Disclaimer: I own neither the plot, nor the series Beverly Hills 90210. The credit for the plot all goes to MargretAndHawkeye4Ever, who has passed the torch down to me, due to writers block. And as for Beverly Hills 90210 it belongs to Paramount and CBS as I have said before and will say again in previous and following chapters to come.

Author's Note: Special Thanks to Girlz-Rule and MargretAndHawkeye4Ever for your kind and encouraging words this chapter is dedicated to the both of you.

Beverly Hills 90210

Brenda's Cancer

Chapter 2

The Longest Day

It had been two hours since Brandon had went off after Dylan. Kelly and Danna had gone home to give the Walsh family some private time together. And Brenda now sat locked away upstairs in her room thinking about how much she didn't want to believe the route her life had taken in just a few short hours.

She felt as if she was already as good as dead and she didn't even know anything yet, and she wouldn't know anything, at least not until the 15th, when she and her family went to meet with Doctor Danna, Not to mention, Dylan taking off like he had certainly hadn't helped to improve matters. She thought to herself with a sigh, 'If only Dylan were here' She needed him there to tell her that everything was going to be okay.


Brandon found Dylan on the roof of the hotel. He sat there slouching with his feet dangling over the side his head buried in his hands.

"Dylan, Are you alright?" Brandon asked him hesitantly, knowing this was a stupid question, of course he wasn't alright. Brenda had breast cancer, nothing and no one was alright least of all Dylan, or he, himself for that matter, but Brandon would worry about his own feelings later, right now he needed to help Dylan through this, and who knows he thought 'maybe in helping Dylan, I might be able to help myself, and I know it would help Brenda. She is going to need him a great deal right now.'

It wasn't like Dylan hadn't heard Brandon it was just that he didn't know what to say. He was still ashamed with himself for not being of any use back there and for running away. He didn't feel like he deserved to be able to look Brandon in the eye let alone speak to him. He had deserted the one he loved, when she needed him the most and now her brother and his best friend stood before him actively expressing compassion for him by asking if him if he was alright.

"Dylan?" Brandon solicited him after a brief interval had passed and Dylan still hadn't answered.

At last Dylan looked back at him with poignant eyes. He still didn't say anything but at least now Brandon was aware that Dylan even knew that he was there and that was an improvement.

Brenda's parents were in the kitchen together talking as Mrs. Walsh was preparing dinner while all this was going on.

"Jim, I just don't know what to do!" Cindy Walsh was saying with a strained sort of voice as she sliced fresh tomatoes for her famous garden salad.

"Cindy, Honey I don't think anyone knows what to do in these situations. We just have to let her know that she's not alone and that we shouldn't make this into something huge until we know more about it. I mean Doctor Danna didn't even say what kind of breast cancer Brenda has and already this family, probably because of our past experiences with cancer has assumed the worst." Jim Walsh tried to assure his wife.

"You're right Jim, I know your right, but I just- I just can't help thinking about Shelia." Cindy admitted with her head bent sorrowfully. Her husband took a step closer and using his thumb and forefinger he lifted her chin up a bit so that he could look his wife in the eye when he spoke to her.

"We have to think positive now, Cindy. No matter what, even if it is the worst, we can never give up hope, because hope, prayer and positive thinking are what's going to get us through this." Jim told her as he wrapped his arms comfortingly around his wife as she sobbed silently into his chest.


Dylan just looked at Brandon for a moment as if he couldn't make out what Brandon had asked him, so Brandon tried repeating it now that Dylan was at least looking at him.

"Dylan, Are you alright?" He asked again this time he tried to speak a little more clearly and he didn't hesitate.

"N-N-No, Man, no I'm not." confessed Dylan honestly as he turned his head away from Brandon so that he wouldn't have to face him.

"Yeah- I know, Dude." Was all Brandon could think of to say "I mean that was a dumb question, right?" he added chuckling nervously, and shoving both hands in his pants pockets, as he fumbled for the right thing to say it wasn't like this was some T.V show like, Keep It Together, where the stage was all set and your lines were already written for you this was real life, and in real life you don't have paid writers feeding you scripts with pages full of dialogue to memorize with all the right things to say in these sorts of situations.

Dylan kept his head turned away from Brandon, but nodded silently.

"Dylan, could you please just give me a little more here, I need to know- I mean I don't know exactly what I need to know, I guess…just, Man what are you doing up here?" Brandon asked.

"I'm not ganna jump, if that's what you're asking. I j-just came up here to think. That's all." Dylan stated matter of factly with his head still turned.

If Dylan had been facing Brandon he would have seen that he looked relieved to hear this. "I'm glad to hear that, Man, I really Am." said Brandon as he took a step closer to Dylan from behind. "Mind if I join you?" he asked tentatively.

Dylan shook his head 'no' and Brandon closed the space between them so he could set down adjacent to him.

"So, mind if I ask what exactly you're thinking?" prodded Brandon.

Dylan for probably the third time shook his head 'no' before answering him. "I am thinking about a lot of things, but mostly about how I don't deserve a girl as great as your sister." Dylan told him trying his best to smile and not to grimace as he turned his head in Brandon's direction.

"Ah, man, don't say that. Of course you deserve, Bren. I mean so you got a little scared back there. Don't sweat it; I almost wanted to run out of there myself." Brandon admitted putting his hand on Dylan's shoulder but Dylan just shook it off.

"But you didn't, Man!" he exclaimed suddenly angry and in one swift motion Dylan was on his feet again and was already starting to walk away from him. Brandon stared at him in shock as he began walking a more briskly in the direction of the roof doors.

"Dylan, Wait!" Brandon called as he got to his feet and caught his friends shoulder just as he was about to go through the door, but Dylan just brushed it off again and gave him stern look that caused Brandon to back down.

"Alright" he said looking him in the eye. "But when you've calmed down will you promise to come back to the house and see Brenda, I'm sure she's real worried about you?" he implored.

Dylan nodded, but Brandon looked at him skeptically. "Promise?" he repeated.

"Yes, Alright, I promise. Can I go now?" asked Dylan frustratedly

It was Brandon's turn to nod as Dylan turned and left him there and no more than a few minutes later, Brandon also left the hotel roof but he was headed home as he had already been away far longer than he'd intended.


Back at home, Brandon found his parents just sitting down to dinner. "Where's Brenda?" he asked as he entered the dinning room area.

"She's upstairs in her room, She's ah- not hungry." His Mom answered.

"Oh." Was all Brandon could think of to say as he sat down silently with his parents to eat, it didn't take the family long to finish their meal as none of them were really all that hungry tonight themselves so shortly after finishing his dinner Brandon excused himself as it had been a long day for all them, probably the longest day the Walsh family had ever seen, so after clearing his plate and kissing his Mom on the cheek, Brandon headed upstairs to try and talk to Brenda before he went to bed.


Upstairs Brandon knocked lightly on Brenda's door. "Bren, it's Brandon, are you still up?" he called to her through the door uncertainly.

"Yes, I'm awake." She answered quickly. "You can come in if you like." She added.

"You don't have to tell me twice." He said trying to keep things light as he opened her door, stepped inside, closed the door behind him and joined her on her bed all within the span of a few short seconds.

"Hi, Brandon" she greeted him trying hard to give her brother a genuine smile, but you could tell it was forced.

"Hey Bren" He greeted her back trying to do the same, but neither were really up to this yet. It was silent for a moment or so between them before Brenda finally cracked.

"Were you able to catch up with, Dylan? Did you find him? Is he alright?" She bombarded her brother with questions that he really had hoped he wouldn't have had to answer tonight, but he didn't have the heart to ask her to wait another minute let alone till tomorrow so he sighed, then took a deep breath and willed himself to answer.

"No, I wasn't able to catch him, but I was able to find him. And no, Bren, I don't think he's alright, but he promised me as soon as he was ready he would come by the house to see you." Brandon told his twin doing his best to reassure her.

Brenda didn't say anything, just stared off into space looking rather dejected so, Brandon did the only thing he could think of he scooted himself up a little closer to his sister so he could give her reassuring hug.

"Don't worry, Brenda" he told her. "He just needs a little time. He'll come around." Brandon told her trying to sound more assured than he actually felt. He could feel Brenda nod her head 'yes' in response against his shoulder, as they pulled apart he said. "Well, I'm sure you're tired, since it's been a long day for all of us, so I'm going to head off to bed, Goodnight Brenda. I love you" he told her as he got up from the bed.

She nodded. "Good night, Brandon. I love you too." She said as she walked him the few feet to her door and the two siblings exchanged another hug before Brandon headed off to his own bedroom so they could both turn in for the night.