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

Chapter Thirteen

Mum had made sure everyone had eaten way too much, well except Bren. Steve and I were the ones who made sure she ate something from the plate Mum has practically forced into her hands. Josh had surprised me by taking note of those interactions, I managed to stop him from asking publicly about it as it wasn't something Bren wanted brought to attention. When we were outside getting ready to play basketball at Steve's request he asked about it.

"No he didn't hurt her abdomin when he grabbed her. Bren carries her stress in her stomach, it twists it into knots. Ever since we were kids food makes her feel nauseous when she is like that. She'll be fine in a few day's."

"You guy's seem really close."

"We are. I've known her longer than anyone else, you know sharing a womb an all it forced us to bond; it was kinda close quarters, and there is not that many people you can say hey I watched you grow legs, it kinda makes her special to me." Josh picks up on my sense of humour and chuckles. As we are about to start the game the back door opens, shit I hope he hasn't done something stupid. Steve and I share a look that again doesn't go unnoticed by Josh.

"Something wrong about the visitor?"

"No she's great, loves Bren as if she was her own." As I'm saying it Bren stand's from the table where she is chatting with Andrea, Donna and David and moves to Iris. "It's Dylan's mum-"

"And your hoping Dylan hasn't come with her." I give him a look. "Brenda told me they had a fight this evening."

"Typical Gizmo, always covering for him. It wasn't a fight it was – a roasting. Brando if he's here I'm kicking his ass."

"If he's here you'll have to bet me too it." As we are speaking Iris and Bren embrace a little too hard it has Bren wincing. Mum and Samantha who had followed her out both notice. "Shit." Before we can intervene Mum has moved down the shoulder of Brenda's oversized cardigan, against Bren's too late protest; you can see the start of the almost black bruises that go down her right arm. Josh sucks in a breath and Kyle and Tony move closer. The damn from David is less subtle. "Wish me luck that I can get the mum's to let this go."

"Dude, I've got a better chance at being Valedictorian. At least my mum looks like she's trying to get them moved inside before Bren has to show the full bruising, want me to come too?"

"No. I know you've seen them but Bren doesn't need to be crowded." As they move inside I nod in that direction, "I better get in there."

"Steve, is that the only one?"

"No Kyle, they go all down the tops of both arms, he gripped her pretty hard. Thank god she was able to fight him off and that you guy's were driving by." I shake my head in the direction of the house as if trying to remove the thoughts, "anyway we should start this game, Gizmo won't like us making too much of a deal about this."

Josh bumps my shoulder, "why gizmo? I get the movie reference, but-"

"Brenda, hate's scary movies, I may have tricked her into watching them with me when she was staying over at mine while McKay was staying here for the funeral. She's also exactly like Gizmo, tiny and cute but give her the right conditions and she can be scary as hell."

"McKay stayed here for the funeral? I thought they were over, and he's with Kel. I can't imagine Kelly wound be okay with that."

"Kyle, who cares what Kelly would like, and anyway once you are a part of the Walsh family it's for life. Cindy and Jim have been his proxy parents since they arrived. Brandon and him are brothers, even after everything, and then there's Bren. Her and McKay are – well, she's the only one who can understand him, and unfortunately he knows her too."

"Is that jealousy I hear Steve, you hoping to-"

"No Miller. She's like a sister to me, and anyway Bren's not a girl you date. She's the girl you marry, and I'm way too young for that, there's still too many ladies who haven't had the pleasure of my company."

Tony's snort and hitting of the ball from my arms end's the conversation. Brandon joins the game a little while later, and I sub off to check on her. She followed Brandon out and is back sitting at the table, "everything all good gizmo?"

"Yeah, Iris left she was only popping by on her way to grab dinner. She didn't want to be away from the house too long, but wanted to see me. Your mum is in there trying to distract mine." She puts her head on my shoulder, "I think it's time you and Brandon take one for the team. Go get into trouble or find some girlfriends I need their eyes off of me."

"Yeah, I'd like to graduate so I'm going to avoid the trouble but girlfriends I can try to arrange. There's a new love game show starting and they are looking for contestants aged eighteen to twenty-three. Reckon I can get Brando to agree to try out?"

Andrea's snort and Donna's giggle I ignore, Bren was the only one who knows for sure. "Not on your own you can't, but I'll help. Brandon needs to get out of his rut and have some fun and this seems like a good way."

"Excellent, I'll come over tomorrow and we can fill out the application forms. Mum knows the producer so we are a shoe in."

Brandon and I stay extra close to Brenda for next few weeks, and if it's not us beside her Josh has taken to looking out for her. He has even offered to pick her up for her morning coaching sessions as he trains most days. McKay has become even more of a recluse. He and Brandon talk, though I know some tense word's were exchanged; he knows Bren is completely off limits to him now. He rarely sits with us at lunch, or if he does he's working on some writing project discussing it with Andrea. Kelly seems less than thrilled about that, though she's not happy about anything these day's, she's constantly snapping at everyone. You'd think that after getting what she wanted she'd be happy about it, but if anything she's back to the sophomore Kelly- nothing is ever good enough.

Donna has taken to apologising when she is particularly rude, and blames it on the divorce. Jackie has to sell the house and it's seemingly all getting to her. Donna in hopes that a birthday celebration would cheer her up, asked if I'd host considering Jackie can't because of the showings and she can't because Felice would make it a new level of hell for all attendants. I bite the inside of my cheek to stop from laughing when I decline. Brandon just gives her a look like she can't be that oblivious to how inappropriate that is when she asks if the Walsh's would. Dylan, Dylan's my favourite. For a man supposedly dating her, committed to her, he practically sneer's and states he doesn't do parties. Donna nearly cries when she questions if he will be coming to this one, because he's in charge of getting Kelly to the surprise. He practically moans a yeah I guess, and then escapes to go talk to Gil about something to do with his new english class.

Ah young love, it really warms your heart.