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

Chapter Thirty-Seven

I was going to kill Silver, I was going to hunt him down and kill him.

Admittedly, he may be the target of misdirected and unexpressed anger that was really aimed at my father-in-law but he deserved a telling off regardless. Bren and I had walked into the school with "Chapel of Love" on it's last chorus, that was bad enough with the eyes all trained on us. He followed it up with Sinatra's "Love and Marriage" which the idiot dedicated to us, just in case there was someone left who didn't know the gossip. It was when "White Wedding" by Billy Idol came on that he made my hit list- I doubt he knew the true meaning around the song. My wife found it as amusing as I did, we were less than impressed. The McKay's were tabloid fodder which Bren and I had been able to avoid, though if this kept up we may not be so lucky.

Our Dj friend wasn't the real problem though, Bren had taken my hand last night and walked straight out while her Dad flung angry words at us and her mum tried to get her to stay and not ruin her life. It had been a chaotic scene that neither of us had said anything through, nor did we speak on the ride home. We had beaten my parents back and hadn't seen them till this morning, Bren had walked into our house last night and straight to our room. It was late but she had drawn a bath and without saying a word had washed her face, got undressed and climbed in. I didn't know if she wanted me to join her but I went on instinct, my instinct always said to be close to her. I immediately unchanged and climbed in behind her.

We knew this week and the next few weeks could be tough with her parents but we were going to attempt to carve out some time for ourselves to finally be together, last night was not that night well not the way I imagined our first night at home would be. It was me holding her throughout the night keeping her close to me. My wife had decided she wanted nothing between us and so we had slept with our bed linen covering us and nothing else. There was no jokes about peak flows there was no jokes at all, my wife finally got the opportunity to be vulnerable to feel the emotions the hurts she had been burying for months now. I had held her against me giving her my strength, protecting her so she could finally feel secure to let her guard down. It was a night that optimised what we were to each other, we were each other's other half and last night we clung together to make ourselves whole borrowing what we needed from the other. She needed my anchoring last night more than she needed anything else.

Brandon was waiting at his sister's locker. We hadn't called him, instead he had walked in to the aftermath of his parents losing control, they were still spinning when he arrived; well that is what he told my mother when he called the house number way after midnight. Mum this morning had filled Bren and I in on her brief conversation with my wife's twin. He had hoped it wouldn't get that ugly but after his father's threat this summer he knew he was capable of it so wasn't shocked by our change of plans and his sister's departure. His main concern was for Bren, my mother was unable to give him more details than what she saw when we had left the house; she had told him we had got home and disappeared into our room.

As we approach my brother-in-law he gives his sister a teasing smile, he could tell that her look of strength wasn't quite authentic; next to me he was the only one who could see through her bravado. "Morning Mrs McKay, I see you have decided to wear my green shirt."

"It's my green shirt, I earned it fair and square by taking over your shifts at The Pit so you could go and become a tv star." She had moved over her dance dresses and outfits of meaning but her everyday clothes were still at her parents house. She had her jeans from last night and either my shirts or Brandon's one to wear. My wife decided to wear a combination of both, her jeans, a white singlet of mine, and her green shirt open and tied in a knot in the front. Her half of the heart necklace proudly on display resting on the white singlet and our rings shining on her finger- she looked amazing.

"Now Sis you earned more money from that waitress stint than I do in two months of waitering, I think the shirt ownership should be renegotiated or at least split equally."

"No chance it's mine, and Laverne's popularity is irrelevant to our deal."

"Taking the hardline then, you've been spending too much time with your father-in-law. D you better watch out your wife plays hardball."

"I know Jones but that's one of the many things I love about her."

Brandon smiles as he passes Bren her book bag, "I think I got everything you need for the day. I also managed to sneak out a bag of clothes this morning without being caught, they are in the stang. Dad is pretty adamant that I'm not to help get your things he thinks that it will ensure that you come home and talk to them. Talk through this 'ridiculousness'."

She shakes her head, "while I find it wasteful he does know that we have the funds for me to purchase a whole new wardrobe? I mean I love my black bodysuit but it's not worth to be called a hooker to go get it or for my husband to be accused of being controlling."

I wrap my arm around her, "it got that bad? Iris gave me the highlights but she's not one to give you the story word for word, and Mum and Dad were practically making no sense at all last night."

"He told me basically that Dylan would soon see me as a possession and that I'd be a kept woman because I'd be living off my husband's money."

"Mum didn't jump in then?"

"Yep to tell me that's not how Dad meant it to sound."

"I'd think she'd be angry at Dad for-"

"Brandon Mum's job has been us, making a home for Dad and being the perfect business wife. I think Dad's inference is more on the lines that without those thing's my role to my husband is to cater to his every desire, perish the thought that my husband may actually love me for more than that, that I may be loved for more than the way I look and the fact that I sleep with him." I kiss the side of her head, my wife… the depth of love I had for her went beyond the aesthetic, I appreciated her in that way but it was a small part of the everything else I loved about her.

"I'd ask if you were okay but I know you aren't."

I jump in then, Bren won't discuss her hurt here. "B was there any talk about trying to come after us legally? I'd like our lawyer to have the heads up if they are thinking of going down that path."

"No from what I overheard this morning Dad's wanting to keep this quiet, he wants it to be sorted before the partners at work find out. The first of the deals made from the charity dinner a fortnight ago were signed on Friday, and they have heard about the upcoming breast cancer mother and daughter high tea event that mum and Bren are helping to plan. The economy sucks but not for old money and with…" he gets awkward and instantly takes on an apologetic look.

"Nothing says old money like the great great grand daughter of the first multimillionaire's of California. Both sides of my mother's family epitomise the oldest of money in the US." My wife wraps her arm around my waist, she knows the history and she knows how I hated to be seen for the money.

"Dylan, I know-"

"B it's fine. Honestly, it's a connection that my mother has never emphasised, the constant scrutiny her family is under it's partially what she blames for the loss of her parents, and well I'm not all that familiar with that pressure. Without her really around when I was growing up my father's quick and constant bank account rise became the bigger story of the 80s, people see me only as Jack McKay's son. If the connection to my mother's family now ensures that Bren and I can keep this quiet and their disapproval inside the family then at least it serves a positive purpose. I'd marry your sister a million times but I'd prefer not to have to fight for this one not to get annulled or for the fight to make the paper's."

My wife looks up at me then, "scared to have another anniversary date to remember?"

"Yeah that is exactly what I'm trying to avoid." I lean down and kiss her then. We may not have spent our first night obsessing over each other like we planned but we had kissed, it's how she woke me when the alarm went off and I tried to snooze it. It's how we had spent the majority of our time in the shower, it's how I celebrated when I saw we were getting dressed in our dressing room like I had imagined, realising my dream was coming true. Kissing her was how I was going to spend the rest of my life.

"Okay okay, I get it. You missed each other but enough already."

When she hears her twins complaints she smiles into the kiss, it makes me chuckle. "Brother you know you better get used to it, I find my wife very very kissable."

"Shit, we are aren't we? We are officially brothers now."

"It took you that long to figure that out, I must have got the brains in the family."

"Haha little sister, I was occupied last night with you know wondering if you'd live to see your first wedding anniversary, I didn't have time to ponder our new family tree branch."

The day passes with a lot of staring by students and faculty, at lunch we don't catch up with our friends instead we are called to Mrs T's office she wants to confirm the rumours. She has a pretty good poker face and calmly asks us a range of questions like this was a daily occurrence for her. Bren's enrolment forms will need to get updated with her new address and name, though that will happen only once her new name is legally registered in California which our lawyer will do first thing Wednesday morning when he formally registers the marriage.

"Can I ask how your parents are both handling the news? By the sound of it this would have been a surprise to both."

"My parents found out a couple of weeks ago when I got sick, they love Bren and have seen her as their daughter from the start, they are only disappointed that they missed the ceremony. Bren's parents have had less time to come to terms with it."

"That's my husband's subtle way of saying they are not as thrilled but Dylan and I have been together for a couple of years he has been a regular fixture in our family, they know how committed we are too each other. When they calm down I'm sure it will be fine."

As we leave the room I lift an eyebrow at her, "do you really think once they calm down it will be that easy or is this wishful thinking?"

"Mrs T isn't a gossip but I'd prefer to keep the true size of the division in our family under wraps."

I pull her to me and kiss her forehead, "Mrs McKay you know you even think like us now."

"I'm not so Midwest trusting anymore." As she is looking up at me her eyes become vulnerable, "it's one of the things that you liked about me that I was different-"

"The fact that you are concerned about that tells me you are still that woman, you just have grown a level of protection around you and I now. You aren't so trusting of people with your family, considering you are the first family I have ever really known I would guard our family with my life, it's too precious. Speaking of that how much are we telling the gang? At morning break I was too busy explaining to Silver why his music choices were in bad taste for much of anything to be said."

"What they know now is fine. If Dad is worried about his partners then us keeping this quiet is our best course of action, and well they may be a type of family-"

"After last week you don't trust them the same." It wasn't a question but she answers it anyway.

"I trust you and Brandon. Your motivations will always be about you and me, Brandon's well his motivations will always be based on what he believes is right. He may not come down on our side all the time but it won't be malicious when he doesn't."

She thinks like us, even looking at the closest of our family. "I feel like I've dragged you into seeing the world the way Jack raised me to see it that I've taken your innocence away a little."

"Baby you grew up too fast I'm just catching up. When this settles we can be less on guard-"

"Except for our marriage, that will always be off limits to everyone."

She smiles up at me, "Mr McKay your possessiveness is showing."

I pull her closer, "good it's been hidden for too long. Now we just need some space and time for the obsessive."

"Your oxygen levels were good this morning."

My cheeks lift, "you noticed?"

"I notice everything about you."

"Well then what are the chances you'll let us skip the last two classes-"

"None. Your Dad would give us a lecture about not giving my father ammunition." I groan, "though the afternoon, evening, actually the rest of our lives is pretty open for us to enjoy the great lung capacity of your's."

I kiss her lips, "I promised my parents we would have family dinner." She giggles I used to groan when she'd say that, "I know I sound like you last year. This role reversal su-"

"Is fantastic. Anyway we do need to eat, you know keep up your strength it was something that I heard much whinging about in Paris."

"I did not whinge I begged for mercy, my Nymph there is a difference."

"I don't think there is but I'll listen out for it later tonight and let you know."

"Great, we have chemistry and-"

"I got you all hot and bothered." The look of pride on her face was unmistakable.

"God I have missed this, openly flirting with you."

Her body shakes with her repressed chuckle, "I hate to tell you husband but in the last few months you weren't as stealthy in your flirting as you think you have been. I don't think a career as a spy is in your future."

"That's okay I work better under different covers." Her laugh rings out through the hallway and her smile is radiant, after the last twenty-four hours it gives me a sense of pride that I can do that to her.

"Believe me that I know."

When we arrive home the house is surprisingly empty, my wife is over my shoulder in a blink of an eye being carried to our room. Clothes are practically ripped off, while our hands and mouths seek out skin that has been neglected for too long. I'm smiling as I kiss up my wife's taut stomach as she catches her breath. Her cheeks are flushed and she has that dazed look in her eyes that I know I will be the only one to ever see and give her.

When she reaches for my face pulling me down to her mouth I know she is ready to continue our afternoon- the knocking breaks our spell. Fuck fuck fuck! Not now!

"Dylan, Brenda can you please come down stairs it's important, Brenda your parents are here to talk."

I quietly groan and roll off my wife, fuck.

"Okay Iris. Dylan and I will be right down."

I whisper to my wife, "no we won't. Baby please."

"My Dad's downstairs do you really want to continue-"

"I've waited a month."

"And we can wait another half an hour." She kisses my forehead and gets up, not even trying to soften the blow by grabbing a sheet. She is killing me.

"Yeah you can wait because I just took the edge off for you, but your husband is dying here."

As she puts on her bra she turns to face me, "you are right. Paris was definitely begging as that there was definitely a whinge."

I groan and roll over hiding my face in the pillow that smells like her, it doesn't help calm me down. "You are a mean mean wife."

"Yes I am Baby, now quickly get dressed."

We leave our room less than ten minutes later, with her in her jeans and one of my black t-shirts tide in a knot at the front, and me wearing jeans and a white one. Neither of us are wearing shoes or socks. At the top of the stairs she stops me, "does it look like we were?"

"Baby the hair, the time delay and then without showering there is no way of hiding it; you are glowing and well I smell of sex."

"Fuck. Couldn't you have lied to me?"

"Nope one I don't do that to you and two I'm still dying here I'm not in a soften the blow kind of mood."

She begins to walk downstairs holding my hand, "you are such a grump."

I whisper into her ear as we get closer to the foyer, "I can count on one hand how many times since we have returned from Paris, I'm frustrated as hell- we were so close, and it doesn't help that I still have the taste of yo-"

She elbows me in the stomach as she see's the angry expression of her father appear through the now visible doorway of the lounge room. He looks ready to go off, clearly he realises what the hell we were up to.

Fantastic this is so going to take longer than a half hour.