I can't imagine between cooking for the family and the festive celebrations that I'll have time to post another chapter until after Christmas, so this author's note is to wish you and your loved ones a happy, safe and peaceful festive season.

Thank you for all your views, reviews, favs and follows they continue to be the best present.

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

Chapter Thirty-Four: Photo Shoot

On Thursday Arthur's first tooth began to cut. He was out of sorts all day. It was one of our full day's on campus but between day care and us we managed to make it work. When we got home it was just the three of us, Erica was with Suzanne and Iris had left first thing this morning for a long weekend at a desert meditation retreat. When Art struggled to sleep through his discomfort, we brought him into Dylan's room with us. We spent most of the night sleeping in short spurts with Art being unable to settle for too long.

When his alarm went off in the morning Dylan quickly silenced it and wrapped his arms back around me, Art had been moved back into his room at six when he finally looked like he was in a more settled sleep. "You planning on getting up?"

Dylan's mumbled response into my neck told me all I needed to know. "Sleep, I miss sleep."

"Okay baby, I guess you'll be hanging out with us this morning." His kiss on my neck was his only response before he went into a deep sleep.

After another hour of sleep I managed to unwind myself from Dylan who had taken his tree status seriously and wrapped his limbs tightly around me. Art was still sleeping so I seized the moment to have a shower and then had a quiet breakfast outside.

It's not long until the groggy man walks out with a cup of coffee to join me, "Hey."

"I didn't expect you to be up so soon. Did you wake so you could go to your second class?"

"No, I just don't sleep so well when you are not there; I've just been dozing since you got up. I was thinking we could drive in together today. I could go to your Doctors appointment with you and then you can come to the photo shoot with me, then Art and I can have a walk around campus while you go to your afternoon class."

He looked exhausted. "Sounds good, though you sure you don't want to try and sleep more? You've been doing the night shifts for nearly three months while I've been able to sleep through, I can handle a night of limited rest."

"You going to come back to bed with me?"

"I'd love to but I'll need to leave soon for the doctor's, I managed to move it earlier so I could bring Art onto campus for your pictures. You feeling up for being the hot calendar dad today?"

"I feel like I have a bad hangover but without the drinking. Our son has inherited a loud cry from your side of the family; so no I definitely don't feel like I'm a hot dad today."

"I'm ignoring that I'm getting the blame for all the unfun trait's-"

"Baby, McKay's don't cry we smash, if he starts throwing his toy's that's all on me."

I bite my lip to keep from laughing, it was true and I could just imagine my infant son with the McKay scowl clearing the table of his toy's in anger. "Okay I'll accept this one. Now why don't you go get ready while I make you a model worthy breakfast."

"I'm guessing there is no chance to cancel the shoot?"

I lean in close and rub my nose against his, he closes his eyes to bask in the moment of closeness. "Nope but if it makes you feel better I think you look even hotter today, all rugged and handsome from a hard night of amazing parenting." Before I move away I can feel his face form a smile.

Dylan was thrilled he attended my Doctors with me, specifically because he got to hear straight from the Doctor that he was taking me off all medication, and that if my blood pressure held steady in the normal range for the next four weeks he would declare that my postpartum preeclampsia was over. Dylan not missing an opportunity to ask his million questions then began going over everything from how many times a day should we monitor my pressure over the next four weeks, back over the long term implications, and unsurprisingly to me any potential risks of birth control. Due to the potential for clots the latter's oral contraceptives weren't advised until I got the all clear. This then led Dylan down another line of question all together.

When we finally got in the car I looked at Dylan, "you are very into my health you know that right?"

"I'm very into making sure I don't lose you. I wasn't aware of all these risks, I can see now why you got angry at me when I suggested it after the scare. It isn't just popping a pill it can have side effects that you need to be aware of especially with your family history. I know it's not something we need to figure out right now but any thought's?"

"Well I'm not ready to expand our family yet, I'd like to enjoy not having to think about my health for a while, enjoy our family as it is, get into acting more- even if the play doesn't work out I've enjoyed the process of getting ready for the audition and would like to try out for some more production's, and last but not least I'd like to enjoy spending time with you figuring out how we will be as a couple going forward."

As he drives he picks up my hand and brings it to his mouth to lay a kiss on, "we will be just like this open, supportive and committed. The only difference will be that you'll be having to get used to less sleep again, though I guarantee to make it more enjoyable than last night."

I laugh, "Baby that bar is pretty low, if I'm going to be sleep deprived you are going have to aim for much higher than that." He doesn't respond just gives me a look when we get to the traffic lights. His arrogant stare is not undeserved, "okay shut up."

He laughs, "glad you came to your senses, for a moment there I thought I might need to turn around and get your Doctor to test your memory."

"How does your ego fit into the car?" Before he moves with the green light he gives me another look, "don't answer that, and for the record I said ego."

By the time we enter the shoot it's well underway, and my brother's are all dressed in their photo getup looking as uncomfortable as I feel. Bren moves with Art over to the girls and I'm pointed in the direction of the change rooms and told just find my month. Donna wasn't lying she really chose White Calvin's and black silk pyjama pants. Once changed and my normal clothes hung up I move back out to Bren to give Art his outfit, a white onesie with Boo written in black on the back.

Ignoring my brother's wolf whistles and the stares of some of the other woman present I move to my girl who is talking to her other three Pit Sorority Sister's. She stops when she see's me and her eyes go dark, okay photo shoot absolutely worth it!

"I feel like a piece of meat."

She clears her throat and smiles, "but a good quality piece right?"

"You are full of the funny's today, seriously sleep deprivation obviously brings out your humour."

She gives me a sympathetic look, "are you really uncomfortable, Art will cover most of your chest so it won't be that much skin exposed?"

"I'm not loving the eye's on me."

"McKay you used to love them back in the day." I turn to my blonde brother who has migrated with the rest of our brother's to join the girls.

"I only like your sister's eye's on me."

"D good answer."

I look to the most covered amongst us, "B how did you get to wear long johns under your boxers?"

"It was a hard fought negotiation between me and the Chief-"

"Brandon is January, it being a winter month he is covering up. We tried to make him December but he also vetoed the Christmas hat and reindeer boxers."

"You're a high maintenance model it seems B."

"Well what can I say Donna was willing to accommodate to ensure she got this quality."

"Or she was just out of guy's to call on."

"Now now young Silver, don't be jealous that you don't have the same bargaining power, your love heart pants look quite fetching." David's subtle bird aimed at Brandon had us all laughing. Out of all of us he was showing the most skin, obviously his girlfriend had used her powers of persuasion.

As we stood around waiting for our turn, I begin to crave another coffee after getting hit by a wave of exhaustion. On my second yawn I move closer to my girl, we weren't overly affectionate in public but if I didn't put my head down soon I'd lose it. She looks up at me as I move closer, "wishing you slept in now?"

As I move behind her and wrap my arms around her before lowering my head onto her shoulder I respond, "told you I don't sleep well when-"

She cuts me off, I'm guessing she still wants to keep our relationship between us, "okay. Want me to get you a coffee?"

"No I'm just going to sleep on your shoulder for a few minutes."

"That seems comfortable." I can't see her eye roll but I know by her sarcastic humours tone that I received one.

"What's wrong with him?"

"Your nephew's first tooth finally cut yesterday, it's painful business, well from all the complaints we heard last night-"

I feel the need to add, "and at midnight, at 12:45, at 1:20, at 2:15, at 2:55-"

She stops me before I list the other four more wake up calls, "I'm not sure which McKay is more grumpy from the experience Arthur or his Father."

I mumble into her neck, "he gets to sleep in the pram to recover, I don't. I therefore have grump rights."

"So D reconsidering a house full of kids?"

I notice I have quickly unconsciously spread my hand over Bren's middle, "nope I can handle the twenty baby teeth I just can't handle Arthur's Mother's desire to still be a morning person following the all nighter. Hopefully, I can get her to adopt a more lazy morning routine with future teeth and future kids."

"McKay unless you're planning on having years between each kid or you are going to hire a nanny, you know you'll need to get up to look after your other kids right?"

"Have you seen Brenda's and my bed? It fits like eight, I'm planning on sleeping under the guise of special cartoon mornings in Mum and Dad's bed."

"D I don't know what scares me more, that you have obviously seriously thought about this or that you are making plans without my sister agreeing to take you back." Bren doesn't say anything but she squeezes my hand. I get she is not ready for everything but I'm starting to wonder why she doesn't at least admit it to our family. It can't be that she is still uncertain?

The subject is changed by Brandon being called for his photo shoot. From Bren's shoulder I watch as he becomes uncomfortable in front of the camera, covering himself as much as possible with the props. As the girls and guy's of our group move forward to offer encouragement Bren and I stay stationary. "You okay?"

"Yeah."

"You sure you tensed before?"

"Just wondering when I can publicly acknowledge you as my girl, and yes I know I do that already but acknowledge that it's no longer one sided that you want to be my girl to."

"You know I'm not ready for the-"

"I'm not worried about that. That commitment that intimacy, all of it can happen at our pace. That is and will always be no one's business but ours. We don't kiss and tell, and in our case not quite kiss but I would like for people to know that I'm not just wishful thinking, that I'm not putting myself out there repeatedly to be rejected that eventually we will be together again."

She turns to look at me, "do you feel rejected? That's not my intention and I don't want you to feel that it's a horr… it's not what I want you to feel."

I smile at her, "I'm repeating all your lines these day's, what do you want me to feel? How do you want me to feel for you?"

She smiles at the reference, "do you remember every line I ever said?"

"Have I told you how much I missed you over those eighteen months? Missed us. Things repeated, they got stuck in loops, it was like my mind was torturing me wanting me to recall what I had damaged, let go of."

"Are you planning on letting go if I'm not ready to go public?"

Crap I'm being selfish, she was starting to feel herself again after such a long time and here I am pushing for more. "No I'll wait forever for you to be ready. I'm sorry I guess my sleep deprivation is making me grumpier than I thought."

She looks at me and smiles and then shocks me by standing on her toe's and rubbing her nose against mine slowly, staying close she whispers, "I told you already, sleep deprived from a hard night of parenting is a hot look on you, add your calendar wardrobe to that and well you are a difficult future husband to say no too."

As I rub my nose against her's, I pull her closer, "as a writer I need to help you work on that line, as it stands it could be read to imply you may have more than one husband. Baby it should be, my future husband it is difficult to say no to you."

"Maybe it was intentional?" I literally growl and hold her tighter. Her eyes go darker, "okay seriously you are not playing fair my future Hu-"

The clearing of throats has Bren pause and eventually fall back onto her heels, we had been whispering so I don't imagine they heard our conversation or that Bren had finally acknowledged that she wants us to marry, but I'm guessing that they got an eyeful of us just talking to the other. Well talking like Bren and I only know how to do. "Twin do you have something to share with your brother's?"

My girl turns and sasses her brother, "why yes Brandon, you looked seriously awkward up there."

"Well you should of seen me once I clocked your little private discussion down here, January is going to be the month of shock if they captured my facial expression accurately."

I move back behind her and wrap my arms around her. "B I'm sure you'll look great."

"D remove the smile from your face and go back to grumpy tired guy please." I lift my brow at my brother, "do not look at me like that, I do not need to see the smile my sister put on your face, I just got a front row seat to how she put it there." His mock cringe made my smile even bigger. "So are you guy's?"

"Brother's be happy that the McKay's don't talk about such things." I bury my head into her neck as I shake with laughter, she was obviously aiming for personal inference on that statement.

"Fantastic, now I'm going to need to start phoning ahead before I visit your house so I can protect my eyes."

"No need, why do you think we bought a house with a gate, gives us time to get prese-" her elbow in my stomach had me laughing even harder.

The photos continued on and when Art woke it was our turn. The calendar pictures had all appeared a little goofy and ours had started that way but when Art once again got his grump on from his tooth, and I had to concentrate on calming him down and keeping him happy throughout the process, the camera did not stop. Even when I began glaring at the photographer it didn't stop, if anything ours went on longer than anyone else's. When they finally called time I brought Art to his mum who instantly took our still tense son. "Seriously, what took so long?"

Bren gave me a get serious look and when I continued to genuinely look confused she took pity on me, "at the risk of inflating your already large ego Baby, it went so long as you looked… well I think the women in here may have rioted if they stopped that too soon. I think they have taken enough pictures for your own calendar."

"Okay well um…" she smiled at me.

"Mr McKay you are a puzzle you both know and don't know what you do to women."

"Well I don't care what I do to other women I care what I do for my woman."

She looks at me deadly serious, "expect a large cheque made out to Donna and Kelly's Sorority House from our account, I'll be buying most of them and potentially the negatives as well."

It wasn't lost on me she had referred to it as our account. "Oh really, I'd say it's a waste of money as you own the real thing but I'd be happy for no one else to own a copy of those pictures. Steve will be disappointed though, I think he was hoping to be a campus pin up."

"Fine I'll buy the calendar's and then remove the day's of September page."

"I'm October."

"You know how a calendar works right?" I give Bren a confused look, "Baby I'm driving us home after class and putting you to bed you are seriously too tired."

I give her a smile, "can you join me there?"

"Well if I don't you'll never sleep and you need a nap."

"Before your lecture can we get coffee?"

"Okay go change and then I'll buy Fabio a coffee and you can rest on the lawn while I play with our son before class."

"It's play time with Art? I'm coming too, I'm trying to teach him how to crawl."

I look at our hyperactive brother, "you are trying to teach him to crawl, why?"

"Once he crawls I can get him to start moving things around and bring them back to me."

"Bren am I really tired and therefore delusional or did Steve really just say he is trying to get our son to play fetch with him?"

"Baby go get dressed I have to have words with Steve about the difference between babies and puppies."

As I walk away I hear Steve say, "if I can't teach Art can I get a puppy, please?" Knowing Bren she'll agree as she loves dog's, hopefully Brandon who has just come out of the change room will be able to talk Lucy and Fred out of it.

The gang decides to join us as the calendar shoot is done and there is enough of Donna and Kelly's other sorority house sisters to pack up. As we walk to the coffee cart I look at Brandon, "how far did Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum get?"

It's a testament on how often we discuss the crazy antics of the two that he doesn't even ask for more details, "they were arguing over names when I intervened. Bren also wanted joint custody but I convinced her that dog hair and toilet training with Art starting to crawl soon may be unhygienic. I think I bought you at least ten months, but if they bring it up in front of Erica then we may be out numbered."

"Yeah between Iris and Steve, Erica is beginning to be corrupted. Your sister is usually sane enough not to follow through on plans that require a long term commitment but puppy-"

"I know it's Brenda's kryptonite has been since we were kids."

"Maybe I should of let Steve teach Art to fetch."

"It may have been the more sensible option."

As we walk on behind the gang I look at my Brother, "B you okay about?"

"Yes, no, yes just tell me I can trust you with her? She literally is my other half, I can't watch her go through that or similar again it nearly broke me not being able to protect her from you, from Kelly, the pregnancy, the birth, the… everything."

"D I can promise you with every part of me that she won't go through that again with me, she is safe with me. I can't however promise that you still don't need to protect her from the blonde."

"You know I need a date for a task force weekend retreat, I've been advised I can't go alone. I was thinking about asking Kelly."

This is a surprise he hasn't had much, if any time for the blonde since the park. "You interested?"

"No, we used to get along fine and at one stage I may have thought maybe down the track but then you, and then I found out about that summer. Now I just think inviting her might take her focus off you and Bren. Silver's worried that she has begun talking about you both more, it seems you're really busy, she also tried to push him for more details about Dad's deal."

"If you want to invite her invite her but don't worry about doing it for Bren and I. Your sister has already noted the increased interest and well we discuss everything. As long as she doesn't do anything else to Bren we can ignore the rest, but for me your sister is off limits."

The afternoon is spent out on the lawn with the gang and then with just the guy's as the girls attend their lecture. The afternoon is full of feelings of nostalgia, it's the first time since junior year that I have felt the gang all connected like it used to be. The structures were a little different, Steve stuck to Brenda's side rather than Kelly's and Kelly stayed close to David and Andrea. Bren and I sat together as we used to but this time we had our little guy on a blanket between us doing tummy time and sucking on his teething ring. Before Bren disappeared to class she leaned down and kissed Art and then came and kissed my cheek, quietly whispering into my ear "if it could be like this all the time it would be perfect." I squeezed her hand as she straightened, I knew she wasn't talking about us but rather the gang. She missed this, I had missed this. Maybe more day's like this could be the time that heals these wounds. We may never be equally as close to everyone but we could still be a cohesive group, an extended family.

On Sunday before meeting Nat and our brother's for brunch, and after Bren and I had taken the kids to the beach for me to surf and for Erica and Art to play in the sand we stop by the campus to see if the rumour Bren heard yesterday at the auditions was true. It was speculated that they would post the callback list late this morning. As we approached the list Erica was squeezing Bren's hand, I'm not sure which one was more excited or nervous. Before we got close Bren saw a drama student who she knew, "Hi Laura, is it up?"

"Yes and congratulations you got a callback for Maggie." Yes!

"Really?" My girl was over the moon.

"Yeah three of us did you, me and Kelly Taylor."

I close my eyes and breathe deeply; is she fucking serious with this shit!