He had sat in enough long-winded meetings to recognize the terrible outcome of acting on impulse.
He further understood how acting on impulse had repeatedly damaged his relationship with Brenda in the past.
It was that fact alone that deterred Dylan from contacting Kai to demand Luca's address.
The last time he had acted on impulse and had permitted his temper to take control, Dylan had come much too close to a permanent severance of his ties with Brenda.
Had Dylan acted on impulse this time, Brandon and Steve would have had to hold him back from wailing on Luca for sleeping with Brenda.
Bearing in mind the teachings of his sponsor, Dylan managed to take a step back and reexamine the situation before his temper could overpower him.
It may have also helped to hear Brenda's harmonious, steady breaths over the phone; at least until Dylan's rumination suggested that Luca may have slipped into Brenda's dreams.
Dylan tried to reason with himself. It wasn't at all logical for Brenda to have slept with Luca. Brenda had never been the kind of woman who would sleep with someone she had just met.
Except she had, Dylan corrected himself: Stuart Carson.
And the Brenda Walsh that Dylan had been staying with wasn't the Brenda Walsh Dylan had known.
Still, he didn't think her personality had changed enough that she would sleep with Luca whilst sharing a bed with Dylan.
Dylan approached the situation from a different angle. If Brenda had slept with Luca, why would she be telling him?
Furthermore, why would she be describing in detail Luca's - Dylan couldn't bring himself to think of it as anything other than Luca König's fucking dong.
She thinks König's nicely textured? thought Dylan. She'll think he's got the texture of wool once she feels mine.
"So let me get this straight." Brandon glanced away from Hannah Zuckerman's newly established favorite activity of chasing David Silver, which she was winning at for the second day in a row. Neither Brandon nor Dylan considered it imperative to rescue David from Hannah's affections. "You think my half-asleep sister probably fresh off of her regimen, not to mention all the relaxation she had that could've easily put her even more to sleep than her usual fatigue, for some reason decided to open up to you about Luca's -"
"Dong," said Dylan, low enough so that Hannah couldn't hear.
"Dong!" said Hannah.
"Shit," said Dylan.
"Shit!" said Hannah.
"Silver!" said Dylan.
"Silva shit dong!" said Hannah.
"Thanks a lot." David increased his speed as he jumped over a small table that Hannah veered under. "Why can't she chase Steve?"
"Unca Steve," said Hannah.
"Uncle David," said David.
"Not Unca," said Hannah. "Hunka lish."
Dylan wondered which of the women Hannah had overheard refer to someone as "hunkalicious." He assumed Valerie, primarily as he didn't want to consider that Brenda may have used that terminology to describe Luca.
"You gotta admit, Silver," said Brandon, "it's kinda flattering."
"Oh sure, real flattering," said David. "The woman I want barely trusts me and will only let me near to keep her nightmares at bay, while the girl who does want me is four."
"At least Val's not detailing to you another guy's thing," said Dylan, cleaning up his vocabulary in an effort to erase the previously chosen word from Hannah's mind.
"What makes you think Bren was?" asked Brandon.
"Nicely textured. Thick. Extra big. What the hell else would she have been talking about?"
"Maybe she got a new purse."
"Why would she be describing her new purse?"
"Why would she be describing Luca's reproductive organ and to you, of all people? You said she was falling asleep. Are you sure she even mentioned Luca at all?"
"B, I very clearly heard her say Luca."
"So you think Bren slept with him?"
"No." Dylan wasn't about to admit to Brenda's brother that the thought had crossed his mind, however brief. "No way would she do that."
"Good, 'cause I'm not about to go back down the route of speculating if my sister's sleeping with someone I can guarantee she's not sleeping with."
"She coulda walked in on him naked."
"Where would she walk in on him naked?"
"Who knows, man," said Dylan. "Could've been anywhere. Could've been at Kai's. Worst part is, I can't even ask Bren about it without coming off looking like a world-class hypocrite."
Dylan's imagination, however, did run wild with confronting König.
"What could've been at Kai's?" asked Steve as he trudged in to flop onto an armchair.
"Naked Luca, apparently," said Brandon.
"Clare's seen Luca naked?" asked Steve. "She's dating Kai and she's seen Luca naked?"
Dylan deliberated over whether to allow Valerie's revenge to continue or to point out to Steve the obvious about Kai that only Steve had yet to realize.
"Interesting how your mind automatically went to the woman you keep insisting to all of us that you're over," said David.
"Doesn't bother me," said Steve, though his face declared the opposite.
"Naked Luca!" said Hannah.
Scooping Hannah up with one arm, Dylan lifted her into the air as he examined her. "Is there an echo in this kid?" he asked. "Brandon, give me a hand over here. We gotta find that echo box and rip it outta her before she rats out our secrets to the FBI."
"Unca Da!" Hannah squealed. Her arms and legs flailed. "Put me down! I not go to FBI!"
"I'll put you down if you don't repeat anything you hear in this room to your mother," said Dylan.
"Or we'll have to lock up all the ice-cream," said Brandon.
"Otay, I promise," said Hannah.
"Shake on Steve's hand," said Dylan.
"If Silva kiss," said Hannah.
"Silver," said Brandon.
"This is extortion," said David. "You're selling out your friend; nay, your brother. You're selling out your younger brother, and at what price?"
"Silver, quit yapping and give the girl a kiss," said Dylan.
David stared Dylan down and then bent to Hannah's level.
"Hannah, I'll give you a kiss if you do something for me," said David.
Hannah lit up as if that was the greatest offer she had ever received.
"Anyting," she said.
David whispered into Hannah's ear and then kissed her cheek when Hannah nodded.
Hannah shook Steve's hand, said "I promise," clasped her cheek, and skipped off in song.
"She's never gonna let Andrea wash that cheek," said Brandon.
"It's still extortion," said David.
"What'd you ask her to do?" questioned Steve.
"Something to do with Val, I bet," said Dylan. "So what are we gonna do about König walking naked around Bren whenever he feels like it? He's obviously trying to kickstart her hormones; not that he'll succeed."
"We aren't gonna assume Luca's doing any of that, for starters," said Brandon.
"Easy for you to say," said Dylan. "Your kid isn't hanging out with Luca König every time her mother's near the guy. For all I know, my daughter could be overhearing everything Luca tells Bren, and who knows what Luca's telling Bren."
"On the completely improbable chance that Bren did happen to walk in on Luca the way you think she did," said Brandon, "I doubt my niece was that scarred by it."
"Laugh all you want, B. My kid's picking up on more than you realize and I don't want her first words to be 'nicely textured Luca.'"
"No kid's first words would be 'nicely textured,'" said Steve. "Or Luca. Puka, maybe."
"My kid's would be," said Dylan. "My kid's gonna be reciting Bukowski by the time she's three."
"You sure have high hopes for your kid," said Steve.
"Bren was reciting Broadway musicals by the time she was three," said Brandon.
"See?" said Dylan.
"So you're done pretending you don't care that Bren's dating Luca even though everyone except I guess Bren is well aware that you do?" asked Brandon.
"Not necessarily," said Dylan. "I'd just rather Bren didn't see König naked and then decide I need a full description. It isn't a whole lot to ask."
"If you think Bren's seen Luca naked, then the easy solution is to show her how you look in comparison," said Steve. "Get a leg up on the competition. Remind Brenda the perks of being with you, if there are any. That sorta thing."
"Gee, thanks, Sanders," said Dylan, then suggested that Steve take his own advice.
"I don't need one leg up on Kai," said Steve.
"You were just freaking out that Clare may or may not have seen Luca naked," said Brandon.
"I was not freaking out," said Steve.
"Like you weren't singing about Clare last night," said Dylan.
"It was the beer," said Steve. "I was probably singing about a mare, and you heard Clare."
"Why would you be singing about a mare?"
Steve retorted to Brandon's question by asking why Steve would be singing about Clare.
"You could just talk to her," said Brandon.
"I did talk to her," said Steve. "I told her I was totally fine with her being friends with Bren and going on that Hot Chicks Trip."
"Which you wouldn't've done if I hadn't made you," said Dylan.
"You do know Bren was playing you, right?" asked Steve.
"Doesn't matter," said Dylan, who had fully caught on to Brenda's scheme and played along himself. "Could've easily turned into real stress, and that's what matters. She's got enough of that with this -" he ensured Hannah was safely out of the room before continuing, "- fucking lawsuit."
"You get to tell her the good news," said Brandon.
"What, that they pushed it back a week? Yippee, so instead of thirty-two weeks sitting on the witness stand, now Bren gets to be thirty-three weeks. That wasn't what I had in mind when I tried to get them to push it back."
"But it does give us another week to get her ready for it."
"Bren's convinced she won't be ready," said Dylan. "If she convinces herself enough, she'll be stuck in that mindset and practically ensure she won't be ready. Then the only chance I'll have of not being separated from her and our kid is hoping our kid's born early, which is not something I want to hope for B as Bren going into early labor could jeopardize the lives of both of my girls, so no, pushing the hearing back one fucking week barely helps. One thing goes wrong in that courtroom, one little thing, and all of Bren's progress means diddly squat."
"I thought the plan was for Brandon to get guardianship if the Judge says Bren needs it," said Steve.
"That's one option," said Brandon.
"There's another option?" asked Steve.
"The only option is for Bren to shine in the courtroom," said Dylan. "But if they insist she needs a fuckin' guardianship, then Brandon will be fighting for it."
"Unless Dylan," said Brandon.
Dylan drew his hand back and forth across his neck in a shushing motion.
"Unless Dylan?" asked Steve.
"There is a third option," said Brandon.
"Which I've already told you we aren't discussing, especially not while Bren's checking out Luca and isn't sure if she loves me as more than her best friend," said Dylan. "I'm lucky to have even gotten to that point. I'm not pushing anything on her. End of."
Well aware that Steve had every intention of continuing his query, Dylan flipped the conversation onto him.
"So Sanders, your luck in the romance department must be improving," said Dylan.
"Yeah, Stevie," said Brandon. "Now that you aren't so focused on coaxing Clare back to you, you must be getting laid again. What's it like?"
"I know what you guys are doing and it won't work," said Steve.
"Doing?" asked Dylan. He looked at Brandon. "I'm not doing anything. You doing something, Jones?"
"Just asking our good friend Steve Sanders here how well he's bouncing back since he's so obviously moved on from Clare and has no intention of ever speaking to her again of his own free will," said Brandon.
"And clearly doesn't care if Clare is with Kai," said Dylan. "Wouldn't care one iota if Val's right and Arnold does get engaged to Kai."
Steve's lips twitched as his hand tautened into a fist against his leg.
"Kinda like D didn't care when Bren got engaged to Stewie," said Brandon. "Maybe Steve will also volunteer to be Kai's best man."
"Can't let Kai hold onto his own ring," said Dylan.
"I barely know Kai," said Steve.
"Hey B, didn't you tell Bren and I about some prince who tried to get Steve to give Arnold up to him?" asked Dylan. "What was his name?"
"Good question," said Brandon. "Was it Cooper? Connor? Charlie?"
"You know very well it was Carl," said Steve in a barely discernible decibel.
"Wonder how ole Carl's doing these days," said Brandon.
"Brandon," Steve said in warning.
"Maybe he'll be Kai's best man," said Dylan.
"We could call him up," said Brandon.
"Like you have his number," scoffed Steve.
"But we do have two very close friends of Clare's who can get it," said Dylan.
"Three, if you count Bren," said Brandon.
"I was counting Bren," said Dylan. "Who were you counting?"
"Donna," said Brandon. "Isn't she like Clare's best friend?"
Steve's jaw flexed as his stance became rigid.
"You don't think - no - Donna wouldn't - would she?"
"Would she what, Steve?" asked Brandon.
"Brandon," said Steve, "did Brenda ever have a best friend she didn't tell everything to?"
"Are you kidding?" asked Brandon. "Brenda was an open book with Val. When it wasn't Val, it was Marjorie Miller and Darla Hansen. Then it was Kelly and Donna, then -"
"Then Mina," said Dylan.
"Plus me," said Brandon, "Dylan, and -"
"And Shane," said Dylan.
"Safe to say Dylan and I know everything about Bren," said Brandon.
"Everything," said Dylan.
"So it's easy to assume that if Brenda went and oh, I don't know, decided to get rid of her ex's kid, she woulda told her best friend about it. Wouldn't she?" asked Steve.
"You really think Don would keep something like that from you, Steve?" asked Brandon.
"If Clare swore her to secrecy," said Steve. "Chick girl code or whatever."
"How about before you go confronting Donna over whether she knew, you consider asking Clare yourself?" asked Dylan.
"Unless you're willing to risk your friendship with Donna," said Brandon.
"Who's risking their friendship with Donna?" asked David as he emerged from around the corner with Brandon's laptop case in hand.
Dylan confirmed with David that Cindy had put Hannah down for her afternoon nap. Brandon asked David what he thought he was doing with Brandon's laptop.
"I need you to research everything you can on Abigail Malone," said David.
"Val's mother?" asked Brandon. "Why?"
"Can't tell you," said David.
"We'll just ask Kelly, then," said Steve.
"Kelly?" asked Brandon. "What does Kelly have to do with Val's mother?"
"Besides the fact that she almost married Kelly's father?" asked Steve.
"Say what now?" asked Dylan.
"Long story, bro," said Brandon.
"Haven't either of you figured it out yet?" asked Steve. "If Valerie was mad at Silver only for the role he played in exposing her fauxnancy, she would've moved past it by now and forgiven him, like she's forgiven me."
"That's debatable," said Dylan.
"But if she told Silver something in confidence," Steve pressed on, "and then Silver went and blabbed it to someone Val thinks of as an archnemesis, someone who gets along with Val in a blue moon, someone who's been Val's competition for too many guys to count, someone named -"
"Someone named Kelly," said Brandon, "then Valerie would be determined to never forgive you. Fuck, Silver," he gawked, "is that what happened? Does Kel know something about Val the rest of us don't?"
"Is whatever it is the reason Val's set on these drinking binges?" asked Dylan. "Because Bren's getting concerned and when Bren's concerned -"
"You're concerned," the men chorused.
"You would be too if you take into consideration the impact stress can have on a recovering brain injury and then compare that to the negative effects stress already has on pregnancy," said Dylan.
"Oh, I do," said Brandon. "Daily."
Steve told Dylan to lay off of the parenting books.
"Look, I just wanted Kelly to see Val from a different perspective, okay?" said David. "Guess I'm the Devil incarnate for wanting the women in my life to try getting along for once."
Steve pumped his fist and announced his successful deduction.
"What exactly did you tell Kelly?" asked Brandon.
"I'd tell you to ask Kelly, but I'd rather my sister not start blabbing to you about what I told her," said David.
"What could possibly be worse than all of Valerie's schemes we've dealt with over the years?" asked Steve.
"You don't want to know," said David.
"Actually, Silver, I think we do want to know," said Brandon.
"You won't hear it from me," said David. "I'm not making that mistake twice. Just do me a favor and look up what you can find on Abby."
"Alright, if it'll help Val, let's do this thing," said Dylan, snagging Brandon's laptop.
A single paper floated out of the case. Bending to pick it up, Dylan spotted in his peripheral vision the frantic shake of Brandon's head.
Dylan scanned over the paper, looked at Brandon, looked back at the paper, and then told Steve to continue pressing David as Dylan moved himself and Brandon to another room.
"Immo Rawlins?" Dylan attempted to keep his tone below the shout that yearned to break through. "Immo Rawlins? What the hell are you doing with information on Immo Rawlins?"
"I take it you know Immo Rawlins?" asked Brandon.
"Rawlins and Jack did business together," said Dylan. "Is this the research you've been doing? Checking up on my old man's dealings?"
"I didn't want to say anything in case you thought this had anything to do with you," said Brandon.
"What had to do with me?" asked Dylan.
"Nothing. It's just a coincidence," said Brandon.
"Coincidences don't really happen in my life, Brandon. You gonna tell me what the fuck you're on about, or do I have to force it out of you?"
"You better sit down for this one, D."
Dylan had barely sat on his bed when he immediately sprang back up.
"You're telling me that a notorious asshole who used to do business with my father just happens to be funding the company responsible for the negligence that resulted in Brenda's crash and I'm supposed to assume it doesn't have anything to do with me?" yelled Dylan.
"The crash doesn't," said Brandon. "I can't be too sure if Rawlins funding FreightCorp's legal team in the lawsuit about the crash is just a coincidence, though."
"My girls could've died in that crash," said Dylan. "Bren has ongoing nightmares about it. I've seen her hide from so many fucking train whistles, scream over that fucking train. My heart ceases to beat when I hear her screams and what, I should just let this go?"
"Bren doesn't need revenge, Dylan. She needs support."
"She's got my support." Dylan paced over the turquoise bohemian rug Brenda had picked out when she had gone with Clare to visit a local fleamarket. "From now 'til eternity, she has it. But how do you expect me to just let this slide? Intentionally or otherwise, the man's targeted my family." Dylan swung his hands about. "Immo Rawlins is not the kind of guy you want setting his sights on your family, Brandon."
"It's our family," said Brandon, "and we aren't gonna let Immo or anybody else target anyone in it, okay?"
"You better mean it, Walsh," said Dylan. "Now show me what you've got on the guy."
"What about researching Abby?"
"First, we protect Bren; then, we help Val."
Dylan skimmed through Brandon's notes, listening as Brandon explained about the story he had been working on that would supposedly lead to more difficult assignments elsewhere.
If he could prove himself with the Rawlins story, said Brandon, then he would be trusted with stories of higher caliber.
Dylan considered asking Brandon if Brandon would be half as consumed by his work were he not attempting to block out thoughts of Kelly, but decided that asking Brandon about Kelly wouldn't be the best step to take.
Instead, Dylan concentrated.
One name in particular had him halting to reexamine the notes.
"Bering & Associates," said Dylan. "Where have I heard that name before?"
"The Bering Strait?" asked Brandon.
"Bering & Associates." Dylan repeated the name until he tasted the sickly sensation of it on his tongue. "Bering & Associates."
His legs pumped out behind him as he made a dash for Brandon's laptop.
"Thomas Rose," said Dylan. "Thomas Fucking Rose."
"You know Tom Rose?" asked Brandon.
"Know him?" said Dylan. "The psycho and his goons threatened my life once, but y'know, no big deal. How do you know Tommy boy?"
"He's the reason I went to Estonia," said Brandon.
Brandon proceeded to tell Dylan what little he could of his meeting with Tom Rose.
"So Tommy and Rawlins are both connected to Bering & Associates, which in the eighties created a partnership with FreightCorp," said Dylan.
"Bering & Associates!" Brandon snapped his fingers. "Victor Malone. Victor used to work for Bering & Associates."
"Val's father used to work for Bering & Associates?" asked Dylan, certain he had not heard Brandon correctly.
"I distinctly remember overhearing Victor asking Jim to join him at the company," said Brandon. "Val's family up and moved to Buffalo right after that."
"And Jim," said Dylan, "did he take Victor up on the offer?"
"I don't think he did," said Brandon.
"What company does Jim work for?" asked Dylan.
Some Hong Kong subsidiary of a larger US company, said Brandon, as he had never been particularly curious in finding out the specifics of where his father worked.
"No father-son relay races at company picnics?" asked Dylan.
"In Jim's old company, yeah, but he started working for a new one about a year or two before we moved out to Beverly," said Brandon. "We didn't ask; he didn't tell."
"What are the chances of Jimbo's company aligning with Bering & Associates?" asked Dylan.
"Guess we'll have to keep digging," said Brandon.
"You two find anything on Abby yet?" asked David from outside the room.
"On it!" said Dylan.
He was so preoccupied with thoughts of everything he had learnt that he almost didn't hear the pleasing sound of a gaggle of girls chattering in the doorway.
"Hey, Dylan." Clare stopped mid-wave. "Steve."
"Arnold," said Steve.
"Bren wasn't sure you'd be here," said Clare. She turned in the direction of the door. "I should go."
"Not." Valerie pressed down onto Clare's shoulders, spinning her around. "Clare'll be in my room," said Val. "That's cool with you; isn't it, Steve?"
"Just dandy," said Steve through gritted teeth.
"I should probably get going anyway," said Clare. "The team thinks they have a breakthrough in research that might affect Bren and I wanted to go over it before I head home."
"A breakthrough in research?" asked Dylan. "That's good, isn't it?" He greeted Andrea with a kiss to her scalp and scanned over the room. "Where is Bren?"
"Outside, with Kelly and Donna," said Andrea.
"They're comparing notes," said Valerie.
The sound of a squealing four-year-old reuniting with her mother faded behind Dylan as he sprinted outside.
"Does he ever do that thing where he's so obviously wrong, but he's not about to admit it?" asked Brenda.
"Oh my God, yes. All the time," said Kelly.
"And on the rare occasion he is right, he has to let the whole world know it?"
"Practically takes out an ad in the paper!"
Dylan snuck up behind Brenda and slid his arm across her waist.
"If you need me to admit when I'm wrong, I'll gladly do it," he told her with a quick nip to her ear.
"Dylan." Brenda turned around to gift him with a smile that outshone the galaxies. "Glad to see you survived baby-sitting duty."
"Wasn't easy," said Dylan. The dorsal side of his fingers tickled Brenda's skin. "I think it's better to do with a team."
"Didn't you have a team?" asked Brenda.
"I was thinking more of a two-person team, with far less testosterone," said Dylan. "Although the little Zuck did keep us plenty entertained." He glanced over Brenda's head. "So, you two comparing notes on me?"
"You wish," said Kelly.
"We were talking about Brandon," said Brenda.
"Childhood stories about Brandon, specifically," said Donna.
"Val started it, and then I just kinda kept it going," said Brenda.
"We thought it might help Bren be able to restore some of her childhood if we kicked off the conversation with Brandon," said Kelly.
"It didn't really work, but I did remember one thing," said Brenda.
"You did?" asked Dylan, stroking along Brenda's bare shoulders. He admired how beguiling she looked in her halter dress and thanked nature that the skies had begun to warm so she could wear the style more often. "That's fantastic! What'd you remember?"
"Just voices," said Brenda. "Garbled, but not as garbled as usual. I think they may have been Jim and my uncle Simon, but I'm not too sure. They were arguing, I think with Val's father."
"Do you happen to know what they may have been arguing about?" Dylan kept his query as gentle as his hands that refused to extract themselves from Brenda.
He hadn't been aware of how accustomed he had become to having Brenda around until he had spent the night away from her, with only a mobile to bridge the gap.
Dylan didn't want to think of how he might handle it if Jim did win and Dylan returned to many a night alone, without his Brenda beside him.
"I don't know," said Brenda, "but I told Val and she said she remembers her parents getting into this big fight over Jim the week they moved to Buffalo, so Val thinks there might be something to this."
"Does the name Bering & Associates ring a bell?" Dylan chanced.
"Hang on." Brenda removed a stack of mail from her purse and began to leaf through it. "This Bering & Associates?" she asked, holding up an envelope.
Dylan ripped it out of her hand.
"It's addressed to me," said Brenda.
"You haven't opened it?" asked Dylan.
"I was advised not to."
"You were advised?"
"Someone from my old troupe sent an email to Brandon for him to forward to me. I replied back and they said if I got anything from Bering & Associates, I shouldn't open it."
Dylan asked why.
"Because they're trying to get a bunch of us to settle and take a payout over the crash," said Brenda.
"You aren't settling," said Dylan.
"That's why I haven't opened it."
"I'll have my lawyers look it over," said Dylan as he tried to piece together the information Brenda had said with the information he and Brandon had found.
Brenda slumped her head onto Dylan's shoulder.
"You okay?" he asked, rubbing her back.
"Just sleepy," said Brenda. "It was a long car ride." She waved her hand towards the car. "Oh, Clare wants to put in an order," she added.
"An order for what?" asked Dylan.
"Your pukas," said Brenda. "She couldn't believe you'd started making them. She wants a blue one, too."
"I - what?"
"Extra big," said Brenda. "Nicely textured."
"Extra big," said Dylan. "Nicely textured."
He sputtered out a laugh until his shoulders were shaking.
"What?" asked Brenda.
"You were talking about pukas," Dylan got out through his sputtering.
"Didn't you say you were shelling pukas?"
"No, I," Dylan laughed, "I said," he laughed again, "oh, never mind."
"So I'm not getting a blue puka shell necklace?" asked Brenda.
"If you want a blue puka shell necklace, I'll get you one," said Dylan. "Now, c'mon. Our sofa calls, and I've got a dish of sorbet waiting with your name on it."
"Sorbet," said Brenda dreamily.
Much as he didn't want to, Dylan slowly untangled himself from Brenda the moment he heard her even breaths.
Setting a kiss to Brenda's forehead and to the inner part of her wrist, Dylan went to find Brandon.
He threw the envelope down on Brandon's nightstand with a satisfactory smack of plastic against the roughened texture of wood.
"You still wanna tell me it's not personal?" Dylan's finger trembled as he jabbed it at the envelope.
"What's this?" Brandon set aside his laptop and swiped the letter.
"Bering & Associates," said Dylan. "They're trying to get Bren and the other train victims to agree to a payout. And get this: your father, uncle, and Victor Malone got into an argument before the Malones moved to Buffalo. My guess is it was over Malone's fuckin' work with Bering & Associates."
"Did Val tell you that?"
"Bren did. The first sorta-memory she's had return in ages, and she's not even sure if it's true." Dylan tried to rein in his frustration. "We gotta talk to your mom, only the problem is that -"
"- the problem is that my mom's barely talking to anyone right now," said Brandon, "and won't even mention the name Malone."
Dylan withdrew his mobile and began dialing.
He held Brenda's hand, craning his neck over the crowds.
Their group had gone to the airport earlier that day to see Donna and Kelly off for their flight that would include an overnight layover in London, and had stayed until that afternoon to welcome in an old friend.
"Do you think I'll recognize him from the photo?" asked Brenda as her lips wiggled around in fret.
Dylan stilled her lips with the tip of his finger.
"You might recognize him from his voice," said Dylan. "He's got a very distinctive voice."
"There they are!" boomed the voice in question, accompanied by a few more grey hairs than Dylan had last seen. "The Walsh twins. Boy, have I got bones to pick with you. Brenda, I understand you not writing, but Brandon? Can't send your old pal a note every now and then?"
"Nat." Brandon leant in to clap Nat Bussichio's back.
Dylan did the same, without releasing Brenda's hand.
"Man, have we missed you," he said.
"You've also severely lacked in the postcard-sending department, McKay," said Nat.
"Been kinda busy here," said Dylan, showing off Brenda.
"Brenda." Nat held out his arms and smiled at her.
To Brandon and Dylan's shock, Brenda sailed right into Nat's hold.
"The boys said I'd like you," she said.
"What's the verdict?" Nat kissed Brenda's hair.
"You seem familiar," said Brenda. "Like Dylan."
"Or like a giant teddy bear," said Brandon.
He asked Nat about updates on Nat's family as Dylan helped Brenda get situated in the car.
"Heard from your mother lately, Dylan?" asked Nat.
"Been trying to get a hold of her," said Dylan. "We're hoping she can help Cindy, but you know how hard it is to make contact with Iris. How long you planning to stay, Nat?"
"Ideally until I can welcome my kids' newest addition into the world, but as that isn't realistic, I'll at least stay through the hearing."
"Think you can talk some sense into my father?" asked Brandon as he slid the key into the ignition.
"Certainly gonna try, Brando," said Nat.
Brenda rested against Dylan.
Nat peered into the overhead mirror.
"You two look mighty cozy," he said. "Bren, you giving this crazy kiddo another chance?"
"They're inseparable," said Brandon.
"Only when we're around each other," said Dylan.
"Which is most of the time," said Brandon.
"Sounds like a reunion to me," said Nat.
"Hold that thought 'til you meet Bren's boyfriend," said Dylan.
"Boyfriend?" asked Nat. "Brenda, you have a boyfriend?"
"It's just this guy I'm seeing," said Brenda. "We aren't exclusive or anything."
"I see," said Nat. "And Dylan, you're cool with this?"
"It's Bren's life," said Dylan. "Just as long as her boyfriend remains a good guy and continues respecting the place Bren and I have in each others' lives, I don't have an issue with it."
Dylan caught the same disbelieving look from Nat that Nat had bestowed upon Dylan the time he had told Nat he didn't care if Brenda Walsh had decided to accept a ring from Stuart Carson.
The same look Nat had shown during the years that Dylan thought he had been able to fool everybody into thinking he was over Brenda.
Everybody except Nat, who had called Dylan the second Nat had heard that Brenda would be studying in London. Nat asked if Dylan would be going with her.
Dylan spent the next year wishing he had.
Brandon told Nat about the others waiting back at the house, though he conveniently left out Valerie's name.
Steve and David greeted them in the driveway, but it was Valerie who flung the door open and made a beeline for Nat.
"Valerie!" Nat's jubilation rang clear. "Oh, Valerie."
"Hi, Nat," said Valerie as she gave him a loud smooch. "Miss me?"
"After Dark isn't the same without you," said Nat, flinging one arm around Val. His other arm flung around Brenda. "Both of my girls, in the same place. You make an old man's heart sing."
"You're not that old, Nat," said David.
"The ticker says otherwise," said Nat.
"Well, you tell your ticker to shape up," said Brandon.
"Yeah, we're sick of hospitals," said Dylan.
"And have no desire to visit you in one anytime soon," said Steve.
Brenda snuggled her head under Nat's neck.
"Brandon's right," she said. "You do feel like a teddy bear."
Brandon cupped his ear.
"Did anyone else hear my sister say I was right about something?" he asked.
"Hormones," said Brenda. "Don't read into it."
"Where's a tape recorder when you need one?" asked Brandon.
It amused Dylan how hard Brenda tried to keep from waddling.
"Release the waddle!" he called out behind her.
"I look like a penguin when I waddle," said Brenda.
"I've never seen a penguin look as good as you," said
Dylan.
"You haven't seen enough penguins," said Brandon.
"Pop a penguin in a tux and they'd look better than Brandon in a tux," said Steve.
"See what I have to deal with?" Brenda told Nat. "You'd think there were four kids around here."
"We resent that," said Brandon.
"Yeah," said Steve. "You've totally forgotten to include Silver."
"And I resent that," said David.
Nat asked for them to point him towards the kitchen.
Dylan and Brandon protested that Nat had only just arrived and shouldn't be cooking with his inevitable jet lag. Nat said he took great pleasure in cooking for his kids. Steve told Nat he would be glad to serve as Nat's sous-chef.
Nat went to see if Cindy would join them.
"I don't think it's such a good idea to have Luca meet Nat," said Brenda.
"Why not?" asked Dylan. He had taken to lifting Brenda onto his lap every time Luca's name came up.
Dylan wondered if Brenda had caught on.
"It'd be like introducing Luca to your dad," said Brenda. "It doesn't seem right."
"König's part of your life, isn't he?" asked Dylan. "So's Nat. They'll have to meet sometime."
"I guess," said Brenda.
"Unless you're re-considering if König is part of your life," said Dylan.
He thought that Brenda had surely heard the way his heart freefell out of his chest, but she didn't give any indication that she had.
"Luca and I made a pact," said Brenda. "Our relationship isn't supposed to turn serious. Introducing him to Nat would make it serious."
"Then König won't be at the hearing?" asked Dylan.
"He asked if I wanted him there. I'm not sure I do."
"It's totally not my business, Bren, but I think when you start feeling like that, it's better to cut your losses."
"Maybe," said Brenda. "Or maybe I don't want him getting dragged into this Jim mess. It's bad enough you're dragged into it."
"If this hearing finally gets Jim to back off of our lives, I'm glad to be dragged into it," said Dylan.
"It's just easier with Luca," said Brenda. "I never feel pressured to have to remember something about him, because there's nothing for me to remember."
"Do you feel pressured like that with the rest of us?" Dylan combed his fingers through Brenda's hair.
"None of you force me to feel like that. But there are plenty of times, like when you hug me or when Nat hugged me, that I just want to have some inkling of what it was like the first time you did. With Luca; if he hugs me, it will be the first time he has. I won't have to stand there and wonder."
The thought of Luca König clutching onto Dylan's girl tightened Dylan's hold on Brenda.
"If it helps any," he said, "holding you always feels like the first time."
"It helps some," said Brenda with the hint of a smile.
Dylan kissed her brow.
"I love you, Bren," he said.
"I know," she said. "I love you, too."
No matter what he said or did, how many moments he recreated or created anew, Dylan had yet to impress upon Brenda that his love for her expanded beyond the friendship between them.
If he didn't know any better, Dylan would think his present place in the friendzone was Brenda's payback for what she had misunderstood him to say in a car on the way back from an impromptu trip to Palm Springs.
Dylan rose to leave Brenda to her giggle fest with Valerie over some television series they had both become addicted to as he joined Nat in the kitchen.
Dipping a spoon into the pot Cindy stirred, Dylan decided he didn't like Cindy Walsh being so quiet. It seemed unnatural for any Walsh to be that quiet, even Brenda.
"How was your day, Mom?" he asked, tossing the moniker out there in the event that it would cause a reaction in Cindy.
"Hm?" she asked. "Oh, it was fine. Fine."
"Iris call?" asked Dylan.
"Jim's lawyer did," said Cindy. "On behalf of Jim. I told Jim I wouldn't speak to him unless he called off the suit. Jim said I was throwing twenty-six years of marriage away over what he said was a delinquent. I told him he threw away our marriage the second he let revenge take over and became unrecognizable."
It was the most Dylan had heard Cindy talk in a week and therefore, it hardly registered that Jim had labelled him a delinquent.
Hardly.
"Did you get a name?" asked Dylan.
"Wrote it down over there." Cindy gestured aimlessly.
Dylan walked over to examine the telephone memo pad.
"Have you talked to Clare about this?" he heard Nat ask.
"I don't want to talk to Clare about it," said Steve.
"Steve, if you think Clare would have let her pregnancy with that Carl fella go to term, or -"
"Or Dick's kid," said Steve.
"Or Dick's kid," said Nat, "then you'd be wise to talk to Clare herself and ensure her decision was not solely based on the fact that you were the father."
"That's what we keep telling him!" said Dylan, simultaneously surprised and unsurprised that Steve had confided in Nat.
"She'll just give some excuse about her dad not approving or some crap," said Steve. "They should warn you not to fall for Daddy's girls."
"They do," said Dylan.
"Then maybe you should consider listening to her," said Nat.
"I wish Val would listen to me," said David upon his own entrance. "Got any advice for that, Nat?"
"A woman with a mind as determined as Valerie's just takes a little time," said Nat.
"If Val takes any more time, I'm gonna have to reset the clock," said David.
Reading over the memo pad, Dylan dropped it as if it had been a fiery poker branding his skin and yelled for Brandon to get in there.
"What?" asked Brandon.
"Read that," said Dylan.
"Clayton Claiborne?" asked Brandon. "Who's Clayton Claiborne?"
"If memory serves, isn't he part of Rawlins' legal counsel?" asked Dylan.
"You know, I think he is," said Brandon. "What about it?"
"He's part of Jim's legal counsel, too," said Dylan. "Not personal, eh?" He shoved the memo pad towards Brandon and stalked out of the kitchen.
Brenda wasn't where he had left her.
He found her in their bedroom, where just the sight of her snatched his breath.
It was the second time he had seen Brenda stand before him in a dress of such importance.
Dylan swore the third time would be for keeps.
"Donna wanted me to try it on and give her a full review." Brenda met Dylan's eyes in the full-length mirror. "What do you think?" She twirled the skirt.
"You should consider keeping it." Dylan's focus sank into the wedding dress.
"Really?" asked Brenda. "I don't think it's my style."
It wasn't. It was far more Donna's, but that didn't change how fantastic Brenda looked in it or how much Dylan longed to tear it off of her.
The clock radio switched to a meaningful song for both of them as Brenda shifted her hand to unzip the dress.
Dylan doubted Brenda knew precisely how meaningful the song was, or that it had been playing over the loudspeaker the night they had unexpectedly kissed in London.
Brenda had questioned whether it was what Dylan wanted.
Dylan had shown her exactly what he wanted.
The song had worked in his favor before. Perhaps it could again.
"Let me." Quickly crossing towards Brenda, Dylan grabbed hold of the zipper.
He purposely unzipped at a snail's pace, stroking his hand down Brenda's skin as it became exposed inch by inch.
For added measure, he set his lips to her skin.
"Dylan." Brenda gathered up the dress and turned to face him in her undergarments.
"Brenda," he said.
"Do we give Donna a good review?" she asked.
"Great review," said Dylan.
He stood in impersonation of a statue, willing with his eyes for Brenda to step closer to him.
Willing her to let him smash the last of her defenses.
"I should get dressed," she said.
"Yeah, you probably should," he said.
"Yeah." Brenda swallowed. "I should."
Dylan caressed a tendril of Brenda's hair.
"Definitely should."
"This song; it means something to us, doesn't it?" asked Brenda.
A reverberating knock crashed through the atmosphere, upsetting Dylan as the jarring noise erased his planned response.
"You two decent?" yelled out Steve.
"Go away, Sanders!" said Dylan.
"Might wanna check who's at the door," said Steve.
"I know who's at the door," said Dylan. "You're at the door, and I'd like you to go away."
"The front door," said Steve.
Severing their eye contact, Brenda began to rummage through their armoire.
"Are we expecting anyone?" she asked.
"Only Nat was coming as far as I knew," said Dylan.
"Better put on something decent, just in case," said Brenda.
"I think at this stage, wearing my shirt as a dress is perfectly acceptable," said Dylan.
Brenda instead opted for a denim shirt dress with thin straps and a vertically-designed row of buttons.
"Wouldn't want anyone to get the wrong idea," she said.
"And what idea would that be?" he asked.
Instead of answering, Brenda exited the room.
Dylan wasn't too far behind.
"We didn't expect you," he heard Brandon say.
"No one ever expects me, darling," came the trilled response. "To be expected would minimize the entertainment value that accompanies a surprise visit."
"I know that voice," said Brenda. "How do I know that voice?"
"Probably because she knows that voice," said Dylan. He pulled Brenda to him. "Bren, meet our daughter's other doting grandmother. Let's hope one day, she'll give a heads-up before she decides to drop in."
"Oh, but this is far more interesting," said Iris McKay with a jangle of her silver clasp bracelets. "Brenda, delighted to see you are looking well. I do hope carrying my grandchild isn't waking you at all hours of the night, the way her father did me. I have a wonderful recipe for peach soufflé, if you require it. But what is this I hear about your father suing my son? Of all the cockamamie ideas Jim Walsh has had, this takes the cake!"
Brenda looked at Dylan.
"I think I like her," said Brenda.
"I think she likes you too, Bren," said Dylan.
He knew from a repetitive experience he used to find irksome that Iris would do everything possible to convince Brenda of a future role as Iris' favorite daughter-in-law.
With Iris and Nat rooting for them, Dylan felt more confident that he could stand against Jim Walsh and come out on the winning side.
If anyone could prevent Brandon from spiraling into the workaholic Dylan worried Brandon was becoming, it would be Nat.
As long as Nat was helping Brandon, perhaps he and Iris could help Valerie and Cindy, too.
If they had any time left over, perhaps also Steve.
And then, to finish it off, they could help Dylan figure out how to get Luca König to back off of Dylan's family in a way that wouldn't rattle Brenda.
Dylan had already watched Brenda walk down the aisle towards one man who wasn't him.
He would be damned if the next person standing at the end of that aisle would make Brenda a fucking König.
-x
(Shout-out to KJ to express my continued gratitude and appreciation. It was a blast to write those scenes! Val thinks she's successfully kept from concerning her family, but she's wrong.)
Thanks a million! x