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

Chapter Twenty-Six: A Lunch Date

The week moves too quickly for my liking, Nat is doing well and is moved out of the ICU on Tuesday night, Brandon hires a new waitress on Monday evening and they are trained by Wednesday. He has taken to stopping by The Pit each night to help manage close but between the three main waitresses and his drive to oversee the business side of our venture he doesn't need me any longer. It allows me to spend more time with my family this week, it's been restorative. After Jim, Cindy, the worry of Nat, the long hours last week, and the anger and distance Bren had put between us, a few evening meals and bed time routines with the kids, having my best friend more communicative and relaxed in my presence, hell even being ganged up and made to try meditation with my mum and her, has me feeling renewed.

I've always been a home body, well since I met Bren and spent time at Casa Walsh and then when I got my own house, it's something I've enjoyed- relaxing in my home. After partying too young and too hard in the LA scene, drinking in pool halls and getting high in clubs like Eve's Apple, moving too many times to count with Jack, getting kicked out by him as a teenager and taking over his suite at the BelAge, all of it has made me appreciate the comforts of home. No home has ever felt like this. On Friday afternoon as I watch Erica kick the ball while Art sits on my lap I'm hit by the fear that what if this is the beginning of the end.

Bren's out shopping, a weird event I pushed for when I knocked on her door last night and found her bed covered in discarded clothes. Her weight had been all pregnancy both from Arthur's body and some swelling in the last stages from her rising blood pressure. The latter wasn't noticeable in any pictures in my book, I know I've checked, but over the last few days I've asked her to explain some images and give me more details on her pregnancy. On Wednesday morning over coffee I called her out on her over-dramatisation of her ankles in the final month, there was no way they swelled to the size of a grapefruit.

Erica laughed as I picked up the fruit and showed her the actual size, when she refused to back down I asked for picture proof knowing some photos didn't make the album cut. She denied having any, stating ankles aren't photographic at the best of times. It had been a tease I continued on all day until she relented and said maybe mangos was the more accurate description. Though she also said by month six she couldn't see that part of herself without a mirror so to her they seemed massive. Thursday morning I had made her a fruit salad for breakfast, it mainly consisted of grape fruit and mango- she called me a name, whispered in my ear in passing so Erica couldn't hear her cuss. I responded loudly with a laughing tone that I'm glad not only is my bike nice it is also smart in her eyes.

Thursday night she had decided that her body still wasn't the same and going on a date like this was ridiculous. Her discarded clothes were her evidence that everything clung now to her non-existent rounder stomach or the others made her look like she'd had a botched chest surgery as they were so disproportionate. When she began discussing stretch marks I stepped in with a new rule to go along with the original. Not only does a warning need to be given if even the slightest hint of love is felt, a warning is needed as well if there is a chance of him or anyone ever seeing under her clothes; all playing is off then as she is running too far and I'm chasing. Her annoyed Dylan be serious was met by my cool stare. She immediately knew I was. She shook her her head and ignored me as she looked back in her wardrobe for a potential outfit.

Between her dislike of them and my veto or encouragement in some cases, she couldn't find anything appropriate. When my attempts to get her to wear her black turtleneck, the one she looked so beautiful in during our junior year when she wore the perfume I got her were shot down for the third time I told her to go shopping. Her discomfort at spending money on herself was clear. Her genuine distress at using our account to buy an outfit for a date was vocally made. I said as long as there was no charges to Victoria Secret we would be fine, unless of course she was buying something for me to see her in. Maybe give me a chance to see and get familiar with these imagery new lines she believes she has, I told her I was available to complete a close inspection. Her roll of her eyes was her only response.

By the time she arrives home we are all still outside though Art is in his bouncer now so I can run my hands through my hair in panic. As she comes outside it takes her all of thirty seconds to clock my mood.

As she unwraps her arms from around Erica she smiles and looks at me. "Sweetheart why don't you show Dylan and I how many goals you can get in from the top left corner of the yard?" Erica nods and runs off. "What happened?"

"Nothing."

"Really you look worked up. Did my parents call? Did the Architect come in with too high a quote?"

"No nothing like that, I'm just panicking… it's my problem not yours. Tell me exactly what the Doctor said today? Your lungs are showing signs of improvement but your liver is still at the same reading, does he know why it's taking so long to come down?"

"Dylan tell me what's not my problem? If it has you worked up like this I'd like to know please."

After a long drawn out exhale I start, "tomorrow."

"The lunch?" I nod. She comes and sits next to me. "Would you like me not to go? Believe me I'm not all together excited by the prospect, I can't remember it ever feeling this stressful."

"You weren't stressed on our first date?"

"The friends one when Brandon was sick or the one you stood me up?"

"You are going to hold that over my head forever aren't you?"

"It will be a cautionary tale to our grandchildren and great grandchildren on what not to do to someone, I'll come across looking amazing for my awesome powers of forgiveness and well you'll be the uncool grandparent who stood up their sweet loving grandma."

"You've put a lot of thought into this, I see."

"You'll bribe them with sweets and money, I'll need my own angle to compete with that." I shake my head and smile before we both clap Erica for making a difficult goal. "No I wasn't stressed with you, I had excited butterflies. I wanted the night to hurry up and get there but I also wanted it to go slow so I could enjoy the moment that the reclusive Dylan McKay actually had eye's only for me. I didn't know how long it was going to last but I wanted to enjoy it, all of it."

"Eternity. My eye's are only able to properly see the world when they look at you." I pick up her hand. "You are my world."

She slowly removes her hand from mine and without hostility just a clear acceptance in her voice states, "well it was nice back then when I thought they were only for me. Tomorrow?"

I'm an arse, she sat through months and months of watching me with her and now I'm telling her not to let anyone touch her without telling me first. She's now managing my feelings on her date when she is already feeling stressed and insecure about her body changes. Her confidence is low and I'm not helping her like I promised. "Doesn't matter I'm being selfish, I want you to go have fun. Did you get something to wear?"

"Yeah a nice green and cream long slip dress. What are you going to do with the kids tomorrow?"

"Well I'm hoping we'll have a family breakfast before you go to your parents and then Mum wants to go to this organic nursery. She and Erica have decided they are going to grow a veggie garden behind the garage. It can't be seen from the driveway or house and it gets good light, we'll probably need to build some garden beds and then put down some good soil. While that is going on they are going to start growing the seeds so they are ready for planting when it's all set. Tomorrow it's ordering the garden supplies for delivery and choosing seeds and pots for growing."

"That sounds great and a lot more fun than a lunch." As we clap Erica again, she looks to me. "Do you ever think we are the oldest nineteen year olds? Definitely the oldest we know."

"Brandon might beg to differ, he is in full Pit boss and master of the universe mode with the task force and his new business."

"He's not doing too much is he? Is he eating properly? Maybe I should cook tomorrow night to stock their freezer."

"Tomorrow night is popcorn and movie night with Erica and me."

"The kitchen and lounge room are all in the same space I can do both." There was no point arguing this one, if she thinks her twin needs her then all my arguments will be ignored.

After we commiserate with Erica over not making a difficult shot and encouraging her to try again, I change the subject. "Oh Suzanne said thank you for letting her stay so she could go on her date tomorrow night."

"When are we going to have Suzanne up here? Erica is with us every night, she has a room here and I take care of her without you, doesn't Suzanne want to meet me to make sure I'm okay?"

"What about next Saturday night? If her date goes well with Kevin maybe he can come to, especially as Erica isn't keen on him."

"Yeah that would be good, Erica was so out of sorts when she arrived on Wednesday night I would like to find out if he is okay."

Our Friday evening was spent attempting to make pizza dough as we couldn't guarantee the deliveries would meet Bren's diet needs. While none of us quite got the shape perfect or had even thickness they were delicious and most of all the five of us had a lot of fun. Art enjoying the squishiness of the new texture even if he was constantly trying to put his hands in his mouth. After the kids were in bed, Mum had returned home, Bren and I decided to tackle our poetry class assignment. It was a comparison between an English and American romantic poet using two of their noted works. We spent most of the night reading poems to each other, arguing over their meaning, the authors word choice and if the ideas were actually romantic, by the end of it we had at least both chosen our poets and poems, and had a lot of fun in the process. Bren laughed when I stuck to Byron and took to asking after each poem I read if that was about his sister?

Saturday the mood in the house was a little different, we went about our weekend routines the same way. Erica watched morning cartoons and Bren made eggs and toast, while I made the coffee and cut up the fruit, all whilst in our pyjamas. Mum decided to join us and spend most of the meal discussing with Erica and Bren which vegetables and herbs to grow. Afterwards Mum and I tidied up while Bren got ready. We decided to head to the nursery while Art would be napping resulting in Bren being able to nurse Art before we left. Erica was once again outside this time with Iris drawing up plans together for the McKay Veggie Garden- Erica had plans to make a sign that evening for the garden. Bren sat in her robe in the lounge room with her makeup on nursing our son. We sat there awkwardly for a few minutes not knowing what to say to one another.

Eventually she broke the silence, "how much do you want to know afterwards?"

I hold in my sigh, "I didn't give you that option and I did it in front of you, you would be within your rights to tell me everything regardless of how I felt, hell you probably would be justified to invite him into our home. You invited her into your's trying to give me enough support after my Dad."

"Dylan this isn't tit-for-tat, I'm not doing this to get even or to hurt you. I actually don't even know why I'm doing it, maybe to see if I can break our cycle. Even without Kelly we never seem to get our balance quite right, maybe this friendship raising our family as best friends is the best option less potential for Art and even Erica to get hurt that way."

"We were pretty stable there for a lot of the time, sometimes we got too carried away for our age or we took the other for granted but we were pretty young inexperienced in this."

"I'm still inexperienced, you are my only experience."

"I'm not meaning physically or in a relationship, I mean inexperienced with handling the depths of our feelings- the intensity of our love." Bren swaps Art over to the other side, giving me a chance to run my fingers over his scalp. "Ever wonder if you would have moved here in College, what our relationship would have been like if we met at CU? Like if we met in our romantic poetry class, arguing over poets."

"I haven't. I wonder if you would have noticed the plain midwestern girl after dating Kelly for years."

"What?! That wouldn't have happened. I would still be the loner never looking for anything more than casual, I imagine I'd still be drinking and god knows what else. Though I also think when I begin arguing with you about the merits of Byron's poetry, I would have locked eyes on you, and well I can't imagine we'd ever have been separated after that. Our intensity at sixteen and seventeen was challenging for all, at nineteen it would have been celebrated- finding true love like that, arguing over a poem in a poetry class would have been the stuff of legends."

"You really don't think you and her? She said in sophomore year that you guy's flirted throughout your freshman year."

"Yeah while she dated Steve, and I flirted with everyone. I never had an interest, if I did why wouldn't I have made a move? I wasn't that discerning in freshman year or even at the start of sophomore year before I met you. She never held more than a few minutes of light entertainment on a very boring and lonely time in my life."

"Until you figured it out that it was more."

"Did I? I don't remember wanting anything after those few weeks of summer distraction. You gave me an out on that beach, I could have taken it and never confessed it. I could have left you and been justified or even admitted it and left justifying that we both cheated- admittedly mine being worse, but instead I stayed. I stayed because you were and are who I love. You are who I want more with, I want forever with."

"Well we didn't meet in College and yeah maybe meeting older would have made our lives easier or maybe we would have just made more damage." She finishes nursing our son and begins to burp him. "So how much do you want to know?"

"Unless something goes wrong, not much please. No details, no names, just if you had a good time and if there will be a second date, is that okay?"

"Yeah that's okay. If there's a third?"

I run my hand through my hair, she would only go on a third if she liked him. Would she want him to then meet our brother's? Our friends? It would be way too soon for him to meet our kids, I mean that would only happen if they got long term serious and I'd start chasing then, though it would be weird for them to date seriously and him not know where she lived. I take a deep breath to try and calm my mind, I begin to repeat that I'm stressing over hypotheticals she may not like him. "A third means there's a good chance of a fourth and a fifth, I should get some more details I guess then. At least his name."

"Okay."

Everything was going well this week except for the date. Dylan and I were picking up our routine again. I was less angry at myself for being a fool to think I was more than all of them. My arrogance while he was choosing left me blindsided when it wasn't me, my belief of the importance of our relationship gave me something to cling to while pregnant; having it all eroded that night, when I found out her title, left me angry at him, but with day's and distance I realised I was more angry at myself. He was a player before we met and whether I believe he lied or didn't to Kelly it is now clear he is still a player. Regardless though he is my best friend and we are family. He accepts my stubbornness and occasional drama, I'll accept he is easily swayed. It's a character trait that I see only an issue if we date again or more likely, if he starts bringing a rotation of woman into our kids lives.

Even with his eyes easily swayed I do know that this date was painful for him, if I was being honest it was painful for me. All my insecurities had run through my head this week, from my horrible judgment with guys; Jim Townsend all the way through to Rick and then Dylan again. My changing body that I still had little to no control over, and my inability to form lasting and meaningful connections to people in LA or Minnesota, well except for Steve. This date had led to parts of that inner box being opened and viewed, it was something I didn't want to do but I know it's important even if it is painful.

As I parked the Porsche outside my parents house and made my way up the driveway, I could feel the elephants jumping on my stomach- god I miss the butterflies of dating. Dad and Mum were eagerly waiting for me and both commented on how lovely I looked, though when Mum asked if I got the dress in Minnesota I had to explain that it was newly picked up, yesterday afternoon in fact. The mood shifted. Dad began grumbling under his breath about Dylan's ongoing control of my life, it was a point I wasn't in the headspace to argue, to nervous with the impending door bell. Changing the subject I asked for details of the guy.

Stuart Carson, only child of the Carson's who were very important clients of my Father's. He was a little older at twenty-four and knew limited information about me as well. When I asked if he knew about Art my Dad was unsure. Carson had seen the picture of his grandson on his desk but Dad was uncertain if he remembered that Jim only had one daughter. That statement earned a loud Jim from my mother and her disapproving look, my elephants started practising somersaults.

Stuart rang the bell after that and his flowers and wow statement did little to calm my nerves, this could be the shortest date ever. The car ride to the restaurant for lunch was full of small chat, and it wasn't till we were seated did it become a little uncomfortable.

"The host knows you by name?"

"My family come here a lot." He gives me a gentle smile, "if you want help with what to order or the French please let me know, by now I think I have eaten the whole menu." The French didn't bother me but the menu full of foods I wasn't allowed to consume did. Steak frites no butter and salad it was.

When the waiter came by for our drinks Stuart ordered a wine and asked if I would like one, I declined and asked for a still water. It was only when the waiter moved away did he apologise if the question made me uncomfortable. It was sweet of him to care.

"No it's fine, I'm just not a drinker and well I currently am not allowed." Before I could finish the waiter returned with our drinks and then asked if we were ready to order. While he didn't say anything I could tell from his attitude that the waiter was put out by my modifications. Once Stuart had ordered and the waiter left I clarified.

"I'm not usually this picky but I'm on a restrictive diet and well it means nothing fun like butter or salt."

"Why you look stunning and so thin, you can't believe you need to lose weight?"

"No it's a medical issue that requires it. Look I'm not sure if your father realises or if he does if he has advised you, but four months ago I gave birth to my son Arthur, though we use mainly his nickname, Art."

His shocked face indicates he wasn't aware, "oh… no my Father didn't say anything."

"He has seen a picture in my Father's office of Art but my Father didn't know if your's had made the connection between Dad's only daughter and his new grandson."

He's quiet for a moment and I quietly sip my water trying to appear like this isn't awkward. "So you are raising him alone?"

"No I'm raising him with his Father."

"Oh is that why you were in Minnesota for him to be involved? Does he fly out now that you moved back home?"

"Oh no his Father lives in LA, I had a difficult pregnancy so I chose to spend the pregnancy in Minnesota with my extended family and so I could complete my first semester of College before the birth, without distraction." It wasn't a lie but there was omissions made to the story, I wasn't about to tell a stranger about Dylan and I.

"So is Art visiting his Dad today? I assume since you are on a date with me you aren't together."

"No we aren't but we are best friends and no Art is at home with his father."

"Oh your son doesn't live with you, is that because of your medical issues."

"Sorry I think trying to join what you know and this new information is making the whole thing more confusing. I don't live with my parents, the house you picked me up from. I live with my son and his father we have our own place, well currently we have other members of our family living there as well. Art's paternal grandma lives on the property and Art's well Aunt, his Father's half sister, though she is young and is more like a sister to him, stays with us regularly."

"So you live with your best friend, wait is he an ex boyfriend or was… I'm not sure how to ask that without being too forward." He hadn't run and he was trying.

"Yes we were together for two years." His eyes get large, we had covered our respective ages in the car a two year relationship at any age was significant but at mine it meant that it may be most of my dating life.

"You live with your ex boyfriend, his mother, his sister and your son?" I nod. "And four months ago you had a baby with him?" I nod. "Can I ask when did you break up?"

"We broke up officially in October 1992 but I guess you could say we casually dated until February 1993."

"Does that include the two years?"

"No we got together in November 1990." His eyes go even larger.

"So this was a big relationship?"

"Look I'm really sorry I know this isn't what you expected and I can see this isn't sitting well with you." I begin to put my napkin on the table and rise, "I'm going to go and catch a taxi. Thank you and sorry this was awk-"

"Wait, please stay. Have lunch with me. I'm sorry my manners are appalling I guess I'm trying to process if this…" he points between the two of us, "is okay. Not for me but…"

"Are you asking if my ex minds?" He nods and I sit. "He doesn't love the idea but yes he knows, he actually encouraged me to come. We… he is my family, was before Arthur was born and is now legally through our son. We are best friends, but we didn't work out. There are reasons for that, he understands and accepts that us being together again is not something I'm looking for and well we are best friends he wants to see me happy."

"Wow so he is a great guy I'm guessing. Loves you enough to put your happiness first. You must be a hell of a woman to inspire that kind of loyalty and selflessness."

I can feel my cheeks get warm, "I'm not sure about that but we are family we do that for each other, support each other and put the others needs first."

"You've had to do the same for him, given him space to date someone else?" I cover myself in my acting blanket and pretend that it was a choice not one that was forced upon me. Forced by my need to be there for him after his Dad and then forced through my pregnancy knowledge. I'm honest enough to know it was an internal force I could have tried to deny, but it's Dylan and I'm not sure I could ever deny him if he needed me. I'm not wired that way, I wasn't since our first date.

"Yes."

"Okay so this having lunch then is fine, I'm not coming between a family and I'm not a rebound date. Phew." I laugh at his reaction, he genuinely looked relieved, maybe I was misreading his awkwardness. "You have a beautiful laugh." I smile, "and an incredible smile. So Miss Walsh you want to be an actress, stage, tv or movie?"

The rest of our lunch is spent getting to know each other. We chat about College, him about working for his Father's company, we discuss movies we like, our favourite songs, when he discovers I went to France he tells me a funny story of his first trip, I have him laughing about Donna and I ordering brains soon after. By the time he drops me off at my parents I'm no longer feeling the elephants.

"I had a great time, can I see you again?"

I smile, "yeah I'd like that."

"When are you free? I'm guessing tonight's out of the question, what about tomorrow?"

His timeline was unexpected, tomorrow I have lunch with my parents. With Erica staying with us the nights before Suzanne's breakfast shifts the ones she has volunteered to do in Nat's absence it's too hard to have them both out late, and it cuts into Suzanne's time with Erica. Tomorrow Dylan will be having lunch with both of them while I take Art and I to my parents. We will meet back at our house for the evening, bedtime routines and then Dylan will go to his meeting with David. "Oh I have lunch here with my parents and Brother but I could go for a coffee or a walk in the afternoon if you are free for an hour?"

"I'll make myself free if it means more time with you." As he walks me to the doorstep he doesn't kiss me instead he lifts my hand and kisses the back of it. "Two o'clock tomorrow?" It's Arthur's nap time, it will give me nearly two hours with his new schedule.

I smile, "two o'clock tomorrow."

As he walks to his car backwards so he can continue to look at me, I feel something I hadn't felt in a while the faint flutter of a butterfly.