significantly in contrast to the high hair of his adolescence.
"Bren, when we heard about Brandon, it was like our universes collapsed - Kel's especially. She convinced herself she was cursed. We had Sanders and Andrea and the Silvers, but the one person we both wanted to talk to was half a world away and wouldn't return our calls."
"So you slept together," she interjected.
"We hung out."
"And had sex."
"Platonically."
"You platonically had sex?"
"No! Dammit, I didn't hook up with Kel, okay?" he said, bringing his hands together.
"Pretty sure you have to hook up to make a baby, Dylan," she replied tersely.
"Not this baby," he countered.
"Look, there's no point in doing this, especially here. I'm just gonna -"
"Sammy isn't my son, Bren," Dylan said, rushing to stop her. "He's my nephew."
Effectively stilled by his words, Brenda's eyebrows creased in bemusement.
"Yeah, okay, so Brandon's magic sperm crossed the ocean and implanted itself in Kelly? That's ridiculous, Dylan."
"He isn't Brandon's."
"Kel slept with Steve?"
"No."
"Dylan, you can't honestly expect me to stand here and believe David cheated on Donna with her best friend Kelly. They're like siblings."
"That's repulsive."
"Do you have other brothers I don't know about?"
"Goddamit, Brenda, will you stop playing Nancy Drew and let me explain?"
Unbothered to camoflauge vexation, she flicked her hand as an indication for Dylan to continue.
"After they got engaged - again - Brandon and Kel talked adoption. They had a kid lined up all ready to go."
"Yeah," she said, "I remember. He was really excited to be a dad."
"And then he disappeared," said Dylan, his throat caving in a hard swallow.
Brenda felt the prickled skin that served as an intimate, unwanted companion during her brother's absence. Despite the balmy evening, her hands folded together for warmth.
"Well, the adoption agency wasn't too happy with letting Kel adopt as a single parent sans golden boy, what with her drug history and everything. She tried other agencies, but they all said their hands were tied. She was getting desperate."
"So she slept with Steve and you're," Brenda paused in bewilderment, "raising his kid? Does Steve know?"
"Brenda."
"Right, sorry. Go on."
"Do you remember Erica?"
"Erica? Your little sister? Yeah, I remember her. I think Brandon helped her out once. She was a sweet kid. I liked her a lot."
"Yeah. She liked you, too."
"What does your sister have to do with this?"
"Everything," he spoke slowly, dragging out the word.
"I don't get it."
"Erica showed up at my door about five, six months after Brandon disappeared. She was in a real bad way, Bren."
"What do you mean, Dylan?"
"I mean her shithead boyfriend kicking her out, trying to stay clean, four months pregnant, the whole enchilada. Desperately needed money and the last thing she wanted was to be a mother. Talked about giving up the kid for cash when it was born."
"What? Erica sold her child?"
"No, Brenda," he replied pointedly. "My sister did not sell her baby, okay? We wouldn't let her."
"We?"
"Kel really wanted a kid; Erica didn't. It was a simple solution."
Brenda's jaw slackened, emitting a soft gasp in the dawning of concealed truth.
"Sammy is -" she said, unable to speak through a rapidly dehydrating throat.
"Yeah, Bren," he said, head moving up and down in repetitive fashion, "You get it now?"
She placed both hands over her mouth.
"I - I think so," Brenda hesitated.
Dylan emphatically waved one extended hand, gesturing for her to continue.
"Sammy is Erica's son," she breathed whilst a weight rivaling Stonehenge lifted off of her chest.
"Well done, Nancy."
"But if Sammy is adopted, how come everyone said -"
One hand subconsciously drifting towards her elbow, Dylan barreled on.
"Kel stayed with Erica down at my place in Baja until the kid was born. She came back with this brown-eyed baby, they all knew we'd spent time together and it was long after he could've been Brandon's. They hadn't seen her enough before Baja to know if she rounded out. Our well-meaning, clueless friends put two and two together and got sixteen. Made it easier - no red tape, no questions. I didn't have to lose another person in my family; Kel finally got her kid. Erica wouldn't say who the father was. We put my name on the birth certificate in case he came looking later and decided to raise Sammy together, platonically," he said, an extra punch sounding through the last word.
"You never told anyone?"
"What was the point? Brandon was gone. None of us knew if he'd be back. Andrea might've noticed something if it were any other time, but not with the divorce, Brando and dealing with Rose's illness one on top of the other. Kel was alone. You were probably macking on Euston."
"Who's Euston?"
"Who's Euston?" he repeated, examining Brenda in rapt disbelief.
"Am I supposed to know who Euston is?"
"You're kidding me, right? Euston. Euston Vaughn? The guy you dumped me for?"
"Oh my god," Brenda said, her features displaying slow recognition, "I haven't seen Euston since the nineties."
"You haven't?" Dylan asked.
"Euston Vaughn moved to Geneva the year after you left. He's an instructor at the Grand Théâtre de Genève. We just kind of lost touch. Guess I'm good at that."
He stumbled against the theatre's stucco wall, gobsmacked.
"You don't even talk to the guy you dumped me for?"
"I didn't dump you for Euston, Dylan."
"Sure felt like it, Bren."
"Was I supposed to just accept your jealousy every time you saw me with another man? Men I worked with?" she asked, bristling.
"No," he hesitated, "no, that wasn't fair to you."
"Yeah," she replied in surprise, recollecting herself, "it wasn't."
Dylan played with her fingers.
"I can't be this fantastic rom-com guy and tell you that I've always loved you because it wouldn't be true. That day in London - you really hurt me, Bren."
"And you hurt me," she quietly countered.
"Yeah, I know. I was a stupid, jealous asshole and I'm sorry, okay?"
The unexpected apology caused her heart rate to gain enough speed that it could easily power a jet ski.
"Wow," she murmured. "I - thank you. Uh, listen, I'm not going to apologize for what I did, but I am sorry for the way I did it. I never should've slammed the door in your face."
"Well," he said, lips smacking together in deep contemplation, "I probably deserved that."
"No, you didn't. And Dylan, you don't have to apologize. It was a long time ago. We're -"
"Bren, I've kept this to myself Maddie's entire life. Really don't want to still be thinking about it when she's in high school."
"We've a while until that, Dylan."
"Just let me finish, okay?"
Placing an imaginary lock on her lips and tossing the invisible key over her shoulder, she stood silently.
Dylan's breath exhaled in shaky spurts. Gently, his fingers slowly cupped around Brenda's wrist.
She tilted her head downward, eliminating eye contact. He moved his own head to make avoidance impossible.
"I was so scared people like Shane Wachinski and Euston Vaughn were going to take you away from me that I let them do exactly that. But it wasn't their fault, Bren. It was mine. You were right. I thought I trusted you, but truth is, I didn't. Hell," he scoffed, "after my dad and Toni and you moving to a whole other country? I didn't trust anyone."
"Not even me," she replied, downcast in a flood of memories.
"Especially not you," he murmured. "The thought of losing you, again? It killed me."
"If I meant that much to you," Brenda replied in a small, almost childlike voice, "why did you choose Kelly?"
"I didn't choose Kelly," he said, his tone firm.
"You chased after her when you returned to Beverly Hills and officially got back together with her at Donna's wedding, Dylan. Everyone knows that."
"Bren, you made it pretty clear we were over and I knew I couldn't go back down that road. I couldn't pine, either. Kel was easy. It wasn't like high school or CU. Brandon was in DC; you were overseas. We didn't have to be alone. We didn't fight - not as much as we used to, anyway. It was alright, at first."
Her back stiffening, Brenda formulated a hasty exit from the purportedly poetic history of Dylan McKay and Kelly Taylor.
"Then came the Brendas."
"I'm sorry, the Brendas?" she said, carefully planned strategy vanishing in the way of bubbles through blades of grass.
"Yeah, the Brendas, the Brandons. You Walshes climbed into our bed and didn't even know it."
"Thanks for the visual," she groaned, vigorously shaking out his mental portrait from her mind.
"Kel started to moan Brandon's name in her sleep. I confronted her. She said I did the same with yours. We both agreed the soulmate thing was bullshit or maybe it's not, who knows and honestly Bren, who cares? What's the point of being soulmates if you're miserable? We were looking for something neither could give the other. She reconnected with Brando, flew off to DC and I - went to London to punch Shane Wachinski."
"You did what?" Brenda asked, stunned.
"Kidding," he replied, giving a slight chuckle.
"I was gonna say -"
"I took a job with a surf school in Baja. Went down to Pichilemu for a few months."
"Steve said you haven't left California."
"Sanders has a selective memory."
Overwhelmed by the multitude of confessions and apologies laid upon her in a single night and in the week since she arrived in California, Brenda tried to keep her composure.
"Then Brandon's assignment sent him off to Le Côte d'Ivoire. Steve told us about Janet; Andrea divorced. They were both struggling. David and Donna tried to help, but there was only so much they could do with the kids. Kel moved back and you know the rest."
"Were you ever going to tell anyone?"
"Yeah. We're planning to tell Sammy when he's a little older so he won't find out the way Steve did. Bottom line is, he's a great kid and we both love him. I think you would, too."
Her arms began to shake, heart rattling in her chest.
"What does that mean?" she asked, voice bordering on a squeak.
"It means I'm not willing to spend the rest of my life without you in it, even if it's only as my friend," he replied definitively. "Twice now, I've known a life apart from you and it's not one I want."
Shell-shocked, she considered his words.
"So now that you know Kel and I didn't betray another Walsh, I sure as hell didn't knock her up and I'm not the worst person in the world," he said, inching an arm around Brenda's neck to place it directly beneath her hair, "can I please get a damn hug? Everyone else has."
"I never thought you were the worst person in the world," Brenda's lowered voice replied.
"No?" he queried with a cock of his head.
"Well," she continued, gradually breaking into a beaming smile, "maybe in my world."
Noticeably relieved, Dylan pulled her to him. Feeling Brenda relax into his embrace, he held her closely.
"I missed you," Dylan said, voice muffled against her hair.
"I missed you, too," she whispered, allowing her tears to meld with the fabric of his denim jacket.
xx
Thank you to everyone reading, whether you have left reviews, followed, favorited the story (already?!) or simply just sat back and enjoyed. I've reached the point of the rewatch where they've thrown Dylan completely out-of-character, B/D are broken up and there's no turning back from DK. Screw that soulmate bullshit. They shoved it in our faces enough that it can't just vanish canonically, but I hate it immensely.
DylanLovesBrenda: It's a little like a game of telephone. The gang did know at one point that B/D were together in London, but the memory has faded over time with some of them and overall thought of as unimportant. Steve realizes something happened in London - though can't be sure of what - Brandon knows the full details (to an extent) and Bren hoped the longer she pretended nothing happened, they would just forget the whole situation. Dylan shut down about it completely. Or maybe that's a bit too much overthinking. - + Guest001 - I enjoy Pete and other commentators on the podcast. Not big on Chuck. I do like Larry a lot; I'm unsure if he changed his tune over the years, but he's consistently been a B/D fan for a bit now.
silentlyreader - Agree, they've both moved on.
[*Dialogue from Euripides' Andromache.]