Authors Note: I own nothing. No ownership rights to Beverly Hills 90210.
Chapter Forty-Nine: Priorities
As far as I can tell the phone calls began to appear on our answering machine on Tuesday morning, by the time I arrive home that afternoon with the kids he has left five of them. Brandon had met us as usual for our morning coffee and Art's nursing break, he told us all about his dinner the previous night- it hadn't gone well. Even with Val being on her best behaviour and reminiscing with Cindy of all the family times in Minnesota, and as Brandon said doing her usual performance of wrapping his parents around her finger it still hadn't deterred Jim's questions about the lack of withdrawals from his College account. Brandon had even tried to raise it being inappropriate with Val there but Jim advised that she was family and therefore it was fine.
When he eventually caved and discussed his administration role at The Peach Pit, Jim had at first told him that it was nice that he wanted to help Nat out but Brandon neither had the time or was the best candidate for such a position considering his limited experience in restaurant management. Brandon admitted to letting his ego get the best of him and even with Val's hard shin kicks under the table he was not able to stop himself from announcing his abilities and achievements both in lessening Nat's workload and in helping to generate more profits for The Pit. When Jim began to question Brandon's so called helping of Nat whilst also helping himself to a salary- taking profits from Joey and Nat, Brandon had bitten back telling him that Joey no longer owned any part of The Pit. From there it wasn't long before Jim knew everything and began his McKay money bashing. It was at that point Brandon truly lost his head and asked his dad was it only he who was allowed to take Dylan and Brenda's money no one else. Val and Brandon left pretty quickly after that and our answering machine had become the venting place for all of Jim's anger.
When Bren walks through the front door later that night from her second rehearsal for the week she looks both excited and exhausted, "Baby am I in for an encore on how Roy is an amazing Director?"
She shakes her head at me, "Mr McKay your selfishness is showing and yes he is still amazing." Okay fine it may have come off a little jealous but she wore the same look last night when she came in and then preceded for the rest of the night to list all the ways he was incredible, it had even carried into our time together in bed.
As she walks over I give her my cocky smile, "you like my selfishness."
She leans down over the arm of the couch and kisses me, "I do." She straightens back up and begins to walk around to sit next to me, "how was your night? Were the kids okay? Is Erica still upset?"
I reach out and pull her into my lap, "my night was busy with both little McKay's being little clinger's today. Mum came up though and after dinner did some gardening with Erica while I gave Art his bath, it helped a lot as both kids just wanted some individual attention. We all missed you tonight." I bury my face into her neck, "just letting you know it's my turn to be the McKay clinger now."
She laughs, "you saw me throughout the day at school, it's only been a few hours."
"Long hours, and I miss you always when you're not around."
My perceptive girl pulls back so she can see me face, "what's going on did you speak to Suzanne? My parents?"
"Not to your parents but your father has taken to yelling at us through the answering machine so don't play it when Erica is around. According to him I've officially paid you all to be my family." She rolls her eyes, and then I change my tone Jim was the least of our worries, "I spoke to Suzanne when I collected Erica from The Pit this afternoon. Kevin and her are thinking it would be nice to get married before the summer so that he can focus on his career over Erica's break from school, decide if they need to move. She said he's a little unhappy with his research not going anywhere and is thinking that he might take the summer to look around for other labs to work at, there's a few in San Fransisco he wants to reach out to."
Her body tense's, "did Erica hear that?" I nod, "no wonder she's clingy. Did she discuss money, investing in Kevin?"
"No but putting the fear of taking Erica hour's away from us could be the starting point for that discussion. I invited them for dinner on Friday, I know it's your only night off from rehearsal before you have a full day on Saturday but-"
"Hey no matter what, our family us our kids come first. I just want this to be sorted so Erica is not put through anymore instability and stress."
"I put another call into the bureau for Christine, they are still claiming she doesn't work there. I'd like to get some support on this but I'm afraid we might be on our own."
"If it's a con it's over four months in they aren't going to want a little bit of money and the detail they are putting into it means they have probably done things like this before- as I said last Monday night they could be dangerous. But then if it's not a con and just our paranoia then we could be seriously risking our relationship with them if we call them out for anything, they could remove Erica from our life if they are truly insulted by our skepticism."
"If it was just you and me I'd say it could be paranoia but Mum's been distrustful since the bbq in March, hell even Nat has always been a little standoffish with Suzanne and hyper aware of her relationship with Erica. As you said after my lab visit it's too much of a coincidence that she finds a man immediately that wants to and knows how to address an issue I'm publicly very passionate about, and now if they don't get financial support they might move away after letting us become very attached to Erica."
She begins to rub her hand through the hair at the base of my neck, "we write a cheque they'll leave if we don't they'll leave, and either way we lose Erica."
"I know you think it's dangerous to play this out but I think it's the only way. Hopefully Christine will call and can offer some advice but for the time being I think we have to go along with this and let them think it's working."
"Dylan take the kids out of this for a second and say we do play along, most of your money-" I interrupt with a head shake, "fine our money is sitting in our account. Aside from the last of Dad's investments and the term deposit which combined is what twenty percent, and by the end of the week when the new purchase goes through our property portfolio is another fifteen percent not including the potential increase in market value, but either way that leaves sixty-five percent of our wealth just sitting there and only our two signatures preventing it from going. While we wouldn't be wiped out if it went it would mean our plans and priorities would have to be readjusted, our property developing would have to be more focused and conservative as we wouldn't have a safety net."
"Do you want the money to be split? It's not like we ever planned for our daily account to have millions just sitting there but cutting as many ties as we could with your Dad financially has left it exposed. We could talk to the bank see what can be done to add more security or even split it between two banks, or talk to Mum she held the money for me for a decade; transferring the bulk of the cash to her till we get Suzanne and Kevin figured out would mean that if we do play this out we wouldn't have to pay attention to the money we could stay focused on our priorities our kids and family safety?"
"Okay let's talk to Iris about her taking the bulk of the cash into an account until this is figured out. Do you think she'll mind?"
"No even if she took ninety percent of it she held nearly the same amount for me before, I think she'll be happy that we are taking the risk seriously."
"Speaking of risk seriously should we discuss security for the kids?"
I sigh I never wanted my kids to have this type of Beverly Hills life where their security needed to be considered, "when they start discussing money we should probably begin to get the kid's shadowed from a far. Art can't be collected from daycare by anyone besides us, Iris and our brother's. Erica though, well Suzanne and us are the only one's on file with the school, unless she has added Kevin to that list."
"Erica is the concern, unless Suzanne is arrested for breaking the law then we will be constantly at risk of losing her throughout this whole thing. Dylan I can't-" I could feel the emotions run through her body they were the same emotions running through mine.
"I can't lose her either, from the start she has always felt like she belongs with us that we are her family. If she has security and is shadowed any attempt of them taking her could be stopped."
"But we have no legal grounds to stop Suzanne, she's Erica's mother and even as her brother you couldn't make a claim. Dylan unless they break the law and are arrested we can't do anything and it's becoming more apparent we are most likely going to lose our little girl." Bren had moved away from her panic of Sunday night and had gradually begun to fall into a stage of hopelessness.
"That's why we have to play along with them, not be too open to the idea but supportive enough that they think we are gradually getting convinced. I'll ring the bureau everyday and push for Christine to return my call. It's the only option we have to try and keep Erica safe and away from what I suspect are veteran con artists, I don't want her raised around that influence and in such a dangerous environment." I rub her hair, "but you need to pull yourself together Baby, Erica can't suspect you are anything more than just upset that she may be moving a few hours away. You need to put Roy's amazing acting direction to use."
She breathes out, "Dylan she's my, she's our…"
"Yes to us she's ours but you we need to be really strong now and fight for her, this is the way we fight for her, fight to make sure she is kept safe."
Eventually Bren pulls herself together and then decides that while all her emotions are tide up with the kids it's probably a good time to hear the answering machine. By the start of the third message she just presses delete all, she's had enough of this rubbish. She advises that if he is still doing this by the end of the week she's calling her grandma as her father will clearly be in need of an intervention. For the second night she doesn't mention her understudy and when I ask about it she just says it's unimportant and that her only focus while there is on her doing her role well.
Wednesday Bren doesn't stay in bed and partake in the usual McKay men morning snuggle routine, instead she decides she wants a big family breakfast after missing dinner for the last two nights. By the time Art and I are coming into the main room Erica and her are busy flipping pancakes together whilst listening to music. I grab the camera to capture the moment, we've had so many like this since Erica came into our life but not enough are photographed; if I may lose my little girl I want all of these moments in print so I can remind myself that this happiness was real.
Over breakfast we discuss the architects visit and both Bren and Erica give their wish list. Bren wants it to be light and with reading space, Erica wants it to have a ladder she likes the idea of climbing up the bookcase like Belle does in Beauty and the Beast. I promise to make sure to pass their requests on.
By the time I get home that afternoon Bren advises me that her dad has left three more messages. It's clear she is still not okay by the full freezer of meals she has prepared and the reorganised pantry and fridge. Brandon told me that summer she does this when depressed and it's obvious that he was right, any big emotions that she can't solve will be taken out on our homes for the rest of our lives. I don't comment on the new organisation and instead just distract her with a kiss actually many kisses. We only stop when our son announces he's awake, and she leaves not long after that for rehearsal.
Friday morning as I leave for school she's still in her pyjamas and is spending time with Art outside on a blanket in the garden. I had wanted to take the morning off to attend her Doctor's appointment and hear that she is now completely fine but she asked to do this one alone. After a week of big emotions she just wanted this one to blend in. When she meets me for our usual Condor Cafe Art swap it's clear that a lot has changed in a week. Steve, Brandon and I are waiting for her and the girls are no where in sight, David had seen Steve earlier and said he was heading to the library not wanting to be anywhere near a seen where he could be stuck in the middle.
It wasn't surprising that they weren't there. Brandon had cut off Andrea when she had tried to discuss Saturday night with him on Monday after their journalism lecture. His message to her was clear, his sister had made the right decision for our family and he supported it fully. Andrea had not attended Tuesday morning coffee. At their Tuesday female studies lecture, Bren had acknowledged them with a greeting but had then moved quickly to a seat away from them; Andrea, Donna and Kelly had obviously known from Bren's change in position that she wasn't playing. We were also guessing Andrea had told the girls that Brandon and Steve were fully supportive of their sister; I was naturally behind my girl's choices. We weren't not talking to them but as Brandon had told Andrea, maybe it was time to accept that our gangs closeness of junior year wouldn't be recaptured and that some friendships move back into just acquaintances after people grow apart.
As Bren came in for the swap over she had given Arthur immediately to his uncle Steve to hold as he had called dibs as she approached, she had then taken to my lap where she declared she received a clean bill of health. We were all thrilled and both Steve and Brandon eyes had got a little glassy which had set Bren's tears off. The week had truly been emotional for her and tonight's dinner would be no different. It gave me an idea.
Dylan had been my rock all week, the potential of losing Erica put everything into perspective. Kelly's presence and questions during rehearsal didn't bother me at all. I ignored my once best friend and got on with doing my role there. I didn't have the energy to try and figure out why her questions always came more regularly after I had said something or why she would offer a counter viewpoint to my character approach, I just didn't care. My little girl could be lost to Dylan and I soon and Kelly's childish teenage antics just seemed trivial and indulgent in comparison, it helped me see how different I was from my former friends. My life had gone in a different direction one that they might not go on for years to come, they didn't understand my life, my priorities and the commitment that Dylan and I were making to each other. They didn't understand that dealing with our past was essential so that he and I could both feel confident in our future. The realisation made me think that even if Saturday had worked out differently that we most likely would still have not been ever as close as we were; dating, parties and even college responsibilities were not prioritised the same or at all for Dylan and I.
By the time I get home on Friday afternoon Dylan has collected Erica from school and she and he are having a swim while Art is sleeping. As I move out to the pool I can hear Dylan congratulate her on how many laps she has done. "You guy's seem to be having fun."
"Baby our little girl is going to be a surfer by the end of the summer, she's mastered this swimming thing and a few weeks of ocean swimming she'll be ready to try to catch her first wave."
Erica was beaming, "you really think I could learn to surf?"
"Absolutely, Bren and I will take you out and you'll be a natural."
"Brenda you surf?"
"Not for nearly two years but yeah Dylan taught me."
"But you'll come out with me?"
"Of course I wouldn't miss your first surf for anything. We'll have to go buy you a surfboard though, Dylan's will be too big to learn on."
"Really?"
"Dylan will take you, going to his favourite surf shop is a big deal with him." I look to my boyfriend who was giving me a smile remembering the context of my remark from sophomore year. "Taking our kids there for their first surfboards is going to be a great tradition to start." He beamed, our priorities had definitely shifted.
By the time Suzanne and Kevin have arrived the salads are ready and the bbq is heating up. Erica is out of the water and is back practising her soccer shots, hopefully next year we can get her in a team that is if my little girl is still here. I put on my best performance of being both excited for the marriage and nervous about a potential move. When Kevin talks about his disappointment that his research is not going anywhere I reiterate my genuine shock, there is such a need and so many industries rely on our oceans to be kept clean.
Dylan asks Kevin about the likelihood of the San Fransisco labs being receptive to his findings and Kevin is somewhat hopeful that it may be the case though you never know, it depends how much R&D they've spent on their own solution. Suzanne jumps in then with encouraging words to her future husband, he takes them onboard but does state he's been disappointed so many times that it's hard to be hopeful. He then goes as far as to say he just wishes he didn't have to rely on these big companies that he wishes he could do this on his own.
"Would that be a possibility?"
He looks at me, "no the lab costs and then production costs would be unachievable on my own I'd need investor backing."
"How much are we talking?"
"Dylan-" the bluntness of his question shocks me.
"Bren I'm just curious."
"Can I talk to you inside for a second?"
"Excuse us." As we move inside I look at him, "I just wanted to know."
"You aren't seriously thinking?"
"Look it's my money and even you said that a lot of industries would be interested in this technology, without your Dad investing for me I feel that my money is just sitting there I'd like to see if this could be something."
"This is Arthur's inheritance, are you seriously thinking of investing in an area you don't know much about? And if you aren't serious it's unfair to let Kevin think you are."
"I'm seriously wanting to hear more, look I'm just asking questions right now that's it."
"Fine but maybe you should reach out to my dad if you seriously start thinking about this?"
"I thought you understood that I didn't want your Dad anywhere near my money, Baby don't you trust me to look after our family?"
"You know I do but-"
"No but's you either trust me or you don't."
"Okay it's your money but just promise me you'll go slow okay?"
He pulls me into his arms, "relax I'm just asking questions."
When we return to the table, Kevin fills in Dylan briefly on the proposal but I insist relatively quickly on changing the subject to the wedding plans. Suzanne supports the change but before we can move on Dylan and Kevin agree to meet for a surf Monday morning and then have breakfast after.
With Suzanne working the breakfast shift at The Pit the next day they leave early and leave Erica with us for the night.
When I crawl into bed Dylan is reading, I reach up and kiss his lips, "not that I'm complaining but what was that for?"
"Just that you are amazing, maybe you should have tried out for the play been the Brick to my Maggie."
"You think we were convincing?"
"I think they think I'm the roadblock and you're just having a look around, I don't think we are coming off too strong at all."
"Well if they were eavesdropping or just looking at us through the glass they should hopefully be convinced that it's not going to be an easy sell. Let's hope that adds to our authenticity. I've signed the documents at the bank this afternoon to transfer the money to Mum, are you okay about going in on Monday and finalising it?"
"No problem. The sooner it's out of our account the better."
He quickly rolls us over so he is hovering above me, "well since that's taken care of and the kids are asleep I believe it's time for some you and me one on one."
"You think it's always time for that."
"That's because it is."
The next day is a full day of rehearsals, Roy wants to run the play through twice with the main cast, working on blocking and presenting the major scenes that we have been working on all week. Kelly spends most of the morning watching and noting all the stage positions of Maggie, she will be expected to know them on her run through this afternoon. The main cast will perform four out of the five performances and Roy expects all five shows to be highly regarded.
By the time I get home it's been a busy day and I'm looking forward to a relaxed evening and family day tomorrow. I'm surprised when Dylan opens the front door for me and smiles, "great you are right on to time."
"Right on time for what?"
"Right on time to go inside kiss our kids and then remind them to be good for Grandma Iris."
"Okay but where am I going?"
He moves closer and moves my hair behind my ear, "did I forget to mention I'm taking you on our belated first date tonight, Mum's got the kid's."
"And what exactly are we doing for our first date?"
"That's for me to know and you to find out. You have twenty minutes before we have to leave so I'd get moving my love and get your fill of the little McKay's for the next twenty-four hours."
"Twenty-four hour's?"
"Nineteen minutes."
"But wait clothes, packing, our kids?"
"Val talked me through the packing and the bags just need to be put in the car, the kids are with their grandma tonight and then our brother's and Nat are coming up here tomorrow morning to spend the day with them. We will be back tomorrow afternoon, now you have seventeen minutes."
"Dylan I'm still nursing."
"There is enough milk in the freezer for Art and I have packed your pump, Baby relax I've got this. You have now sixteen minutes- go."
He wasn't lying sixteen minutes later he came and kissed the kids goodbye told them to be good for grandma, promised we would call in the morning, and then literally picked me up and carried me from the house.
As we were driving down the hill I looked at him, "is this the same date you planned for that Tuesday?"
"No that one was just an evening together, this one well after how this weeks been the stress and fear of losing our daughter-"
"You never call her that, you just say our kids or our little girl."
"That's because I have felt we are taking away from Suzanne by calling her that but after last night, she's made us fall in love with her daughter so she can steal from us. She's using her child, parents a proper mother would never do that; give her child a sense of family and then take them away from it." He reaches down and picks up my hand, "if all goes to plan when they are arrested hopefully we will be legally her parents soon and she'll never be manipulated like that again."
It wasn't the time to say it most likely wouldn't work out, any little feeling that they may have been found out and they most likely would disappear taking Erica with them. Dylan who had constantly lived with the idea that fate was against him was being uncharacteristically optimistic, it made me fear what impact this would have on him when it didn't work out.
"Anyway after our week I wanted to have a moment for just us, well many moments."
I smile over at him, "okay twenty-four is a long first date what happens if you find out we have nothing in common?"
He laughs understanding that I was trying to lighten the mood, "I knew from our first first date that I wanted to try something with you that I had never tried before… exclusivity. I knew I was falling in love with you. I think if we had been older on our first first date, well I don't even think twenty-four hours would have been long enough. We have kids now though and well twenty-four hours of me getting you all to myself will begrudgingly have to do this time."
After a few minutes I notice that the buildings are changing, "Dylan where are we going?"
"The airport."