Authors Note: I own nothing. No ownership rights to Beverly Hills 90210.
Beverly Hills
"Baby are you sure you are up for this, this bug-"
"I'm felling better, well a bit anyway, and as long as I go for only bland food I shouldn't upset my stomach too much."
"Okay, just don't let your twin talk you into ice cream, and no candy yams."
I reach out and rub the back of his neck, "you know you are such a worrier now."
"Only about you. You are the essential, the only essential element of my life."
That has me reaching over and kissing his lips, as I pull back I give him the sass he loves. "McKay you know I already said yes you really don't need to work this hard."
"Actually future McKay it means I need to work harder, I want a happy wife."
"We should go in as they'll see us out here soon." Dylan grumbles at that but gets out of the car and goes to the trunk to collect our Christmas gifts for all of them.
When we get to the door I hesitate, do I ring the doorbell? Dylan as always makes the decision for me and simply opens the door and then indicates for me to walk through. They see me first and it's boisterous yells from the full lounge room of "Brenda" from my Dad, Brandon and Donna. It's when Dylan comes into view behind me does the sound and smiles fade.
My twin recovers first, "sister did you find a stray in Europe?" He's on his feet walking towards us, "Jones good to see someone was able to wrangle you back home finally. Hopefully, your wandering is over and you're back for a while?" He asks the last question as Dylan and him do their finger click handshake.
"Hey B, yeah no can do on the staying, I'm due back at University on the sixth, and we promised some of our friends that we would head to New York on the way home to see them in their off Broadway show next week."
It's Andrea who picks up on the remarks immediately, "you're in London as well. Did you run into each other over there?"
Not even out of the doorway and the integration starts; I know it was expected but it irritates me- I hate being sick, it makes me grumpy. "No we didn't run into each other." I'm hoping that would be enough till we can at least hug everyone, people I haven't seen in over twelve months. It's not, the look of expectation on everyone's face tells me that nothing will move forward until they know. Well let's get it over with.
"Dylan actually decided to give the Midwest a try. We attended our first semester at Minnesota together." I don't miss the subtle looks to Kelly from some in the room.
"And then when Bren got Paris we moved there-"
Kelly finally finds her voice but it's aimed at Dylan ringing with accusation, hurt and betrayal. "You've been back together all this time?"
My fiancé ignores the tones and instead smiles at me, "oh no. Miss Walsh here made me work to get back into her good grace's." I lift an eyebrow in question at him, "not that I'm complaining." He leans down and kisses my forehead. "No complaints at all."
"Why didn't you tell us?"
"Yes Donna, that's what Cindy and I would also like to know?"
We had agreed that we would only do this if it was the whole truth, no more hiding.
"Honestly, Dyl and I decided after everything here, after that meeting you had with Dylan Dad to help encourage him to send me to Paris. We decided that we just wanted to live drama free for a while concentrate on college, our careers, and each other." My Dad actually looked down at the reference to the meeting, unable to hold my eyes; Brandon looked between us the reporter in him telling him that there was a story of significance there.
My twin then decides to holt the integration obviously knowing that family business may be involved. "Well it's good to have you both home. Merry Christmas twin!" He leans in and hugs me and then Val picking up his attempts to break the tension launches herself at me.
The hug nearly knocks me down, Dylan immediately puts his hand on my lower back to steady me. "You must be Valerie. Careful with her, Bren managed to pick up a virus on the flight to Hawaii she's still a little fragile."
Val pulls back and gives me apologetic eyes, but it's my Mum's motherly instinct that kicks in and takes over the room. "Brenda you aren't well?"
I give Dylan a look, them knowing wasn't necessary. "I'm fine just a stomach bug. Iris gave me lots of herbal tea remedies so I'm feeling much better now."
My Mum's attention is instantly distracted by news of her friend. "You saw Iris, how is she?"
Dylan looks at my mum, "she's great and sends you her best, as well as a Christmas gift." He reaches into one of the bags and lifts out the present for my parents. He then looks at me, indicating if he should hand out the rest or under the tree. The tree appears to be swimming in gifts telling me that nothing had been exchanged yet, as always he reads the answer on my face without me opening my mouth.
By the time he's back by my side after putting the bags under the tree everyone is standing to greet us properly, handshakes and hugs are given out all around, though Kelly's hug to me is a little stiff and she simply nods at Dylan. When we both have drinks in our hands, and much to Dylan's relief I'm sitting down, the questions start back up; very casual at first.
They cover University, Dylan's offer to attend Oxford and his successes there this semester has even my Dad's eyes going large. It leads us on to his published stories that has both Andrea and Brandon asking to read them; he promises to email them both a copy when we are back home.
The home is what my twin picks up on. "So London is home now to you both?"
"For the time being, with Bren's scholarship and me attending Oxford we feel that it's where we will stay and finish our degree's. After that though we haven't decided."
"We will most likely wait to see if the universe offers up a new adventure."
Val smiles, "you seem very at peace with no long term plan what happened to my goal orientated best friend?" From her tone it's obvious she is teasing me.
"Don't worry Val, Bren is still a goal setter you should see the map she has that pinpoints all the places she wants to go over the next two summers."
"Hey some of them are yours too."
"I know Baby, your organisation is unfortunately rubbing off on me."
It's Steve that jokingly throws out a question that has me set a firmly awkward smile on my face; shit it wasn't supposed to come out so soon. "God McKay you sound so old, focusing on your career, life after college, seriously man when's the wedding? You guys do know you are only twenty right?"
While Steve's questions were full of sarcasm, Dylan who like me was adamant about being honest answered anyway. "Yeah we know we are twenty, but starting over in new cities, creating friendships and building a network of colleagues, it makes you grow up quickly. And the wedding we haven't set the date yet, we are still trying to decide on a location."
David practically sprayed his drink, choking at Dylan's clear indication that we were getting married, my father began to go red, and my twins eyes go large.
Val is the one who breaks the silence, "you are engaged? No way. Where did he ask? I bet it was romantic going off all the things he used to do for you in sophomore and junior year. Is there a ring?"
Trying to not focus on the reactions of others I look at my childhood best friend, "It was at our home, and yes Val it was romantic and a surprise, he managed to hide his plans very well."
"The ring?"
I had turned it in to face my palm, like I had done when we had arrived in Hawaii. Dylan and I wanted our families to see us together first, see our happiness, how mature we are, we wanted them to know we weren't the same people from senior year- for Dylan especially that was important to him. Once I have subtly moved the diamond outwards I lift my right hand that I had been using to cover my left. I then raised my hand out to Val.
"Oh my it's gorgeous and perfectly you; white gold emerald cut solitaire diamond, it's classic. That rock, it must be nearly four carrot."
The size and connection to the expense was not something I was willing to discuss, so rather than engage in that I just looked at Dylan. "It was all Dylan he asked with the ring it was even sized perfectly to me."
My fiancé who is sitting on the arm of my chair leans down and kisses my head, "I got Eddie to let me borrow your stage prop wedding ring from your summer performance."
That's news to me. "I didn't know that-"
Brandon interrupts our conversation, "you've been engaged since the summer?"
It amazes me the hurt that shines through from my twin. While we have communicated since I've been gone our relationship has never gained back the closeness it once had. Dylan who had been looking at me must see something as he quickly turns to answer.
"No I asked her three weeks ago. On the four year anniversary of when we officially started. Bren doesn't like to dwell on the unofficial date, as it brings up bad hair memories." I hit him in the stomach at that. "Ow, woman it's true."
"Brenda your mother and I would like to see you upstairs. Now." My silent red faced father finally speaks. Dylan stands and holds out his hand for me, and then as I walk out to follow my parents Dylan follows me. My Dad notices as he's halfway up the stairs, "Dylan I asked to see my daughter."
"Jim I assume it's about our engagement, our life together. There is no way you are discussing our life, my life and excluding me."
He turns to me, "Brenda."
"Dad, I think you have always known where my loyalties lay from the first moment I met him. Let's just get this over and done with." He goes redder. Dylan just rubs my lower back.
By the time we enter their bedroom I'm wondering why on earth we came here; we could have stayed in Hawaii or had a white Christmas in our little hamlet, we could have gone to Prague for the Christmas markets. On minute two of my Dad's sermon on how he thought I had matured whilst away, but obviously needing to lie about my life for the last eighteen months demonstrates that I'm still the same, and to now throw in marriage. When he begins to rewrite history how they have always cared for Dylan, but his history of cheating on me with my best friend, lying to me for months, he thought I was smarter than that to get involved commit to a person who could do that. It's at that point I interrupt.
"Did you give that same lecture to Brandon when he decided to start a relationship with Kelly? She was my best friend and she lied to me for months, hell she made me comfort her because she was so upset that he chose to stay with me after the summer, and then had the gaul to keep turning up at his house to keep visiting him uninvited- and before you say anything Dylan was not innocent in it at all, he was not a victim of her advances but they both did this. If Dylan has a mark against his name for life because of it then why doesn't Kelly?"
It's my mum who answers, "Brenda we are talking about you and Dylan, I don't think there is a need to bring up Kelly here. She has grown up a lot, she's made mistakes but she has always been remorseful for them."
"Oh she's been remorseful to you both for senior year, to Brandon? Funny how she has never said sorry to me. Actually, if anything I've been remorseful to her that our friendship was destroyed. In that hospital room on her birthday when she collapsed, I was the one who told her how much I care, even after finding out about months of lies and betrayal, even after she accused me of trying to use Jack's death to get close to Dylan- that I liked that he turned to me-" I take a breath. This is not who Dylan and I are now, we've moved past this and the hurt, confusion I felt back in senior year and at the start of Minnesota eventually drained out of me. I was strong, successful, I was confident in myself again and I was confident that the man rubbing my back would always have my back.
"Look this history is not relevant to Dylan or I anymore, we have worked through it and built our relationship back to be stronger than ever. I would like you to show us the same courtesy that you clearly show Brandon and Kelly, I'd like for you to take us as we are now and not hold teenage mistakes against either of us."
"Teenage mistakes? Brenda it's about character that's his character, it won't change."
"And what's in yours Dad? Threatened to bring any false charges against any other minors who you have promised to look out for unless they do what you want?"
"Brenda what are you talking about?"
My mums confusion gives me some comfort and I know it will give Dylan a lot more; he always trusted her and thought she genuinely cared. She was the first real stable motherly figure in his life, and it hurt even more than Dad's rejection that she could know and be in on such a threat. "Mum ask Dad, he knows exactly what I'm talking about." I turn to Dylan, he looks at me and knows what I want. He nods.
He takes my hand and guides me out of the room and then down the stairs. He drops my hand in the foyer to go and collect my bag.
"D?"
He's back by my side before he answers my brother. "Merry Christmas Brandon." He then looks around the room, "it was good seeing you all again and we are glad life is treating you all well." With that we exit out of the house.